1000sq aprtment for family of 4

[kellieholman]

@fonfukajoe I grew up in a family of 4 in a 600sq apartment.
Would not call 1000sq small in any sense, coz I have seen how my friend stayed in Pekeliling flats with a big family.

 

[fonfukajoe]

@kellieholman Yeah, i know the issues I'm having are "1st world problems" that some people would have no trouble having. It's interesting to see different angles of opinion.

Thanks for sharing a different perspective on this

 

[shieldoffaith]

@fonfukajoe While you may be planning to stay in the area for 8 years, doesn't mean you need to commit to an apartment rental for that long kan?

It may be worth renting a unit of that size for 1-2 years to see if a) it's comfortable enough for your family and if you want to commit to the location. b) in case anything unexpected happens like change of job or more kids.

Worse case scenario, the additional time gives you more breathing room to save for a larger unit if you need to. To prevent FoMo about "well, I can afford this now, what if price goes up?", perhaps analyse the house pricing in the area and whether in has increased much in the last 5+ years. Considering that's when the MRT came in, unlikely the price will shoot up again, unless some other economic issue arises.

Also, what size home are you currently living in, and how much of a step down is a 1000sq foot unit?

 

[fonfukajoe]

@shieldoffaith Currently living in a double story terrace house around 1600sq, yeah.. it's a big step down from my zone of comfort.. My wife and I are willing to adapt, but not sure my kids will take it well.

The price seems to be fix from pre Covid-19 era. Back then in 2019 the apartments were selling like hot cakes based on what ive read online. Seem like somehow there were some units available when i was house hunting where the agent claimed to be "landlord" unit thus giving me more FOMO hype.

 

[shieldoffaith]

@fonfukajoe Omph, that's quite a big change. I imagine it'd be tougher on your 5y/o. My fam moved around when I was younger, and my older brother took it less well than me. I don't even remember haha.

As for the house price, good lah it's more stable. I remember looking at houses 5-6 years ago, seeing small Kajang houses going from RM250-300K pre-MRT, to the new units starting at RM400-450K.

I feel now got more competition with lots of new apartments along Jalan Cheras too, what with the SUKE highway that starts near Cheras Sentral mall.

 

[fonfukajoe]

@shieldoffaith Yep, it's really unfortunate that the kids will have to also downsized their lifestyle (if) just because I decided to move into this apartment..

Yeah the prices seem to stagnate maybe due to competition and oversupply, but will it drop tho? Probably not but im no estate specialist aha..

 

[danluc]

@fonfukajoe I think it’s not just the size. Ideally you should be looking at 3 toilets/bathrooms for a family of 4-5 if possible. A good-sized well-ventilated yard for drying clothes and maybe some herbs/plants for cooking. Space for a sizeable washing machine (and if can, dryer but can buy 2-in-1 for emergency use). You have to decide on lifestyle to decide on the whether you place importance on good-sized bedrooms or good sized living area/dining. These two usually are the trade offs against each other. Same goes for the kitchen -with kids it’s quite a critical item. Overall, natural light and well ventilated.

 

[fonfukajoe]

@danluc I see, yeah will probably have a smaller kitchen to accommodate the children 'playing space'.

Thanks for this input. Really have a lot to learn for me about apartment lifestyle.

Thank you

 

[j1994]

@fonfukajoe The answer is it depends. I showed an apartment to a friend of mine who recently moved from Hong Kong, and to him 600 square feet is extravagantly spacious for a family of 3.

So there is no “right” answer when it comes to your primary residence. You just have to find the right amount of space for the right price for you.

One thing you should consider with renting is that you will have to move eventually, and that may have an impact on your kid’s schooling.

 

[fonfukajoe]

@j1994 Yep once I start renting i feel like it's always gonna be "keep renting" until you find a place.. i feel like there will never be a perfect home within my budget so might as well plant my foot now rather than later.

Yeah based on the previous comment i get it that it's more of a luxury of having "more" space to trade for location/price. Thus there isn't exactly a "right" amount of space.

 

[kimberl321]

@fonfukajoe I think the main issue is can u afford bigger space or if u can find a big space that fits your budget at the location u want.

Space is luxury.

1k is liveable if u are asking me.

I am not sure whether 2 adults 2 kids as compared to 4 adults got much difference, but I been staying in a 1k sq ft condo with 3 other adults (total 4 adults). I feel with kids, as parents u can control the amount of things u guys buy/have. With 3 other adults, I don't have that control, but we managed.

Do I want more space ? Of course.
But do I want to pay more at this point in time in exchange for more space? Nope.

Furthermore previous generations quite alot of them are hoarder generations. Big house but not much space.

Another thing is, u mentioned ur 400k property is a good property. Do u see rental value? If its a place u don't mind staying and if if has potential to be rented out, I think it can be a good buy now.

 

[fonfukajoe]

@kimberl321 Due to its strategic location, i do indeed believe there is rental value. But i also do feel like it's because it's close to multiple other apartments and the majority of the buyers seem to be investment property thus competition is going to be very high. I'm sort of expecting my neighbour will mostly be renters if i live here also aha.. (not that it's a bad thing)

Yeah, space is indeed a luxury that ive taken for granted all these while until i started looking at apartment properties. Really interesting to see different people's perspectives in regards to space.

Thanks for your input

 

[borntdl]

@fonfukajoe I'm a fellow purchaser of Nexus Tower B.

But this was intended for investment purposes, I currently live in a 1,300 SQ ft condo. We are a family of 4 as well.

Actually it's not just about the square feet, but also about the actual layout and our lifestyle. If you're only gonna store things for just the 4 of you, 1,000sq ft is plenty of space already. In my case, I needed at least a 1,200 SQ ft space with a big yard area to store my parents and siblings' stuff. My siblings were staying with me for the last 8 years, so there were a total of 6 of us in my household.

So I would say don't worry too much about the SQ ft. Plus, RM400K+ for Nexus is pretty worth it for the following reasons:

1) Walking distance to MRT/KTM. Trust me, this makes TONNES of difference. My current condo is 15 mins drive away from the nearest MRT and it requires another 10 minutes to walk to the station. That's 50 minutes saved every day!

2) Next to SK Jalan Bukit. This is one of the best Govt primary schools in Kajang, they have DLP syllabus as well. You can literally walk to this school in less than 5 mins, will be super duper convenient when ur kids grow up.

3) One of the few MRT-linked properties with at least 1,000 SQ ft built up at this price bracket. Other competitors like Parkland, Netizen and YouCity all tops out at 900-ish SQ ft. Only Saville Sri Raya is bigger in size but it's much more expensive and neighborhood/township wise not as good as Kajang

In conclusion, I feel this property is rather a safe bet.

 

[borntdl]

For context, before I placed a booking for this unit, I was seriously considering Pearl Avenue Kajang, located at Sungai Chua. Unit size is around 1,100 SQ ft with selling price hovering around RM350K back then. Really like this unit mainly because of 2 reasons:

1) Very Practical Layout. Even tho on paper it's 'only' 1,100 SQ ft, the rooms were adequately big and kitchen is pretty hidden (can easily put a sliding door to completely close off the kitchen). Plus, it has a Balcony which Nexus doesn't have.

2) This condo has by far the best commercial tenants downstairs - CIMB bank, 99 Speedmart, Mr Dollar, Secret Recipe, Super Seven supermarket, Tadika, Dobi, Mamak shops, Arab shops etc. There's also a Surau nearby. You literally don't have to drive out that often for necessities

3) Maintenance fee around RM220, with pretty good facilities

4) 2 side-by-side parking

But ended up booking Nexus anyway since it's much newer and closer to MRT/KTM.

Maybe u can visit this condo just to get a perspective. You can also survey Mutiara Heights area, most condos there are at least 1,250 SQ ft priced around RM400K++

 

[fonfukajoe]

@borntdl Hello fellow Nexus owner. I feel like those are indeed the reason im having strong FOMO hype. Alas is it something i want to sacrifice for space? It's something me and my wife need to really consider..

With all the great points about Pearl Avenue, going for Nexus instead due to its MRT/KTM distance and being a new project seems like a very safe bet indeed coming from you.

Alright, will look into these suggested location.

Thanks for your input, will consider all this.