Property Malaysia

IJM Properties is really going big these days. With the merger with Road Builder making them one of the biggest construction groups in the country, and also giving them access to RB’s huge landbank in Seremban and Batu Arang. Then there is also the tie-up with Talam, which I think is one of the biggest coup for IJM thus far.

This is one of the plots of land previous held by Talam’s subsidiary, which forms part of the land where Saujana Puchong and Lestari Puchong have been developed. In the good years, before the company crashed and burned (and taking lots of innocent buyers with them), Talam probably wanted to leave this plot of land for the most expensive and exclusive phase, right at the end of the development masterplan for the whole area due to it’s favourable location.

Why is it favourable? There are a few reasons why most people think so. Firstly is the location – it has a stunning view of the surrounding, this being one of the highest points in the whole of Puchong. It used to be much higher, but due to the surrounding development by them and other developers, they’ve cut down the hill substantially to make it traversable. Now it’s almost the same elevation as the hill in IOI Properties’ Bandar Puteri, where the upmarket Grande View phase is location (ironically with the same name). The second reason is the Ayer Hitam forest reserve beside it, which gives some degree of assurance that it will be left untouched in the near future.

Many development benefit from the proximity with this forest reserve, like Bandar Puteri, Bandar Bukit Puchong and Equine Park to name a few.

There are two main ways to come in to this place. One is from the LDP, where you enter from Bandar Bukit Puchong and climb up the mountain via Malton’s Mutiara Indah Puchong. The other way is from the Seri Kembangan side of the toll, where is Equine Park and Lestari Puchong is located. Both access roads are dual carriageway and well maintained, the choice of which route depends on where you are coming from. It’s not hard to see the development – IJM Properties have made good use of the vantage point and you can see their logo at the top of the hill from all directions when approaching.

Because of the nature of the terrain and soil, a lot of work has been put into preparing the infrastructure and earthwork platforms. The downside to this hilltop project is there is a lot of retaining walls that can be seen in all directions – reinforced concrete, retained earth (the type you see on highways) and stone walls. Stone walls or rubble walls are aesthetically acceptable by most, but the other two are borne out of a necessity due to the huge drop in levels. The big difference in levels here is something that should not be overlooked – some of it is substantial and should affect the decision of which you prefer. Walk up to the show unit and you will see what we mean.

In the 53 acres, they have divided the project into two parcels, north and south. Currently they are selling the south parcel first, and all together we are talking about close to 280 units, most of them with a panoramic view and designed with a substantial build-up.

There are 4 types of units – Type A is a 3-storey zero lot bungalow, Type B is the more numerous 2 and a half storey semi-D, while Types C and D are different variations of the 3-storey signature bungalow.

Zero lot here refers to the increasingly popular layout design that pushes the unit to one side of the lot boundary, while maintaining a bigger garden space on the other side of the house. This way there is zero setback on one side of the house, while maintaining the bungalow concept.

Basically the difference between the zero lot bungalows and the more expensive signature bungalows is that the latter does not use the zero lot concept, and with a wider plot size (by an extra 2’) the garden space encircles the home like a traditional bungalow. Other than that, the signature bungalow also features a larger build-up.

The semi-D design is quite interesting. The building footprint is surprisingly small, using a width of up to 28’ only, leaving more than 12’ of garden space, a lot more than the usual 5’ or 10’ other developers offer. This offers a lot of landscaping options, you can have a private pool and still have a garden strip, as what they’ve done for the show unit.

The main selling point for Granview is the open terrace at the top floor for every unit – this is something very impressive, giving you an awesome vista of the surrounding areas. The developers know this, and it probably clinches the sale for most of units based on it. The higher up your unit is located, you get a better view, at the expense of having to climb further to reach it. The terrace give a 270-degree open view, while the remaining view can clearly be seen for your en-suite master bedroom. So the topmost floor is quite like a glass bowl concept, 360-degrees of view.

If you have the bungalow unit, all the better, but at an added price, of course.

Our first impressions entering the unit was that it was quite small, especially the living room, but after taking in the house as a whole, it felt proportionately more acceptable, but the kitchen is still rather small.

All units have 4 en-suite bedrooms, plus a guest room. They employ a rather open concept of design, making use of large glass surfaces and corner windows to maximize the sunlight into your unit. The overall façade and interior feel is in tandem with most of IJM Properties latest projects across the Klang Valley, maintaining their niche image and standard.

There is also a clubhouse, with swimming pools and halls, but rather limited in features and space due to the hillside terrain. But at least it has a place for the residents to use, since it isn’t a good idea to let your kids play around the high walls and steep drops.

The semi-Ds cost RM1.1million onwards, while bungalows are from RM1.3million up to RM1.8million. Pretty steep for a leasehold property? We tend to disagree, given the concept and location here which would be very difficult to replicate anywhere else in the city. The contemporary design may be popular with the younger set, but some may find more appeal in traditional designs. But there are a lot of bungalows available around Puchong with that kind of concept, so here they’ve gone for the niche design to stand out from the pack.

Do we like it? Yes, we did. As we said, the view is beautiful and the open terrace makes the most of that. On the downside, it’s a hefty sum, and is inaccessible to most people. Plus the walls detract quite a bit from the overall aesthetics.

Some of the other projects by the same developer reviewed here in Property Malaysia are:
Bayu Segar, Cheras
Ampersand@Kia Peng, Ampang
Riana Green East: Sagaris
Monte Bayu, Cheras