Property Malaysia

How many units does it take to warrant a review on Property Malaysia? That’s one of the questions that entertain ourselves when we are usually stuck in the KL traffic jam, trying to locate another one of those difficult-to-find show houses. Forty? Thirty? 20? Of course, it’s never really about the number of units available, it’s the whole idea that if someone has a house project to launch, we like to see it.

But we feel a little different about Iringan Hijau, to be frank. Not particularly sure why. But musings aside, let’s get to the review.

There are 26 units of very low-rise units here, the blocks are 4 storeys only. The units are either single storey, two-storey (duplexes) or 3-storeys (some may call them triplexes). There are about 8 different basic types of units, and each has slight variations to the internal design. So it’s probably safe to say that each unit is unique, so at the very least there would be only a handful of other units that are similar to the one you own. I think the very low dense idea here is deliberate, certainly this concept is not common, even for projects around here.

Speaking of the location, it’s a quiet neighbourhood, secluded away from the main roads of MRRII and the ever busy Jalan Ampang. Ampang Hilir is pretty near Desa Pandan, but there aren’t that many condos around here (yet), with bungalows and landed units being the common denominator. But of course, it can’t stay like that for long, already we can see construction of a few condos underway. Another nearby condo project that we have reviewed here before is Mutiara Upper East Ampang.

The site is a small two acre plot, shaped like 2 squares joined in an adjacent manner. The larger square has 2 blocks facing each other, with the clubhouse and landscaped area set in between. Each block has 4-6 units per acre, but it’s a little complicated when the multi-floored units overlap on different floors. The second ’square’ set deeper in from the entrance has 2 interjoined wings forming an ‘L’ shape. Here there are less units, with 2-4 per floor, but generally larger units can be found.

There are only 3 single floor units (Type G), and they are from 2,595 to 2,665sq.ft. These represent the smallest available units in the project, and they don’t come with attached garden. They, however, have 2 terraces on opposing ends of the living area, amd have 3+1 rooms. The family area is separated from the living and dining by two rotating swing doors, and the additional room is actually a study straddling both parts of the living space.

Moving up in build-up is Type C, a step down duplex at 2721sq.ft, with 3 units on offer. When you enter the unit, a huge private lobby greets you, with the attached garden, and other domestic living space is found on the larger lower floor. It’s a bit of a different design, but i think it’s something that is very interesting and should have it’s appreciative crowd. Here also there are 3+1 rooms.

3,000sq.ft. upwards to about 5000sq.ft. units are all 2 or 3 floors. They all have 4+1 rooms, and with the addition of garden space. Some units have separate wet and dry kitchens, some are combined. The designs are all different, and varied in terms of philosophy. It’s a bit complicated to go into here, but some design works well (the ones we like) but some are a little too out there for us. For example, Type F is actually on 4 floors, but the lower 3 floors is basically just a large stairwell going up to the penthouse unit. Here you’re paying a lot of unuseable space, and besides, you probably won’t see all that space anyway, given that you’d probably be using the lift all the time. So, the choice units are really good and will be the first ones to be chosen, leaving the more different designed units.

Pricing starts from RM2,702,000 to RM5,001,120, which is about RM1000psf. This is as expensive as a KL condo can get, far more than the average RM800psf in the KLCC area. Only the Binjai is about this price. But really, this isn’t a condo to begin with.

All units come with 2 or 3 parking bays per unit, depending on the bulid-up. Additional bays can be purchased at RM30k each subject to availability.

Iringan Hijau looks and feels like a project with a personal touch. We definitely like the surroundings and landscaping that has been planned, and the finishings and architectural details look like a lot of thought have been put in it. It is our opinion that the developer has been quite hands-on in the design process right down to the material selection, and it is reflected in the specifications and brochures. However, that being said, we did not find the external building design as attractive as the inside of it, from the an elevated view it looked a bit like a (rather large) chalet design from the sixties. But we think it’s a little to do with the roof design and the airwell to some of the top floor toilets. But then again how many people can see the building from the top (unless you live in a nearby condo) but it’s just that that element of the design could have been much better.

But in all, there is much to appreciate a development of such privacy. Considering for the same price you pay for a high density KLCC condo further up Jalan Ampang, there ambience is something a lot of people would appreciate. We think there are similarities to the low rise condos that were built near Embassy Row (nearby here) back in the 70’s and 80’s, before the era of skyscraping bungalows-in-the-sky concept became vogue. But of course stuff like this don’t come cheap. And the other grouse is the one we mentioned earlier, some units would be hard to sell due to their unconventional design.

Dawntree Properties is the property development arm of a family owned business, this is their second project. The maiden development is Damai Suria, and was completed many years ago, located just around the corner from the site of Iringin Hijau.

This is too cool not to mention here.

Click on this website. Key in all the variables like monthly rent, home price, etc in the dark colored bar. Don’t worry about the currency, works for RM without converting too.

Then click CALCULATE.

Then play with the two slider bars beside the graph.

Have fun!

We’ve been casting an interested eye over this project for a few months now, since it’s quite near the main road going to Cyberjaya. They have put out a few teaser ads for registrants in the papers recently, but without much info. We checked their website frequently, too, but not much there either.

Anyway, today a comment from reader Wyne prompted us to check their website again, and they’ve put up some progress pics of their show village.

Looks like we might drop by in a day or two to see the actual progress, although we know from them that the actual soft launch date isn’t here yet. The design definitely looks contemporary, and the location quite good, updates soon.

For more info, you can see their website here.

A subsidiary of E&O Property Development , KCB Trading Sdn Bhd has proposed to buy a piece of freehold property in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng from BhdMezzon Development Sdn Bhd for RM47.76 million. The size of the land is a 0.52ha.

According to the Edge:

It added that the land, located at Jalan Yap Kwan Seng in Kuala Lumpur, had been approved for the development of a 40-storey building comprising 80 units of condominium, with a two-storey basement car park. However, E&O said it had not finalised the costs and profits arising from the development of the land.

(source)

Looks like we can look forward to them launching a condo property there some time next year, if all goes well. Currently, E&O have almost completed the Dua Residency along Jalan Tun Razak and Idamansara in Damansara Heights.

Cheras is strange kettle of fish. For those who live there, there is no better place to be. It’s near KL City, it’s well-connected, there’s lots of cheap homes and apartments, and business centres are all over the place, you’ll never run out of places to find good food. But for the outsider, the traffic and the maze of interconnected housing areas can certainly make you wary of entering.

But with all other suburbs of the city, they are moving along with the times. Recently, there have been quite a few new launches in Cheras, some of the ones we’ve reviewed here are Pertama Residency Suites and Monte Bayu.

But there is no shortage of landed properties either. With Cheras being such a matured township you’d think that developers are hard-pressed to find sizable land to build houses. But there always seems to be plots of unused land here and there ready for development.

The Oasis is right smack in the mature neighbourhoods of Cheras. Strictly speaking, this is located in Cheras Utama, but you can forgiven for assuming it to be part of Taman Len Seng. It is virtually surrounded by old landed homes on all sides – Damai Perdana, Taman Len Seng, Alam Damai, and Bandar Tun Hussein Onn. Further up on one side is of course Jaya Jusco, which is next to the SILK highway.

Access to this place can either from Jalan Cheras through Phoenix Plaza, from the MRR2 via Taman Connaught, and off the SILK highway itself, which is the nearest.

There are 121 units altogether, arranged a few parallel rows, with all units facing NE or SW. Beside the homes, there is some provision for greenery, and not much else. The plot of landed is slightly elevated over it’s surrounding, so there is some vantage point here. The units are all 2 and a half storey linkhomes, with a very small courtyard in the unit opening up to the sky, a little too small for us to consider it a ‘courtyard home’, as they use in the marketing brochure. The porch is wide enough for 2 side by side cars, and ground floor has a pretty small living (maybe integrating the courtyard into the living may have been a better idea), a guest room and a sizable kitchen (wet and dry).
 
The living room has an added head room of 15’, due to fact that the master bedroom above is stepped higher from the rest of the first floor. This is a good idea, not many have implemented it. The back of the home extends all the way out to the boundary, so no possibility of extensions here, unless you want to build on the government reserve here.

The first floor has a master plus one or two rooms (depending on which unit type). Type A is the more typical layout with all floor above ground, Type B has a sub-basement. We definitely prefer type A. Actually, 2,800q.ft isn’t quite spacious, especially if you consider it spread over 2 and a half floor. Lots of space is taken up by the way the staircase is designed, and of course there’s that void for the courtyard.

The plot size of 22’ x 70’ is not really big, but considering the scarcity of land here, looks like the developers didn’t have much of a choice. The internal layout could have been much better. The price of a standard intermediate lot starts from RM439k onwards, and if compared with the other new landed projects in direct competition with this place, it may seem quite attractive.

We liked the overall feel to the place, but Cheras isn’t really our cup of tea. But if you’re from the area looking for a new place to invest in or stay, this may look like a good deal.

There is a maintenance fee of about RM150 per unit, please check with the developer for details. The fee is expected to be mainly to cover the security costs. The show gallery is actually located in Taman Segar shoplots. The unit actually comes bare with no freebies thrown in, but the developers are also offering a RM10k upgrade package, please check with them.

This is the second project undertaken by the developer. The first one is the more upmarket Kiara1888 in Mont’Kiara.

This might interest some people, especially i-Zen owners, who should be getting their units some time next year, i think. And maybe to a lesser extent, Kiaraville (lots of buzz on that one lately…)

Ireka lists property portfolio on LSE on April 5

Ireka Corporation Bhd will be listing its property portfolio on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on April 5, making its the first such listing of a property fund focussing on Malaysia.

The listing is via a property development fund, Aseana Properties Ltd (APL), which had acquired Ireka’s entire interest in Ireka Land Sdn Bhd and ICSD Ventures Sdn Bhd.

“These proposed disposals and the listing exercise enable the Ireka group to unlock the value of its property portfolio at market value in the form of cash and APL shares

This question has probably been posed to you before. Lots of properties (especially landed ones) brazen advertise “Last piece of FREEHOLD land in … !” It’s no doubt that lots of developers add a premium to freehold properties, and in the same vein, some people are willing to pay that premium for it.

Others don’t see the big deal and prefer leasehold. Others don’t mind, or don’t bother with it.

Let’s take a poll - something different on this site. Looks kinda cute, no? But seriously, folks, vote once, and tell your friends to to come here and vote by sending them this link (which will bring them to this page):

http://propertymalaysia.blogsome.com/2007/04/03/freehold-vs-leasehold/

So here goes…

The poll will run for a week until 10th April. Thanks in advance for your participation.

An associate of ours was just telling us about the travails of living in his condo. He has been staying in this particular place, somewhere in Petaling Jaya, for the past 3 years since it was completed and handed over by the developer.

The condo is situated right next to a very busy highway (as most condos in Petaling Jaya are, strangely enough). He realized this when he bought the place, so he decided to buy the block furthest away from the ground level highway. There were 3 other blocks between his and the highway, and all blocks were at least 20 storeys high.

In addition to that, he bought the highest floor available at that time, the 18th floor (there weren’t that many units left at that time). But the unit is still facing the highway, as the other side faces some villages and oxidation pond, he chose the former.

But after 3 years of living there, he can only conclude that all that wasn’t enough. In the day time, the sound of the vehicles is still loud, even with the so called sound barrier wall erected by the authorities. It is loud enough to disturb you while watching TV, he says.

The other thing, which is even worse is the dust. He says if he leaves the windows and sliding door to balcony open, within a few hours his bedroom and living is covered in dust. If it goes on for a few days, the dust becomes thick and unhealthy. He isn’t at home during the day (except on Sundays), so it doesn’t affect him but he says you can imagine his neighbours who have families in all day.

At night when he sleeps, he has to keep the windows shut and air-conditioning switched on all night. So he pays a lot for the electricity.

He’s also beginning to complain about his neighbours who are starting to rent out to foreign workers, and how the maintenance of the place is going downhill, but that probably for another day…