East Residence, Kuala Lumpur

Review

Anjali Kassim Chan
⋅
25 December 2015

Sime Darby is introducing the East Residence situated within the vicinity of its 365-acre Alya.

The East Residence is a project which is located near the main entrance leading into Alya which takes up only 10% of Sime Darby’s 365 acres’ land for Alya. It is a gated community located on coveted real estate in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most elite neighbourhoods.

With panoramic vistas of the internationally-acclaimed golf courses and the lush landscape, residents of the resort will be treated to the resort’s two 18-hole golf courses and will soon be witnessing 13 development phases of leasehold land measuring a total of 71.59 acres.

The entire proposed development of Alya is situated at Bukit Kiara Central and will be divided into 7 parcels spanning over the development period of 10 years.

For now, the East Residence constituting only 10% of the entire development has been opened for sale.

Project details

Project name : East Residence @ Alya

Developed by : Sime Darby Properties of Sime Darby Berhad

Type: Link villas

Gross development value (GDV) : RM550 million

Land title : Landed Strata Development

Tenure: Leasehold (99 years)

Land area: 10 acres

Unit Types :

Courtyard Villas:

Between RM4.9mil – RM6.9 mill
Lot size: 24’ x 85’ and 20’ x 85’
Type A built up: 5,315 sqft to 5,488 sq ft
Type B built up: 4,422 sq ft to 4,530 sq ft
Price per sq ft: RM1,060 – RM1,280
Completed in 2016
Total units: 112

Townhouses:

From RM3.2 mill
Lot size: 24’ x 58’
Type C built up: 2,411 sq ft
Type D built up: 3,929 sq ft
Price per sq ft: RM1,300
Completed in 2018
Total units: 14

Maintenance Fee: RM0.35 psf (excluding sinking fund)

Completion Date:

Courtyard Villas: Dec 2016
Townhouses: 2018

Special Features:

Modern and light design with staggered courtyard, open concept and landscape facing the golf course.
Nestled on the 12th fairway of the KLGCC east golf course
Well connected to Kuala Lumpur City Centre & Petaling Jaya
Traffic-free environment within the development
Tranquil courtyards, gardens and spectacular water features
17,450 sq ft landscaped deck

Common Facilities:

Landscape decks
7 distinct courtyards
Fish pond
Reading pavilion
Children’s playground
Cascading waterfall
Children’s wading pool
Hedge maze
Meditation deck

Residents Only Clubhouse:

Lobby / lounge
Swimming pool
Children’s wading pool
Private pool for ladies
Ladies spa / Jacuzzi / sauna
Games room
Reading area
Meeting room
Multipurpose hall
Mail corner
Toddlers’ room
Gym

7 Distinct Courtyards

Courtyard 1: Fish Pond
Courtyard 2: Reading Pavilion
Courtyard 3: Open Space
Courtyard 4: Cascading waterfall
Courtyard 5: Children’s wading pool
Courtyard 6: Hedge maze walkway
Courtyard 7: Meditation deck

About Alya

Alya is a prestigious address at Kuala Lumpur’s most affluent neighbourhood in its western suburbs. The master plan of the 360 acres area introduced by Sime Darby will be integrated with urban resort development in a capital city. According to the salesman, Alya is set to be Kuala Lumpur’s latest international zone that looks to attract foreign investors and the distinguished members of the society to make Alya their residence of choice.

The East Residence @ Alya is only 10 % of what Sime Darby hopes to develop for the entire Alya township which will go on for a space of 10 years.

Based on past reports in 2011, the then managing director of Sime Darby Berhad’s property division Datuk Tunku Putra Badlishah Tunku Annuar had said that the project is suitable for upgraders. The town villas are neatly arranged in three rows on a terraced terrain. Most of which are 4-storey units as well as eight 5-storey resort villas.

“The high-end property market segment has been increasing in size over the years as the Malaysian population gets more affluent. Given the increase in prices of existing homes in recent times, for example, you can now consider the option of upgrading to a new home,” Badlishah was quoted as saying.

East Residence may also attract avid golfers as a club membership worth RM250,000 which comes with their abodes. Moreover, a standard feature is a lift in each home. Each unit also has space to park three or four cars. Within each unit is an airwell that allows plenty of natural light and ventilation.

According to reports dating all the way back in 2011 also upon the launch of the East Residence (formerly known as Turnberry Villa), celebrity golfer Michelle Wie has already booked a unit. Below are the units that can be found here:

Unit Type	Built-Up (sq ft)	No. of Units
A1	5,326 – 5,348	12
A1a	5,466 – 5,488	6
A2	5,412 – 5,434	29
A2a	5,315 – 5,337	8
B1	4,422 – 4,455	39
B1a	4,433 – 4,530	18
C	2,411 – 3,929	14
D	2,411 – 3,929	14

The first phase of East Residence has, thus far, been sold out.

Alya, Kuala Lumpur

The 360-acre Alya at Central Bukit Kiara was built in 1991 and is a land owned by the eminent Sime Darby Bhd. The strategy was in line with the organization to wean itself from being just a plantation company that focuses on rubber and oil palm. Given its huge landbank ownership that is represented by the plantations, Sime Darby’s decision in moving into housing, commercial and industrial property development is its most integral strategy to continue its legacy, one its achievements that is highly outstanding to date.

The East Residence is located along Jalan Bukit Kiara 1, Bukit Kiara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, right in front of the Sime Darby Convention Centre.

It is easier to turn into the Jalan Bukit Kiara 1 from the SPRINT Expressway/ Kerinchi Link as you are coming from Petaling Jaya.

As soon as you turn left into the SPRINT Expressway from Damansara Link, you will be able to see the signboard that leads you into Alya.

That is the Sime Darby Convention Centre where international conventions and business events are often held

One minute into the road leading into Alya, you will approach the East Residence on your left. It is right in front of the distinguishable Sime Darby Convention Centre on your right.

This is the entrance of the East Residence which is now complete.

We first made a stop at the sales gallery inside the golf resort.

The sales gallery is at the main entrance of the KLGCC Club.

As the salesman have been privy about the overall project due to their company’s policy, we have not been able to obtain much information pertaining to the project on sale, except that we are solely relying on the materials provided on the brochures for references.

According to the salesman also, if people are interested, they would walk in and enquire further from the developer.

Accessibility of the East Residence to various locations

East Residence @ Alya is adjacent to the pristine Bukit Kiara forest reserve, where the 245-acre Bukit Kiara Park serves as a haven for joggers, hikers, bikers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Affluent townships surround the East Residence at very comfortable distance such as:

Kota Damansara IKEA, Tesco, The Curve, Cineleisure
TTDI, with its pasar malam every weekend
Bangsar

Located in the center among the elite neighborhoods, including Bangsar, Sri Hartamas, Mont Kiara and Bukit Tunku. East Residence is accessible from Kuala Lumpur City Centre via DUKE, Federal Highway, SPRINT Highway and NKVE.

Adding to that, East Residence is mere minutes away from shopping and leisure destinations, such as Plaza Damas, The Curve, Ikea, Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC), Hartamas Shopping Centre and Mid Valley Megamall. Furthermore, there are numerous fashion stores, fancy bars and fine dining restaurant, and fast food outlets sprawling across these vicinities– all within 5 minutes’ drive away.

Other amenities encircling East Residence

Bukit Kiara Park

Bukit Kiara Park is a green lung within a 245-acre pristine forest reserve where residents from the surrounding areas and elsewhere descend over here to enjoy the fresh air and natural flora and fauna from the hectic life of the city.

Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort

The Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort is one of the best equestrian clubs in the Klang Valley and an internationally recognised horse-riding school in the region. The resort also has facilities for events like concerts, product launches and weddings.

KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital

KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital is part of KPJ Healthcare Bhd who is the largest healthcare group in Southeast Asia. It has 19 reputable and strategically-located hospitals throughout Malaysia.

International schools like Mont’ Kiara International School at Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara
Garden International School at Jalan Kiara 3, Mont Kiara
French International School (Lyce’e Francais de Kuala Lumpur), North Kiara

Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara (INTAN)

INTAN is a government agency responsible for training civil servants in management and administration works of public service.

Moreover, a future MRT station within the Alya’s transit- oriented development (TOD) parcel would allow residents, commuters and the workplace community convenient access to the city centre and Greater Kuala Lumpur.

The only downside to East Residence is that there is a cemetery nearby the project site which we are always aware to be in the position to acknowledge our readers, no matter the distance. Rest assured however that the distance of the cemetery to East Residence is very far apart, and should not be an issue at all.

Here is a Google image obtained from Low Yat Forum Net where the commenters had been commenting on the proximity of the cemetery to the residence)

Similar to Alya’s offering of golf courses with properties are Tropicana Golf and Country Resort (Damansara) by Tropicana Corporation, Saujana Golf and Country Club (Shah Alam), Glenmarie Golf and Country Club by DRB-HICOM’s Glenmarie Properties and Valencia Golf Club (Sungai Buloh) by Gamuda Land, among others.

Compiled herewith are a rough estimation of the price range for properties found at golf courses from their respective developers. So the difference would be the preference for locations and also whether the prices for these properties’ come fully-furnished or as bare units.

Project title	Tenure/Land Title	Price estimation	Properties sizes	Number of rooms
East Residence @ Alya	Leasehold	RM3.2million	2,400-5,488 sf	5 + 1 bedrooms and 6 Bathrooms
Tropicana Golf Resort Properties	Freehold/Leasehold	Subsale price from RM978K	4,000-10K sf	Up to 8 bedrooms+ 8 bathrooms
Valencia Golf Club(Gamuda Land)	Freehold/Leasehold	New and subsale units from RM1.5million – RM7million	3,000 – 7,500 sf	4 bedrooms onwards and up to 6 bathrooms/unit

These developers offer resort houses in an exclusive and gated lifestyle with a variety of bungalows, semi-detached houses, linked houses, town villas and soho residences.

Alya aims to be the one location that will appeal to the international community, and one can clearly see why. In fact, it has won some of the most distinguished awards, namely Golf Club of the Year and Best-Maintained Golf Course, among others.

Alya has held all the main and international golf tournaments in the world where international golfers would often flock to Malaysia to score their wins. International golfers would want to consider buying a house here and staying over whenever they are in town.

For Malaysian socialites who yearn to live next to one of the most popular golf courses in the world, Alya does provide a good bargain as it is also the nearest to Kuala Lumpur compared to other golf courses that offer the same properties packages.

One doesn’t see if local non-golf enthusiasts would ever want to buy into the East Residence, unless of course, they are affluent and influential people in the society and East Residence would give them a sense of status to be living among the golf enthusiasts who enjoy luxurious living provided by East Residence.

For a price of RM3.2million, sure you get a very nice abode by the golf course, serenity surrounded by affluent neighbourhoods like Mont’ Kiara, 20 minutes to KL and also accessibility to all the major highways at a your fingertips, but those who own this address are not ordinary people.

In years to come, they will get to watch Alya flourish into a self-contained township that is bound to attract attention apart from KL city centre and the KL Metropolis at Dutamas.