Lakeside Residence, Puchong (Rhapsody Series)
We have been hearing insider news about Glomac’s acquisition of this huge piece of land behind Tesco, next to the watercourse separating USJ and Puchong. The news caught on with the general public a few months ago when Glomac dropped hints in press releases, and since it was launched last week, it had generated considerable buzz in Puchong.
This piece of land was largely left fallow while other parts of Puchong were feverishly being developed. Back then a huge portion of this place was still untreated ex-mining land. Soon Tesco opened amidst the shoplots and light industrial lots, then came Mutiara Puchong by Malton and Lake Edge by YTL. Now a third developer has entered the fray, Glomac.
There will be two ways to get there when this place is ready, one is the shared entrance with Lake Edge, where you can see some heavy backfilling works into another part of the lake. Lakeside is further in, past some more industrial lots. The way in is via the existing Taman Industri Puchong, but we doubt people would prefer to go through this light to medium industrial area (side note: Pos Malaysia’s delivery centre is located here). The current access is a temporary construction road, may be unfavourable to traverse during inclement weather.
Also, there is mention of the proposed link to USJ, much talked about by developers on both side of the great divide (like Malton, Dergahayu, MCT, YTL). Too much has been speculated about this link, we won’t comment further on it.
According the developer, they bought this piece of land and carried out some soil rehabilitation works to the ex-mining land, but pretty much kept the lake as it is. The development is an exclusive development of 537 link homes and 100 semi-Ds, with some shops, and amenities like clubhouse with swimming pool, guardhouse, linear park, petrol station, and water sports. The whole development is neatly laid out in rows and rows of parallel roads, all units to are either facing north or south (not exactly true north, but…)
At the moment, they are soft launching 102 units of double storey linkhomes, official launch should be next week. We didn’t like the façade of the building, but it comes down to personal tastes. In terms of internal layout, the corner units have large gardens, and the porch is wide enough to fit two cars side by side. Built up is 2,055sq.ft (corner units are slightly larger) set on a 22’ x 75’ plot. There are 4+1 rooms, the layout is quite appealing without much to fault. There is narrow balcony (for the master bedroom) stretching the entire width of the unit, which doubles as an air-con ledge.
Some features we like: ample ventilation for kitchen, reasonably large rooms, 50’ road reserve. Some things we didn’t quite like: the aforementioned façade and too small lawn for intermediate lots.
Pricing starts from about RM325k for intermediate lots, corner units cost much more. During this soft launch, there is a RM8k discount of sorts, so it comes out to about RM317k. Please check with sales people on the latest pricing and discounts.
But the bigger question is: what did we think of the development as a whole? The developers and many property watchers view as a favourable location, and comparison to Lake Edge is inevitable. Lake Edge has sold off most of their double storey linkhomes, and are currently heavily marketing their unsold garden and pavilion terrace units (perhaps as a response to Lakeside’s launch). Lake Edge employs a more contemporary, open, Australian-influenced concept, Lakeside is more conventional. Looking at the development as a whole, we have to say we were not entirely impressed with the place, as unpopular as this view will be (and we know it will be.) Firstly, our concern is the land. Some of our associates were directly involved in the works around the lakes (although not necessarily on this piece of land), and without going into too much detail, if given a choice, we would still prefer ex-estate land or cut ground (and we emphasize that only if we are given a choice). However in our previous dealings, we know that Glomac is a reputable developer.
In addition to that, leasehold may be a concern to some people, although these days it is harder and harder to find any other kind of land in the suburbs. And all things considered, we feel the pricing for the first phase is a little steep. It will probably get higher for later phases, but of course it is mainly down to the location.
Another point is that we found the quality of the show unit a bit lacking, especially in terms the floor finishing and plastering. Some may argue that this is a show unit, and they probably had to rush it for the sales launch. However we see it differently. It is an actual unit, albeit used for viewing purposes. And show units should show the best quality you can achieve for buyers, not the other way around. We hope the other units will have the quality of finishing that is expected.
So if you value this location above all other factors, and the Glomac’s reputation, this it is worth a serious look.
| Project Name | Lakeside Residences | |
| Location | Puchong | |
| Description | Semi-D and linkhomes in exclusive lakeside gated development (first launch linkhomes only) |
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| Land type | Leasehold | |
| Price | about RM325,000 (for soft launch, RM8,000 discount given) |
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| Land Encumbrances | Malayan Banking Bhd. | |
| Lot size | 22’ x 75’ | |
| Unit size | 2,055sq.ft (intermediate lot) 2,150sq.ft (corner lot) |
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| No of units | 102 (for this phase)Phase 1: 102 units Total 537 linkhomes 100 semi-Ds and 25 shops |
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| Launch Date | currently soft launch, available for booking | |
| Expected Completion | End 2007 | |
| Developer | Glomac Alliance Sdn. Bhd. (Subsidiary of Glomac Group) |
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| Managed by | Glomac Group Management Services Sdn. Bhd. | |
| Contact | 7804 6160 | |
| Website | www.lakesideresidences.com |
can please give us a review on YTL’s Lake Edge. Thank you!
Comment by crazyfrog — December 8, 2005 @ 3:10 pm
although the facades of the houses seems packed in a row, but i like the total of design which is quite modern (not conventional anymore with pitch roof)and create it’s own living environment….i jz wonder, since that it’s an ex-mining area,how long the stability will stands? how much would it be the market value after the contruction is completed?
Comment by jessie — February 6, 2006 @ 1:12 pm
1. Is piling done for the house?
2. Had Geoscience & Mineral Dept and local council studied the soil structure?
3. What is the impact after the quake as some houses built on the previous ex-mining land was seen to have sinkhole although G&M dept confirmed house was safe?
Comment by question — July 5, 2006 @ 11:46 am
1. i would think so. haven’t been to the site since launch.
2. I would think no. They would only approve the study / report submitted by the developer.
3. G&M will not give any assurance on the safety of the house, (as with most govt dept), they will only comment on the submission made by the developer. Obviously if a quake were to hit Malaysia, these houses will be affected in some ways, as there is no provision for earthquake design in the code. But the degree of the effects depend on a lot of factors, and the strength of the quake.
Comment by Administrator — July 5, 2006 @ 12:19 pm
any review on Lakeview and Lakeside by YTL?
Comment by hoong — January 15, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
Lake Edge you mean. Anyway, no the both.
Comment by Administrator — January 15, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
I’ve set foot in Lake Edge and viewed the Pavillion and the Garden Terraces. Would be good if review/comments are available. I was very facinated with the design and open concept which is similar to houses in Putrajaya, except this is a gated community. Any comments
Comment by ridz — February 5, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
lake edge is fine, if you are fine with the price. however, there are limited units left, aren’t there?
Comment by Administrator — February 8, 2007 @ 11:29 pm
I was tempted to buy a unit in Lakeside. The concept is brilliant! The only factor that hold me back is the leasehold status. Can anyone comment on the pros and cons of leasehold vs freehold? Would a freehold condo have more % of growth in value compared to a landed leasehold property? I just feel bad thinking that my RM330k invested in the house will become asheh in another 99 years…
Comment by HouseHunting — May 6, 2007 @ 10:50 pm
would you do a review on Bandar Saujana Utama, Sungai Buluh by Glomac, please?
Comment by aaa — July 13, 2007 @ 7:55 am
aaa,
no plans at the moment. sorry.
Comment by Administrator — July 29, 2007 @ 1:05 am