Property Malaysia

We first heard of this place some years back when one of our friends bought an apartment in the nearby Vista Millennium Condominiums, developed by the same corporation. At that time, the place was quite empty, with very few new projects.

At the moment the place is a hive of activity, with numerous projects ongoing and forthcoming. Desa Millennia is actually just next to the existing Puchong Perdana, a very old township built in the earlier 90’s. This place shares the location perks and problems as the Desa Impiana development (read our review here and here) nearby, although Desa Impiana in Puchong Prima is slightly further inside.

Right now, the only access to Vistaria is via the Puchong Perdana interchange on the LDP, which is very congested in the evenings. There is another proposed interchange near Puchong Utama (near the Mobil) as part of the LDP upgrade package, but there it is still not set in stone. If the interchange is eventually built, it’ll benefit many of the developments here. There is another narrow access out to the LDP branch going to Putra Heights and USJ, but it traverses narrow lanes in a new village.

As part of the larger township, there are lakeside facilities, including jogging and cycling tracks, cafes, boating and fishing amenities.

In terms of location, of course this place cannot compete with Puchong Jaya or Bandar Puteri, so the developers have added in a very interesting and attractive furnishing package to entice the buyers.

Everything and anything (and we DO mean everything) you want to upgrade can be done so by the developer. So if you don’t want any hassle of waiting for 5 different contractors to fix small little things in your new apartment (we’re sure every new house owners understands that predicament), you can opt for their flexible packages, and bring your clothes and move in anytime. We’re talking package for living room furniture, dining set, cabinets, cooking hood, bedroom furnishing, curtain rail and track, fans, mirrors, plaster ceilings, cornices, and yes, even the kitchen sink! (Never mind if you don’t get the joke…)

As for facilities, it’s a little threadbare, with a swimming pool, hall, kindergarten, broadband access, and of course high security.

The layout of the typical unit is, as they call it, typical. Three bedrooms, but with 2 detached baths. It means there are no master bedrooms and no attach baths. Looks like their targeting young workers and student renters. There is a Guaranteed Rental Return scheme by the developer to reel in the investors (check with the developer for more info).

The quality of the finishing is quite minimum, given the affordability.

We like the attractive upgrade package, and the competitive pricing. Prices start from RM72k for basic unit, RM138k for a furnished one.

* UPDATE - You can read our full review here.

Just when you think there are launch of new luxury KLCC condos are slowing down after almost two years of continuous activity, another high-end address is set to launch soon and dazzle the market - Idaman Residence by TA Properties, just down the road on from Suria KLCC, near Menara TA.

Details are coming soon, watch this space.

With no less than 15 other luxury condos having launched earlier (both sold out already, or still currently available), competition is getting tighter for the buyer’s attention. In addition to this one, we see at least another 3 more condos launching soon, around the Yap Kwan Seng and Ampang area.

In recent days, the business media have been generating a lot of interest, the links are here for you to read:

Developer’s website
Property big money spinner for TA Enterprise
TA Group not keen on investment banking
Property to contribute more to TA
Aspiring for Idaman
City & Country: TA Properties on a roll
TA Enterprise wants property to contribute 50% of revenue

We’ve passed the billboard on the Sg. Besi-Puchong road (or some people call it the Bukit Jalil highway) many times, the other day we were compelled to turn to see this place after a reader requested for a review. It so happens it was launched weekend, there was the food, and plenty of people milling about in every room.

The tagline for this project is ‘Affordable luxury homes’ and we’re inclined to agree. There was a first phase launched awhile back, and was sold to good response. There a few bumi lots remaining at the moment.

Let’s get it straight. We like the place. It’s affordable, we like the design, we like the facilities, and it’s low density. There are a few drawbacks, like the location. There is an established small to medium industrial park right in front of it, the two entry points of the development are via the industrial lots. It’s not a big deal, but it may a problem for many people. The other concern, is of course, the Bukit Jalil highway, it being a left-turn only road. If you need to go to Puchong or PJ, you need to go TPM to make a u-turn, or go through Bandar Kinrara.

There are the basics – secured guarded homes, ex-plantation freehold land, better than average finishes, landscaped gardens. What else do we like? The layout. Three storeys, 5+1 rooms, 2,895sq.ft. We like the utility downstairs, and the large wet and dry kitchens. The upper floors have large rooms and family area, although some people may not like shared bath design layout at the back the house.

There’s a decent view from the site, and there are plans for more phases of high end homes. There are only 135 units for this phase, so each launch is quite limited to maintain exclusivity. For this phase there are only one type of unit for sale.

So, take a look at this place if you’re in the market for something in the RM400k to RM800k price range.

We don’t have a location plan for you, but its on the Bukit Jalil Highway, towards Astro, just before the Bukit Jalil golf course junction. Incidentally, the turning is directly opposite the turning into Alam Sutera.

Other projects in the vicinity launched recently which we have reviewed (or will, soon):
Paragon Heights
Alam Sutera (review coming soon…)
Savanna, Bukit Jalil
Bandar Kinrara: Harmony
Bandar Kinrara (Overall Development Review)

Recently we reviewed Pelangi Damansara 2, a hot-selling property in Bandar Utama (you can read the review here). While that condo is developed by Metro Kajang, the primary property developer in this high-end suburb is still See Hoy Chan Holdings Group (SHC Group).

Bandar Utama has been massively successful for SHC, the all their launches have been almost immediately sold out since the early 90’s, making it a very prestigious address with such landmarks as One Utama, Sri Pentas, Centrepoint, KBU and thousands of homes for the masses.

And now, it will set to become more vibrant. Work on a hospital and a retirement village will begin in a year’s time, while a RM200 million, 28-storey five-star hotel under construction will be opened by early 2007.

According to an article in the New Straits Times,

The masterplan is to make Bandar Utama as comprehensive a township as possible. The hospital and retirement village will occupy a 12-acre site near the new extension of the 1-Utama shopping complex, SHC Group director Datuk Teo Chiang Kok said… The yet-to-be-named amenity will be built with assistance and advice from Tung Shin Hospital experts.

And

As for the hotel, he said SHC Group is negotiating with local and international operators to run the facility once it is completed. It is coming up next to Sri Pentas, TV3’s studio, in the township…The 428-room hotel will have two restaurants and a ballroom with a seating capacity of 2,000, making it even bigger than that in Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, which currently contains the largest hotel ballroom in the Klang Valley.

It looks like Bandar Utama is set to rise a few notches in terms of property value stakes.

Further down the road from Hartamas Regency 1 & 2 (read our review here) and Kensington Park Homes (read our review here), all by PJ Development Holdings, is another new condo. This one is called Changkat View Condominium, and it is developed by the Plenitude group.

In our earlier two reviews, we had already commented on the location, but here’s a recap. This is a much less congested area of Sri Hartamas, maybe compared to the likes of Mont’Kiara or Desa Sri Hartamas (check out our review of Kiaraville). Another plus point is the easy accessibility to Segambut, Jalan Kuching and Jalan Duta, and of course to the Sprint Highway and LDP too.

The actual site is a narrow piece of land flanked by Menara Duta 1 & 2 and the Prima Duta condo. Plenitude is also developing the Changkat Kiara enclave of semi-Ds and bungalows.

So what has Changkat View got to offer above the tight competition from other nearby condos by their competitors like Sunrise, Ireka and PJD?

Well, their biggest attraction is the affordability. For the good location (you have to admit, the name Sri Hartamas sells) you have 1100sq.ft units going at RM160psf onwards. The market rate around the area is generally around RM300 to RM400, so this is really a lower-priced alternative. But one drawback, is the high density. There are 796 units, for a small site. Credit to the developer, they have designed it quite sensibly, there are 4 identical blocks of 26 storeys, each floor has only 8 storeys, and the units are arrange in a way that you have only one neighbour sharing a party wall with you, kind of like a ‘semi-D condo’ we’ve seen advertised somewhere. We can’t remember where.

There are two typical unit design, both 1100sq.ft (the footprint for all the blocks are the same). Penthouse units are basically two typical units combined. Type C is an awkward angled unit, the rooms are at 45 degrees from the rest of the unit. At the entrance there is a long corridor coming in to the unit, some wasted space there. It’s a 3 room unit, but we really don’t fancy these odd angled units. But some people will love it, its quite tastefully done. Master bedroom and the attached bath is small, so is the kitchen.

The other typical unit, is more angular in design, yet equally perplexing. The living and balcony is in the center of the unit, with rooms on both sides. This one has a bigger master, but also has some wasted space in the entrance hallway.

Studio units are also available.

The common facilities are in a separate building surrounded by the apartment blocks. A large portion of this building is a multi storey parking structure (quite a distance to walk from your unit to your parking). In addition to that there are security features, pool and gym. Not much else. Quite adequate for the price you’re paying, but you’re sharing with 800 other units, really.

Bottom line - Good location, affordable, no frills, average finishing, high density, value for money. Some parking are open air around the units.

You are encouraged to check out the following reviews of the other developments in the vicinity.

Changkat View
Hartamas Regency 2
Kiara 1888
Kensington Park
Kiaraville
Kiaramas Ayuria
Hijauan Kiara
The Verve Suites
Tiffani by i-ZEN
Boulevard Tower, Solaris Dutamas
Mont’Kiara Meridin

One of our readers prompted us to review this place when the first 3 blocks of this place was launched earlier. We googled the name, went to their website, found out who the developer was, decided not to review the place (don’t ask), and soon forgot it in the multitude of other development that warranted our priority and attention (our apologies to that reader…)

Recently, some more other readers requested for a review, so we decided we should really see this place. What’s the big fuss, you may ask. Well, we’re quite familiar with the developer Metro Kajang, and one of our business associates worked a long time with them. When we went to the sales office a few days ago, we stopped to look at the project signboard in front of the construction. Already, we personally know more than half the consultants working on the project, but we decided to review the place independently, as potential buyer ourselves.

We will keep the review short, we’re in no mood to tell funny insider anecdotes and witty repartee today.

Location is excellent. As one of our friends said, Bandar Utama (BU) address is pure gold. Well, not pure gold, maybe 916 gold. But still extremely valuable. BU is well-guarded See Hoy Chan territory, to get a piece of land large enough to build a condo is not easy. Good road network, access from NKVE (via Jalan Masjid and Kg. Sg. Ara) and another through BU proper, near the old TV3 building.

Price is affordable, starting from about RM190psf, if you compare it to nearby Kota Damansara. There aren’t many condos in BU to begin with, the place being fully almost fully developed all the way from Damansara Utama to Kota Damansara.

Facilities are nothing to shout about, there is a pool, gym, sauna and broadband access. For an earlier phase this launch, there were three blocks, sold off, just next to this lot. For this phase, one block has been sold out, leaving two for this launch. So that says a bit about the demand in a good location.

For the units, its quite common design, so we won’t go into each of the blocks are twin-winged, with a total of 12 units per floor. There are three unit types, 920sq.ft 1000sq.ft and 1,137sq.ft. All are 3 bedroom, with balconies (you know how we feel about balconies). Type A (1,137sq.ft) has a large master bedroom and a small bedroom 3, and a large balcony and yard. The other two types are pretty similar. Again, no major comments with regards to the internal layout.

Developer has completed Pelangi Damansara 1 further away. Based on our experiences, quality of finishes may be a concern. Usually developer undertakes contracting work via their subsidiaries.

See? Short and to the point review. No mention of insider news.

Bukit Jalil is really turned into one of the fastest growing residential areas in southern KL. It started with the Vista Commonwealth, together with the National Sports complex, then Technology Park Malaysia, IMU and then the housing developments starting sprouting up from Sri Petaling all the way to Puchong. Some people view it as one of the more promising growth in South KL, whereas some people feel that it is nearing over-development.

And right smack in the middle of Bukit Jalil, in what can be said as the last piece of prime land in Bukit Jalil proper, is Savanna, developed by Berjaya Group. Vincent Tan’s mega-corporation has a few projects in this area, like the Greenfields and Green Avenue condominiums, and the sprawling Bukit Jalil Golf Resort.

Now a bit about the location. It directly opposite the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, IMU on a much higher ground on one side, existing condos on one side. And on the other side, there’s an unimpeded view of the golf resort. With this landlocked property, the prime advantage is that there will be no more new developments next to you. But of course, you’ll be paying for this luxury.

Now, some other advantages: LRT station is within walking distance. Good road network. Near KL, Puchong and southern landmarks like Cyberjaya and Putrajaya. And TPM.

Disadvantages? There’s the stadium just opposite you. Come weekends, you’ll have huge problems getting in and out of your apartment. Trust us, it will happen. Not to mention the Turf Club down the road. Then there’s the price, but we’ll get to it in a moment.

The site is on a large, narrow, triangular piece of land. There are two blocks of apartments, yet there is still plenty of open spaces used for jogging area, landscaped parks, sports facilities and more open spaces. The back portion of the apartment is on suspended slab, perched on the slopes of the existing hill, with a long driveway to enjoy the scenery.

As a full-fledged condo, this place probably has everything you’d expect. Clubhouse, top-notch security, infinity pool (eh?) and glass gym.

One of the main selling points of the apartment is that they are provided three parking bays free of charge to each unit. At least we won’t see cars parked on the main road at night, just like the condo next to this one (double and even triple parked).

There are three basic unit designs, ranging all around the 1200sq.ft (give and take). Each unit type has three type of variations: standard, with garden terrace and with balcony. To understand the unit configuration, there are five levels of parking (that’s how they can provide 3 parking bays for each unit). Then comes the common facilities level. So the first unit is actually on the 7th floor, and all those are the ones with garden. Above the garden units are 3 to 4 floors of units with balconies. Above that, there are all standard units. Confusing? Check out the scale model and it will all become clear.

Garden units are quite popular these days, attractive to these who want some greenery in their unit but do not want a landed property. We’re not keen to see people upstairs throw cigarette butts into our garden, although the developer may argue buyers here are more upmarket and thus more civic-minded (nope, we still think it’ll happen). These units are the priciest.

We won’t into the details of the unit designs, but they all have 3+1 rooms (hence the 3+1+3 marketing tagline – the last ‘3’ refers to the parking). Of the 3 almost similar unit, we prefer type A (1,212sq.ft). And we’ll probably choose the non-balcony (regular reader will know why) and the no-garden one (reason given above). Type C is similar, but with the addition of a narrow triangular study attached to the living. Type B didn’t catch our fancy, the design is a bit unconventional.

There are three choices of view – Golf view, KLCC view and Cheras view (Why would anyone want to… oh, never mind).

We feel Savanna has potential for good investment returns, judging from the surrounding apartments. At 1200sq.ft, they are targeting small to medium families, professionals and long term rental market. Facilities and golf view a big draw. At the moment, only block A is open for sale. Price starts at RM200psf.

What else can we say? Good facilities, location can be a double-edged sword, seasoned developer, stiff pricing. That all-important LRT.

This was the second time we attempted to see this new development. Firstly, you need to know that to enter this site, you need to go through about 500 meters of crusher run road, then 500 meters more of construction dirt track. All this while heavy machinery like breakers and excavators are working a few metres away from your car.

The first time we tried to enter, the dirt track was not good due to soft conditions. So we called the sales office. We told them that we couldn’t make it to the show unit, since our car was an old junk with low clearance. Guess what was the answer?

“That road is very safe. Like that lor. Everybody also use that road ma!”

The next time, we made it to the end (on slightly better ground condition and a slightly better car). The machines and precast U drains were still there, next to the road, but we met a construction guy we knew from our years in the industry. He gave us a good lowdown on what was going on in the place and about some of the behind-the-scenes wranglings.

Here’s the deal. Paragon Heights is a 3-storey housing development between Bandar Kinrara, Alam Sutera (review coming soon) and DBKL Recreational & Equestrian Park reserve. It’s situated on a hilltop, and boasts of a good view of the golf course at Bandar Kinrara, Bukit Jalil and pretty much all of west Puchong. BUT, they are dependent on an access road (the one being built by the authorities, which exits loops out to the Bukit Jalil highway at both ends). With the golf course in front, the Equestrian reserve at one side, and Alam Sutera, behind, Paragon Heights can boast of some degree of exclusivity (Note, we said some).

However there is one snag. The main entry point for this all-important is from the same road that leads to Talam’s Puncak Jalil. Now that’s another can of worms. If anyone has even seen that ‘Genting Highlands’ road, you would know the problem. Regardless, in time the access road problem will be solved, it just makes it a bloody pain for us to reach the place (Not a problem for the developer, most buyers would most likely drive Harriers or Landcruisers. Unlike us).

Coming back to Paragon Heights. There is are two charts at the show unit tell an interesting tale. One is a price chart comparing the development to other nearby existing projects (and some not-so-nearby ones) The other chart compares them in terms of build-up, lot size, packaged freebies etc. They put a damn near convincing arguement, if judging by the charts alone.

There is only one unit type available, and there is one future phase to be launched in the future. We won’t delve too deep into the design of the house, just to note that its three-storeys, with six rooms and 5 bedrooms. Build-up is 3,388sq.ft which is generous, and prices start at RM450k. Units with a view would obviously cost more. Does anyone really need 6 rooms? Big families, right? But there aren’t any big playgrounds, parks or commercial areas in the development to meet the needs of families and their children. Ah well, that’s beside the point. With so much space, it’s hard to go wrong for the layout. Ample spaces everywhere, but we didn’t like the detached maid’s room and toilet at the back of the yard. There were some architectural issues that we didn’t like, but it’s a matter of preference. It would be better to see it for yourself.

There not much in terms of facilities, not even landscaped parks. In fact, their sales and marketing angle depend heavily on the view of another developer’s golf course (Kinrara) and the DBKL’s park.

On a whole, Bukit Jalil is really taking in recent years. There are so many project sprouting out along the highway, traffic is increasing exponentially. Plus, the highway is left turn only, you need to go some distance to make a ‘U’ turn.

Sales team quite unprofessional (in our humble opinion only), sales office-cum-empty show unit quite dusty and cluttered. There is another nicely done up show unit incorporating all the upgrade packages. Unit comes up to quite cheap, unproven developer. Actual finishes not impressive, upgrading may be required.

So what did our friend the supervisor tell us about the place? That’s for us to know and for you to find out…! (Don’t you just hate it when people say that?)