Residensi Pandanmas 2 consist of 3 blocks of apartments, over 8.71 acres of leasehold land in Kampung Pandan.
Continue Reading ⋅ 19 February 2022
01 – The Palm Garden Block C
The Palm Garden Block C: The last review.
Though the title for this section may seem a bit dramatic, a movie-like sequel even, there’s really nothing to it other than that this latest project by Acmar Group will simply be the last block to the whole The Palm Garden apartment development.
Set on 3.93 acres worth of land, The Palm Garden Block C is a medium-high-end apartment with a total of 332 units offered at a tempting price. Starting from around RM350,000, the biggest unit on the highest floor can go up to around RM550,000, with built-ups ranging from 1,033 sq ft to 1,151 sq ft. The average price per square foot then translates to RM350 onwards.
Unlike its predecessors Block A and Block B which are both medium-low-end apartments, The Palm Garden Block C is more exclusive, exudes more modern-living, and is hoped to be the next choice investment in Bandar Baru Klang.
Perhaps this project will be the turning point for Acmar Group, perhaps it won’t, but before you make a solid decision on whether to own a unit here either for own-stay or investment, have a read on this review for The Palm Garden Block C, Bandar Baru Klang.
Project Details.
Address: Bandar Baru Klang, Klang, Selangor
Land Title: Residential
Tenure: Leasehold
Site GPS Coordinates: 3°3’55″N 101°27’42″E
Website: http://www.acmar.com/property/intergrated-development/bandar-baru-klang/projects/the-palm-garden-block-c
Expected Date of Completion: 2017
Property Details
Property Type: Apartment
Total Units: 332
Built Up in Sq. Ft.: 1033, 1044, and 1151
Price: From RM357,600 – 541,800
Price per Sq. Ft.: RM346 – 515
Special Features:
- Residential Land Title
- Low entry price
- Strategic location
Facilities:
- Landscaped Swimming Pool
- Children Playground
- Badminton Court
- Table Tennis
- Community Hall
- Gymnasium
- Kindergarten
Unit Type:
- Type C1 – 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 balcony, 1044 square feet
- Type C2 – 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 balcony, 1044 square feet
- Type C3 – 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 balconies, 1033 square feet
- Type C4 – 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 balconies, 1151 square feet
Project Details
The Palm Garden Block C: The exclusive one.
As mentioned, The Palm Garden Block C is the last block to be built in the whole The Palm Garden apartment project. And unlike its sister developments, Block C will be a medium-high-end apartment as opposed to a medium-low-end development.
The Gross Development Value (GDV) for this project is estimated to be around RM140 million. The whole project is expected to be completed by the end of the year 2017.
There are 332 units offered in four different design layouts. The first one is Type C1 that comes with three rooms, two bedrooms, and a balcony, and has a built-up of 1,044 sq ft. This is an intermediate unit type. Type C2 is a corner unit with the same built-up of 1,044 sq ft that comes with three rooms, two bathrooms, and a balcony.
Type C3 is a corner unit as well, but has the smallest built-up at 1,033 sq ft. This type however has two balconies, one that is connected to the living area, and another one in the master bedroom. The last type offered is Type C4 which is the largest though again, not by much, at 1,151 sq ft. This type also has two balconies like Type C3 with the extra one being in the master bedroom. There are thirty-eight units offered for Type C3, eighteen units for Type C4, and 276 units in total for both Type C1 and Type C2.
06 – The Palm Garden Block C – Type C1
07 – The Palm Garden Block C – Type C2
08 – The Palm Garden Block C – Type C3
09 – The Palm Garden Block C – Type C4
The layout is pretty much the same for all the different unit types. From the foyer that has a space for built-in shoe racks, all units open up to a short entrance hall that leads into the dining area, the living area, and the balcony. The kitchen and yard are positioned to the side of the entrance, followed by the second bathroom, and bedrooms one and two. Type C3 however has a hotel-like design for its master bedroom where one will see the bathroom to the side upon first entering the room.
The price for The Palm Garden Block C starts from between RM350,000 to RM550,000 with an average price per sq ft starting from RM350 onwards. For the same type of unit, there’s a price difference of around RM1,000 to RM2,000 with each increasing level. All units come partly-furnished though the details on exactly what are the furnitures or electrical appliances that will be given, are subject to changes. There is also a 7% Bumiputera discount thrown in for this project.
The Palm Gardens Block C will have 3 lifts serving it. The building will enjoy a Northwest and Southeast orientation, with the former facing the highway and the latter facing the swimming pool. The ground floor of the Northwest side will begin from the carpark level, while the ground floor to the third floor will be the carpark levels for the Southeast side. There is an average of 14 units per floor.
10 – The Palm Garden Block C – Living Room
11 – The Palm Garden Block C – Bedroom
12 – The Palm Garden Block C – Bathroom
13 – The Palm Garden Block C – Kitchen
Facility-wise, The Palm Garden Block C has a decent range of facilities synonymous to high-rise residential properties. There is a landscaped swimming pool for residents to cool off or work on their tan, a children playground for kids to play in, a badminton court for those aspiring to compete in the Thomas Cup, a community hall for the residents there to get to know their neighbours, a gymnasium for one to shed the extra kilos, and a kindergarten for peace of mind for the busy parents. This project will also implement access card system, along with CCTV surveillance system at the lobby area and inside the lifts.
The maintenance fee and sinking fund one has to pay to enjoy these facilities is RM0.20 per sq ft.
14 – The Palm Garden Block C – Swimming Pool
Product-wise, The Palm Garden Block C is pretty standard and acceptable for a high-rise residential property, even if it doesn’t scream ‘X-factor!’
Location
Bandar Baru Klang: Where about in Klang?
If you say you haven’t heard of Klang and yet you are a Malaysian then high chance is, you’re bluffing. This district of Selangor after all shares the same name with the term “Klang Valley”; ring any bells?
Getting the name from the Klang River, Klang Valley is basically a mix of areas along the river that runs from Port Klang in Selangor all the way to the Kuala Lumpur city centre which includes Klang as well. Klang was the former capital of the state of Selangor before the honour of the title fell to Shah Alam, a city in Selangor.
It is located around 35 kilometres to the west of KL, covering a land area of around 573km2 and is divided into North Klang and South Klang by the Klang River. Some may spell it Klang whilst others may go with Kelang depending on which generation one belongs to (the younger generation would go with Klang since old Malay language tend to spell things more thoroughly hence the usage of the vowel ‘e’).
The Klang Municipal Council governs most of the district’s areas whilst some are by the Shah Alam City Council. This is a norm in neighbouring districts in Malaysia (yup, Shah Alam is right next to Klang), other examples being Petaling Jaya and Subang. Population-wise, Klang has seen a steady growth over the past 40 years, now having around 800,000 people living there as compared to in 1970 where the total population was just around 250,000.
Unlike Shah Alam that has steadily been accepted as a place that is not too far away (if one were to take Kuala Lumpur as the benchmark that is), Klang still faces this issue that has been haunting these two places (and other Selangor districts naturally like Kajang) since the 90s. The silver-lining for Klang however is that major highways are now made available all around like the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) that gets one to Damansara area, the Federal Highway that leads to Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, the Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS) that leads to Shah Alam and Subang, and the South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) that leads to Kajang and Putrajaya. Though still far from Kuala Lumpur, it is now much less of a hassle and commuting time to get to Klang.
04 -The Palm Garden Block C – Location Map
02 – The Palm Garden Block C – Heading towards Klang from KL 1
03 – The Palm Garden Block C – Heading towards Klang from KL 2
In terms of public transportation, Klang has sufficient cabs and buses (this area is also served by Malaysia’s public transport provider giant, RapidKL) with Klang Sentral acting as the terminal hub, but as far as modern convenience goes (especially for those who are accustomed to living in KL), there isn’t sufficient train service around apart from a handful of train stations there by KTM Berhad as part of its Batu Caves-Port Klang route, like in Bukit Badak, Kampung Raja Uda, Klang, Teluk Pulai, and Teluk Gadong. However, a piece of good news is that there are plans to expand LRT and MRT services to include Klang.
When one talks about Klang, one will surely think of Port Klang. Central to Klang’s economy, Port Klang is where the shipping industries in West Malaysia are. It is the 13th busiest trans-shipment port and the 16th busiest container port in the world ranking, being home to around 100 shipping companies, 300 custom brokers, 25 container-storage centres, and more than 70 freight and transport companies.
Thanks to the dynamics of the shipping industries in Klang, this district has been advancing well over the years, evident from its many amenity offerings.
Parents won’t have to worry when it comes to their children’s education as there are many schools to cover the needs of primary and secondary learnings like Klang High School, La Salle School Klang, SRK Bukit Tinggi, and Methodist Girls School Klang, to name a few. Once the time comes for these parents to say goodbye to their kids and send them off to live in university dorms, they can then choose from a few colleges and universities there like the Wawasan Open University and Institut Teknologi Klang.
Healthcare-wise, there’s the option of public and private hospitals for Klang-ians like the Klang General Hospital (also known as Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah), the Manipal Hospitals Klang, and the Sentosa Specialist Hospital to ensure one’s peace of mind.
Where entertainment and conveniences are concerned, Klang doesn’t disappoint either. There are the likes of AEON Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre, Giant Hypermart Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang Parade, and the famous GM Klang Wholesale City (where you can buy clothes, shoes, etc. in bulks). So those who keep saying “Klang has nothing!” may want to reconsider that thought.
Oh, and there’s also one other thing that makes Klang famous: Seafood! Sure it’s not Umbai in Melaka, but the areas near Port Klang are still good enough to have many famous local seafood restaurants like in Pulau Ketam, Pandamaran, and Tanjung Harapan.
The Palm Garden Block C is located in the township of Bandar Bukit Klang, a modern township that is also developed by the same developer Acmar Group. This township is located at the edge of the Klang-Shah Alam borderline, and is a mere 5 kilometres from one of Shah Alam’s more popular sections, Seksyen 7. A 10 to 15 minutes drive will take one to the Shah Alam city centre (located around 9 kilometres away) whilst to get to KL (around 33 kilometres away), one will have to drive for around 30 to 35 minutes, if in clear traffic.
Bandar Baru Klang is right next to Bukit Raja Selatan Industrial Area, Taman Berkeley, and Taman Eng Ann, other townships that are known for their commercial success. Some of the amenities within this township include AEON Bukit Raja Shopping Centre, KPJ Specialist Klang, Sekolah Seri Acmar, and Bandar Baru Klang Gold Driving Range. An LRT3 Park & Ride is also being proposed here. Bandar Baru Klang is unfortunately notorious for its crime rate, with robbery cases being the main concern.
05 -The Palm Garden Block C – Location View from Wikimapia
Being located close to the coastal areas, Klang and all the townships it encompasses can be quite hot at times. Plus, whenever there are forest fires in Indonesia that cause the Southeast Asian Haze crisis, Klang is usually the most affected region in Malaysia.
Location-wise, Bandar Baru Klang holds the advantage of not being too far-in the district of Klang. And being located close to Shah Alam, there is also potential for Shah Alam-ians to consider The Palm Garden Block C for either own-stay or investment purposes.
Analysis
The Palm Garden Block C: An assessment.
Klang has many landed residential properties. High-rise ones are however a bit scarce. Currently however, there are many upcoming high-rise developments in the many townships of Klang like Gravit8 in Kota Bayuemas, The Lead Residences in Bandar Bukit Tinggi, and Maple Residences in Bandar Bestari, all located around 8 to 10 kilometres away.
Let’s compare these projects to get a better understanding on how well are the developments of Klang faring.
| Name | Land Title/Tenure | Approximate Price | Built-ups | No of Blocks / No of Units |
| The Palm Garden Block C | Residential/ Leasehold | Starting from RM350,000 onwards | Starts from 1033 square feet | 1/332 |
| Gravit8 (Nordica & Ardia) | Commercial/Freehold | Starting from RM300,000 onwards | Starts from 631 square feet | 2/682 |
| The Lead Residences | Mixed/Freehold | Starting from RM500,000 onwards | Starts from 855 square feet | 2/445 |
| Maple Residences | Residential/ Freehold | Starting from RM460,000 onwards | Starts from 843 square feet | 3/594 |
Although it wins in terms of scoring a Residential land title, The Palm Garden Block C loses out to these other projects by having a leasehold tenure. However, it has the cheapest starting price and the most generous built-up out of them all.
Being located on the borders of Klang-Shah Alam and Seksyen 7 Shah Alam where there are a bunch of universities there like UiTM Shah Alam and University Selangor (UNISEL) is another advantage for The Palm Garden Block C. Plus, in the township of Bandar Baru Klang as mentioned, there is the KPJ Specialist Klang.
A low cost apartment called Pangsapuri Mawar located just opposite of The Palm Garden can fetch a rental rate of around RM500 to RM700 per month, hence it is assumed that The Palm Garden development with its lifestyle facilities and security will fetch a better rental rate.
Acmar Group: A wake-up call.
Acmar Group has been around since 1979 and is one of the renowned property developers in Malaysia. Its property portfolio includes completed projects with a total GDV of RM3.8 billion.
Besides property, the group also has other businesses like hospitality, automotive and trading, warehousing, and logistics. They have even extended themselves internationally, and have completed projects in China.
It is no easy feat for a developer to develop townships so there is a plus point there for the Acmar Group. However, perhaps the long years of establishment pose some internal challenges for this developer as lately, many are astounded as to why this company has been delaying their projects or abandoning them altogether. It is best for this company to reassess their business models if they wish to maintain their status as an established developer.
Summary
The Palm Garden Block C: The verdict.
Location-wise, it’s a simple formula really. If you want to live in an established area, which usually means living closer to the city, then you’ll have to fork out more.
Klang falls in the ‘less forking out’ category. It is a decent township with all the basic amenities for one to live a civilised life, but never will one be able to say out loud “Klang is better than Ampang!” – no siree.
On the plus side, Klang is famous for its seafood so most people would probably end up resting their case just because of that.
The Palm Garden Block C is simply put: Decent. The price is rather affordable, the offerings aren’t that bad (some high-end condos nowadays have a movie theatre as part of its facility!), and though the developer has a rough reputation lately, you’ll never know when they’ll turn over for the better, right?
After all that, this project can be concluded to be both suitable for own-stay and investment, with a 50-50 potential.
