Singapore — If you had a chance to visit Derrick Hoh’s home, you will notice that his abode looks like a Muji furniture catalogue.
The four-room HDB flat is also fitted with various gizmos. His 40-year-old home is the newly renovated love nest of him, 36 and his wife, who is not named to preserve her privacy.
Speaking to 8days.sg in an interview, Hoh revealed that it was a “super steal” to buy the flat at SGD276,000 when the couple saw first saw it listed at their BTO balloting exercise.
He said: “The market price [for flats] around this area is about SGD440,000. This is the perfect neighbourhood for me. It is quiet and close to my parents’ home.
“My mum kaypoh around and she found out from the neighbours that the previous owner had passed away of old age. So, we thought that was kind of a good vibe since she lived a long life, and I could potentially do that as well.”
Hoh revealed that he and his wife were initially worried about encountering issues with loan sharks with a repurchased flat. In addition, the flat was also in a bad condition. “There were burn marks because I think the previous owner burnt incense,” he added.
During Dec 2020, Hoh’s sister-in-law, who is a contractor was tasked to renovate the 980-square-feet space that was stripped bare of fixtures and fittings, as reported by Asia One.
In total, the renovation cost SGD100,000 and the majority of the cost went into cabinets for storage. Hoh and his wife spent about SGD44,000 on carpentry work. Hoh’s studio racked up to a five-figure sum and it is the priciest room in the flat. Hoh gave a house tour on the Mediacorp online video series #JustSwipeLah after its transformation was completed in June.
The devoted husband revealed that he made sure every detail of the flat was designed to “make his wife happy”.
Dishing out relationship tips to host Seow Sin Nee, Hoh said: “Always find a compromise, you’ll lead a happier life”.
Indeed, the centrepiece of the flat is an artwork commemorating Hoh’s first date with his wife in Hong Kong on May 19, 2018.
Other than a wedding photo made out of Lego bricks and preserving the bouquet he used to propose as decor, Hoh shared that having a smart home is the “secret to a happy marriage”.
The tech enthusiast has connected his home with voice-controlled devices, an automated laundry system with a self-drying feature, and smart speakers so that the couple can “page” each other in their flat. The total cost? About SGD5,000.
He added to 8Days: “A lot of things are very ‘extra’, but they come in useful. It’s more about convenience and improving your quality of life, rather than a necessity. It frees me up to do other more important things and can also minimise conflict [with my wife].
“If my wife tells me to turn off the lights, I can just tell Google to do it. You may think these are little things, but they all add up. If you don’t handle them with finesse, they’ll affect the marriage. Happy wife, happy life.”
/TISG