Property Malaysia

A friend of ours was interested in this development after viewing it, so he asked Property Malaysia to check it out. We are actually very familiar with Dana 1, since we have been to Puncak Seri Kelana (by the same developer, one of our associates stay there) and also attended the launch of the commercial area a few months ago.

At the moment, this project is launching a massive media blitz, in direct competition with USJ 1 Avenue (at least in terms of advertising space), which we reviewed recently.

Let’s talk location first. It’s situated in Lembah Subang, (the original ‘Subang’ that spawned a million other area names like Subang Jaya, SS2, USJ, etc). To be exact, it is situated between the LRT depot and the PAWS animal shelter. There are two ways to access it, one is through the Dataran Crimson tunnel from the LDP (where you have to pass through some narrow side roads) or via the old Subang airport road. Many people tout Lembah Subang as THE growth area of PJ, with such premium developments like Saujana and Ara Damansara, but some people view it as congested because of its limited access roads. Plus, there is the massive low cost MPPJ flats nearby (where the units are less than 3 meters from the main road).

But congestion aside, this developer has earmarked a huge area to be developed in phases.
Dana 1 Residence is basically a large scale service apartment project with 338 units on leasehold land. There are 11 types of units, ranging from 1063 to 1643sq.ft, thus offering a reasonable variety to buyer. All the types are basically slight variants of 3+1 rooms, so personal choice and suitability of the view should dictate which unit is right for you. However, there is only two types of show unit available (of which only one is furnished), its located opposite the project site. The IKEA furnished unit is nothing out of the ordinary.

The condo itself is laid out in a somewhat traditional sense, where it common facilities like the pool and clubhouse is in the centre, surrounded by 4 towers. This is aesthetically opposed to the more ‘modern’ design of developments like Sterling@PJ and the aforementioned USJ 1 Avenue.

Some more bad news. Only one parking bay per unit. Which family has only one car these days? What you will eventually get is cars parked along the road outside the condo, choking the streets like in Kelana Putera and any other mid-cost apartments. Futhermore, the facilities can only be described as basic, with not much to offer other than a pool and a gym.

So what has Dana 1 Residence going for it? For one the price is reasonable for a commercial unit. Not really cheap, but reasonable. Plus, the landowner is the semi-government Yayasan Selangor, so there is some degree of assurance there. However, we should note that the developer, Puncakdana has had some problems in the past. A project management company has yet to be appointed.

In conclusion, if you’re looking to invest in apartment with the intention of renting out to students or young working adults (who do not require lots of fantastic facilities), this may be worth a look.