Property Malaysia

Idaman Villas is part of a larger development being executed by TA Properties, on a large tract of land that is between Mah Sing’s Damansara Legenda and Tropicana Golf and Country Resort. People usually refer to that area as Tropicana, mainly because Dijaya were pretty much the first the first to enter that area, building the sprawling golf resort and bungalow lots that was once the prestigious address in Petaling Jaya.

But as the years went by, more and more developers started to get in onto the scene, first with the 3 office towers across the road, then Mah Sing (occupying the land next to the highway where the old seafood restaurant is located), and also with Dijaya themselves actively building phase after phase of landed units and condos around the area.

Now Tropicana is synonymous with the closely built homes and crawl leading out of the area. As most PJ folks would know, there are only two ways to get out of here, and both are outflows inadequate to deal with the huge number of cars everyday. With Dijaya’s Casa Tropicana completed, one can only imagine the number of vehicles that will add to this already delicate situation.

There has been talk of a direct link out from Tropicana to the old Subang airport road, but until today, there has been no new development as to when this will become a reality.

TA Properties actually has a large tract of land here, and most of it is set aside for Damansara Idaman. Currently, only the first phase of that project has been launched, and from what we hear, they are gearing up for a new launch sometime next year. A small parcel of land totaling 7 acres has been used for Idaman Villas, which are semi-D and bungalows. At the moment they are only launching the semi-D units. The third parcel of land is earmarked for a small commercial area to service the residents here.

Idaman Villas are 54 numbers of semi-D units closely built in a small site.

There are 4 unit types, all two storey semi-D units. The plot size is slightly larger than the standard, here you have a choice of the longer 40’ x 90’ or the wider 45’ x 80’. We think it doesn’t make much of a different, the deciding factor would be the internal layout. The build up of the units range from 3,692 to 3,850sq.ft. which is a good range for a two storey unit. We are quite surprised at their choice not to go for two and a half storey, given the popularity of them these days, but perhaps they have their reasons. Besides, extra floor build-up means bigger price tag, so we think it works to their favor.

The units mostly come with at least 4+1 rooms, but as we mentioned earlier, they have very little yard space. They make up for it by having an outdoor terrace, and some units have a second courtyard that is quite small. We don’t prefer the courtyard option, since there is little use for it given that the air circulation is very poor there.

Each unit type has their own distinctive feature, and the one we were most impressed with was definitely type A, with a double volume dining area with a pitched roof covered with timber panels for a ceiling. Very elegant, we like. The rest of the units are no less impressive, but it really boils down to individual tastes.

The units don’t have much yard space, since there is only about 5’ space from your building line to your side fence, and at the front, there’s where you park your cars. To offset this lack of space for children to run free, they have set aside a rather small playground area. In addition to that, there is also a small clubhouse, which, at the moment, is already completed and used as a sales office. It can’t really serve as much, seeing that there no facilities there except for a little swimming pool.

The maintenance fee as expected to be RM400 per month, please check with the sales people for the latest info. The development is gated and guarded.

Units cost from RM1.6mil above, which we feel is quite an expensive price for a semi-D unit even if you take into account that it is freehold. For slightly more you can find bungalows in nearby areas, but the location puts a strong argument to justify it. If you want a home in this area, and don’t travel at peak hours, then it’s worth a look.

Other than this project and Damansara Idaman, the developer is also developing Idaman Residence along Jalan P. Ramlee (read the review here).