Property Malaysia

Let’s do another poll.

For you guys who are planning to buy another property whether your own living or investment, let us know what’s price range. It doesn’t matter if it’s a landed linkhouse or apartment or bungalow, we just need to know the estimated value.

A little bit about the poll : There are FIVE choices to vote for.Please only vote once. Also, send this link below to all your friends interested in property and investing, more voters and opinions are welcome. You are welcome to leave any comments.

http://propertymalaysia.blogsome.com/2007/05/27/poll-what-is-the-value-of-your-next-property-2/

The poll will run for one week until Sunday 3rd of June.

So here goes…

This is the second poll we are doing, the first one was this:

Poll: Leasehold or Freehold?

In recent years, Mah Sing has been well-known for their active search of new land and quick launches thereafter.

Now, Mah Sing has entered the Puchong market – the hotbed for property players where every medium sized developer wants to have a piece of the action. Mah Sing has obtained this piece of land near George Kent, which actually is in Sepang. They have tentatively named it Duta Perdana. We reckon it’s near Taman Putra Prima, Taman Meranti Jaya and Taman Tasik Puchong (not to be confused with Taman Tasik Prima).

From what we gather, they are focusing more on upmarket homes like garden bungalows, link semi-Ds, and hyperlink homes. There will also be a commercial centre.

For more info you can call them at 1800-88-1808.

Previously we have reviewed Hijauan Residences and Damansara Legenda, also by Mah Sing.

For some archived articles on them, you can also check these out:
More Launches Soon From Mah Sing
Mah Sing Shows Good Profits

Look like these days Bandar Puteri are keeping up with the regular launches. It was only recently that Nadia 2 was opened for sale, now it’s the neighbouring phase Olivia.

We have a development review of the whole Bandar Puteri some years back, you are advised to read it to check out our take on the quality, accessibility, perception and connectivity of the area here:

Development Review: Bandar Puteri by IOI Properties

Over the years, we’ve done many of the latest launches in this sprawling development, you should take your time to read some of them to see our take on their products:

Some of the other current launches reviewed by us here in Property Malaysia are as follows:
Elyssa Villa
Nadia
Eugenia
Lilac (22’ x 75’ linkhouses)
Aseana Puteri (condominiums)
Bayu Puteri (apartments)
Grande View (22’ x 70’ hilltop linkhouses)

But in terms of location, you should read Nadia 2, since it is the nearest. It is located on the same hill as Grande View, but on a lower level. To get there you need to go the long way around past Bayu Puteri .

In a nutshell, Olivia is pretty much not different from the other launches around here, except that it is a 2 storey unit. Nadia 2 is two and a half storey, so naturally the price is higher. Here the build-up is 2,215sq.ft. and the plot size is 22′ x 70′. The price starts at RM449k for the units with the view located at the edge, and RM439k for those deeper in next to the slopes from the Ayer Hitam forest reserve.

The view is great, but unless you buy the corner unit which usually is far more expensive due to the larger land area. But if you are not ready to part with the money for the more expensive launches like Grande View and Nadia, this place is a more affordable alternative. But in perspective, it is not all that cheap either. It’s almost half a million for a small link house, and no matter how you look at it, it’s hard to justify the money unless you are REALLY in love with the place. If you think about it, that price will probably fetch you an awesome semi-D in a different part of Puchong.

The layout, well, i think it’s quite uninspired. It’s almost rectangular and boxy. There are 4 rooms, the small room downstairs have no direct ventilation. But on the plus side, the three room upstairs all have their own attached baths.

Two more property exhibitions coming this way in the next 2 weeks. First up is MAPEX Klang Valley, held at the usual Mivec at MidValley this weekend. This will be followed by the next weekend by the Mega Malaysia Property Showcase held at PWTC.

I doubt we will be going for any of the two, since they are so close together, and wasn’t it just recently we went for the earlier MAPEX?

Malaysia Property Exposition (MAPEX ) 2007 Klang Valley

Date: 25 to 27 May 2007 (Friday to Sunday)
Venue: Halls 1 & 2, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC), Mid Valley Megamall.
Opening Hours: 10:00 am - 9:30 pm
Admission: FREE
Organizer: Real Estate & Housing Developer’s Association Malaysia
(REHDA Malaysia)
Telephone: 603-7803 2978
Fax: 603-7803 5285 / 7805 1206
Website: http://www.rehda.com

Mega Malaysia Property Showcase 2007

Date: 1 to 3 June 2007 (Friday to Sunday)
Venue: Legar Putra, PWTC.
Opening Hours: Not sure, but should be the usual-lah.
Admission: FREE
Organizer: Exhibition Guide (M) Sdn Bhd
Telephone: 603 9056 3323/012 3062 980

Here at Property Malaysia, we’ve seen lots of properties. Big ones, small ones, cheap ones, expensive ones. And then, there are REALLY expensive ones, which don’t really come round that often. But when one does come round, you’d probably hear about it everywhere.

Setiahills was launched some time back, and it was pretty low-profile, with just a few billboards in the Ulu Kelang and Ampang area, and the usual letter of invitation to the registrants. In the early days we heard a rumour that this project was mainly for the directors of SP Setia and friends, but it’s not clear if this is true now.

Setiahills is 45 units of luxurious spavillas. We think we can safely say that this is the most luxurious project by SP Setia, and probably among all the projects in the Klang Valley at the moment, not including luxury bungalows below 10 units.

First, about the location. The hillside project is located near Bukit Indah, next to the existing Emerald Condo. It is actually located on the same hill as The Peak@Taman TAR, albeit on the other side of the hill. This means that the forest reserve behind the project offers a greenery that will most likely not be developed, and the view towards the city should also not be obstructed due to the existing houses on the lower slopes.

Getting there is not so simple, though. We found 2 ways there, one is through Taman TAR, which takes you on an intricate winding path through narrow streets of the housing estate, and it is easy to get lost going through that way. The alternative is via Bandar Ampang and Taman Kosas, which is slightly easier, but with heavier traffic.

There are 13 designs, to choose from, and with a range of land size available. You can choose from 5,814 sq ft to 30,195 sq ft of land. In terms of build up, the units all have slight variation, but the range is 7,069 sq ft to 10,683 sq ft. Some units are double-storey, some go up until 3+1+1 storeys, this is mainly for those facing the road where the slope is much steeper. We won’t go into the layout design of the units, these kind of places you need to see them yourself to appreciate it. But all the units have 6 bedrooms plus a family room, and 7 baths.

The design retains the identity that SP Setia is famous for, lots of full height windows, large tiles, and quality finishing. They use lots of stone and timber to give that earthy, natural look, and we like it.

How do they define a spavilla? The units come with a private pool with outdoor shower, a beautifully designed outdoor spa, luxurious & ‘villa’ like master bedroom (we like the exposed timber rafters), al fresco shower and hanging garden with water feature at master bedroom. Some units have a luxurious guest room with pool view. With amenities surrounding this developer like golf courses, country clubs, shops, international schools, there isn’t much facilities here except security.

Bottomline, it as luxurious as you can get, in the RM2million to RM3million price range. Location and view is excellent, but getting there is tricky. One disadvantage is that it is leasehold.

SP Setia is one of the biggest and highest rated developers around. Now that is a short review.

Approx. Price : RM 2.29mil onwards

First the China tourists, then the Mat Salleh senior citizens retiring here, now the Koreans are coming.

Looks like future residents of Savanna in Bukit Jalil (review here) can look forward to some friendly neighbours from the land of kimchi and Winter Sonata…

It’s been awhile since we returned to Mont’Kiara, and quite a lot have been happening since. We saw some signs pointing to this newly launched condo, and we found it on Jalan Kiara 5, right next to the the Verve Suites by Bukit Kiara Properties. Actually both projects are in direct competition, if you drive on the road you can see both projects competing fiercely for banner space, each of the two projects alternating neatly in close spacing. Perhaps not intentionally, but while Casa Kiara II has just been launched, Verve Suites is also launching a newly completed show unit.

Jalan Kiara 5 is one of the shortest (at the moment) road in the area, and there are only the two condos here. Casa Kiara II is directly behind the earlier launch (aptly named Casa Kiara) which has been handed over. Next to Casa Kiara is one of the International Schools which almost all the condos around here include in their marketing brochures.

There is but a single tower block, with 37 floors altogether housing 206 units, with 6 units per floor. They are marketing it as semi-D and bungalow units, however paradoxical that sounds (but we should not be so particular about it, almost every other luxury condo are using these terms nowadays).

There are 4 basic types of units, two types of the ‘bungalows’ (A1 and A2) and two for the semi-D type (B1 and B2). Let’s with A1 and A2 first. These two types do not have any adjoining neighbouring units, hence the ‘bungalow’ moniker. The units are oddly ‘L’ shaped, with a narrow and long (for A2) corridor from the front door to the rest of the unit. Although having slightly more privacy, the units here are smaller – 1,375sq.ft. and 1,432sq.ft. But that’s a good size for a small family condo. There are 3+1 rooms and 3 baths.

The B1 and B2 unit type (1,500 and 1,574sq.ft.) are larger but still with the same number of rooms and baths. The layout here is more sensible, and the extra build-up is well space out all around, making it seem more attractive.

Of the four types, we find B2 the most well-balanced one. It’s not really because of it being the biggest, but the almost-square footprint makes a better proportion in this case, we think. There are six units per floor, made up of one A1 and A2, and two each of B1 and B2.

All units come with a small balcony, only B2 has a longer ‘L’ shaped balcony that sounds better than it looks. Units also come with a private foyer before the main door. It would have been better if there was a service entrance from the wet kitchen out to the foyer, instead of having to use the main door.

There are adequate facilities for the residents, with sports courts and a good security system. With the proximity to the commercial areas of Mont’Kiara and Sri Hartamas, there isn’t much to complain about. But as you know, condos here in Mont’Kiara are perpetually locked in a ‘who can do better’ struggle, so it mostly benefits the buyer, with the maintenance fee as a limiting factor.

So did we like it? We suppose so. It’s good in the sense that there is only one tower, making it lower density than some of the competition here. But it’s all relative here, there are too many condos around here to make it count, anyway. Other than that, they are gunning for an affordable luxury market here, the price starts from RM657k. It’s more expensive but bigger than studio units, but obviously not as big and pricey as those super large units above 2000sq.ft.

At the end of the day, a lot of condos here in Mont’Kiara boils down to the numbers game – build-up, price per square foot, final price, number of units per development. There isn’t much to differentiate in terms of location, partly due to the rate of new condos appearing everywhere. But relatively speaking, it’s location is pretty good.

Some of the other projects in this area that have been reviewed by Property Malaysia are:
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
10 Mont’Kiara

Reader Jade has sent in some recent photos of the Rhapsody series of homes Lakeside Residences in Puchong. It’s actually located somewhere behind Tesco Puchong, on the other side of the lake from Lakeview and Mutiara Puchong.

The original review done during the launch in November 2005 can be found here.

On the same note, anyone has any news regarding the proposed bridge across Puchong to Sunway here?

New launches in the old residential areas of PJ are few are far between. Since the early 70’s, these areas have been mainly populated by old landed homes, and any new homes are either refurbishment (or demolish and re-construct) of old bungalows or apartments in vacant land in odd corners here and there. The latter are usually met with vehement protests by neighbouring residents, but there are still those that can be developed successfully without much hitches.

More recently, new launches are concentrated in Kelana Jaya, where new areas are opened up due since the completion of the LDP many years ago, but at some point not too long ago, a point was reached that there were literally too many of them in close proximity.

Another option for developers is to acquire government land which have been populated by squatters. With the Selangor state government to achieve zero-squatters some years back, developers can build low-cost housing to rel0cate the squatters, while given a leeway to build their own projects on the remaining land. This is an option with its on pros and cons, but recently there has been quite a few that have been implemented well enough.

This is one such project, but on a rather small scale. The said land is strip of green along a river, sandwiched by old single storey homes of Section 12 and the elevated LRT tracks. The main selling point for the condo is connected to the Taman Paramount LRT station across the river by a pathway. But with it being on land formerly used by squatters, it is located next to the low-cost flats where they are now residing. The whole area really needs to be spruced up if they intend to boost the image - the waterway is not well kept through the years, and the roads here are all very narrow (after all, it was intended for small bungalows and terrace homes when it was laid more than 20 years ago).

This project was actually launched towards the end of last year, and at the moment more than half of the units have taken up.

Paramount View is a single tower condo on a small two-acre piece of triangular shaped land. There are 3 levels of above ground parking at the ground floor, and the 4th floor is the common facilities, followed by 13 floors of units. There are up to 19 units per floor, which is quite a lot, but the density is controlled by the relatively low height of the condo. Altogether there 233 units only. The single tower is in an ‘L’ shape, following the shape of the land.

Because the units are arranged in a 45-degree skew from the compass, quite a lot of the units face the evening sun, although not directly. The views are either Aman Lake view (we reckon the view isn’t all that fabulous). Paramount view (rooftops all around) and the pool view. Some units have a special ‘LRT view’.

There are about 7 types of layout ranging from a small 860sq.ft. (Type E) to the largest at 1,679sq.ft. (Type G). The units in between these two sizes are mainly variations of the same layout, with slightly different sizes (1,021-1,322sq.ft.). The size difference is mainly in the master bedroom and living area. One of the units have a larger balcony. All units have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The largest Type G is a corner unit, and is basically similar to having 1 and a half units combined, with 4+1 rooms and 4 baths. Going with the theme of one a half units, there are actually 2 balconies in the unit. The smallest unit is quite compact and doesn’t really look appealing, seeing that they try to fit 3 small rooms in.

In terms of facilities, there isn’t much, with so little space for development to begin with. There’s a pool, a small landscaped area and playground, gym, the usual convenience shops and that’s about it. Most units come with 2 parking bays, smaller units get one. Street parking should be near impossible, considering how close it is to the landed homes around.

As we said, the LRT is very close and that might sway some investors looking to cash in on the convenience. But a lot of people might not prefer living next to low-cost, an alternative would be to get the units away from that side. The location is not really all that favourable for an apartment, especially if you take the LRT station out of the equation. Also, the tracks can also work against your favour, the noise is quite loud especially when trains enter and exit the station, just ask those good folks staying in Taman Paramount of Taman Bahagia. Also there are some concerns of the power lines.

Pricing starts quite affordably, from about RM143,800 to RM389,800. We’re quite familiar with this neighbourhood, and if we were looking to buy, we may want to check out some of the other condos in PJ first…

Anyone frequenting the LDP stretch near the infamous Sunway toll would have at least seen this project with it’s huge billboard just beside the dedicated flyover. The billboard denotes the actual site for the project, it can’t be seen from the highway, because it blocked partly by the flyover and also by the high noise barrier wall lining the side of the reserve. This project has been launched for some time now and will be handed over towards the end of this year.

Casabella is actually on two pieces of land forming a narrow strip with one street and houses on both sides. On one side is, as mentioned earlier, the LDP. The elevated flyover is on the side that is parallel to the river between Sunway and Puchong. The remaining two sides are flanked by the proposed South Quay by Sunway and the existing Bandar Sunway double storey linkhomes. While this 2 pieces of land are not owned and developed by Sunway, it is easily mistaken so, because of its location deep within Sunway territory. Besides, they use images of Sunway’s landmarks heavily in their brochure, which lends to the perception.

Years ago, there was a ‘U’ turn right before the Bandar Sunway toll towards Puchong, which lent some of it notoriety (some, not all) to that said toll house, but it has now been replaced by a new flyover that has slightly alleviated the traffic problem here, but only just slightly. The entrance to Casabella is via the Persiaran Lagoon, just before Sunway Medical Centre.

Casabella is 31 units of bungalows on leasehold land. With such a hectic and ‘squeezed out’ site for a location, they are planning an enclave of luxury bungalows large enough for you to stay indoors without worrying about the outside. At least in theory it should work, somehow or rather the noise and fumes from the traffic will still affect the resident of not just here, but Bandar Sunway as a whole.

There are 9 different design of bungalows, to offer a wider variety of choice to the buyers, and also giving some degree of exclusivity to each home, where there are only a handful of homes with almost the same layout as any particular one. Another reason for this is also the different plot size available.

The plots are mostly standard long rectangles, with corner units larger in size. The units near the entrance are quite small. The smallest plot is 5,005sq.ft. and the largest is 3 times that size at 14,499sq.ft.

The nine different design retains a similar look and feel, what is different is the internal layout and build-up size. 3,858 and 6,465sq.ft. We won’t go into all the designs here, but as we always say, with so much space, you can’t really go wrong. But all the unit types have 6 bedrooms, 1 entertainment room, and 7 baths. All of them are 2 and a half storeys.

The overall feel is quite luxurious. We felt there were some similarities (but still distinctive) in the finishing as with some of the more expensive homes by SP Setia, and the facade is also well designed with elegant pitched roofs and paint color.

Prices are from RM1,900,000 to RM3,940,000. We can’t really put our finger on the price of the unit, but with the constraints of the location and neighbouring developments and the fact that it is freehold, we think that it is not favourable. There are less hectic places to get a bungalow at the better price, but for just those who really love the area and want to upgrade to a bigger place, well… Otherwise, we feel it’s a bit more suited for upmarket areas like Damansara Heights, and not entirely on the same page as the neighbouring development (if you don’t take into account the yet to be launched South Quay).

In terms of facilities, there’s close to nothing here, seeing that most of it has been taken up by the homes. The homes bordering the linkhomes of Bandar Sunway have only a fence separating the two, you can see into each other’s backyards. South Quay is not yet built, but when it is completed, we reckon it would be quite close to the homes here, too. There is security provided, though.