PROPCAFE Guest Review : Sentrio Suites @ Desa Pandan By Hua Yang

Here is another Guest Review by Mr. Tengster! Hope everyone will enjoy it! Great piece of work again! Thank you Mr. Tengster.

Sentrio Suites is located in the bustling township of Desa Pandan, Sentrio Suites is a serviced-apartment development spread across 1.55 acres, a rectangular land surrounded by shoplots. The building has a façade covered in vertical fins to provide shading for the residence within and reduce the need for artificial cooling. This is probably in line with their intention to achieve Green Building Index (but not known of which class???)

How does the site look like?

Photo is taken from LYN forum.

Show units – There are two show units available at sales gallery. They are Type D (950sqft) and Type E (856 sqft). Some photos perhaps.

Type E (856 sqft) – Living Hall

Type D (950sqft) – Wider living hall with small study room

View of the kitchen (The curvy kitchen top with sink is not part of the deal)

Below are the vital information:

Developer : Prop Park Sdn. Bhd. (70874-H) (subsidiary of Hua Yang Bhd.)

Address: No. 20G, Jalan 4/76C Desa Pandan, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Contact: T +603-92828889

GPS Coordinates: +3° 8′ 52″, +101° 44′ 14″

Landsize – 1.55 acres

Tenure: Leasehold

Opening hours (for Sales Gallery): 10-6pm 7 days a week including public holiday.

Location and Amenities

This project is located at centre of Desa Pandan(see below map). Technically, it is under Kuala Lumpur territory. The site is about 4.2 km from Suria KLCC Mall.

The entire project site is pretty much surrounded by row of shoplots. This could be double edge sword (not shop) that could cause congestion and lack of car park during office hours but also provide good convenience. Just to name some of the shops available. They are McDonalds, KFC, Secret Recipe, Sari Ratu, KTM, 7-Eleven, Pos Malaysia, tire shops, hardware shops, watch shop (may not have IWC or Panny there), pet shop, laundry shop, stationery shop, several sundry shops, pharmacy like Watson and several banks (I think Maybank and RHB). I think in short, macam-macam ada.

What else are located adjacent?

1. Raintree Club & Royal Selangor Golf Club  < 1.5km 2. GE Mall & Glen Eagles Hospital - 2.6 km 3. Tesco Ampang – 2 km or less (can use the shortcut) & proposed Jusco site is just beside Tesco. 4. Prince Court Medical Centre, Pavillion & StarHill area – 5km 5. MRT Station Line 2 – Not known and it’s not an USP for time being. 6. Schools are SK Desa Pandan, SK Tun Hussein Onn, SJKT Kg Pandan, Fairview International School, Mutiara International School, Sayfol International School, etc. 7. Parks – Ampang Lake (3 km away) 8. Nearest LRT station is probably at Jelatek or Dato Kramat station. 9. Rapid Putra Bus Stop is located about 200 meter away. [Bring you to LRT Jelatek.]

Land Tenure

This plot of land is LEASEHOLD LAND. The 1.55 acre land was purchased from for from U Thant Square Sdn Bhd for RM32 million. Since it’s leasehold (LH) and the LH tenure reduce over time including during holding and also construction period (of about 4 years). The developer came out with announcement that they will renew the LH status to 99 years upon VP. See the attached letter.

Sentrio Suites’s Residential

The building comprises of a low rise (North Wing) and high rise tower (West Wing) with a total of 16 units per floor from levels 9-17, and 8 units per floor for levels 18-40 with total 327 units.
Attached below is the breakdown of units.

Sizes – ranging from 537 sq.ft to 1230 sqft. All the Type F i.e. studio units with 537 sqft were prebooked internally. None is available for public. Don’t even bother to dream. I think for sizes, Hua Yang got it spot on. They offer 537, 856 and 950 sqft plus those DKs. Such sizes won’t direct compete with G Residence that have relatively larger units (474-nos units of 1080 sqft 1545 sqft). Then we look at Mutiara Upper East (MUE). Quick check on rental at MUE, they have mostly large units i.e. 1281 sqft to 6319 sqft…. Rental is minimum RM5k for midsize units as shown in iproperty.com.

Layout – Type A – 1230 sq.ft, Type B – 1211 sq.ft, Type C – 1200 sq.ft, Type D – 950 sq.ft, Type E – 856 sq.ft and Type F – 537 sqft. Layout A, B and C are basically DK units with a pantry and ensuite bathroom . For location of each type please refer to the floor layout plan. The type is indicated by the letters A B C D E F.

Typical Floor Layout will be as follow. The design is telling you that you are getting a semi-D in the air…..

Concept – Contemporary aesthetics fuse harmoniously with eco-friendly functionality in this GBI certified building. In simple layman term, nice clean modern façade.

Facilities – The podium facilities at Level 8 for sports and open-air activities include a 25m lap pool, wading pool, trickling pond, yoga deck, TaiChi deck, gymnasium, playground, kindergarten, etc. At Roof Top, there is a small gourmet kitchen, sitting area with a long reflective pond and also outdoor dining area that is facing clear twin Jagung. And KL skylines. Roof Top is at 40th floor and it should clear most of the buildings.

Maintenance cost – Expected to be 30cent PSF (inclusive of sinking fund). First year maintenance fee is borne by developer. Sentrio is merely targeting to obtain single green certification i.e. GBI at certified level only (I supposed). Details could be read from the link http://www.greenbuildingindex.org/why-green-buildings.html or google for more.

Access & Security – Access is a bit challenging. There is no direct access from the main road. It has to go through row of shoptlots. There is 3-tier security for the residential. CCTV system and security patrol are deemed to be put in place.

Lift – There are 5 lifts to serve all the 327 units. Averagely 65 units per lift. For Level 18 and above, the 5 lifts only serve 8 units per floor

Prices – Pricing is a bit tricky. They initially opened booking for Level 9  12 and then Level 13  17 and then Level 18 – 23 with PSF ranging from 650 to 790 PSF depending which types and levels. Naturally larger units have smaller PSF. For Level 13 – 17, there is additional RM10-20k increase apart from the floor incremental of RM1k each. Thereafter, Level 18 – 23 have another price increase. These prices are before discount. Can someone do a price benchmark against M-City and Arte or equivalent.

One eye see all type of Layout…

Unique Selling Point (taken from HuaYang’s website)

• Modern building façade with full heights window glass and fins.

• The tallest building in Desa Pandan. [Those at higher floors can pretty much get unobstructed views of Jagung and other KL skylines.]

• 1 to 2 covered car park provided for each unit.

• Dual-key design come with own pantry & ensuite bathroom. [One can think of renting it out as two separate smaller units. Moreover, DK units with larger built up areas have smaller PSF.]

• To ensure maximum privacy & natural sunlight, most units are uniquely designed where every unit is a corner unit.

• Typical design with the choices of 3-bedroom & 2-bathroom; 2-bedroom & 2-bathroom & Studio type.

• 3-tiered security card access system from car park entrance, lift lobby and to own floor.

• 24-hour security surveillance, CCTV and security protected indoor parking bays.

• Infinity lap pool with spa beds, spa seats and pool loungers.

• Full heights wall tiles for all bathrooms with plaster ceiling.

• 600mm x 600mm porcelain tiles for living & dining and quality laminated flooring for bedrooms.

• Selected unit enjoy 180° panoramic view from either KLCC Petronas Twin Tower, KL Tower & Royal Selangor Golf Club views or Maluri, Ampang Hill & pool views.

• Majority unit door entrances do not face opposite unit entrance.

• Roof Top at level 40 comes with reflective pond, small gourmet kitchen, sitting area and outdoor dining area while enjoying almost-lah 360° KL panoramic view.

That is IT? What about the proposed TRX (Tun Razak Exchange)

Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) will be a dedicated international financial and economic hub, promoting Malaysia as a new global economic growth nucleus.

The 70-acre real-estate development in the heart of KL is intended to tightly cluster economic and financial sector players, where Tun Razak Exchange will be the enabler for a new leg growth – an iconic destination and a model for easier cooperation.
Reportedly earthwork package has been awarded to a contractor namely WCT. See below link:
http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2013/04/17/WCT-gets-RM169mil-1MDB-contract-for-earthworkssubstructure-works-at-Tun-Razak-Exchange.aspx

Taken from LYN forum

Taken from LYN forum

The current site condition of TRX.

Taken from LYN forum

How far is TRX from Sentrio?

To be precise. 7km drive for a distance of 3.8 km. Is this TRX a Super USP? Hard to answer lah….

Will this TRX stall or go ahead?

This is a bit tough to answer for now but a JV agreement has been recently signed with the China counterpart.
1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and the Export-Import Bank of China (China EXIM Bank) have signed joint venture agreement to explore mutual investment investment opportunities in Malaysia, China and elsewhere for a sustainable economic cooperation between the two nations.

Among the investments being explored is the partnership to develop the landmark tower in the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX).

The Signature Tower, situated at a prime location within TRX, will be an anchor to the development, serving as a primary physical marker to the 28ha business and financial hub.

China EXIM Bank chairman and president Li Ruogu said the joint venture will also look into the investment potentials, at home and abroad, offered by sectors such as hospitality, commercial aquaculture, agriculture and infrastructure.

Li said Malaysia continues to be a great investment destination, and the joint venture will bring 1MDB and China EXIM Bank together to create new sources of growth for the long term economic prosperity of both countries.

“The joint venture hopes to build on the long and successful history of economic cooperation between China and Malaysia. China is currently Malaysia’s biggest trading partner while Malaysia is China’s top trading partner in Asean,” he said in a statement issued yesterday

The agreement was signed by Li on behalf of China EXIM Bank, while 1MDB was represented by its managing director and chief executive officer Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman.

It was witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIM…icle/index_html

Others
• The louvred aluminium sliding sun shades to protect each unit from the unforgiven sun. This make the façade look more uniform. If this sun shade is REALLY SLIDING-able, it will make it practical and aesthetically pleasant

• Developer unable to confirm the brand of the sanitaryware at press time. In the showroom, they are using Kohler and Hansgrohe.

• Floor to floor height is about 10 feet while door size is the standard same old 3×7.

• The windows for masterbedroom (MBR) (confirmed) and living halls are full height. There is also a small section of full glass window on other side o MBR wall.

• In the toilet, there is provision of 20-25mm drop at shower area prior installation of shower screen (not sure shower screen included) though this is not reflected in show units.

• Commercial lots are all sold out. There are some unconfirmed tenants at press time.

Current offering :
– Promotion is 8% rebate, full documentation costs for SPA and Loan, first year maintenance free. Application of rebate depends on margin of loan ie whether on first 10% or second 10%

– Free service charge for first year. Service charge is 0.30psf including sinking fund. This translate to 950sqft x 30cent x 12 months  RM3420 [Insurance cost may be excluded.]

– Free legal fees on Sales & Purchase Agreement (SPA) and loan agreement plus loan stamp duty

– Booking/Reserved fee is RM10,000.

– semi furnished package (covers kitchen cabinet top & bottom, electrical hob and cooker hood, air condition units for each bedroom and living area, basin counter top for all bathrooms, washing machine & dryer, visual intercom handset). Type A, B & C (i.e. Dual Key DK units) have additional pantry with sink, electrical hob and cabinet to master bedroom. This package may worth about RM15-20k.

– price loading is RM50K for KLCC view and RM23k for Ampang lake facing (it’s just a lake, do you need to price that way!!!)

– Instant water heater for all bathrooms with fixed rainshower head ( in main bath ) and handheld shower, bathrooms with full height tiles, glass shower screen. Bathrooms with full height ceramic tiles.

– Units come with louvred aluminium sliding sun shades to shield from sun since glazing is floor to ceiling (this could be part of the efforts to meet GBI requirements)

– Carpark allocation is 1 for Type E and F (2 bedroom and Studio ) and 2 for all others. DK units will get 3 bays from Level 34 onwards will receive 3 bays. Lower levels for Type D (3 bedroom ) will get back-to-back bays or tandem parking. No additional bays available for sale and no additional charges for parking bays. Commercial and visitor parking in basement, tenants and residents on podium parking. For carpark allocation, it will be higher the floor, lower the carpark floor. This is sensible and practiced throughout generally.

– Construction period is 42 months. Targeted VP delivery is Q1 2017. STRATA title will be issued upon VP, thus MOT payment is required at that time. Roughly MOT is about RM20k thereabouts depending on the purchase price.

So ROSY meh….. but where are CONS?

1. No DIBS….

2. MOT payment is needed upon VP. This is a good and bad news too. Strata-title will be made available sooner than the norm.

3. There are quite a number of low cost flats located not far from the project site.

4. There are some stalls located the south side that have been operating mainly at night only with or without license for donkey years. Are they moveable?

5. The Ramadhan Bazaar is operating at that area too. Reportedly, this is legal and operates for Ramadhan Month only.

6. Access through row of shoplots could be quite challenging at times. Can the traffic get better?

7. Instant heater is a bit too simple/cheapo for such development. Instant heater is a potential electrocution hazard too. Remember the Japanese couple in MT condo recently. (read here : http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/09/09/Crime-Japanese-Coupl-dead.aspx ). Developer should at least provide those boiler type water heaters. Aesthetically, it’s also more pleasant. Hot water to sink should be considered as well.

8. No option to buy additional carpark. This can be a quite “phaek-chaek” scenario. We know a lot of condo dwellers are now having at least like 2 cars. If no option to buy carpark, it can be quite stressful.

9. There is HTC located about 350 meter thereabouts from the east side of the project. Could be eyesore. I may think those units at level 10 and above will or may clear from HTC view.

10. There are no units with balcony. Some are crazy over balcony including myself.

11. There is no open yard area for cooking activities. The unit is equipped with hob and hood, one has to make good of it.

Are there any concerns on the sink hole incident at nearby project?

Source : Local newspaper.

Till date, I am not sure whether the neighbour developer has came out to clarify this incident but Hua Yang Berhad has shown their efforts in explaining the issue after a few days of voluntary stop work at Sentrio site. See below letter. The consultant finding is basically the sinkhole at the road was due to sheet pile failure instead of soil condition.

Bottom line

This development is located in the center of Desa Pandan which have demographic of more inclined to Malay with some smaller cluster of Chinese communities and expat community at the other end (near to the Embassy Row). At RM650PSF onwards, it is not cheap neither it is too expensive considering the relatively good location despite surrounded by rows of shoplots and lowcost flats. For comparison sake, G Residence (located 50 meter apart or so) was launched more than 1+ years ago was launched at RM550-600 PSF thereabouts with larger size units i.e. 474-nos units of 1080 sqft-1545 sqft. VP date for G Res is scheduled to be in Feb 2015 while Sentrio is expected to be VP in Q1 2017. Above 2 years after G Res, there should be enough time for market to absorb the supply.

On the other hand, MUE is offering even larger units. Smallest units in MUE are 1281sqft. Largest is 6381 sqft. Total is 312 units in MUE.

Is there good rental market for Sentrio? Have they position themselves at the right spot with layout size from 537 sqft to 950 sqft and with 3 variation of larger units with 1200+- sqft DK units. Can these DK units successfully be rented out as two smaller units?

What about competition from M-City, Element and Arte? What are their PSF at time of purchase?

For DK units, I didn’t have adequate time to probe further. Do they have separate utility meters, mail box, assessments, etc. DK is like two small units with lower PSF but some say weird layout and Fengshui.

Who are the design team since we know Hua Yang Berhad by now?

Veritas Architects is one of the most reputable architects in town that had won several awards. Google to find out. Can they work well with Hua Yang to deliver the concept? Let’s see.

Before saying sanyonara, let’s do a pantun to cheer up the mood.

Bersantai-santai kat kampung bersama Ema,
Tercantas pisang rastali harum setandan,
Sentrio pencakar langit makin menjelma,
Membawa transformasi kat Desa Pandan.