PETALING JAYA: Facing uncertainties and challenging times often leads to taking stock of what’s truly important in life.
Aside from good health, a high quality of life tops the list for most, but the pursuit of the perfect surroundings and location for a home will continually differ from person to person.
Urbanites will still gravitate towards more densely populated areas while suburbanites will still wish to settle in developments away from the hustle and bustle of city centres.
Between lockdowns, work-from-home, and hybrid work arrangements, the last two years have increased time spent at home and reminded many of the joys of a slower pace of life and the importance of easy access to amenities.
So, it’s no surprise that a growing segment of the population now seeks a balance that offers a laid-back locale paired with the conveniences of city dwelling.
With the shift towards a more tranquil lifestyle as opposed to living close to transit-oriented developments or public transport and busy retail-tainment centres, home buyers are now looking for people-friendly developments that incorporate green ideas, sustainability, easy accessibility, communal living, and engaging healthy lifestyles.
With globalisation over the last few decades, metropolitan Kuala Lumpur (KL) has grown to become not only one of Malaysia’s most populous urban cities and thriving central business district (CBD), but has also spread its development to cover the southern corridor, known more specifically as KL South.
Its expansion is attributed to several factors that include its population growth, the rising prominence of Putrajaya-Cyberjaya and increasing contribution of Seremban from the neighbouring state of Negeri Sembilan.
Both Putrajaya and Sepang surpassed the 1.7% national population growth rate by about three times at 4.7% and 4.5% respectively, as per Malaysia’s 2020 population census.
KL South meanwhile recorded the highest income growth with the Sepang district topping the household mean income growth of RM12,254 with a CAGR of 6.4%. This was based on a 2019 survey of household income and basic amenities by the Department of Statistics.
Art Toh Sdn Bhd principal and founder Arthur Toh sees tremendous growth potential in KL South, strategically sited at the confluence of the major districts of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Hulu Langat and Sepang, which includes the country’s administrative capital Putrajaya and digital hub Cyberjaya.
Toh, who has been a project marketing consultant for over three decades, envisions continuous growth for KL South due to the increasing prominence of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, the surrounding institutional zone and key infrastructure such as the KL International Airport (KLIA) and Port Klang.
The launch of phase one of the MRT Putrajaya line and its expected completion of phase two by January 2023 bodes well for KL South, which is also highly accessible to the industrial zones in Nilai and Enstek in Negeri Sembilan as well as KLIA’s industrial hub.
Some of the most searched for areas in the Klang Valley are Kajang and Bangi, both emerging as the two popular property portals for the first quarter of 2021.
PropSocial’s internal data showed the top five most searched areas in the Klang Valley for the next home purchase to be located in Puchong, Kepong, Setapak, Kajang, and Bukit Jalil while PropertyGuru placed Kajang in top position in its top 10 list and with Bangi ranked number 10.
Among the notable projects within the vicinity of these two areas are Nexus@Kajang by MKH Bhd, Sensory Residences @ Southville City by Mah Sing Group Bhd, and the 100 acres De Centrum City, a freehold mixed development by Protasco Bhd.
Toh describes De Centrum City (DCC) as a township surrounded by institutional and research facilities besides offering the “great outdoors” such as The Acre by Farm Fresh, a newly opened restaurant in a scenic farm setting that is a mere five minutes’ drive away for family outings and experiential educational tours for the children.
This exclusive enclave offers an upscale lifestyle and close access to premium higher learning and training facilities. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Petronas New Leadership Centre, Institut Semarak Felda (ISEF), Maybank Academy, and multiple biotechnology institutes are all within 5 minutes of this executive level community.
UPM’s grounds also house both a community and a children and sensory garden within one kilometre of DCC, which are ideal for discerning home purchasers seeking a better quality of life and improved well-being.
“Smack right at the centre, about 6km each south of KL and north of Putrajaya, DCC offers toll-free access to the administrative capital, Kajang, KLIA, and other neighbouring population catchments such as Bangi and Seri Kembangan,” quipped Toh.
Spared from the CBD’s commotion, it still remains close enough if one wishes to drive into KL city centre.
With the office no longer acting as a central hub for employees, an emerging property trend in the post-pandemic world shows a shift to areas that can provide more spacious living, affordable cost of living in a serene and natural environment but still within close proximity to the city centre’s conveniences.
With most of the necessary infrastructure and amenities already in place, developments in KL South, be it new or existing, are poised for further growth and can be expected to contribute to the capital appreciation of the properties there, be it for your new home or investment.
