Living Klang Valley

IOI Galleria

2010-02-03T22:44:00.000+08:00

IOI properties sales office has officially moved to Puchong Financial Corporate Centre. I've been observing PFCC ground floor under renovation for the pass months and only notice that IOI has used the IOI galleria name for their sales office.

I've been to 16 Sierra launching recently and I think it's a very nice and well planned residential project. Their onsite sales office is called IOI galleria as well. However, the price for first phase has been set a bit steep at RM449,800 onwards for a 22x75 double storey terrace. This is the first time I actually see property by IOI which is a leasehold.

Overall, 16 Sierra has a very nice layout with 16 parks in the vicinity with a central park. 16 Sierra masterplan coupled with IOI reputation and the new access via SKVE will definitely make the phase 1 a safe bet even with the premium asking price. As the whole project will last till 2020, I bet every phase of new launch will be expected be have increase of 20-30k pricetag.

Good luck for your investment!

Desa Idaman show unit

2009-11-11T21:04:00.000+08:00

Here are some pictures of the Desa Idaman show unit that I have from my previous visit. In my previous post, I only show the photos of the exterior and now I would like to share some of the interior pictures of the show unit. I personally think they have done a good job with the interior department. So enjoy the pictures !

D'Alpinia site photos

2009-11-10T00:19:00.004+08:00

Crazy! Totally crazy...I went for D'Alpinia launching on Saturday around 2pm. There are total of 4 tiers of property for sale. Hap Seng Land only sell tier 1 to tier 3 on Saturday which total up of 107 units of terrace homes and semi-d. At the time of viewing, total of 13 units left for sale. The price for terrace homes is from RM 438,888 onwards while RM510k onwards for the semi-d. And by the time I left at around 4pm, only 9 units left.

Tier 4 will be sold only on Sunday as they would like to have some good units left for sale on the 2nd day of launch. Approximately 23 units of terrace homes and 24 units of semi-d in tier4 for sale on Sunday. You can refer to the following photo.

So here is the photos at the site. This is the entrance.

The guard house.

Terrace homes.

Semi-D.

This is the back of the semi-d. It is actually linked semi-d.

Some random pictures of the interior.

The street on slope. These photos were taken two weeks before the lauching.

Playground.

And did i mentioned that there will be two Mercedes Benz B-class to be won by the buyers? It will be good for the buyers as winning chances would be high at approximately 1:80.

Btw, this whole project is surrounded by IOI property. Can this place turn out to be the next Bandar Puteri? IOI has open registration for their future development there called 18 Sierra with 22x75 terrace homes. So do some research if you would like a piece of property at this new growth area.

D'Alpinia @Puchong lauching tomorrow

2009-11-06T21:57:00.000+08:00

Hap Seng Land will be launching D'Alpinia tomorrow. It is open for those registered with them and received the invitation card. I think it should be open for public, just that those with invitation will be able to do the booking as they are given priority to chose their favourite unit.

D'Alpinia Phase1 which is open for sale will comprise 2 types of homes, the terrace homes and semi-d. Details as below.

Terrace Homes ("T1" Series)
22' x 75'
Build up 2,200 sq ft

Semi-D ("C" Series)
35'65'
Build up 2,300 sq ft

It is a guarded and gated for each parcel and it is a build-then-sell residence under the 10:90 variant. No price mentioned, but the indicative price is above 400k for the terrace homes and above 500k for the semi-d.

I have some photos of the site already including the interior. However, I'll not post it until it has been launched. So keep an eye on this site for more details during the weekend.

Final Phase of Pavillion Terraces @Lake Edge lauched today

2009-11-06T21:14:00.001+08:00

The final phase of pavillion terraces was launched this morning. Total of 30 units for sale and all was grabbed up by 2pm. Prices are from approximately RM780,000 onwards but with 8% early bird discount. So it comes to around RM717k for intermediate units.

This is totally crazy!!! First we hear houses in Bandar Kinrara sold all more than 100 houses in one day, with initial above 400 registration. And today 30 units of Pavillion Terraces @Lake Edge priced at above RM700k was sold out on first day of launch. Even more so for a launch on a Friday. Who say it's a bad time for property market?

Desa Idaman, Puchong Prima

2009-10-20T23:38:00.000+08:00

Some time about two years ago, I remember I saw the road show for Desa Idaman and find it pretty interesting. They have this water theme park concept as their main facility in Desa Idaman. It's like Tiara Beach Resort in Port Dickson except that this is residential and not service apartments.

Thought interesting, I have doubts on projects like that. They are not easy to build and to maintain especially with the medium range apartments. However, one weekend I had the urge to pay this place a visit and see their showroom on site.

See the photos to believe, I was quite amazed with the outcome.

The built is definitely commendable. I've not seen many construction to turn out with so neat lines and the cement surface everywhere is smooth. Their Q&A is worth a thousand praise.

From the chart I saw, they have approximately 25% more not sold! Unfortunately, as you would expect, the not so good units are left and they are on the higher floors and there's no lift service here. Ahaa, there's NO lift servicing Desa Idaman's 5 story apartments.

That's the only turn off. Other than that, it is quite a decent residence for family which they can assure their kids will have great weekend even at home. :)

IOI Boulevard is now OPEN

2009-10-17T14:49:00.002+08:00

So far my updates is always around Puchong area. It's only because I stay near here and I get to observe more of the growth around this area. Anyway, let's get back to the topic.

This morning when I drove on LDP along Puchong, I saw this big banner hanging over the IOI Boulevard building that shows it is now open with some well known F&B outlets. Too bad I didnt have my camera with me just now. However, among few that I remember are Umai-Ya, Otak-Otak place, Pappa Rich and Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa.

The banner captured my attention and so I make a stop over to check out the place. So far only Otak-otak place is open for business, the rest are still under renovation. Other than the F&B mentioned above, there's a korean restaurant and another Japanese fusion restaurant there. I also saw a salon and an Optical shop is already open for business.

Last but not least, there's bazaar @ flea market going on in that area. Today is their first day operating and it will be going on every weekend. There's already few stall setup and I foresee it will be packed with stalls soon, perhaps in few more weeks.

I'm glad that there's more things coming up around Puchong area and it seems like Puchong will be the next PJ.

Up next I'll be posting on Desa Idaman site progress. Check in again tomorrow for the updates. :)

Final phase of Pavillion Terraces @Lake Edge

2009-10-17T14:23:00.001+08:00

Few days ago I saw this new billboard setup by YTL near Lake Edge and it is about their final phase of Pavillion terraces with limited units.

A quick check with insider from YTL and we get to know that there will be approx 30 units of Pavillion terraces. Price is not fixed, but would be in the range of 750-800k.

If you are interested, you can find out more from Lake Edge website and register yourself.

Cheers and have a nice weekend!

Progress update @ Serena, Bandar Puteri Puchong

2009-10-14T21:33:00.000+08:00

Most of the people in klang valley knows about Bandar Puteri Puchong. It is well known because the development in Bandar Puteri is so rapid and the property appreciation here is sky rocketing. Take for example the shop office beside Giant area which brings in handsome rental yield and the high appreciation. Besides, most of the major bank has a branch in Bandar Puteri Puchong and this place has turn into a one stop financial center. Even the new high rise office block in Bandar Puteri is called Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC), so you see the relevance!

Anyway, this post entry is for Serena, Bandar Puteri Puchong. I'll provide some brief info for those who still does not have a clue about this project. Serena was launched end of last year by IOI properties.

Price from RM 528,800

Lot size: 22' x 75'
Built-up: 2 storey - 2,430 sq ft, 2.5 storey - 2990 sq ft

It comes with extra high ceiling compared to normal link houses, 14' high ceiling for ground floor and 12' high ceiling for master bedroom.

Freehold, of course as it is the case for the rest of Bandar Puteri properties. As usual, I would like the picture to do the talking. Enjoy the progress site pics!

Zarra, Bandar Puteri Puchong

2009-10-04T04:03:00.001+08:00

First of all, I would like to wish Happy Mid Autumn Festival to all readers!

This time my entry will be on Zarra, the last terrace house development in Bandar Puteri Puchong. Zarra would come with a hefty price from RM599,800 onwards for a 2 storey terrace. See below for the key information on this latest development by IOI properties.

Location: Puteri 6
Lot size: 22' x 75'

2 storey link house
Built-up: From 2,398 sq ft
2.5 storey link house
Built-up: From 3,020 sq ft
Land tenure: Freehold
Total units: 183 units

Zarra homes are complete with peace-of-mind security features like perimeter fencing and a guardhouse. This price in Bandar Puteri house has been record high and matches the price in some other preferred address in areas such as Kota Damansara and Damansara Utama.

You can get more information of the property from IOI properties site.

I've been to Bandar Puteri when it was just being developed around 6-7 yrs ago. The price back then was very much affordable. However, at that time my family decided to invest in other property with almost similar selling price. Little did we know that it would have been a much wiser choice to get a property in Bandar Puteri. Over the short period of time, the property has appreciated exceptionally well. If only we could turn back time!

So is it still worth to pay the premium for this last terrace house development in Bandar Puteri? You do the judgement!

Cheers.

Puchong - Cyberjaya new access road

2009-10-02T10:00:00.121+08:00

Last week I went to my cousin's house in Aman Putra, Puchong. This place is approximately 8mins drive after turning off LDP on either Bandar Bukit Puchong or Taman Puchong Utama exit. Personally, I think it's quite a distance away from LDP. My cousin bought this property about 6-7 years ago. It turn out to be a bad investment. Reason being the property did not appreciate after so many years, but instead it depreciated.

However, I found something interesting in the Aman Putra vicinity. There is a new access road under construction from Aman Putra to Cyberjaya. It will be connected to Cyberia Condominium crossroad in Cyberjaya once it is ready and it will be a mere 3-5mins drive from Aman Putra. It seems like the new development is for Selangor Science Park, new extension of Cyberjaya.

Once the road is ready, it will put Aman Putra side by side Cyberjaya. The big question - Would this bring better rental yield to Aman Putra and the surroundings? It seems likely because the house in Aman Putra is still fairly cheap with intermediate 2-storey terrace house in 200k range. Also, it will attract more Cyberjaya working force to rent here instead of Seri Kembangan with few reasons.

1. It is nearer compared to Seri Kembangan/Serdang
2. The rental would be in similar range for both areas
3. Get to skip the tol which gives extra savings for the cost consious
4. Avoid the massive jam at Seri Kembangan/Serdang interchange. In fact, it is a very well known bottle neck at the junction!

See the pictures I snapped below. You do the judgement if this will change the landscape in Aman Putra and the surroundings such as Bandar Nusa Putra and Taman Putra Perdana. Enjoy!

The entrance of Taman Aman Putra.

Another angle of the road that is under construction.

See! I told ya it's pretty near to Cyberjaya.

Kondominium Atmosfera, Puchong Jaya

2009-09-27T13:32:00.000+08:00

If my memory serves me right, Kondominium Atmosfera has been on iproperty.com Malaysia’s hot pick of the month since August. It is no doubt that this project is under the lime light as their marketing agent, Kim Realty is working really hard to sell off all 453 units of condominium. We’ve seen them all over Klang Valley doing road show at established shopping center and hypermarket alike.

No doubt that this is one hot property among the urbanites as evidence in few of the popular property forums. From the forum, there are a lot of debating on the potential of this property and comparison with similar property offerings around Puchong and Kinrara area. Albeit the heated discussion, this post will focus on Kondominium Atmosfera only.

The developer for Atmosfera is Villamas Sdn Bhd. If you do not know yet, Kondominium Atmosfera is located atop Bukit Tandang in Puchong Jaya; right beside Villamas apartment which was developed by no other than Villamas itself. Besides Villamas apartment, nearby high rise includes Koi Kinrara and Sri Bayu apartments. While Koi Kinrara is still under construction, Sri Bayu (developed by IOI) and Villamas apartment have seen matured occupancy rate.

The rip off on having a property developed on top of a hill is the doubts on the stability of the slope. Fortunately, this is not as bad as a development on a hill slope; Atmosfera is ON top of the hill. Besides that, Selangor government has implemented stringent regulations for development on hill slope. Looking at the construction progress, it should not worry much as there is no sign of this project construction work will be halt at the site. My resource says that a group of buyers have raised their concerns to Villamas on the safety of the slope and the response is expected of a responsible developer. As long as the developer take precautious measure during the development and engage the subject matter expert to monitor, it should not be an issue.

For those who still do not know where Atmosfera is located, see the following link for the map to Atmosfera.

Theme based on tropical ambience, Atmosfera offers resort style landscape for the discerning buyers. The main selling point of Atmosfera is affordable luxury. With their location on the highest point of Bkt Tandang, Atmosfera will offer the best view of KL, PJ/Sunway and Puchong skyline. Besides that, they have generous offering with more than 25 facilities. See below snapshot of facilities offering, sourced from Atmosfera official site. You can click to view enlarge image.

Of all facilities, I was fascinated by the futsal court and guest room offerings. These facilities for sure are something unique to Atmosfera residents as it is not a common facility for other condominiums. Another interesting thing to note is the sky lounge on Level 18 if not mistaken for both condominium blocks. The sky lounge will definitely provide uninterrupted view of the surrounding skyline, perfect place for unwind after a long day.

See below Villamas artist impression of the sky lounge common area.

Now, let’s get into the various types of condominium in Atmosfera. Basically, there are few variants of Type A (Premier), Type B (Deluxe) and Type D (Duplex) being offered. The biggest of all is Type C (Duplex with pool).

Type A, A1, A2, A3
Build up area: 1,455- 1,700 sq ft

Type B1, B2, B3, B4, B5
Build up area: 1,282 sq ft

Type D, D1
Build up area: 2,417 – 2,533 sq ft

Type C
Build up area: 2,775 sq ft

Price ranging from RM297,204 - RM709,891 for this piece of Freehold property. Based on the smallest condo unit being offered at 1,282 sq ft and price at approx RM300k, the target buyer is young professional or family in the lower middle to upper middle income group.

Atmosfera sales office is located at the site and they have two show units open for view. The show units are of a Type A variant and a Type B variant. Both show units are undeniable elegantly done up which will provide potential buyer very good feel of how their future home can be. I must say that Villamas put good effort into the sales gallery and the show unit setup. My visit to the site provides feel good factor with good experience to grasp the feeling of living on the serene heights of Puchong.

As always, a picture is worth a thousand words. However, I did not bring my camera along during my visit to the show unit. So let’s settle by clicking on the picture below to view the pictures available on Atmosfera official site.

At the time of this post, there are very limited units left with more than 90% SOLD. Being officially launched only on May 2009, Villamas has set a good track record to achieve such sales. The achievement is either due to effective marketing strategy or attractive property attributes or even both combined to make it an irresistible package.

I’m not an expert in valuation, but looking at the current situation with many owners plan to stay in; this property will be sought after upon completion and in long term would provide reasonable appreciation. I believe Atmosfera will turn out to be a true home sweet home for many owners when it is ready in 2012.

Lake Edge, Puchong

2009-09-23T00:59:00.000+08:00

Many people work their whole life to pay for two things – car and house. To many, buying a house is one of the biggest decisions made in a lifetime. It is a commitment that will tie you down and take your freedom away and yet it is something that many are willing to do, all because they want a house to be called a Home.

Last week, I had an opportunity to take a walk in Lake Edge, Puchong. For those that are not familiar with Lake Edge, it is a guarded and gated concept development by YTL with large landscape area and a private club house for the residents. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Puchong, this place is like a resort once you step into Lake Edge. First impression in mind is that “No way a place like this exists just right behind Tesco, Puchong”. See below map for Lake Edge location. Click on image to enlarge.

Here is the satellite snapshot of Lake Edge area. There is a private lake within Lake Edge.

I will share with you some of the scene that I captured during the evening walk. A picture is worth a thousand words. Thus, I’ll do less of the writing from here onwards. Enjoy!

This is the back of a typical courtyard homes.

Linear park, open space in between Parkville homes – unique collection of 8 semi-detached and 8 bungalow homes.

Can you feel the quality of life that the residents here take pleasure in?

They have a private lake too. And there is big open space too for recreation just by the lake.

And the playground….

Now at the clubhouse…

Tennis court & basketball court

Infinity pool

The gym

This is Waterville - the latest property in Lake Edge. Btw, I was told that all 50 units have been sold out. Price is from RM 1.6M. This proves that there are demand for quality home in Puchong.

After my walk in Lake Edge, I start to understand why the owners/residents here have a saying - You need to be here to experience and feel the quality of living in Lake Edge. Oh…many of the owners here upgrade within Lake Edge. Eg. From linked house to semi-d/bungalow.

I hope thru my posts, many who could not enter Lake Edge (yes, they have tight security) will have the opportunity to have an insight into Lake Edge living. Hence, I totally agree that Lake Edge is truly a home sweet home in the heart of Puchong for the lucky few.