House
or apartment?
It’s
not as easy a question as you might think. There are many factors to
take into consideration. It’s not just; can I have a pet cat
or dog? Will your husband be traveling a lot? Are you a first
time expatriate? Maybe there are more important questions to
answer.
If
your husband will be traveling a lot, then security may be more of an
issue than usual.
While
Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur is relatively safe it comes down to comfort,
it is easier to feel comfortable knowing that you are secure.
If
you’re a first time expatriate then dealing with as few people for
maintenance might help you get through the initial period of
adjustment, especially as communication may be difficult.
Whatever
the case there are a few main considerations to keep in mind when
thinking of staying in a house or an apartment/condominium.
Security
level
In
general, apartments/condo’s tend to have higher levels of security
than bungalows. For the simple reason that they will all have
24-hour security. For those higher end apartments and condos the
security tends to be quite good especially at night. While some
place the guard might be caught napping at 3:30 am in the morning the
fact that he is there tends to detour most if not all would be
intruder. As for a house an intruder may watch the house for
days to find a pattern, this is the case anywhere in the world.
The main thing is that you keep the doors and grills locked at night
and during the day when no one, or just the maid, is home.
Maintenance
This
can be an important factor to take into consideration. Landed
properties need considerable maintenance work unless it’s part of
the rental agreement (try to have it in the agreement where possible)
or part of your package, it will come out of your own pocket.
While it’s not that much it still needs to be taken in to account.
It also means having to deal with more people.
While
maintenance levels in Apartments/condos are much less, in some cases
none as cost are factored into the rent. It’s a good idea to
ask your real estate agent if there are any additional costs.
Location
Location
is always a factor. If the office is in the inner city then an
apartment close to the office is one way to cut travel time and
stress. For those who don’t mind the drive and crave some
greenery around them, there are plenty of suburbs not far form the
city. Places like Bukit Tunku, Damansara Heights, the Jalan U
Thant area, and different spots in Ampang are good areas to ask your
real estate agent about.
Facilities
Most
Apartment/Condos have a pool, there is the fact that there will be
other people using the pool but this can be a good way to meet people,
and a place where the kids can find friends. Many have a gym,
while the gym may not be that great it’s more than the average home
gym. In some cases Apartments have a convenience shop and even a
small restaurant down stairs. Facilities in a landed property
are really on an individual basis. A house with a pool will
definitely push the price up.
Lifestyle
If a
BBQ is your style of entertainment then a house with lots of garden
may be the best bet. If you imagine that most of the
entertaining is of the cocktail and dinner party then you could get by
with a larger apartment. Which would be affordable as your not
paying for the land as it were.
At
the end of the day the type of residence is up to you, this is just
some food for thought.
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