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Continue Reading ⋅ 30 January 2023
M City is one of the latest proud new developments of Mah Sing located in the prime location of Ampang. Being a mixed development of serviced apartments, SoHo units and retail lots, it is fortunate that M City enjoys high visibility from the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) and Jalan Ampang.
The location of M City is set to catch the vast catchment of Ampang residents. It is also the envy of many with its first of its kind in Malaysia multilevel hanging gardens within the building which can only be enjoyed by residents of the serviced apartments.
The developer of M City is one of the leading developers in the country by the name of Mah Sing, who are proud owners of many ongoing projects all over Malaysia including Sabah and Sarawak. With an impeccable track record, M City shows potential at becoming the next new landmark development of Mah Sing.
Project details:
QuikPro No: PL-1438
Address: Jalan Ampang, Kampung Berembang, 55000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan
Property Type: Serviced Apartment, SoHo & Retail Lots
Land Title: Commercial
No of Storeys: 36
No of Blocks: 3
No of Lifts per floor: 10
Tenure: Freehold
Bumi Discounts: 5%
Sales Gallery: The Icon, No. 1, Jalan 1/68f (off Jalan Tun Razak), 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan
Site GPS Coordinates: 3.158874, 101.748035
Website: http://www.m-city.com.my/
Expected Date of Completion: Q3 2016
Total Units: 1,601
Built Up area: 506 sf – 4,000 sf
Facilities & Amenities:
Cantilever Viewing Deck
Hanging Gardens
Swimming Pool
Pool Deck
Gym
Steam/Sauna Room
Squash Court
Game Room
Function Room
Business Centre/Meeting Room
Child Care
Listing Price: From RM380,000
Price psf: RM1,408.7
Maintenance Fee psf: RM0.35 psf
Parking Bay per Unit: 1 (RM40,000 for each additional car park)
Special Features: Hanging gardens
Unit Types:
– Designer SOHO 781 sf (Type A)
– Designer SOHO 1,066 sf (Type B)
– Duplex SOHO 910 sf (Type C)
– Duplex SOHO 1,330 sf (Type D)
Residential Suites:
– Studio 506 sf – 532 sf
– 1 Bedroom 674 sf
– 2 Bedroom 886 sf – 888 sf
– 2 Bedroom Garden Suites 953 sf – 1,194 sf
– 1 Bedroom Duplex 981 sf
– 1+1 Bedroom Duplex 1,018 sf – 1,199 sf
– 3+1 Bedroom 1,653 sf
– 3+1 Bedroom Duplex 1,804 – 1,903 sf
Sky Villas:
– 4+1 bedroom (built-up from 4,000 sf)
Boutique 3-storey shops:
– Retail lots size 28′ x 78′
(Image source : Mah Sing)
Awards:
The developer, Mah Sing Group has won multiple property accolades during the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Malaysia) 2020 event such as:
- Best Lifestyle Developer
- Winner: Special Recognition for ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance)
- Winner: Special Recognition for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
- Winner: Special Recognition in Sustainable Construction
- Winner: Special Recognition in Sustainable Design
- Winner: Special Recognition for Building Communities
Project Details
M City is a brainchild of Mah Sing which was launched in 2010. It is a unique development which is located approximately 1.26 km away from M Suites, a successful serviced residence project also by Mah Sing.
The layout
Featuring retail lots, SoHo units and serviced apartments, there are many unique selling points to the development of M City for every one of its different components.
All of the 48 units of retail lots which were sold out soon after its launch are still partially controlled by the developer, in the sense that the developer will have a say in who the future tenants will be. This manoeuvre will ensure quality control over the shops which will open at M City in the future. Of the 48 retail lots sold, 6 units are being held by the prominent supermarket chain Village Grocer, which promises to be a crowd puller upon its completion.
Levying on its location surrounded by the vast catchment of Ampang residents, M City will also enjoy the unique advantage of having dual frontage, by which the developer uses the term to mean high visibility from both the parking lot as well as the main roads of Jalan Ampang and the MRR2.
The entirety of Block A of M City consists of SoHo units, all of which are sold out. It is to be noted that the famed multilevel hanging gardens of M City can only be enjoyed by the residents of the serviced apartment, as the residents of the SoHo units have no access to the serviced apartments, nor the facilities of the serviced apartments.
The serviced apartment aspect of M City on the other hand will enjoy not just a variety of tastefully chosen shops literally below their homes, they will also enjoy the novelty being the firsts in Malaysia to have a multilevel hanging garden just outside their homes. For the first time in property history within Kuala Lumpur, many buyers are more excited about getting a garden view rather than a KLCC view out of their city home.
A preview of M City’s remarkable structure causing much excitement among buyers
The hanging gardens of M City come in various themes and are located at various levels throughout Level 7 to Level 36. Level 7 features the Lagoon Park where the primary feature is water, while the Bamboo Grove is at Level 11. Spring Park featuring much greenery is at Level 17, while the Altitude Sky Club where the facilities are located are spread throughout Level 23 to Level 26. The other two multilevel gardens are at Level 29 and Level 35, featuring the Tropical Sanctuary and Sky Garden respectively.
M City offers urban living experience to its residents
Hanging gardens aside, the facilities at M City are also set to be the envy of many a city dweller. The facilities are spread out over a few floors rather than bunched together within one area, providing spaciousness.
Amongst some of the many notable facilities at M City are the two infinity pools located on Level 23 and the glass wall gymnasium on Level 24 overlooking the swimming pools.
Not one, but two infinity pools
Located somewhere in the myriad of the 76 available facilities is also a mini theatre which can fit up to 20 people where residents can enjoy a movie night out at home with their friends.
The 76 facilities that imply a high maintenance fee, but no, it is only RM0.35 psf
The earlier units at M City were sold fully furnished. Towards the end, the last few units were however sold only partially furnished. The furnishings are nevertheless also of quality, with fully fitted kitchens that also come with kitchen cabinets, and hot water for the kitchen taps. Also included is the hood and hob, refrigerator and a microwave.
The kitchen at showroom unit
All the bathrooms also come fully furnished with showers, shower screens, vanity tops, cupboards and mirrors; but only the Master Bathroom comes with a rain shower in addition to the wall mounted shower. There will be air-conditioners in all the bedrooms and living room as well, along with shoe cabinets, storage cabinets and built-in wardrobes.
Buyers who are interested in the penthouse unit ought to note that the only perk they will get is their own private garden, but the sizes of the units remain as small as ever with only 2 bedroom and 2 bathrooms. It is a quirk of M City that the penthouses are all small units.
Duplex unit bedroom (Type D)
The living room of M City show unit (Type D)
The view of the living hall from the bedroom above
The show unit’s kitchen
Showroom Kitchen & Dining Area
Another note for buyers is that anyone who purchases a serviced apartment of any type from Mah Sing is automatically eligible and are automatically signed up for the M Care service. M Care service is a creation of Mah Sing, to provide hospitality support for its buyers. The services offered by M Care include finding tenants for the unit, assisting in rental collections and handling property inspection amongst many others. For this reason, the M Care service is a comfort for expatriate buyers who may have to leave their homes for long periods of time.
It is said that approximately 50% of the buyers of M City are expatriates, with there being a mixture of China residents, Taiwanese, Singaporeans, Middle Easterns and even French. And amongst the many expatriate buyers of M City, it is also said that a huge chunk of them are China residents as the Huawei main office is just next door.
For a serviced residence which is located only 10 minutes away from the heart of the Kuala Lumpur city centre, it may seem strange to some that M City does not offer views of the Petronas Twin Towers nor of the KL Tower. It is nevertheless not so much of a surprise considering the innumerous high rises crowding the skylines of Kuala Lumpur, each vying for the best view of the towers. M City instead offers city views to the North, while South facing units get to enjoy views of the hanging gardens within the development.
Location
M City is located in the prime location of Jalan Ampang. It is surrounded by many other prime developments, both completed, and also in the midst of development. Of the two most popular neighbouring developments are The Elements @ Ampang which is located right behind M City as the crow flies, and the nearby Arte Plus is only 5 minutes away.
Location view
However even with all the completed and upcoming developments located nearby Jalan Ampang, M City stands almost unrivalled with its location on Jalan Ampang itself fronting the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2).
Access to M City hence is very convenient, whereby future residents will have easy and convenient access to the MRR2, Jalan Ampang, the SMART tunnel and Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH).
Convenient access to the MRR2, Jalan Ampang, the SMART tunnel and Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH)
With the many ingress and egress roads to M City and its proximity to the city centre, residents will find that they are literally only 10 minutes away from the city centre of Kuala Lumpur via Jalan Ampang, even during moderate traffic on a Saturday afternoon. Heavy traffic during peak hours will however render this short distance almost un-travellable, as the cars are usually packed bumper-to-bumper during these periods. Residents may just as well enjoy the night out before heading back home.
Nevertheless, expatriates will enjoy the proximity of M City to the numerous embassies located in the city centre, while those with age-going children will appreciate its proximity to some of the country’s best international schools. Amongst the international schools available within within a 10-minute drive of M City are the Sayfol International School, International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), Alice Smith International School and the Fairview International School.
The more important conveniences such as banks and eateries are literally a short walk across a rather wide and un-pedestrian friendly street, or just a u-turn away to the Ampang Point commercial square.
Over here, residents of M City will be able to find the RHB Bank, Maybank and CIMB Bank all facing the main road while located somewhere along the back lanes are where you will find HSBC Bank and AmBank.
As the meeting point for Ampang residents for many decades now, M City residents will now also become part of the dynamic community of Ampang neighbourhood
Being a very old and established commercial area, the number of shops and services offered at the Ampang Point commercial square are widely varied, hosting a variety of businesses that range from a Baskin Robbin ice-cream shop in Ampang Point shopping centre to car repair shops.
Mamak shops are some of the most thriving businesses in this area, while some of the popular franchises are Nando’s, Shakeys Pizza and Secret Recipe all located within Ampang Point; and amongst some of the random services provided within this area is also a cybercafe and a dance studio. There is an Old Town White Coffee franchise in this area as well.
Situated just opposite the Ampang Point commercial square less than 5 minutes from home is the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital opposite from the Old Town White Coffee side, providing some of the best medical care.
A few of the country’s best medical healthcare centres are also located within a 5- to 10-minute drive from home, with the Gleneagles Hospital only 5 minutes away and the Pantai Hospital Ampang at a 10-minute drive. The resort like Prince Court Medical Centre which is recommended for tourists in need of medical help is only 10-minute’s drive away.
Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital very close by
Upon following the road further down with the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital on the left and turning right at the second traffic light, residents of M City will come to an old Ampang area which hosts numerous Ampang Yong Tau Fu shops. This is a very popular area not just for the locals, but for visiting tourists as well. As a point of fact, it is common to see tourist busses carrying a bus load of tourists to this area to enjoy the local food. As such, many local snacks can be found outside these Yong Tau Fu shops, sold from small portable shops.
Residents of M City are privileged in the sense that they are close to some of the city’s best entertainment and shopping spots. Suria KLCC is a 10-minute drive away, while Fahrenheit 88 and Pavilion are both within a 15-minute drive. While these malls cater to the upmarket with their branded goods, just a short distance away from them is Sungai Wang Plaza and Berjaya Times Square which offers more local ware at very much more affordable prices. Changkat which is the nightlife of Kuala Lumpur in Bukit Bintang rages is a mere 15-minute drive away.
Grocery shopping for both locals and expatriates of M City is convenient, as there are many supermarket options within a 15-minute drive of home. Sungai Wang offers a Giant hypermarket as its anchor tenant, while Suria KLCC hosts a Cold Storage. M City will already have a Village Grocer supermarket as its tenant on the Ground floor, but for expatriates who crave more specialised products, the Hock Choon Supermarket which specialises in imported goods is less than 10 minutes away.
Analysis
M City was launched amidst much complaints that it was an overpriced development, especially as it had many competitors within the same area. Its lowest unit price at the time of its launch was RM380,000 for a 506 sf Studio unit at RM750 psf, which is a fair mark up against The Elements @ Ampang which was launched and completed 2 years earlier and was priced at RM378,000 for its smallest unit of 640 sf at RM590 psf during its launch.
The price of M City can in fact be considered to be somewhat reasonable in spite of what some call its inflated price, as the recently newly launched Arte + which is located almost within walking distance is priced at RM437,000 for its smallest unit of 500 sf at RM874 psf.
As a competitor against properties within the Kuala Lumpur city centre, M City can be considered to be by far the more affordable one with its current average selling price of RM1,408.7 psf against the current typical Kuala Lumpur property prices of RM2,000 psf during its launch.
Late buyers of M City should note that although they are getting a huge discount of 25%, there was an increment of 20% in the prices of M City’s units since its launch; therefore they are in fact only getting an additional 5% discount but an additional 25% increment in their SPA price. As such, late coming investors will lose out in terms of selling price to earlier buyers.
Summary
Location of M City (Picture source : Mah Sing official website)
As always, here is the most important question: Is M City a good buy? Despite the many criticisms aimed at this development due to its hefty price tags, M City is as we can conclude, a good buy. Not only does its location and convenient accessibility play to its favour, its unique selling points are also part of the deal breaker.
And unlike The Elements @ Ampang which its current market price is affected due to its uncompleted rooftop facilities and lousy access roads, M City promises to be a well completed development with quality tenants, thanks to its capable developer who are also proud owners of many other prolific projects all over Malaysia.
