Room to grow

WHEN Melvin Kong and Christie Ng were house-hunting a few years ago, they had hoped to find a home which they could move into immediately without the need for extensive renovations. "We visited about 50 homes, but could not find anything suitable," says Ms Ng, a homemaker. So it was onto Plan B - to buy an old house and rebuild it. They found one in Serangoon Gardens. "There are lots of amenities within walking distance, and even though we are on a one-way street, there are two lanes, so this street is never congested," says Ms Ng.

Since the house would be built from scratch, the couple had specific wants for it. Top of the list was a space "that is big enough for our son, Samuel, and four dogs to run around in," says Mr Kong, executive director at a leading financial services firm. Next: a swimming pool that the family can easily enjoy views of but which was also safe for Samuel and the dogs to play in, adds Mr Kong.

On top of that, Ms Ng wanted, "an outdoor space for the dogs and Samuel to run around in but which was still within safe boundaries".