Like many young parents, when singers-songwriters Alfred Sim, 42, and Tay Kewei, 40, were looking to buy a new home in 2022, proximity to their preferred primary school, which they declined to reveal publicly, for their three sons was a huge consideration.
They only viewed HDB resale flats within walking distance of their desired school so their eldest son, whom the public knows affectionately as Shen Momo, six, would have a better chance of getting in. The couple have two other boys, nicknamed Xiao Pian Pian, three, and Qiu Qiu, one, and had outgrown the four-room Whampoa flat which they shared with their helper.
Their initial plan was to enrol Momo in St Andrew’s Junior School but could not find any suitable flats in Potong Pasir within their budget, so they decided to try Kewei’s alma mater, which is in the eastern part of Singapore.
Though Kewei is an alumnus, to be safe, they bought an executive apartment within 1km of the sought-after school. Situated on a high floor, the 1,540-sq ft apartment, dubbed Simchu 2.0 (Sim’s house 2.0), cost $903K.
“If Momo doesn’t get in the under the alumni phase, I can try the [home-school distance] category later. But we managed to secure a spot in the first round,” Kewei tells 8days.sg.
But it wasn’t all about the primary school. The spacious flat is also a stone’s throw from her parents’ condo – a huge boon for the Sims.
“After moving here, we realised how convenient it is to be near my in-laws. They can pop by when we need help and we can use their condo facilities too. They live really close by – I can see their master bathroom, and sometimes even their silhouette, from my home,” quips Alfred.
Despite moving house to get Momo into their preferred school, the couple don’t consider themselves kiasu parents.
“The main reason for the move is we needed a bigger space. And since we are moving, we might as well find a place near a good school,” explains Alfred. “We wouldn’t have moved if our previous flat was big enough.”
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