Wow of a house

ERIC Cheng, group CEO of property firm ECG Holdings, has built over 75 homes in Singapore in the last three years, so when it comes to his own home, he knows exactly what he wants. "The house must have a modern design, meet the needs of my family now and in the future, and it has to be elderly-friendly too because my parents are living with me," says Mr Cheng. "And the home must have a wow factor."

Drive past the semi-detached house in the Tanjong Katong area, and you are likely to slow down and do a double take. "That's the effect I want," says Mr Cheng, 39.

A black granite stone wall, specially cut and imported from China fronts the four-storey house, while the house itself resembles boxes stacked on each other at an angle. You may wonder if that is really a pool you see on the second storey, and yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. "Having a pool on the ground floor is nothing new. I'm a bold person and I'm motivated to do things out of the norm," says Mr Cheng. "So I decided that the pool should be on the second storey."