Property Malaysia

Ever since its inception, Shah Alam has always maintained its lowkey approach to development. In its early years, besides being the administrative capital of Selangor, it was more known as a quiet, low density residential area surrounded by enclaves of small to large industrial zones. But in the last 10 years, due to the population boom and folks migrating from more developed areas such as Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya. The attractions are obvious - Shah Alam offered cheaper homes, a well-planned infrastructure and obviously less densely populated that its neighbours.

But the one thing it was lacking was in terms was the sparse commercial centres and with it, entertainment outlets. This has been the policy in Shah Alam all the while, the commercial areas were limited to the shopping malls in city centre and surrounding shops, and pockets of shoplots at every section of housing areas. Any other large commercial outlets were generally not available.

But changes are on the horizon, slowly. In an effort to attract foreign investment, the city council have are greenlighting the knowledge-based i-City development project, which will contain the city’s first cinema.

According to the Star,

The cinema is part of the final phase of the i-City, which comprises a shopping mall and a citywalk which are scheduled to be completed in 2015. The intelligent centre is located at Section 7 of the state capital.

“We are making an exemption for the i-City to encourage international companies and franchisors to invest in the intelligent centre,” Shah Alam mayor Mazalan Md Noor said.

“But they still have to adhere to the existing rules and regulations, especially on the operating hours,” he said.

(source)

While its still some time away from completion, this looks like a positive development for the ever growing population of Shah Alam.

These photos were taken a few weeks ago, so the works on site have probably progressed a little bit as of the current time.

SunSuria is a commercial development integrated with a sports complex in Kota Damansara, just beside Sunway Damansara. If you exit off the NKVE you will definitely see the massive sports hall on your left.

If you drive along the LDP from Puchong toll towards Shah Alam and USJ/Putra Heights, you would definitely notice a large tract of cleared land, there rfor the last 2 years or so. There is a large lettering sign announcing it to be USJ Heights. We remember reading about the launch some time back, there were advertisement in the papers showing the concept of the different precincts in USJ Heights.

Fast forward to the present, and the very first precinct out of the total of 6 precincts in USJ Heights has been completed and will be handed over next month. While prospective buyers may have trouble envisioning the whole concept of USJ Heights during launch, when all they have to go on are plans and scale models, now you can actually see the units and how they look like upon execution. Part of the reason this is important is because unlike Sime Darby properties’ earlier launches like Putra Heights and Pinggiran USJ, this one places a big emphasis on the overall design appeal of the masterplan. With a distinct design concept and landscaping, they are making USJ Heights more upmarket and with larger more luxurious units compared to their earlier developments. Which is a natural progression if you think about it. This is a prime location, on the northern side of the LDP unlike Putra Heights which is on both sides of the LDP. And its also probably the last tract of large development Sime Darby Property has in the area.

Perhaps when more phases of USJ Heights are visible we may do an overall review of USJ Heights, but today we are reviewing Kayangan Putera.

As mentioned this is the maiden precinct to be launched and completed, if you go to the site now, they can bring you directly to the actual unit for viewing. Kayangan Putera consists of 83 units of super link homes, either two storey or two and a half storey. The plot size is a minimum of 26′ x 80′ and it is freehold.

There are two types of units available, Type A which is a two storey link home and Type B, with and additional half storey at the top. Type A has 5+1 rooms. There are 4 rooms on the first floor, (3 of them are pretty small) and a guest room downstairs, and a maid’s room at the back. There is also a longe beside the living room. The intermediate unit has a build-up area of 2,710sq.ft., and land area of 2,077sq.ft. Some of the end lots have larger designs, additional garden space at the side. It definitely adds value to the end lot compared to the traditional design of having your wall right next to the road. The gross build-up is slightly larger, at 3,140sq.ft. and land area can go up to 4,200sq.ft. Corner units are even larger, nut basically the general design is unchanged. Land area can go up to 6,300sq.ft.

Type B employs a slightly different design to offer some variety. The standard lot size is no different this type does away with the lounge, giving a bigger living area which we like better. The extra half storey is taken entirely by a 2nd master bedroom ensuite with bath. Altogether, there are also 5+1 baths, but due to the larger build-up (3,160sq.ft.) the rooms are bigger compared to the cramped ones in Type A. The other master bedroom is at its usual place on the first floor. While most family rooms on the first floor (especially in intermediate units) suffer from poor ventilation, this one has double volume to improve on circulation. Similarly for the end and corner units, there is larger gross floor area and land area. This Type B has a long bath for the two master bedrooms.

The units are priced from RM798k onwards for the 2 storey units and RM838k above for the larger 2½ version. From we are told at the moment only the 2 storey units are left for sale.

In line with these being luxury homes, the finishing and design reflects this. They have a very contemporary tropical design that emphasizes natural light through the oversized windows. The finishings are also above the norm, and they have provided some freebies together with the unit such as Alarm system connected to Central Monitoring System, automatic gate system and lightning protection system.

Obviously, Sime Darby Properties are targeting the luxury market with this project, and the pricing shows that it is not accessible for most of us. But if you are looking for a landed property in this area and don’t mind owning a home with a larger build up instead of the typical link home, this may be a viable option. The whole concept of USJ Heights is of course, a plus point, certainly a low density and lushly landscaped project that is a welcome departure from some of the competition here. But of course the price is the inhibiting factor, and later phases may prove to be even more so.