Finishing off the New House

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Hi Jac,

Courtyard's email is courtyard@mylynx.com.my and Jane Chong is my contact.  They're based in Ampang.
Paragon Kitchen's email is pgonkit@yahoo.com and Mr Kong is my contact.  He's based in Damansara Utama.

With regards to partitioning, here in Dubai we've used a screen to split two areas in one part of the house, which works quite well.  Courtyard would be able to advise, I'm sure.  With regard to appliances, we're going Panasonic for a/c and in the kitchen a mixture of Sharp (fridge), Smeg (oven and hob), Teka (hood) and dishwasher yet to be decided.  We had a look round Harvey Norman (there are a few branches around KL, we went to the one in Pavilion on Bukit Bintang) to help make up our minds.

Ray

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Hi Ray,

thanks for the information - it will cetainly be put to good use.

I will let you know how we get on with our arrangements.

Jacqueline

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Hi Ray,

Can I ask you  please
(i) how much notice you were given in advance of the handover of your Setia home; and
(ii) were the utilities (water and electricity) already functioning.

We have asked our contact at the developers these (and other) questions but have no answers -  as we have commitments in the UK we have to organise jobs/dog kennelling/flights etc in good time.

It would also help to know if we can stay in the property overnight whilst we try and sort things in the short time we will be in Malaysia after handover.
 
Any tips you can offer would be very welcome.

Jac

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Hi Jac,

We got a couple of weeks notice.  Sarala in Customer Care at Eco Park is very helpful and she might be able to give you an idea of when handover may take place.  Emphasis on may and might as it doesn't seem to be an exact science.

The utilities were functioning.  However, you won't have lighting, water heating or air conditioning when the house is handed over from Setia.

Let me know if there's anything else I may be able to help with.

Ray

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Hi Ray
thanks for the info.

We realised that we will have to organise the a/c units and light fittings as soon as we can but thought we would be able to shower/flush toilets whilst there organising things.

We assumed on handover we would be able to turn on taps and switch on lights but if I understand you correctly there will be a delay between handover and having those services. Any idea how long it might be between the 2?

Jac

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Hi Jac,

The taps and toilets should be functioning ok and you should have electricity, however, as far as the lights and a/c go, only the cables are there poking out through the ceilings / walls, ready for units to be installed.  As far as I'm aware, until your house is handed over, you can't get anyone in to do the installation / renovation works required.

Courtyard reckon on our renovation works taking around 4 - 6 weeks, but that's a bit prolonged because of the Chinese New Year holidays next week.  That time frame also includes the kitchen remodel and the patio extension, so I would think that just putting lights, a/c and water heating in as a start wouldn't take as long.

Ray

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Thanks Ray,

It all makes perfect sense.

kind regards
Jac

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Hi sag, we considered  building out own home in Country heights but after visiting the plot of land- which itslef is a great spot and piece- my wife was not impressed by the landscaping ..as there is none unlike many other gated communities.

So we decided to look elsewhere  in a gated  and lanscaped community.but the problem is there is nothing under RM3,000,000 for somthing worthwhile.We  were very impressed by kamuning Hills and Kota kamuning area.

We are currently looking at a semi detached bungalow on a corner ..plot...hoping we renovate it and create the home we want.

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Well prices in KL & Penang are just crazy!!  Add to that the cars, peopel and concrete towers and maybe you should look at Ipoh, Melaka or similar.

Detached bungalows on 1000Sq ft on a golf course in Melaka have been on sale for about 1.2 million.  Or buy land and build your own.........  Thats what we did

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hi, ethnicmalaysian,

. . . we  were very impressed by kamuning Hills and Kota kamuning area.

Where are  Kamuning Hills and Kota Kamuning located?

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HI Scot, They are developement located just south of Subang jaya.Esspcially Kamuning Hills is great as far as we are concerned.There are a few more areas around that  can do.

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hi, ethnicmalaysian,

Thanks for that.

I'm still basically interested in buying a plot of land in east Johor and building a bungalow. I've had this in mind for several years. Closeness to Singapore being a great advantage. At RM250,000 it was possible. At RM500,000 no way. I need to think how to achieve project given the current RM500,000. Hmmmmmm.?

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hi ,we have bought a brand new condo in penang and our plan was having it furnished and moved in at the end of jan. but there is a chance that our retirement would be  delayed for another three years.
if we go ahead to have it furnished now and leave it for three years and only come back for visit a month each year,would there be big  problems with the pipings, electricoc appliances, furnitures. .... for being an unoccupied unit with  the humidity and salt deteriation as it is near the beach area . .. or should we just leave it empty and stay in hotels during holidays and wait until we are ready to move in.
many thanks

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Why not furnish it and then put it up for short term rental.
Mostly the holiday makers are quite decent tenants and it is possible to organize the intermediate cleaniong, etc at a fee.
But do of course not put in all the posh furniture and appliances you may want later...

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hi,

My place in Portugal was close to the sea. It was left furnished for up to 8 years with no problems. The TV and electrical stuff still worked. The varnish in the timber windows was patchy though.

Same with a place that I get to use in Singapore. It has "sea" views of the Causeway. It was last used in January. No problems.

Here in Malaysia my old rented place had views of the estuary, as close to the sea as anything. It was left for up to 2 years as it was as cheap to rent and store than just pay to store. No problems with the electrical stuff or the furniture. Gecko dropping were another matter as this location was heavily wooded and had a lot of insects.

I have tried various ventilation arrangements with windows left open, ajar, propped-up, etc. etc. The current solution after all these years is to leave the bathroom windows slightly open and close the bathroom door. Leave all the other internal doors open. This seems to generate enough ventilation to keep things static without leaving the place open to dust, smoke and general junk from outside.

Some friends of mine in Penang are planning to have their company provide a service called "Home Alone." I think they intend to charge a basic RM40 per month for monthly checking, airing, and cleaning visits plus mailbox forwarding etc. I'm not sure of the details or when they will get going but it's something that you could bear in mind.