PROPCAFE Review : The Vale @ Sutera Damansara By OSK Properties

The Vale, one of the smallest parcels within Sutera Damansara Development by OSK Properties, comes with a backdrop of Kota Damansara Community Forest. There are 98 units sitting at the land of 3.94 acres.

This leasehold development is sitting at the highest point and overlooking the whole Sutera Damansara. With the backing of the forest, one can argue that it is the best location of Sutera Damansara.

The Vale is the townhouse which two units are sharing the three storey unit. To make it easier to describe, I will call it lower unit (i.e. sharing the ground floor and half of the second floor) and Upper unit. Most of the units are North/South orientation.

Location
It is located at Damansara Damai at Sg. Buloh. It takes you about 7 to 8km from LDP toll booth to reach the site. It is, of course, nearer from NKVE Sg. Buloh toll booth. So, it really depends on your daily routine before one can judge it is far or not from the destination.

From the sg buloh main road to Damansara Damai till Sutera Damansara, one needs to go through the Damansara Damai “town”. Well, it has all the amentities there from schools to MaxValu or from all the convenience shops to eateries. But, the journey is about 1.5km to 2km which is not so appealing to many as you need to go through some low cost flats with narrow single lane roads. Amarnee Condominium residents should know more about this. While I am on the way to show units, I noticed it is like a single race dominated small town feel with all bikers on the road without helmets . But, my observation turned 180 degree when I reached Sutera Damansara (which is quite deep in from my own standard) as it is majority Chinese residential area. Well, at least it is good to see more mixture of races in this Damansara Damai address.

How about in future? With the MRT line in Sg Buloh and the government initiative like project at RRIM (KWASA D’Sara), it may benefit Sg. Buloh’s properties. However, there is some not so good news to investors of Sutera Damansara when government announced that big PR1MA affordable housing (I won’t say it is low cost housing) will be built in Sutera Damansara.

The house has a great façade (my liking) that comes with a reasonable width and length (26ft x80ft). Since it is a townhouse, two owners are sharing the car porch, each owner only has 13ft width in car porch. However, with a long car porch it can accommodate two cars (park vertically).

The common areas are rather small but it is nicely designed according to the artistic illustration below. Due to its location of the hills, it can be easily fenced up with single entrance guardhouse. With the assumption of all completed parcels are not G&G (but F&G or G only), this parcel probably will follow fenced and Guarded concept (yet to be confirmed).

Layout
Depend on the unit’s type (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2), the build-up varies from 2,109sf to 2,717sf. Generally, the lower unit, which having the benefit of ground floor, is smaller than upper unit. All types are having 3+1(maids room) rooms. See layout below.

The upper unit’s owner needs to overcome the issue of climbing up the staircase everyday before he can reach his living hall (at upper floor). Imagine, one need to carry the groceries from market or wet items for kitchen all the times. In addition, there is a small storeroom at the ground floor beside the staircase which I guess not many like it too.

Lower floor unit enjoys sliding door at living hall and side terrace and has the third bedroom at the ground floor. If you look at the layout, this unit’s 1st floor is very narrow with only two rooms and small corridor there.
Personally, I like the upper unit which is more spacious and feel more like a proper home. Yes, you do not have the ground floor but you technically have 2.1 storeys (since ground floor you still own a storeroom and staircase :P) with a proper size of living hall and family hall (third floor) with multiple reasonable size balconies (see below). I noticed the rooms are much bigger than the lower unit type. The third floor also comes with a small air well which bring in more lights and higher ceiling feel. However, I don’t think many “home minister” will like it (due to the issues I raised earlier) and not to say you need to pay higher amount due to bigger build up.

Upper Unit Show Unit
Living Hall/Dry & Wet Kitchen






Master Bedroom


2nd Bedroom






3rd Bedroom


Family Hall

Lower Unit Show Unit
Living Hall/Dry Kitchen



Master Bedroom


2nd Bedroom


Note: Missed out the 3rd Bedroom at Ground Floor
Side Terrace

What’s the deal at the moment?
The Vale is sold out with only one lower corner unit left which costs RM1.3m (Saturday 13/4). It is the unit 47 that having extra land of 3k+sf. The side wall of the unit will be absorbing evening heat because of the west orientation. Those interested can still place their name for waiting list as there are 20+ units are yet to sign SPA (Indication from sales person, these units are likely to be dropped by buyers). As usual, there are surely dropout units during this SPA signing period. To refresh you the pricing, the upper unit is about RM960k+ (2.4k+sf) and lower unit is priced around RM880k+ (2.1k+sf). There are special rebate packages available at the moment depend on lower or upper types. Total of 12% rebate (5% +7%) for Upper unit and 10% rebate (5%+5%) for lower unit.

The commercial of Sutera Damansara is under construction. (see below)

The Vale, unlike other townhouse is very generous in term of space and build-up. I personally like the rendering a lot but with this price tag which near to RM1mil, it is not an easy decision. You are capable to top up another RM300k (it could be too much for others), there is a much better location and similar size freehold product called Sunway SPK HARMONI near Desa Parcktiy. But but but….if one talks about RM1.25mil then many will debate about “WHY PICK TOWNHOUSE with RM1.25m BUDGET”? Well, this is the fun part of property investment!

One of the disappointments of Sutera Damansara is the developer does not bother to set up a proper guardhouse for the entrance of Sutera Damansara Development. I am sure the developer can do better than this (see photo below).

Also i enclosed herewith the photos of other completed parcels in Sutera Damansara for your reference. In nutshell, I will be very sad if I own a million ringgit house but only come with this sort of streetscape especially it is a big scale development. With the entrance of low quality guard facility, the security can be an issue since the inner parcels are not the proper gated and guarded (only guarded) environment.