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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