CONDOS - WHICH LEVEL FLOOR and ?

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Having read about Smog in KL - which level\floor would you rent\buy in a Condo?     
...  The Penthouses seem to have relatively good views - but would you never open the windows due to dust\smog\noise etc?

Shopping  - are Condos which are within walking distance to food shopping\hawkers\malls very noisey?

I can assume answers - but am checking.  I saw a thread about these two subjects - but can not find it again. 

Thanks

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Hi djoerk,
We live in a penthouse (13th floor, only one above us), and we are 5 mins walk from a huge mall with major roads running nearby.
The smog thing is a big erratic, occasionally it is very bad for a few days (you can even smell the smoke in the air), but that is only occasionally. The rest of the time it is OK, and again occasionally the air is 'crystal clear', and you can see a long way, including Genting which is 70kms away, and quite spectacular at night.

We have our windows open all the time, and rarely use the aircon. We do use fans quite a lot though, and that is sufficient to kee the air moving and provide a very satisfactory cooling effect.  Our electric bill is never over RM200/month....but that is about to change with the Tenaga tariff increasing by 18% this month!!

Regarding noise, this will depend on which side of the Condo block your apartment unit is (assuming there is more than one unit per floor!!) If you are on the side facing the major road(s) for sure there will be a constant background 'hummmmm'
If your unit is facing a nice green hill or open fields then you will hear the bird cheeping....enjoy that bit because the excavators could well move in tomorrow TIM (This is Malaysia).

Just to illustrate this point, I sometimes cycle around federal hill as it has nice 'lane like' quiet roads and well spaced out older type bangalows. When I am on the side of the hill facing the Hilton & Meridian Hotels, one hears that city hummmmm very clearly. On the other side of the hill you could close your eyes and you would believe you were deep in the jungle hundreds of miles from civilisation. This experience never ceases to thrill and amaze me.

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hi,

In Singapore I'm on the top (14th) floor. There's no special problem with smog, it seems to be from the sky all the way downwards.

There's also no problem from heat/damp penetration as the ceiling/roof is pretty well constructed.

The great thing is that there's no noise from folks living above. And when I get home, for a while at least, there's no-one downloading (as admin I have to substitute the expletive) on me.

IMHO, if you've got the cash, go for the top floor.

regards, Scott

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Hey,
Can I ask any of you who already live in condos whether noise is generally a problem from neighbours. I live in a condo in Sydney and have had my fair share of noisey neighbours over the years. This is really more to do with the poor construction rather than particularly noisey people. I am guessing that the construction quality in Malaysia is going to be of the same poor standard where noise insulation is concerned.

I would also like to ask if any of you who spend some time in your condo in Malaysia but also spend months away....whether mould is a problem....and what you might have done to manage it. We have a small place in Sri Lanka and the humidity/mould can be a bit of an issue. Nothing actually rots away but it can make everything quite smelly after we've been away for long periods even though we have friends who try to open it up on  a regular basis and freshen it up. At this stage we don't know anyone in Penang who could do that for us but hopefully we will meet someone when we move there. I was wondering if it might be less of a problem 20 or 30 floors......or is it as Scott says...'from the sky down'?

On this same subject of leaving the country for a while ...does anyone have any suggestions about leaving a car for several months at a time. We do it here in Sydney , simply disconnecting the battery and then hoping for the best but cars really don't like to be left for long before  bits start to corrode or cease to function.....even in a very dry garage.

Loopi.

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Hi,

I live on the 23rd floor of a 30 floorer. There is an adage that the higher up you are the nosier it can become as you will not have trees/other buildings etc to shield you. Where I am is OK as I face a park, but the other side of the building which faces the road is very noisy. As for the problem of neighbours that is another matter. The building was only about 20% occupied when I moved in and all was peace and quiet also no party walls so only direct link to flat above and below. Two months ago a family moved in above ( 5 kids plus grandparents)- my god it is like a herd of buffalo are constantly on the move. Luckily I am only here about 10 days a month. Am trying to get out of lease without losing my deposit - indeed have a viewing this avo. This is one of the major reasons I have decided against purchasing  you never know who you are going to get next to you.

As for mould/dampness try those dehumidifier things you can buy in the supermarket. I was away for 10 weeks over the Xmas period and put two in each room seemed to work OK.

Cheers

Brian

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Hi,

I live on the 18th floor of a condo in Penang. I'm not aware of the traffic noise when I'm sitting inside - unless a particularly noisy car or motorcycle revs up when passing. However it doesn't bother me. The sea view is sufficient compensation.

The condo itself is solidly built and I never hear any noise from neighbours.

The longest I've been away is one month and I've not had a problem with mould. I have those little plastic dehumidifiers in my cupboards and a friend pops in every few days to water plants and let in some fresh air.

Cheers,

Bill

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I'm on the 4th floor with my own 500 sq ft private garden and 600+ sq ft of private side yard space, a few miniature fruit trees, flowering plants, grass, fish tank..no problem with mould in 4 years even at this level.
A corner unit not facing the main road, hardly any traffic noise. Neighbors around are not the noisy type, so very quiet even with the 3 levels of parking below, don't hear any noise from cars.
The only annoying noise is that fm radio station the mngment office broadcast at the lift lobby. I'm glad Im not right next to the lift, so I don't hear that except when at the lift and main lobby 

My unit in HK is totally different. First time I went back after an absence of 3 mths, every thing went mouldy, even the walls and clothes in the cupboards! Now, I have a good dehumidifier running 24hr/366 days at low and has been good these past 2 years. (I connected the water outlet to the bath tub).

Regards,
BB

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Hey,
Many thanks to all the B's for their replies.
I love the idea of the  supermarket dehumidifiers for the cupboards but am impressed by BB's reply on a permanent dehumidifier running year round and connected to the drainage system. Did you buy that in Malaysia or Hong Kong? I presume they are inexpensive to run 24/7/365.

Brian ...you seem to have drawn the short straw on the buffalo herd...that would drive me nuts but thank heavens you are only renting that place.
If there is a noise issue...is there anyone who would sort it out for you. As I say , I live in a condo in Sydney with Strata management and caretaking/security guards. If anyone gets out of hand it is merely a case of phoning the guards and they 'have a word'. Most times it is sorted out instantly. There is an escalation path from warnings/fines/cops/more fines/eviction etc etc but it rarely comes to any of that.
What is the resolution path in Malaysia?

Maybe I should consider landed property instead!!

Loopi.

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Hi loopi,

Tried the nice guy approach waste of time - just ignored me ( basically told me to f..k off)  Difficulty is the cultural thing. While they are not Malaysians ( well maybe Malaysians but of Indian birth) they seemed to take serious umbrage in me even raising the subject. I think others have complained about their kids playing in the hall ways of the apartments as this seems to have stopped. As I intend to move on ASAP don't really want to cause a big hooha. Different matter of course if I owned the place

That's what I am going to do -either buy an existing house/bungalow or buy a block of land and build .

Cheers

Brian

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Hey Brian,
When the nice guy approach completely falls apart ....whip out yer Uzi...that'll make them take notice.
I cannot stand inconsiderate people....my Uzi approach would be doing the world a favour. If I should ever get a terminal illness I will work down my list of people who have really , really p***ed me off.
Yeah go on , arrest me. Give me life imprisonment.....or a medal.

I am right with you on the buying landed/building stuff. Sounds like a good plan.
Loopi.

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I agree!

Buy land, build a house, include insulation in roof and walls. Do not accept 'normal' Malaysian build quality.

Then shut the front door and relax.............

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hi,

I must admit that my ideal is a small house in the middle of a very large plot of land.

regards, Scott

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[Did you buy that in Malaysia or Hong Kong? I presume they are inexpensive to run 24/7/365.]

Loopi, I bought that in Hk. It's not expensive to run, put sensor on low (auto). Just make sure the hose connection is well secured 

BB

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The max time we have been away is 6 weeks at a stretch, and once we had a serious mould problem on our return.

In discussion with several people they suggested allowing a little bit of air flow, so we leave top small windows slightly ajar, and that has done the trick.
Another friend leaves a fan or two on just to keep the air moving, and gain this would seem to be a relatively inexpensive way of alleviating the problem.

Those little dehumidifier boxes would seem to have limited potential, but work OK in enclosed spaces such as a wardrobe etc.

When in the UK I had 'metal tubes' with some sort of heating element inside which I fitted in my wardrobe. My objective was to keep my clothes dry and 'warm' in the winter months. That worked well, and I believe it would work well also in this climate, just by raising the temp a degree or two esp in wardrobes & confined spaces where you wish to reduce the humidity impact.

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Hi All
Perhaps there are even worse things than noisy neighbours !!
I gather this is how one makes birds nest soup.

  http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Letters/2288830/Article/index_html
 
  Swiftlet hotels: Not a very good neighbour to have
   AGREE with N.R.S. of Kota Tinggi that rearing swiftlets -- for their bird's nest products -- in "swiftlet hotels" in towns and other populated areas is often a big nuisance to all the residents living near these businesses ("A potential health hazard" -- NST, July 3).
What is worse is that we now have government officials coming out in support of these activities and claiming that there is no conclusive evidence that such hotels pose a health hazard. Do we need an epidemic before we take action?

I once had an office one floor below a "swiflet hotel". It was all right for the first few weeks. Then one day my office was swarmed with mosquitoes that had been breeding in stagnant water on the floors above in the swiftlet hotel.

At times, some swiftlets would lose their way and end up in my office, sometimes some birds were found dead on the ground floor.

As time passed, a whiff of what smelt like ammonia would waft into my office. Soon the stench became worse and unbearable, and one day, a watery pool of bird droppings seeped through the side wall, where a crack had developed over the years.
I complained to the "hotel" owner but he could not be bothered. He was more concerned that I might try to drill a hole through to the upper floor and make away with his bird's nests.

People who support the rearing of swiftlets should try living near a "swiftlet hotel" for a while.

They should try not a newly constructed "swiftlet hotel" but one that has been in operation for a few years to have firsthand experience of what people have to endure -- day-long noise from speakers to attract the birds, bad smells coming from chemicals used or birds droppings allowed to accumulate, dirty surroundings, etc.

It is ironic that we are spending millions of ringgit to beautify our town but encouraging economic activities such as "swiftlet hotels" which dirty the town and could also pose a health hazard.