Property Malaysia

We’re still in the progress of writing and posting a few reviews from the weekend, but we’ll close the reviews for June. We didn’t do a wrap-up for May, so here it is all 7 reviews in the past 2 months.

189.Taman Putra Prima: Phase 3C (Amethyst)
190.Laman Ara Utama, Petaling Jaya
191.Papillon Desahill, Taman Desa
192.Residence One, Old Klang Road
193.The Northshore Gardens, Desa Parkcity
194.Primrose, Bandar Puteri Puchong
195.Laman Baiduri, Subang Jaya

As usual the reviews page has now been updated. Also, please drop us a note if you have any new projects, and we’ll try our best to check it out. Cheers.

We have a friend who used to stay in Wangsa Baiduri, and we used to go to his place for excellent dinner parties. This was back in the late 90’s and we used to really look forward to going to his place, it was a nice secluded corner of Subang Jaya, hidden behind SJMC, and the two hotels, with its own guardhouse and walking distance to that nice lake (Taman Subang Ria) with the beautiful view.

Well, anyway, things have changed quite a bit now. My friend has gotten married and moved out, but he still tells me that his parents are forever complaining about the construction lorries going in and out of their main road. Well, actually we think its isn’t all that bad, Road Builder have only just build their Boulevard project since then, but its actually quite high density. Now the developer (now under IJM) is launching the second condo a little further down the road, which of course they say is the last condo project in the area.

(the neighbouring Boulevard)

But actually this part of Subang Jaya will be very much affected in the future even if there aren’t any more land for condo around the lake here. Well, for starters, they’ve blocked the view to the lake (that’s one of the biggest complaints his dad has). And secondly, the colleges out there on the main road has irrevocably changed the population profile around this whole area - from the renters in the residential areas, to the commercial areas, and more importantly compounding the traffic problem. Which leads us to the third one - the traffic thing. Already SJMC is renovating their carpark to cater for more, and there’s a new elevated highway right in front of the junction, not to mention that the main road is now going to be 6 lanes altogether.

But anyway. back to Laman Baiduri.

It’s on a dead end, just next to a row of new bungalow lots that are almost completed, and facing some existing homes.

There are two mid-rise towers here, similar with about 21 floors.

There are 2 types of units here, one is the more desirable lowrise villas are facing the lake, but with only 4 storeys of very limited units, we’re told that they’ve all been sold out earlier. The villas are 1,744sq.ft. with 4 rooms, and a very attractive layout. The yard is exceptionally big, and so is the balcony, attached to the masterbedroom. There is also a terrace at the living, they’re making full use of the lake view for these villa units. But like we said, none left for sale.

(view of the lake from the show house)

The back of the villas are the parking floors, since the proximity to the lake probably does not allow for basement parking. Above the villas and the parking floors is the common facilities floor, and beyond that are 17 floors of units.

The are two types of units for the tower, and at the moment only one of the towers are open for sale. Each floor on the tower consists of 6 units per floor. The units are called ’suites’ and per floor there are 2 suites B and 4 suite units. Suite A is the smaller of the two, 1,184sq.ft. with 3 rooms and 2 baths. Layout is pretty unorthodox, it is an intermediate unit design with only one side of the unit open for ventilation. There is a fairly large balcony, and the masterbedroom is spacious. The kitchen is small though, so most people may consider knocking combining it with the yard for more space.

For those looking for a bigger unit, Suite B offers 1,624sq.ft. of space, and it is the corner unit so you have two sides of the unit opening out. Here the design moves more comfortably, larger living are and a very large master bedroom. There are is a fourth room / maids herem and its pretty big and is also suitable to made into a study or utility. One interesting touch is the lanai concept, an enclosed windowed balcony, with is as large as one of the smaller rooms. This concpet has been quite popular a few years back by a certain well-known architect, here it still looks very refreshing and blends well with the unit.

There are 2 units of penthouses per block, 4,209sq.ft.

In terms of the facade of the condo, there is nothing spectacular here, but the colour scheme of white and dark grey is not unattractive. We thought aqua color to match the lake, but maybe that would be too literal an interpretation. But nonetheless, white may not look too great if not taken care of a few years down the line. You may be interested to note the maintenance fee is 25sen psf not including the sinking fund.

Facilities are just okay, considering the space constraint.

Now the price. List price is from RM392k to RM612k which is from about RM331psf to an average of RM350psf Penthouses cost up to a whopping RM1.7million. The units cost an extra RM5k for every floor up. Obviously the lakeview units are more desirable than the other side, so the prices reflect this preference. We’d definitely go for the lakeview units, since that is the whole attraction of the condo (for us, that is) is the view of the lake. So for a unit at a decent height would be around RM500k which would make it pretty steep however you look at it. Those condos around Subang Parade go for much less, but of course instead of the awesome view of the lake, you have an awesome view of the Federal Highway there. But of course the location here is much more secluded, and the surrounding area is more upmarket.

(Ongoing construction at the site)

So bottomline - would we buy it? Yes if we had the money, but not many lakeview units that are on the cheaper range available. But then again, we’re not big fans of Subang as a home. But of course if you are a resident and looking for a place for your kids or investment then its definitely worth a look. But hurry up though.

IJM, through their Road Builder are the developers here. They’re one of the fastest growing developers around town these days, through their merger, and also from the Talam landbank.

Well, as we often say here, every few months hardly ever passes by without a new launch at IOI Properties sprawling Bandar Puteri in Puchong. Actually, the launches are getting fewer and at longer intervals, probably due to the diminishing number of phases left on the drawing board.

This time round it is Primrose, a series of linkhomes located at the very edge of Bandar Puteri, opposite the now completed Bayu Puteri apartments. It is located in the same slightly elevated platform as the earlier phases Olivia and Nadia. It would seem that the entire zone of development precincts on the elevated ground starting from Aseana Puteri all the way down here is fully developed, and they start working on the green areas, which is highly unlikely based on the master development plan.

Development Review: Bandar Puteri by IOI Properties

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)
Olivia

It would be common for developers to reserve the last phase for upmarket exclusive units, but most of those have been launched in phases in the past year or two.

But probably due to the location at the very corner end of the development that Primrose is only now being launched for sale to the public. Primrose is a 92 nos of 22′ x 75′ linkhomes, the staple of middle class housing here in Puchong and probably all over the Klang Valley. Only that here, in Bandar Puteri, is kinda expensive. Like half a million bucks expensive.

But lets look at the design first.

Actually, not much to talk about the design. Rectangular footprint, 2,242sq.ft. 4 rooms in total, 3 upstairs and one guest bedroom downstairs. 4 baths, a family area upstairs. The good point here is that all 3 rooms upstairs have their own separate attached baths, so no sharing is required. Living room and dining is combined and should be sufficient for most people, and the staircase is a straight flight, well designed to not face the entrance of the home.

All the units are arranged in 5 rows, either facing west or east, well laid out not to have any units looking directly to the apartments, or the imposing slope at the forest reserve. Perhaps the vicinity to the apartments may make it slightly less appealing compared to the earlier launches, and besides, the access road leading into the precinct would probably be lined with street parking in the future, as with the case with most condos without sufficient parking space.

Well, what more can we say? Price is expensive (half a million bucks!), reflects the supply and demand here, and also the facilities and existing infrastructure of Bandar Puteri. Of course, we’ve no doubt they’ll sell well as with all the other phases around here. If people can pay for it, they’ll build and sell it. The units facing the field are slight more expensive than the units deeper in.

What can we say, Desa Parkcity is Desa Parkcity.

It’s happening, location is good, the address is prestigious, and if you go there for a drive around now, you can see for yourself how the implementation of the modern-chic town planning has been well executed. The different precincts are well laid out, and the landscaped Central Park district surrounding the lake has turned out pretty well. And most of all, we think they’ve captured the essence of modern design for the houses, like LeVenue, Zenia, Ridgewood, Adiva, et al. Well, actually, when you have 473 acres of freehold land, you pretty much do anything you want with it.

Actually, scrolling through the archives, we’re kinda surprised we’ve not done any reviews on Desa Parkcity (DPC) before, in all the years of running the website. It’s pretty puzzling even to us (!) considering we’ve been here for a few of the previous launches even in the early days of this massive development. Ah well, better late than never.

But anyway, we’re talking about Northshore today. It isn’t DPC first condo project (it was probably Zenia) but its the first high end luxury condo here. It’s got a premium location within DPC, right next to the small commercial district, looking down on the soon to be completed lake, and also having a commanding view of KL, PJ and surrounding areas.

Northshore is a foray into luxury condo for DPC, in the realm of what you’d expect in Mont’Kiara today. Starting from nearly RM500psf, this is actually a different kind of environment than say, MK or Sri Hartamas. This is a master development by one party, and most of the areas here are landed residential units, unlike the aforementioned two areas, so there is little to compare with actually. Northshore employs a very stylish modern chic design, with glass and earthy tones dominating the facade. Glass and steel would have looked more impressive, but probably not so wise in view of the recent price increases.

There are 40 storeys in all, there is an impressive entrance foyer with high ceiling to greet visitors. There are 3 and a half floors for parking, and above that is a podium for the common facilities. They certainly look like they aim to impress with the facilities here. They have all the usual trappings here, with their fancy names like ‘pavilion’ and ‘floating gym’, etc. Of course when space isn’t an issue you have lots of things for facilities. But we like the large garden lawn area, where you can have a huge party, and not having your guests crammed into a small ‘function room’ (like other condos).

They have 8 units per floor, and there are 8 layout designs to choose from. There are small rectangular studio units at about 900sq.ft. (that’s the size of most normal 3 room apartments) with a room and study. The bulk of the units have 2+1 rooms and 3+1 rooms sized to about 2000sq.ft. The largest unit comes with 4+1 rooms and is 2454sq.ft. Penthouses are also available. They are targeting a wide range of target purchasers with the different type of units and sizes here.

It’s pretty expensive, that much we’ll say. But the design is appealing on many fronts, and besides, the current residents will probably list down the many good reasons why they feel its justified to accomodate that hefty price tag. The developer is throwing in some freebies, including free membership to the nearby club facilities, please check with the salespeople for details.

Sometimes it takes some just creativity and design finesse to make the most out of a need for space in a tight situation… and a magnificent design is born.

Original photo this Osaka cityscape taken from here.

We were in Old Klang road some weeks back, near the mega-junction leading to Mid-Valley, (i believe it was when we went to see Papillon in Taman Desa) when we saw the white, new bunting ads pointing us to make a u-turn to Residence One. We were very tempted to make another sales launch visit, but resisted the urge as we were hardpressed for time, but making sure we’d come back at a later date.

So last week, we came back to look for this new project, but this time we came from the direction of Taman Tan Yew Lai, and we found that it was actually much nearer to that end of Old Klang Road. The location is just opposite Pearl Point, right in front of Wisma Elken if you’re familiar with the area.

So prime area, fronting Old Klang Road, what do we have then? Guocoland is developing this idle piece of land into a midrise condominium. The site is surrounded by shoplots on all three sides, with the aforemention frontage with the main road as the fourth side. The planned access into the development is via a side road that is parallel to Old Klang Road.

(pic below shows the proposed access road)

(and this is the road leading in from Old Klang Road)

The plot of land is a pretty small (a few acres, said the salesperson) rectangular in size, just enough for the condo footprint and a row of shoplots to be built by the developer (at a later date, of course). Perhaps due to size of the land (and maybe also the soil condition) they are unable to build a basement carpark of any sort. so all the parking for the condo is located on 4 floors above ground. Above that is the common facilities and then there are about 15 floors of units. The units either face Old Klang Road, or away from it, they call it ‘green view’ (but there’s not really much green to see). The green view is of course, the more popular choice maybe because its away from the traffic, but in terms of view both are pretty good to say the least. But since its midrise, you can’t see very far unless you get the penthouse. Some units will look straight at Pearl Point.

Unit sizes come from 970 to 1,263sq.ft. but there are penthouses available at 2,256 sq.ft. Save for the smallest unit (3 rooms) the rest have 3+1 rooms. The units have little in terms of variation, only that the spaces are slightly bigger as the sizes go up. No balconies, so that’s a plus especially for the units front the main road.

We couldn’t get some further details regarding the project, because they haven’t actually launched it officially yet, but at the moment the selling price starts from RM310k for the lowest units, and the average price is about RM250psf. However this may change at the official launch so please check with the salespeople. The maintenance is tentatively 20sen psf.

The location, as we said earlier, is relatively good for those looking to stay in this area - easy access to KL, PJ, Puchong and the highways. The price is starting a steep rate, but the developers may feel justified due to their experience, and the aforementioned location. Its also medium density, so that’s always a plus side. They lack in a lot of the common facilities offered by the competition, but this area is well developed to compensate for it in some ways. On the whole, we feel its a little pricey, but i think they may not have problems selling well.

The developer is an experienced player and have many projects across the country.

UPDATE: The full review for this project can be found here.

Drove to Puchong the other day on the LDP the other day, saw this massive development under way at piling stage at Taman Wawasan / Pusat Bandar Puchong.

The huge billboard announced that it was the much anticipated Setia Walk project, which we’ve been hearing a lot about in the last few years. Since completing the last phase of Taman Wawasan in the mid 90’s, SP Setia has been quite dormant in this part of Puchong. In the interim years, while the general area of Puchong has taken off in terms of population and area and also density. Other developers, especially IOI Property who have the biggest landbank, have been extremely busy.

According to the the press release, the project is described as follows:

SP Setia’s maiden commercial project comes in the form of the RM800 million Setia Walk, which is set to transform the Puchong area. Built on a 20.8 acre plot in the matured township of Pusat Bandar Puchong, the project is highly visible from the Damansara Puchong Expressway (LDP) and located opposite the proposed Puchong light rail transit (LRT) station.

Positioned as a one-stop boutique lifestyle centre, the project will be an integrated residential and commercial development which comprises offices, retail blocks, an entertainment complex, serviced and residential apartments. The commercial area will combine conventional shop offices and a shopping mall. With a potent blend of innovative architecture, creative landscaping and an exciting retail mix, Setia Walk will undoubtedly be a desirable place to live, work and play.

Phase One will consist of 85 blocks offering 170 retail and 336 office units. Prices of shop offices range between RM2.5 million and RM8.9 million per block. Retail lots will be located on the ground and first floors, and offices will occupy the higher floors.

Phase Two will feature a business hotel, office tower and entertainment complex which will house cineplexes, bowling alleys and karaoke lounges; while apartments will be built in Phase Three. According to the company, buyers can expect annual rental yields of 10 percent.

The commercial zone will be segregated into three main areas. The Active zone will comprise a child development centre, play zones, and children-centric retail shops; the Sanctuary zone will include fine dining restaurants, spas and beauty centres; and the Escape zone will feature alfresco food and beverage outlets, such as cafes and bistros.

The residential component will include three 27-storey blocks offering a total of 759 units. Prices start from RM210,000. There will also be 46 small office home office (Soho) units.

There was an artist’s rendition of the project on the billboard, but i couldn’t find it online.

Looks like SP Setia is banking of capturing a more affluent and yuppie market here, but we wonder if it may be suitable. While the price of homes in Puchong have ben getting higher every year now, this may be a whole new ball game that is more suited for dense city areas. Puchong was in the past (and still is) a haven for young families, but it seems the prices are changing that trend now. But who knows, this may be very successful, judging form the unpredictability of the Puchong market…!

But they’ve got to do something about the traffic situation here. its still okay now, but in a few years time… wow.

You would usually only associate steel containers as temporary offices for construction sites and or storing materials at the ports, but they can also be designed into elegant homes and offices, with some imagination.

Weburbanist has an excellent article with more pictures. Check it out.

But probably in Malaysia, living in a steel box wouldn’t be so practical due to the heat, unless you want to have the airconditioning running all the time…