If you owned a two-bedder condo unit, would you move back into an older (35+ years) 4-room flat, while your parents took over your condo? For YK, this switch was both practical and gave him peace of mind.
And no, it’s got nothing to do with pools or BBQ pits. Here’s why he and his wife decided this was the right move for YK’s ageing parents, and how it’s given him an appreciation for the most ubiquitous yet underrated of condo facilities: the 24/7 security team.
It began with problems in YK’s former home, his parents’ flat
YK moved out of his parents’ home in 2022, sometime after he got married. He moved into a two-bedder unit at Eunos with his wife and daughter. Whilst not one of the larger units (it was around 740+ sq ft), YK says it was just right for the three of them, and close to his parents’ flat.
About a year after he moved out, YK’s parents started running into trouble. It began with his father paying over $1,000 to purchase an unnecessary “special filter” for water. Barely a few weeks later, his mother was scammed out of $700 to purchase beauty products, which were sold to her by a door-to-door salesperson.
“My parents are too trusting, they assume everyone is a good person. Last time when we were there we could play ‘defence’, but now we weren’t there every day.”
While these were the two biggest expenses, YK says he’s quite certain his parents have been “easy targets” for various schemes that they haven’t told him about.
He suspects they’ve opened their wallets for the various durian sellers, teenagers selling ice-cream, and other salespeople who come to the front gate; probably paying whatever they’re asked. He subsequently insisted that his parents call him before major financial decisions, but they rarely do so.
An anecdote made YK consider condo living for his parents
Door-to-door sales are not the only problem. YK says his father is showing signs of dementia, which raises concerns for the future:
“There have already been a few times my mum caught him wandering around the nearby blocks, because he forgot which one was the right one. Eventually, he’d get home, but sometimes he could wander for half an hour.”
While at work, YK heard an anecdote from another colleague: his co-worker’s mother, who had dementia, was stopped from leaving the condo by a security guard who recognised her. This planted the idea to have his parents move into a private property.
Moving in together wasn’t possible in his two-bedder; so the family briefly considered selling and purchasing a bigger three-bedder. However, he changed his mind after crunching the numbers.
“We were a bit unhappy about moving so soon after moving in, and after we did all the reno,” YK says, “So we had the idea to do a switch instead.”
Moving into his parents’ flat made sense for many reasons
YK says his family frequently went back to his parents’ place anyway, sometimes staying over the weekend. In fact, his daughter sometimes stayed there days on end, as one of her close friends lives just one block away.
Likewise, his parents were also familiar with the condo unit, and they often visited, bringing food. As such, moving into his parents’ flat presented fewer difficulties compared to the challenge of getting a bigger condo unit for the whole family.
YK’s parents had no objections to moving into the condo as well; in fact, his mother preferred it, as it was closer to the MRT station. It was also not a big disruption, as YK says there are weeks when his parents stay over at the flat as well – so it’s “more like cohabiting in two homes.”
In subsequent months, YK began to notice an added benefit of condo living; one that goes beyond the usual pool, gym, and tennis court
Ostensibly, his father’s health condition was the reason for their moving. The 24/7 security meant someone would notice if his father were ever wandering and lost. YK says there was already one incident, when a guard led his father back to the right block.
But the added benefit — which he didn’t consider till now — is that his parents are “protected” from random salespeople coming up to the front gate. There have been no further incidents of his parents being manipulated by door-to-door salespeople.
His parents also like the improved privacy, and his mother enjoys that visitors now have to call before coming:
“There are certain people that I know she doesn’t like to entertain, certain gossiping relatives and whatnot. I remember sometimes when they came, if the windows happened to be closed, she would tell us to keep quiet and wait till they go away – it was quite funny.
But for the condo, they need to text her first to say they’re coming. So she can just say ‘not at home’, don’t come.”
There’s no ‘loss’ regarding the facilities either
When asked if his family misses the condo facilities, YK says there’s virtually no loss, since they’re just a few bus stops away. They still have their own key card, if necessary, and he continues to use the gym and pool in the condo.
The only real loss is that the condo was just across from the MRT station, so getting to the train was a lot easier. Also, since the car is necessary for his wife’s work, and he leaves before her, YK has to take a connecting bus to the station. However, he feels it’s a small inconvenience for the peace of mind.
And as a final bonus, his parents’ 4-room flat is bigger than the condo unit. YK feels that, when his daughter gets married and is waiting for her own place one day, there’s room for both her and her future husband. It would have been far less comfortable in the two-bedder.
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This article was first published in Stackedhomes.
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