Curvo Residences is the final residential phase of the first integrated development in Setapak, SkyArena.
Address: Lot PT 26549, Mukim Batu, Kuala Lumpur
Property Type: Serviced Apartments
Land Title: Commercial
Tenure: Leasehold (expiry date: Year 2111)
Bumi Discounts: 5%
Sales Gallery: Lot PT 9076, Jalan 4/18A off Jalan Ipoh, Batu 5 ½, Taman Mastiara, 51200 KL
Site GPS Coordinates: GPS: 3 °12’33.88″N, 101 °40’23.88″E
Website: www.sbcgroup.com.my
Expected Date of Completion: Oct 2016 – Early 2017
Total Units: Approximately 273 units
Built Up area: 240,954 sq. ft.
Facilities & Amenities: Sky lounge, rooftop pools, gym rooms, BBQ area, breeze decks
Listing Price: Start from RM364,800 – RM898,800
Price per Sq. Ft.: RM620 per sq.ft (average)
Maintenance Fee per Sq. Ft.: RM0.275 psf (include sinking fund)
Parking Bay per Unit: 1- 2 only
Special Features: Includes the Marcadia town square (commercial centre), a linked bridge to KTM (Taman Wahyu), a flyover connecting Jalan Kuching to MRR2, DUKE & NKVE, a short distance to MRT Line 2 (Kampong Batu), various parks and jogging places nearby.
Development Type: Service Apartments
Commercial Center
Unit Type: Type A: 911 – 1,010 sq. ft.
Type B: 789 sq. ft.
Type C: 481 sq. ft
Planning to stay in Kiara East? Well, the 20-acre integrated development features a combination of condo-styled suites, lofts and F&B retail outlets, all within walking distance. Whether you are young or old, you might just fit in seamlessly as it is planned as a multi-generational household living.
And within Kiara East, lies DEX 1.0, a service apartment that was originally launched by SBC Corporation back in 2011. Together with the overall development project of Kiara East, DEX 1.0 aims to provide a stylish opportunity for a modern lifestyle with the peaceful qualities of a parklife. With the Wahyu KTM train station at its doorstep, DEX 1.0 has been quite a hit among the Kuala Lumpur dwellers. I was told by the developer that only limited units remained in DEX 1.0 as most of them have already been snapped up.
They declared that Kiara East: DEX is probably the only service apartment with all front facing windows, not to mention, with parks, lakes and the “Marcadia” town square nearby. Hmm, as rosy as it sounds, will DEX 2.0 make the cut? Let’s find out more below.
Project Details
A quick glance at Kiara East: DEX and you will find it to be almost ready for occupancy. The service apartments do look stylish from afar, albeit with slight notable differences in their designs. I would say they lie somewhere between chic and affordable
The key word here is simplicity. It looks adequately stylish and cosy enough to stay in. And with its strategically placed windows that are either facing the east of west direction, there’s a good protection against the blazing midday sunlight as well.
As you delve deeper into the apartment, you will also notice that the flooring used in the bedrooms are not the same as those laid in the living hall or bathrooms. They are based on laminated boards instead of porcelain or homogeneous tiles. That said, they do compliment well with the attractive looking bedrooms.
For those who are interested to know more about the floor plans, there are actually 3 types of unit available in DEX 2.0 – A, B & C.
Each of the units in Type A, A1, A2 and A3 has a total size of 911 sq. ft. and comes with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1 carpark.
For an additional yard, there’s the Type A4 unit with 995 sq. ft and Type A4(i) unit with 1,010 sq. ft.
Type B, on the other hand, is the smaller variant of Type A- A3 with 789 sq. ft. in size and 2 bedrooms while Type C is the most compact of them all with just 481 sq. ft in size and a single bedroom.
Location
Describing the exact location of Kiara East would not be easy. I would say that it is actually sandwiched between Batu Caves and Selayang to the north, Jingjang and Kepong to the west, Gombak and Setapak to the east and Mont Kiara and Sentul to the south.
To put it simply, it’s located northeast of Kuala Lumpur, along Jalan Ipoh in Taman Mastiara.
If you are coming from LDP or Mont Kiara, DEX 2.0 is highly accessible via the Penchala Link and the DUKE highway. Just head towards the Jalan Kuching exit and within few minutes you will notice a dedicated ramp that leads directly towards the elevated carpark of DEX 2.0.
For those who are coming from Kuala Lumpur, it’s even better. Just drive along Jalan Kuching and Jalan Ipoh and you will reach Kiara East within 15 – 20 minutes. Alternatively, if you are coming from Gombak or Batu Caves, you may use the MRR2 highway to link yourself to Jalan Kuching.
Although Kiara East seems very accessible from various places, the traffic conditions, Jalan Kuching and Jalan Ipoh in particular, are not the ones you should be fond with. Nevertheless, once you have entered the Taman Mastiara neighbourhood, it becomes much more tolerable.
A seemingly peaceful place, there are no serious traffic problems here and exiting the area is easy enough with clear signages and dedicated ramps.
Traffic aside, I would say Taman Mastiara feels more like your typical safe and quiet neighbourhood, much like Kelana Jaya, but with many other upcoming developments nearby.
Shop lots, eateries and convenient stores are aplenty in Taman Mastiara. The best part is that most of them are within walking distance from DEX 2.0.
And as you drive around the neighbourhood, you will find yourself familiar with several notable convenient stores such as 99 Speedmart & Hinode Shop. So, when it comes to fulfilling your household requirements and everyday needs, you need not worry.
Moving along, you will also discover many other independent local retailers and mechanics workshops nearby. Several hawker stalls and restaurants, such Weng Kee Seafood Restaurant and Restaurant Istilah, are quite popular among the local community as well.
In terms of population mix, I was told by the developer that most of the residents here are Chinese. However, based on my observations, there also are also quite a handful of Malay residents around. You can find some of them hanging out at the shop lots and eateries east of DEX 2.0.
That being said, the great thing about Taman Mastiara is its excellent public transportation systems.
RapidKL buses such as T255 tend to stop by frequently and is often used by the locals to commute to the city centre and other places.
What’s more, the Taman Wahyu KTM train station is just a whisker away from DEX 2.0. In future, there will also be a linked bridge connecting the service apartments to the KTM station.
Further down the road from the train station is a Shell petrol station. It is located right around the corner of Jalan 6/18A.
If you are one of its loyal patrons, then it will be a major convenience to you.
Overall, Taman Mastiara is a decent place to stay if you are looking for a peaceful and tranquil neighbourhood. With the Marcadia village square in development as well, expect more retail outlets to pop-up in the future. One thing’s missing though, is the lack of major shopping malls around the area. Besides Brem Mall, if you want to do some major shopping, you’ll probably need to do some travelling elsewhere.
Analysis
Besides DEX 2.0, there are also several other notable property developments around the area. And the closest rivals to DEX 2.0 are EcoSky and Lakeville residences. The details of their prices are as below:-
Name | Tenure/Land Title | Average Price (per Sq. Ft.) | Approximate Maintenance Fee(per Sq. Ft.) | Car Park Bays |
DEX 2.0(SBC CORP) | Leasehold | RM620 | RM0.275 | 1-2 units |
ECOSKY (ECOWORLD) | Freehold | RM720 | RM0.44 | 1- 2 units |
LAKEVILLE(MAHSING) | Leasehold | RM550 | RM0.33 | 2 units |
In terms of price, DEX 2.0 lies in between of the higher end EcoSky residences and the more affordable Lakeville residences. It has some of the basic amenities such as gym, pools, sky lounge and BBQ pit, but apart from that, don’t expect anything else. In fact, it loses out to both it’s competitors with each of them packing over 30 -40 different types of facilities.
And when it comes to parking, you may encounter difficulties as well because most likely, there will only be a single parking lot allotted to you. However, with the Taman Wahyu KTM station just a walk away, you may want to consider using public transportation instead. Also, unlike its competitors, DEX 2.0 is located near matured residential areas and existing commercial centres. Thus, find a place to eat or buying your groceries would not be an issue. Not to mention, there are abundance of parks for you to exercise such as the Batu Metropolitan Park, Kepong Metropolitan Park and FRIM. So, in terms of community, convenience and parklife, DEX 2.0 really excels.
The developer, Kiara East Property Sdn. Bhd., is a subsidiary of PJX Property Sdn. Bhd, which in turn, is a subsidiary of SBC Corporation Berhad. Originally founded in 1954, SBC Corporation Berhad is quite a reputable construction and development company, not to mention, it is listed in the BURSA Malaysia as well. Being one of the longest serving organizations in Malaysia, it has constructed some of Kuala Lumpur’s landmark buildings including Bangkok Bank and the Lee Rubber Corporation. Since then, it has diversified into property development with projects located across Malaysia that covers a range of real estate products. Hence, in terms of reliability and trustworthiness of the developer, Kiara East: DEX 2.0 gets it right.
Summary
DEX 2.0 will suit those who are looking for a simple and stylish place to stay with direct access to the major roads (Jalan Kuching & Jalan Ipoh). Although there are not many facilities provided by the developer, DEX 2.0 makes up for it with its excellent public transportation systems and various established retail outlets around it. And with Taman Mastiara being a rather peaceful and matured neighbourhood, you should not find any problems fitting in, regardless of your age or race.