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Allan was scratching his head and having a tough time deciding between two serviced apartments he was seeing and which he should put his money on.
Both were more or less in the same location, both were freehold 450 sq ft studio units, and both were going for RM700 per sq ft. Also, both were due to be completed in four years’ time, both were in fully-amenitised, matured neighbourhoods and both held residential titles.
“I don’t know la,” he said looking really torn in between. “Both are nice and are exactly 1.2km from the same LRT station. Both have major shopping malls about 600 metres away and both have reputable developer’s names behind them.”
“Then buy both lor!,” laughed his friend, Tan, an ex-realtor who was now doing something else but still had a wealth of knowledge from his younger property days.
“I wish!” replied Allan ruefully, “but I don’t have enough bullets for that.”
“Then you’ll have to decide using the ‘softer, implied’ aspects,” Tan told him.
“What do you mean by ‘softer, implied’ aspects?,” asked Allan, scratching his head again.
“Well, you’ll have to look at the design and layout aspects of the unit even though both are of the same size but one floor plan may be more appealing to you than the other. You prefer modern or traditional designs?
“You can also look at facing direction, Feng Shui, views, placement of windows, window and flooring materials and things like that, how many lifts serve the floor, how are the corridors-to-units placed, how many shared facilities and so on,” Tan explained.
“You know, shared spaces is where wars start,” laughed Tan.
“Don’t just judge from the showroom,” he continued. “Judge from the whole view. The showroom is just one small area of your living space. It has fantastic ID and may give you a different impression of the place. Ask also if there are furniture packages and freebies. These can save you quite a bomb when furnishing the place.
“And then, look at the car parking,” he added, pointing out that even though both units give the same number of car parks ─ in this case, one ─ look at how many ramps you would have to go up, the lift’s location from the allotted bay and the visitor’s parking location.
“Ya, my girlfriend may come over and I know she doesn’t like to be inconvenienced about parking too far from the lift,” agreed Allan.
On talking more about the exact locations of the two serviced apartments, they found more subtle differences between the two. For instance, although both were going to be brand new apartments with the same kind of facilities such as infinity pool and all, one was in the more upmarket section of the area with newer, less-than-10-years old business centres while the other was in a much older neighbourhood dotted by older shoplots and more traditional establishments.
“Ah! Then choose the community that identifies with you better ─ up to you if you prefer younger and more happening or older and more established,” advised Tan, saying that there are bound to be differences if one examined closely.
And if all else fails and you still can’t make up your mind, “call me!,” he winked and added, “but seriously, if you really can’t decide ─ go with your gut. You’ll usually be right.”
Eenie Meenie Minnie Mo, How To Choose Between Two Homes Like A Pro: When torn between two very similar properties, go back to Square One and try to weigh and measure everything objectively again.
Before you get carried away with your heart and ask to have that sticker on the board ─ Stop.
Ask yourself these all important questions:
- What’s your cup of tea, your personal criteria? Are you looking for a home that is pet friendly? In this case, you would be looking for landed properties with large lawn space in a pet tolerant area. (But you will first need to go to the municipal council of your area to find out the number of pets you can have). If you have many young children, then you need to have space inside that are child-safe, i.e. not too many staircases or split levels like in a townhouse, and so on. And don’t forget that children grow up and will eventually need their own space and privacy. Can the home grow with the family? Get a home that will suit your personal needs and not force your personal needs to suit the home.
- Make a pros and cons list and look again at each feature of the home objectively and make comparisons. Ask yourself honestly, which one will fit your lifestyle and furnishing style better. Too many windows, for example, are good to let in sunlight and ventilation but are you the type who loves buying and maintaining curtains? Curtains are an expenditure.
- Evaluate the merits of each neighbourhood including demographics, crime rate, noise and traffic jams and amenities.
- Consider which investment will bring better ROI and higher resale value.
- If you have children, check for the nearest colleges, schools, childcare services, tuition, music, ballet and dance centres. What is the public transport and school bus system like?
These and many more answers may be available in PropertyGuru – New Launches.
http://www.propertyguru.com.my/new-property-launch has some of the most engaging reviews on the latest homes in the market and some research would have been done for you. Observe the details given with regard to specifications, site plan, amenities, road and highway connections, and the observations of the reviewer. These observations tell the full story about the merits of the home and location as well as possible appreciation. The photographs included tell a thousand words but in the end, the final decision as to which home to buy rests with you.
Do you have a story to share with us on how you choose your first home? Share it with us and stand a chance to win RM10,000!
