Property Malaysia

For those of you who missed it, Star ran a pretty good write-up on the Valencia homes project some weeks back.

Valencia is a low-density development (eventual population of only 3,000) by Valencia Development Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gamuda Bhd.

It has five precincts: Garden Precinct, North Golf Precinct, South Golf Precinct, Hill Court Precinct and the Village Square.

The first three precincts have a mix of bungalows, linked bungalows, semi-detached and garden terrace houses while the Hill Court Precinct only has garden terrace homes. All except the South Golf Precinct are on leasehold land.

Some of our friends are actively involved in the many parcels of development in the sprawling project, and we have a opportunity to tour the project recently. Gamuda seem to have put a lot of thought to optimize this low-density and well planned development, a little way north of the Klang Valley.

You can read the full write-up here. For more info, you can also visit their website here.

Update Jun ‘07: We’ve some latest photos here.

Update Feb ‘07: We’ve some latest photos here.

UPDATE DEC ‘06: Reader Cel has forwarded some photos taken of the earthworks at the site recently, you can view them here.

UPDATE JAN ‘07: For some latest photos taken in January 2007, please click here.

We were at the soft launch yesterday, where they were offering 10% instant discount for the first 100 buyers. Suffice to say, this event with limited publicity really generated a lot of buzz, with a lot of units snapped up over the weekend. Helped a lot when the price of the units were cheap.

At first we weren’t planning to drop by this place, but we saw the small signs along the side of the Sg. Besi-Puchong road. Intrigued, we followed them into Bandar Kinrara. On first impressions, we suspected that that it wasn’t part of I&P’s series of homes, since they usually advertise via buntings and near their sales office. But we knew pretty well that there would not be another developer in Bandar Kinrara, given the exclusivity of the development.

As it turns out, this project is really in Bandar Kinrara, and is developed by Pembinaan Sierra Mal Sdn. Bhd., a contractor who is mainly doing works for BK.

On first impressions, this condo looks like Saujana Residency in SS16 Subang Jaya, in the sense that it has two identical mirror-image low-rise stepping-up towers encircling the pool area. If you put the 2 products side-by side and you’ll see what we mean. Anyway, small matter.

The location of this condo is in BK5, with some low cost homes on one side and hill-slopes on the other. We’ve reviewed the overall development of Bandar Kinrara before, you can read it here for our take on the accessibility, quality, connectivity and potential of the area.

Development Review: Bandar Kinrara

Also, if you want to read some reviews of the other recent phases in Bandar Kinrara, you can do so here:
Harmony (22′ x 75′ linkhouses)
9@Kinrara (22′ x 75′ linkhouses)
Damai@Kinrara
The Oasis

Back to the Sierra Residency. The product very straightforward. Two similar towers with a total of 256 units, at the moment on the first block is open for booking. The condo blocks face south, with the pool are right at the entrance. So the units either face directly the 4 compass points, and they are also either pool view or not pool view. There are 14 units per floor. Higher floors have less units per floor, due to the step up of the different wings. So plenty of choices for particular buyers.

There are 2 basic layouts, with slight variations here and there. Type A is 1008sq.ft, with 3 rooms. The smaller Type B also has 3 rooms, but at 907sq.ft. Both unit types are easy to like, but Type A has a more spacious yard. With the glass façade at the living, they have done away with the need of balconies, and one benefit is a larger living space. Master bedroom comes with walk in wardrobe.

In the centre of the condo, there is a wading pool and swimming pool. Other facilities include security, a childcare centre, gym and multi-purpose hall. This place is thick on the facilities, but they obviously realize that Bandar Kinrara lends a lot of these facilities nearby, plus more facilities here mean higher price and maintenance fees. At least one parking spot per unit, some covered some open air.

We come to the pricing. It’s cheap – starting from about RM110k to RM189k. (not including discount). They are packaging some home security freebies together with the unit.

There are a lot of good things going for this place. It’s freehold, it’s cheap, it’s low density. And it’s in the well-planned Bandar Kinrara, so at least you know in the future it won’t turn into an overcrowded and unplanned housing / commercial area. From the looks of it, they are targeting the upper-middle class residents of Bandar Kinrara to invest here and rent out to students or young working people. On the downside, the developer is new. Previously a contractor, doing works around Bandar Kinrara. Anyway, we are pretty sure the 256 units will be snapped up in no time.

One question, though. The full name to this condo is “Sierra Residency Modern Apartments@Bandar Kinrara”. What’s with the “Modern Apartment” bit? As opposed to, what, “old fashioned“?

WOw, this is something you’ve got to see to believe. This house in Pacific Northwest of the US, has got an underground fortress going down to 45 feet (15 meters)!

Underground Fortress

Taken from the website:

The fortress has over 1600 sq. ft. of living area, plus hundreds of more square feet of passages and secrets rooms. It was all hand dug over a 20 year period, and all the walls were constructed with a small electric hand cement mixer. There are 3 ft concrete walls, using 5-bag cement (20% denser than regular cement). Not only are the walls thick and dense, but the finishing work is amazing quality.

There are tons of photos of this place, showing the features like toilet with hot water, gas powered generator with battery recharge, office and living space, loads of secret compartment and can even act as a bomb shelter.

You’ve got to wonder, how much would that unit cost on the market?

This project was featured in the local business papers a few weeks ago, just before the official launch. There are two defining elements to this project – one is the location, the other is the design. We will deal with the daring design later, but let’s talk a bit about the location.

As we said in the review of the nearby Bukit Segambut Apartments, the developers are savvy enough to resist the temptation to sell this place as “Mont’Kiara” or “Duta area“. However, they didn’t mention anything about “Segambut” either, so maybe it comes out even. But it’s in Segambut alright, this small area has about 5 projects under different stages of construction. All of them are touting this place as the next area of key growth, we suspect mainly due to the proximity to the aforementioned Mont’Kiara area and relatively cheaper prices.

At the moment, you have go a long distance through narrow roads along village areas to get here from Mont’Kiara, and the roads are heavily trafficked by dump trucks and lorries servicing all those luxury condominiums there under construction. The roads here are so narrow that the houses and buildings are at certain places less than 6′ away from the road. The developer is banking on two roads under construction to bypass them all, but even with the new access roads (through Bukit Prima Pelangi and Taman Sri Sinar), you’ll still need to pass about 1 km of the village. Alternatively, you can also come to this place via the old roads from Kepong and Menjalara. This site is actually very near Desa Park City, and out to the LDP.

The project is set on a square-ish hillside land facing KLCC far away. At the top of the hill you can see some granite rock outcrop, it would seem that the cost to carry out the earthworks and infrastructure here is *not* cheap. The overall site layout is straight-forward, a road snaking up the hill with 5 rows of semi-D homes, terraced down to the existing road level. The developers have actually submitted two plots of adjoining land, which make up the whole site, maximize the development potential of the land. It isn’t really important to the buyer, but what you actually get is two separate developers (with a same set of directors and staff), different lot number, different authority approval numbers, etc.

Now we come to the design part of the houses, which we earlier mentioned. Due to scarcity of land and difficult terrain, they have opted for small plot for each house, and 3-storey design. So not only does it look slim and tall, they have a RC pitched roof (painted in stark red) which makes it look like GT wings. Anyway, you’ve got to see it to get what we mean. And another thing – they have used a LOT of glazing for the walls. Which means a few things – a lot of difficult cleaning (inside and outside) and / or leaking, not to mention curtains. Personally, glazing façade works well in condos, but for a semi-D, well… Either it’ll be renovated, or we’re going to see a spectrum of coloured drapes.

All in all there are 5 unit types to choose from, all 3 storeys. Due to the terrain, the units either have their entrance and car porch at the ground level or at the first floor level. Built up range from 3,723 to 4,482sq.ft, with some having a smaller footprint, others more spacious. We obviously prefer the ones with the bigger footprint, the small ones look a bit weird, with the higher floors like a small apartment. Well, anyway, with this type of unconventional design, either you like it or…

Depending on the unit, you may get a fish pond (as our aquatically-inclined friends note, there is a marked difference from a ‘koi’ pond…), roof garden, balcony or wider front garden. But you can’t have it all.

The developers are throwing in lots of freebies to entice the buyers, and units seem to be going fast, at the time we viewed it, only a quarter of the units are left for sale.

Staying in Segambut now takes a change in mindset if you’re from other areas (of course, although it is still KL, it doesn’t sound as marketable as Damansara Heights or Bukit Tunku), but this place may look good for people from this area who want to upgrade, or invest in a radically designed hillside home with a great view of the KLCC and the KL city skyline.

Bottomline – we understand the developer’s constraint on the location, even if they heavily market it as a future growth area. But we do appreciate their effort (and audacity) to put out a different design. It’s not really to our liking, but it would seem that enough people fancy it for the sales to go well, but then again, it has other good points like a gated concept and very low density. Plus the freebie packaging with the house is very generous, and its freehold. But on the other hand, starting at RM1.4million, it’s not cheap. Plus, with the whole public perception of hillside developments at the moment…

Right after Ara Damansara in Lembah Subang, Sime Darby Property will be launching the next phase of high end homes, Ara Hill. This is located next to Ara Damansara, along the old Subang Airport road facing Saujana Golf and Country Club.

With a low density of 25 units per acre spread over 16 acres, they are going for Medium-rise Condos and Low-rise Villas. In their words,

“Tastefully designed Penthouses and Cabana Suites await prospective buyers. Only a limited number of units are available, each slightly different from the next, with its own private personal space.”

Also, landscaping seems to be big selling point.

Complemented by an award-winning landscape of lush, fragrant, tropical greenery and running water, a full range of ‘wet’ and dry sports, a clubhouse plus all the amenities for an ‘up to the minute’ lifestyle, Ara Hill is an exclusive statement only for the discerning.

For more info and registration, you can visit their website at arahill.com or call 1800-88-1028.

Okay, quick review. This is actually a nice little development right in the middle of an area which some people say is going to take off in the next few years – Segambut. We can’t really say for sure if it’s really going to happen, but at the moment, there are 4 projects under construction around the this area, one of which is being handed over.

A little note about the location. It’s a short distance from the Mont’Kiara and the Duta area, but you need to pass through a few kilometers of Malay village and old housing areas to get here. The roads here are very narrow, with the homes less than 6 feet away from the road, and at the moment, heavily trafficked by lorries and trucks servicing the beautiful luxury condos under construction in Mont’Kiara.

Along with nearby Anjung Tiara (review here), the developers are savvy enough to avoid selling themselves as ‘Mont’Kiara’, which would be a great stretch of the truth, but that didn’t stop some of the competition around here from here. Segambut is a matured area in KL, and things are set to change in the coming years.

Another developer is building an access road through to Mont’Kiara, but you still need to traverse about a kilometer of narrow roads. Alternatively you can go to the LDP via Desa Park City, or out to KL through the old road.

At first impressions, the condo looks like a serviced apartment, but it isn’t. It’s residential, and it’s low rise (from 4 to 7 storeys). There are 5 different layouts to choose from, but from our opinion, its actually just 2 basic layout, with slight variation. This first type, Plan A, is a smaller 3-bedroomer. We like the separated kitchen, and the small balcony. The yard and 2nd bath, is small, but understandably so.

The larger type, going up to 1,216sq.ft is similar, but with a larger living and dining. We like this layout, and there different variants to choose from, mainly due to the different shaped enlarged space.

The condo is a little short on facilities, probably due to the space constraints. They have a Jacuzzi pool, a ‘5-star’ lobby (eh?), sauna and gymnasium. No swimming pool, no sports courts. There’s a garden at the rooftop, quite a nice touch.

The project was officially launched earlier this month, and the sales have been quite good. One parking per unit.

As we said earlier, we liked it. The pricing is very competitive, averaging at RM170psf. Its freehold, very low density - a LOT of other condo projects CAN’T say the same. However, due to the condo being perpendicular to the direction of the Twin Towers, only the end units on one side can see them, but not everyone is into that view. And maybe Segambut isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re living in this area, and want to invest or upgrade, worth a look.

We just love the name, ‘Bukit Segambut Apartments’. Simple, unpretentious and straight to the point. No fancy faux-Mat Salleh name like Casa or Villa or Chateau…

The management team also handled Kemensah Mewah, review here.

Like we said, quick review. Ok, next.

YTL was won the contract to construct the 12,327sq.m Lakefront Collection at the luxurious Sentosa Cove development in neighbouring Singapore. For more info on this project, you can read ou earlier write-up some months back:

A Short Visit Outside Malaysia: Sentosa Cove

We certainly applaud YTL Corp and it’s managing director Tan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh for winning this opportunity to expand their business into the lucrative Singapore property market. Other than their extensive track record in urban development like Bintang Walk, Sentul East and West, Starhill Gallery and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, YTL also has experience in the resort field, evident in their projects like Tanjung Jara and Pangkor Laut.

Singapore is well-known for selecting the best people for their government linked jobs, and for a Malaysian company to achieve this is no small feat. We hope that more local companies can aim to improve their quality to be able to compete with at an international level, especially in the competitive field of property.

For more details, check out this news report.

For other YTL-related projects that have been reviewed here in Property Malaysia, you can read the following:
The Saffron at Sentul East

Just when you thought it was safe to venture out into another convention centre again, there comes another few property exhibitions. These days, they come around almost every month here in the city.

First there is the National level MAPEX, this weekend at MVEC.

MAPEX (National Level)
Date: 15-17th September (Fri-Sun)
Time: 11am to 9pm
Venue: Mid-Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC)
Entrance is free, as usual.

For enquiries, you can contact the organisers, REHDA Malaysia, at 03 - 7803 2978.

Then, there’s the other one, Mega Malaysia Property Showcase on the following weekend:

Mega Malaysia Property Showcase
Date: 22nd-24th September (Fri-Sun)
Time: 11am to 9pm
Venue: Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC)
Entrance is also free. (Parking rates, that’s an entirely different issue entirely…)

If you’re in Penang, and feel left out by the action, fret not. You can attend this one…

The Star Property & Home Fair
15-17 September 2006 (Friday to Sunday)
11am to 9pm daily, free entrance
Penang International Sports Arena (PISA)
Jalan Tun Dr. Awang,
11900 Relau Penang
(Details can be obtained here)

If you’re familiar with the Batu Tiga industrial town, you’d probably known where Central Sugars Refinery (CSR) is. It’s an old area right next to the Federal Highway, but in the last 15 years, the area surrounding it has been extensively developed. First, Subang Jaya and USJ started getting nearer and nearer, and section U1 and U2 on the Shah Alam side. Now the area is more well known for the Batu Tiga Komuter station, Carlsberg factory, Makro and Giant Hypermarket and the Shah Alam stadium.

To get there, it’s easier to use the Federal Highway. Turn up left on the first flyover after the Batu Tiga tollhouse, and after the first traffic light, you’ll see the development on your left, just next to the aforementioned CSR. If you’re coming from Subang, it’ll be more convenient to take the Elite highway and exit at the Ebor toll. But you need to make a U-turn at the aforementioned traffic lights to reach here.

The project is set on a 5-acre site, and there are two conjoined towers which are similar. There is one basic typical unit, with 16 units per floor (eight on each tower) totaling up to 240 units. The towers aren’t very high, about 16 floors each. Some units are facing the pool. The typical unit has 3 rooms, and the smallest one (bedroom 3) is right beside the entrance as you enter, instead of the kitchen in most other types of apartment. At about 1,000sq.ft, the unit is sized just right for young working people or small families. The kitchen, with its odd location, is quite small, not suitable for heavy cooking. Yard is also small.

But they have a HUGE balcony. Well, not as big as the ones in those KLCC luxury condos, but its almost as big as the master bedroom. Maybe they could have given buyers a smaller balcony but a slightly bigger layout, or at least offer it as a choice as a variant unit. As for facilities, there are the usual stuff like shops, swimming pool and sports facilities. 1 parking lot per unit.

The thing going for Indarisa is undoubtedly the pricing, starting at RM100k to RM200k, which comes to a very affordable RM150psf on the average for the standard units. Sales seem to be very good, with limited units left, so check the availability of cheap units.

Location-wise, it’s not really to our liking. The area is prone to massive traffic jams when it rains due to flooding, but in recent years the situation has improved. Sometimes it disrupts the commuter service. Old industrial and village areas are nearby. But it serves as a good place to stay if you work in the area, given that it’s right in the middle of Subang and the industrial areas of Shah Alam. But the thing is that they are marketing it as in the Subang area, and Subang folks would not likely move here, given the distance and traffic, plus it’s not like there aren’t any new condos to choose from in SJ. Heck, there probably an oversupply there, given the number of new launches and huge student rental market potential. So it might do well to attract folks working in the Shah Alam industrial areas looking for cheaper alternatives to the upper class areas like D’Kayangan or Jelutong Heights.

Another thing, I wonder if the pasar malam on one of the weekdays are still held on the main road. Horrendous to be caught in that traffic jam.

Interested in investing in Mont’Kiara? But worried about rising prices there? This article in the Star is an excellent read.

INVEST in Mont’ Kiara!

That’s what all the developers in this exclusive condominium enclave are telling potential buyers.

Of late, these companies have been taking their sales pitches to a new high.

The developers were throwing in customer appreciation dinners and getting their marketing agents to talk at seminars on the good investment prospects for Mont’ Kiara in Kuala Lumpur.

Purchasers are spoilt for choice, as there are many new condominiums there.

I went incognito to the recent 2nd International Homebuyer and International Property Investor 2006 (IH/IPI) event held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre to hear what the sales people had to say about Mont’ Kiara projects.

For the rest of the article, you can read it here.

For the review of most of the new projects in the area, you can check them out here:

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