PROPCAFE Review : Casa Green @ Bukit Jalil By Amber Homes

As we are just entering into 2015, despite a lot of uncertainties of 2015 property market outlook yet there are some projects still selling like a hot potato! It seems like 2015 started with a lot of new launches as compared to 4Q 2014. As we can see, more and more developers are slowly changing their strategy to suits the upcoming 2015 market based on the 2014 sales results. It is undeniable some certain property with correct pricing and location is still attractive in the eyes of investors as well as for those looking for their first home.

Recently at Bukit Jalil has been very noisy with launches till caught out attention to focus our eyes on this area and one of the most talk about project lately which almost sold out within just few days (excluding bumi units) despite before official launching  – The Casa Green @ Bukit Jalil by Amber Homes. The noise of this project from Lowyat and also words of mouth spreading faster than the bullet train and by the time you are reading this, sorry to you need more than luck to be able to grab one 🙂

Yes , you read me right, as of today the project still yet to get their APDL thus there ain’t any marketing material like brochure or website where you can refer too and yet the units are almost all taken up. I have to say the conventional way of buying a property where consumers being fed with marketing material in either in soft or hard copy is no longer applicable when come to buying a project which perceived as ‘hot potato’. All they ever need are just price, location, booking fees and some basic info , and in mean of verbal is acceptable and the next thing you know, your cheque is already with the developer. As easy as ABC isn’t? Who say buy property is complicated?

Today we are going to talk about Casa Green @ Bukit Jalil – one of the most affordable project to kick off in 2015.

Location

Well the pictures above says it all about the location, surrounding amenities and approximate time from major area like Mid Valley, Puchong and etc but don’t buy so much on that I advise. If you want to know, it is better you measure it yourself and trust yourself.

If talking about mall nearby, you can see that there is indication on the proposed WCT Paradigm Mall and Pavilion Bukit Jalil on their map and it is really not that far compared going to Mid Valley or KLCC 🙂 The only question is when will this mall be completed? So as of now, put your shopping mind aside and assume as good as there isn’t any near by.

Casa Green is located at Bukit Jalil Kuala Lumpur with the GPS Coordinate : 03°03′52.6″N 101°39′50.3″E.  The address of Bukit Jalil is considered one the hot spot location at Klang Valley and also well known for its unaffordable price tag of house price at this premium location. There are some people who like this address of Bukit Jalil due to its proximity to established area like OUG and also to Mid Valley and yet I also encountered there are some people who just don’t like this address. I am not going to touch into so details of the address of Bukit Jalil itself as our previous post of The REV.O @ Bukit Jalil already covered quite details. Just in case if you not familiar with Bukit Jalil, please refer to our previous post of The REV.O @ Bukit Jalil which posted not long ago.

Casa Green @ Bukit Jalil is sitting next to the infamous Z-Residence by Trinity and neighbouring Bukit OUG Condominium, Kiara Residence 1 & 2, The Seedz and also the Kampung Muhibbah flats. It is also worth to mentioned that opposite KESAS highway, the recent VPed OUG Parklane is kind of nearby too to Casa Green. All in all, somehow I feel this place really crowded in term of total of number of units available reaching thousands.

Accessibility

Casa Green Bukit Jalil is also located nearby to two LRT station – Awan Besar LRT station (Approximate distance *800m) and Muhibbah LRT Station (Approximate distance  <500m) where this is one of the biggest selling point. Casa Green Bukit Jalil can be accessible via major road like Kesas Highway and also Bukit Jalil Highway. In addition, there will be a proposed road linking Jalan 4/155 to Jalan Jalil Perkasa 1. Since there are really quite a massive units flooded at this area, we shall see during how would be traffic like during the peak hours! Not only that, high possibility cars parking outside along the access road which shared by some project around here, we are talking a typical Malaysian here! So don’t expect this won’t happens.

 

Developer

Amber Homes is not new in the real estate line. They have been in the market quite some time. The most recent project before Casa Green @ Bukit Jalil is also called Casa Green @ Bandar Tun Hussein Onn at Taman Sri Minang Cheras which was launched around early 2013 at the price of region of $350psf. Case Green Taman Sri Minang, Cheras is sitting on  5.4 acres of land. It is the highest development in the township of Taman Sri Minang, Cheras, soaring through the sky providing uninterrupted panoramic view of the surrounding hills where the two 25-storey blocks with a total of 326 units laid out in semi-detached style with built up ranges from 1765sf to 3025sf! A typical unit is uniquely designed and has  3+1+1 rooms with 4 bathrooms,  with a large master en-suite separated from the rest of the rooms. This project is still under construction and target to be completed in 2016. Amber Homes is generous to spend approximately RM5mil to build an access road to Casa Green Taman Sri Minang where at that time of launching most buyer was bit concern over the access matter. Well only time can tell.  I think I still keep some pictures of this project of Casa Green @ Bandar Tun Hussein Onn and allow me to share some of it here.

Others completed project by Ambers Group including Putra Suria Residence, Seri Mas Condominium, Villa Seri Puteri and Amber Business Plaza at Cheras and most of these project is situated within the walking distance to the Cheras LRT station! (except Seri Mas Condo)

Overall Master Plan

 

Casa Green @ Bukit Jalil consist of 3 blocks  : Block A, B and C with total units of 980 sitting on approximate 5 acres of leasehold land. Level 1 to 7 is car park podium and on top of the podium level 8 will be area of common facilities. All units comes with 2 side by side car parks! It is to my surprise that the landscaper for this project is JRD Landscape Architecture , the same landscape architect for Foresta, O2 Residence, The Element, Grand Dorsett Subang & Sunway Putra Mall. Looking at the total number of units, undeniable this project is quite a mid-densed project and for that there will be two car park entry points, the entrance at the Grand Entrance will directly lead you to 4th floor of the car park and the second entry point to car park is on the 1st floor.

Layout & Design

Block A

Block A where under the affordable home scheme RUMAWIP  is 38-storey where unit starts from level 8 to 38 and consist total units of 490 units. There will be 16 units per floor and served by 5 lifts. Block A consists of only unit layout type A – 825.16sf with 3 rooms + 2 bathrooms without balcony. Type A floor area utilization are pretty efficient with almost squarish layout design. All units are North (Facing Kesas Highway) or South (Facing Bukit Jalil Light Industrial Integrated Business Park). This block is yet opened for registration.

 

Block B & C

Both Block B (32-storey) and Block C (33-storey) are opened to PUBLIC to purchase and not under RUMAWIP.

Block B – 240 units and Block C – 250 units, 490 units in total. For both of these blocks, unit starts from level 8 to 32 and 33 respectively. Block B is sitting adjacent to Block A and directly behind Block C. Block C is the nearest block to Kesas Highway shielding all the noise from the highway for Block B 🙂 making Block C functioning as a sound barrier for Casa Green Block B purchasers . There will be 10 units per floor and served by 3 lifts. All units come with come 3 bedroom , 3 baths and with balcony and also 2 – side by side car parks!

Block B consists of only unit layout type B – 1003.49sf (South -Facing Bukit Jalil Light Industrial Integrated Business Park)  and Type D – 1003.49sf(North – Facing Pool/Block C). Block C consists of  only Type C – 1003.20sf (North – Facing Kesas Highway) and Type D – 1003.49sf(South – Facing Pool/Block B).

Type B and Type C layout are quite similar, the main difference between Type B and C is the size of Depth X Width (other than the Bath 2 odd orientation) Type B is 11750(D) x 9600 (W) while Type C is 9900(D) x 10550(W).

It is rather rare and unique to find layout with 1000sf comes with 3 bedrooms with 3 baths! I would have to say developer is rather good by optimizing the floor space to come out with such an efficient design! With having attached bathroom for 2 bedrooms separately and the 3rd bathroom outside the living hall for common usage definitely worth to be praised for their effort in giving more privacy to the people living in the house. Kudos to Amber by setting another standard higher and good example to other developers on what the market actually needs and prefers.

Besides that, Type D layout where is a horizontal layout design also comes 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. It is really unusual design layout to be introduced at this area. The living hall and kitchen is located at the center of unit separating the rooms into left and right side of the unit thus giving more privacy as compared to typical design where all the rooms will be sharing common wall joining up all rooms together. Not only that, horizontal layout design will give more direct and deeper of sun light penetration into the house due to the layout is short and wide. Somehow with this kind of layout, the unit will be more lite up, minimizing dark area. Another characteristic of this kind of design is all rooms including the living hall will be sharing the same view. I have to admit that Type D is rather my favorite layout of this project. Just my preference.

Facilities

All facilities are located on level 8 (except basket ball court) . It is quite generous that the developer is throwing a 4000sf indoor gym and 17m x 50m out door Olympic full length swimming pool unlike those small “wading” pool where just a few strokes the next thing you know you have reached the other end. All the facilities are located in between of Block B and C and partially in front of Block A (RUMAWIP), that makes TRUE direct facing facilities floor/pool units are really limited.

The facilities offered here not that has any to shout about but is considered quite decent for the price that you are paying . How much? Well please continue to read…

1. Infinity Pool (17m x 50m)
2. Wading pool
3. Water Feature
4. Jacuzzi
5. Raise Sunny Deck
6. Elevated Functional Deck
7. Interactive Children Play Zone
8. Resting Pavilion
9. Covered Walkway
10. Exclusive Hallway
11. BBQ Garden
12. Meditation Garden with Pergolas
13. Basketball Court
14. Indoor gym

 

Price

The climax of Casa Green Bukit Jalil is the price! Most of the time developer or agent will market or advertise with “price from $XXXk” and it is kinda turn off when we go with high expectation only to find out that those “from $XXXk” only few units or bla bla bla with all sort of reason and come home empty handed with total disappointment. For Casa Green Bukit Jalil it is the other way round , all units on Block A RUMAWIP is $300k+ or lower and Block B and C is $460k+ or lower. Yes! 460k+ or lower! 460psf and now it explained why it was sold like a hot potato. I know you are very excited and want to grab your car key and start to go to sales office now but at least read until the end for the address of the sales office 🙂 . Just hang on there a little bit more k! The cheapest unit is on the lowest floor for obvious reason. Each floor premium is $500 per floor and corner unit command additional premius $3k. Since the highest price is around $460k+ so you just do the reverse math and minus the premium according to work out roughly the price of the unit. Yes.. work it on from back side (belakang mari LOL) . So the price range would be from around $44xk+  to $46xk+. The price is including 10k+ for 4ac including piping and installation. The price is pretty straight forward and no hanky panky rebate or discount. The tentative maintenance is $0.25psf. Construction period is 4 years. The booking fees is rather hefty, 10% of unit price that work out around $46k+. This is rather quite a high sum of booking and could be one of the con or filter for buyers who are really keen but not able to come out with such an amount. Another thing is, you won’t able to withdraw from EPF to pay for that. Normal practice, booking fees will be around 2-3% and the remaining upon signing SPA where you able to use your EPF to pay for that but for this Casa Green Bukit Jalil, you have to look for another alternative. With 10% down as booking is a double edged sword. Instead of asking 10%, developer can consider to increase the booking from 2-3% to 20-30k perhaps? Nevertheless, this is not the deal breaker and does not stop the project being almost sold out within few days (bumi quota 30% still available)

For detail package and finishing specs , it is best you refer to the developer directly.

For the pricing matter , as comparison for the surrounding existing property around Casa Green Bukit jalil : Z-Residence nearest condo to Casa Green Bukit Jalil which recently VPed is asking more or less about $550psf (Launching price is around $400 to 450psf). The Rainz by Exsim where lauching price is about $600psf, Kiara Residence Bukit Jalil current subsales is asking around $500psf (lauching price is around $370psf)  , and the older Bukit OUG Condominium subsales is asking around $320psf. Those price are just for reference and please do not use it as a benchmark due to each product specs and unique selling points are different. After all Casa Green Bukit Jalil is branded as affordable home, not until the day it is completed , we won’t know how it would actually look. Those day I still remember when Z-Residence was launched, most of the buyers expecting something more or less like a mid cost Zest Residence @ Kinrara 9 but when the actual product of Z-Residence turn out far much better than expected. It does really surprise me in term of “look” definitely one level higher than mid-cost feeling. Will Casa Green @ Bukit Jalil able to pull the similar stunt as Trinity? Well, I would advise you just to keep your expectation low. One more thing would like to remind readers here, please do not buy just because Z-Residence current subsales is higher than Casa Green Bukit Jalil or it is cheap or the price is low compared to other new launches but buy it because you really need a home! After all, this project are meant for people who likes Bukit Jalil area and have been dreaming long to own a decent home to start a family. For those who want looking for pure investment, please consider to leave this to those who really need it. I believe in “Karma”! Do you?! 🙂

Now my next question is to the others developers, if Amber Homes able to sell at 460psf at Bukit Jalil address , why can’t you? For those buyers out there, this is a classic question you really gota ask yourself, are you over paying? Or it is true as per claimed that cost of house has risen tremendously to justify their selling price? Or is it the buyers out there themselves have been pampering the developer by keep on buying their story? Whose fault? They always say willing buyer willing seller 🙂

Verdict

Strategic location, affordable pricing, 2 car park side by side, decent layout for young family, basic facilities, nearby 2 LRT stations, mid-densed project at high densed area 🙂 & hefty booking fees. I personally recommend for those who looking to own their first home, you might really want to consider this. I will end my write with my last closing quote for this project “Affordable Price but not Affordable Entry”

Thanks to  Sam and Edward for entertaining the self-invited me, especially Sam for his invaluable time to brief and share in details of every single corner of this project. 🙂

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Sales Office

Yes. The sales office is rather difficult to find because it is inside the management office of a condominium. For those who are keen and want to ask more, please feel free to drop by as their staff is helpful and kind even knowing not many units left. Their sales office is located at Cheras . Yes I know Cheras is very big, so to give you some indication, the office is located nearby Taman Tenaga and it can be reached via Jalan Cheras (nearby Cheras Velodrome or Jalan Ikan Emas) or Bandar Sri Permaisuri.

The address is as per below :

Amber Homes Development Sdn Bhd.

Ground Floor, Amber Tower (1), Serimas Condominium,

Jalan 4/89A, Batu 3 1/2, Cheras,

56000 Kuala Lumpur

Phone : +603- 9171 5133

Open : Monday to Friday normal working hour and Weekend is until 12pm

GPS : 3°6’47″N 101°43’21″E