The Nusajaya "Estates"
Jul 2nd 2013, 10:27 am
#1
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The Nusajaya "Estates"
So, after a couple of gruelling days meeting loads of agents and viewing what's left of property for rent in the Nusajaya (?) area, I'm a bit overloaded with info... the agents all seem to say different things, as you'd expect!
I've seen places in Horizon Hills, Leisure Farm, East Ledang and Ledang Heights...
My first (probably wrong) impressions.... Horizon Hills, very built up, nice houses, most have very small gardens.
East Ledang... as above, really.
Ledang Heights, bigger gardens, older houses, some in need of serious attention!
All above easy for Tuas.
Leisure Farm.... rambling, good security, good price range (low to astro!), older houses but a bit further from Tuas.
I never really saw any of the neighbours, I guess they're all out during the day.
I have to make a decision sooner rather than later on the few left-over properties available in my price range.... do any of you have any thoughts, insights into these different "estates"?
EDIT: I suppose my real question is where do most of the Brits hang out?? :-)
I've seen places in Horizon Hills, Leisure Farm, East Ledang and Ledang Heights...
My first (probably wrong) impressions.... Horizon Hills, very built up, nice houses, most have very small gardens.
East Ledang... as above, really.
Ledang Heights, bigger gardens, older houses, some in need of serious attention!
All above easy for Tuas.
Leisure Farm.... rambling, good security, good price range (low to astro!), older houses but a bit further from Tuas.
I never really saw any of the neighbours, I guess they're all out during the day.
I have to make a decision sooner rather than later on the few left-over properties available in my price range.... do any of you have any thoughts, insights into these different "estates"?
EDIT: I suppose my real question is where do most of the Brits hang out?? :-)
Last edited by geedee; Jul 2nd 2013 at 11:07 am.
Jul 2nd 2013, 12:16 pm
#2
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Just on gardens.
Nice to have and we've rented landed with gardens but it was too hot during the day to do anything ourselves and in the evening the mossies come out.
So although we both love gardening we had to get a gardener in to keep it tidy.
Also a garden is a draw for cats who like to leave deposits.
Pots on the veranda for orchids were all I got involved with and later pots on a large condo balcony.
Nice to have and we've rented landed with gardens but it was too hot during the day to do anything ourselves and in the evening the mossies come out.
So although we both love gardening we had to get a gardener in to keep it tidy.
Also a garden is a draw for cats who like to leave deposits.
Pots on the veranda for orchids were all I got involved with and later pots on a large condo balcony.
Jul 2nd 2013, 12:57 pm
#3
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Just on gardens.
Nice to have and we've rented landed with gardens but it was too hot during the day to do anything ourselves and in the evening the mossies come out.
So although we both love gardening we had to get a gardener in to keep it tidy.
Also a garden is a draw for cats who like to leave deposits.
Pots on the veranda for orchids were all I got involved with and later pots on a large condo balcony.
Nice to have and we've rented landed with gardens but it was too hot during the day to do anything ourselves and in the evening the mossies come out.
So although we both love gardening we had to get a gardener in to keep it tidy.
Also a garden is a draw for cats who like to leave deposits.
Pots on the veranda for orchids were all I got involved with and later pots on a large condo balcony.
Jul 2nd 2013, 3:18 pm
#4
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Hi geedee
It's kind of hard to give advice on this one as it's all personal taste really.
We're buying in East Ledang. It's quite mixed with expats of various nationalities, locals and Singaporeans. At the time that we started the buying process there wasn't much up for sale in our price range so we plumped for EL. I still like it but I wish we hadn't discounted Horizon Hills quite so early on as there are some lovely houses there and there are more expats living there now than at the time we were looking. (My Hubby calls it Little Singapore!)
Golf West at Horizon Hills has some really nice houses and they have pretty big gardens. I don't think much comes up here for rent or purchase though.
I have a few friends staying in other parts of HH and I like some of the houses but not others. Only one of them has a decent sized garden.
Ex reg makes a valid point though. Much as I love a garden and it's my big disappointment that our new house doesn't have much to speak of garden-wise - I don't really know how much time we'd spend in it anyway. As you'll have experienced - it's hotter than hell here some days. The mozzies really can be brutal and they don't fog here as often as they do in Singapore. Snakes are another thing to consider.
We did consider a house in Ledang Heights. Again it depends on what you like. Most of the houses are quite spaced apart which wasn't what I was looking for. I like to have people around me and I wanted the kids to be able to go out and play on the street with other children.
They wouldn't have been able to do that at the moment in LH (my youngest is 5). However, the house was much bigger (and slightly cheaper) than what we're buying in EL but did need some TLC. It did, however, have a bigger garden - in fact big enough to put in a pool.
Leisure Farm - it's beautiful here - definitely the prettiest of all the estates - the closest you'll come to living in the countryside in either Johor or Singapore. However, again it depends on whether country living is for you. Will you really make use of the open space around here (some of which isn't open unless you have a security pass!)? My hayfever has gone haywire since we moved here - just one more thing to consider!
Lots of big houses around here but again can be quite isolated and the wildlife is something to consider too (a little more so than EL or HH but LH is similar to here). Lots of monkeys, monitor lizards, civet cats, snakes etc - exciting to see but not so exciting when they're trying to move in!
I find it a little bit clique-ish here but I think everywhere can be like that so maybe that's an unfair comment.
Sorry - not sure if this is really helping! If you have any other questions give me a shout.
It's kind of hard to give advice on this one as it's all personal taste really.
We're buying in East Ledang. It's quite mixed with expats of various nationalities, locals and Singaporeans. At the time that we started the buying process there wasn't much up for sale in our price range so we plumped for EL. I still like it but I wish we hadn't discounted Horizon Hills quite so early on as there are some lovely houses there and there are more expats living there now than at the time we were looking. (My Hubby calls it Little Singapore!)
Golf West at Horizon Hills has some really nice houses and they have pretty big gardens. I don't think much comes up here for rent or purchase though.
I have a few friends staying in other parts of HH and I like some of the houses but not others. Only one of them has a decent sized garden.
Ex reg makes a valid point though. Much as I love a garden and it's my big disappointment that our new house doesn't have much to speak of garden-wise - I don't really know how much time we'd spend in it anyway. As you'll have experienced - it's hotter than hell here some days. The mozzies really can be brutal and they don't fog here as often as they do in Singapore. Snakes are another thing to consider.
We did consider a house in Ledang Heights. Again it depends on what you like. Most of the houses are quite spaced apart which wasn't what I was looking for. I like to have people around me and I wanted the kids to be able to go out and play on the street with other children.
They wouldn't have been able to do that at the moment in LH (my youngest is 5). However, the house was much bigger (and slightly cheaper) than what we're buying in EL but did need some TLC. It did, however, have a bigger garden - in fact big enough to put in a pool.
Leisure Farm - it's beautiful here - definitely the prettiest of all the estates - the closest you'll come to living in the countryside in either Johor or Singapore. However, again it depends on whether country living is for you. Will you really make use of the open space around here (some of which isn't open unless you have a security pass!)? My hayfever has gone haywire since we moved here - just one more thing to consider!
Lots of big houses around here but again can be quite isolated and the wildlife is something to consider too (a little more so than EL or HH but LH is similar to here). Lots of monkeys, monitor lizards, civet cats, snakes etc - exciting to see but not so exciting when they're trying to move in!
I find it a little bit clique-ish here but I think everywhere can be like that so maybe that's an unfair comment.
Sorry - not sure if this is really helping! If you have any other questions give me a shout.
Jul 2nd 2013, 11:11 pm
#5
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
^
Many thanks Bocat, another super-helpful post!
The "countryside" bit is something to think about....! In fact one of the houses I looked at in LF yesterday had some big creepy-crawly at the top of a sort of cathedral ceiling. It was too far away to see clearly, but big enough to be easily seen (I'd say 2-3"??). I asked if it was a spider but the agent said you don't get spiders that big in Malaysia. Someone else thought it was a "Rhino beetle".
Civet cats look like little racoons! We're used to them
Snakes... that'd be pythons, cobras and vipers....
Do they get seen much??? I was hoping they kept themselves to the jungle!
Kids playing in the street... I'd imagine the traffic is quite busy at peak times in EL and HH? Is that a worry?
At the end of the day it will boil down to where the best deal is! I wish the rent period could be less than 2 years.... that's a long time to commit, especially if you don't get it right first time!
Thanks again.
Many thanks Bocat, another super-helpful post!
The "countryside" bit is something to think about....! In fact one of the houses I looked at in LF yesterday had some big creepy-crawly at the top of a sort of cathedral ceiling. It was too far away to see clearly, but big enough to be easily seen (I'd say 2-3"??). I asked if it was a spider but the agent said you don't get spiders that big in Malaysia. Someone else thought it was a "Rhino beetle".
Civet cats look like little racoons! We're used to them
Snakes... that'd be pythons, cobras and vipers....
Do they get seen much??? I was hoping they kept themselves to the jungle!Kids playing in the street... I'd imagine the traffic is quite busy at peak times in EL and HH? Is that a worry?
At the end of the day it will boil down to where the best deal is! I wish the rent period could be less than 2 years.... that's a long time to commit, especially if you don't get it right first time!
Thanks again.
Jul 3rd 2013, 2:14 am
#6
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Hi geedee
I've certainly seen some monster sized spiders here - but mostly high up in webs in the trees - and only around 4-5 in the 5 years we've lived in Singapore/Malaysia. I seriously had more beasties in my house in Scotland than I've had in Asia which I find quite bizarre!
Playing in the street - yes - obviously we have to teach them to be careful. Our house is right at the end of the cul-de-sac so shouldn't be too bad. What I really meant by this though is that in LH and perhaps even LF - if we'd ended up staying in one of the more remote houses then I'd have to arrange playdates etc all the time which to be honest gets a bit tiresome.
In HH all the houses are either fenced off or have walls around each house. I preferred the more open look and feel of EL. It just means the kids have the freedom to go and knock on the door for a friend when they want to - or play out in the front when it's not too hot (as we don't have much else of a garden!)
It might be tough to get less than a 2 year rental but negotiate hard. You can only try.
When are you here until? Hubby and I are around this week if you wanted us to show you around anywhere.
I've certainly seen some monster sized spiders here - but mostly high up in webs in the trees - and only around 4-5 in the 5 years we've lived in Singapore/Malaysia. I seriously had more beasties in my house in Scotland than I've had in Asia which I find quite bizarre!
Playing in the street - yes - obviously we have to teach them to be careful. Our house is right at the end of the cul-de-sac so shouldn't be too bad. What I really meant by this though is that in LH and perhaps even LF - if we'd ended up staying in one of the more remote houses then I'd have to arrange playdates etc all the time which to be honest gets a bit tiresome.
In HH all the houses are either fenced off or have walls around each house. I preferred the more open look and feel of EL. It just means the kids have the freedom to go and knock on the door for a friend when they want to - or play out in the front when it's not too hot (as we don't have much else of a garden!)
It might be tough to get less than a 2 year rental but negotiate hard. You can only try.
When are you here until? Hubby and I are around this week if you wanted us to show you around anywhere.
Jul 3rd 2013, 6:21 am
#7
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Hello geedee! Sounds like you're a fellow Canuck. I didn't see buy land and build anywhere on your list. That's what we did. Of course you need to wait about 24 months from beginning of design to end of construction, but much better value for money. I'm amazed at the prices that off-plan bungalows are going for in East Ledang when one can buy larger land and build a better house for close to the same budget - particularly when you need to wait for the off-plan house to be built anyway.
So, after a couple of gruelling days meeting loads of agents and viewing what's left of property for rent in the Nusajaya (?) area, I'm a bit overloaded with info... the agents all seem to say different things, as you'd expect!
I've seen places in Horizon Hills, Leisure Farm, East Ledang and Ledang Heights...
My first (probably wrong) impressions.... Horizon Hills, very built up, nice houses, most have very small gardens.
East Ledang... as above, really.
Ledang Heights, bigger gardens, older houses, some in need of serious attention!
All above easy for Tuas.
Leisure Farm.... rambling, good security, good price range (low to astro!), older houses but a bit further from Tuas.
I never really saw any of the neighbours, I guess they're all out during the day.
I have to make a decision sooner rather than later on the few left-over properties available in my price range.... do any of you have any thoughts, insights into these different "estates"?
EDIT: I suppose my real question is where do most of the Brits hang out?? :-)
I've seen places in Horizon Hills, Leisure Farm, East Ledang and Ledang Heights...
My first (probably wrong) impressions.... Horizon Hills, very built up, nice houses, most have very small gardens.
East Ledang... as above, really.
Ledang Heights, bigger gardens, older houses, some in need of serious attention!
All above easy for Tuas.
Leisure Farm.... rambling, good security, good price range (low to astro!), older houses but a bit further from Tuas.
I never really saw any of the neighbours, I guess they're all out during the day.
I have to make a decision sooner rather than later on the few left-over properties available in my price range.... do any of you have any thoughts, insights into these different "estates"?
EDIT: I suppose my real question is where do most of the Brits hang out?? :-)
Jul 3rd 2013, 6:37 am
#8
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Bocat - Thank you very much for the offer, it's greatly appreciated. However, I wouldn't put myself on anyone like that. BTW, you didn't mention snakes....!
I've crossed 3 off the list already... the agent is trying to charge me half a month's rent "agency commission". The other agents all said that the owner pays their commission, and quite right too! Pity, one of them was quite nice!
Exhale.... I am a Brit, but have lived (and am still living) in Canada for several years.
The reason I haven't bought a plot of land is because the one plot I've seen for sale (Ledang Heights) is RM 2.5 million.... or around £520,000 in real money! Even if I could raise that sort of money, I wouldn't pay it on principle!
I've crossed 3 off the list already... the agent is trying to charge me half a month's rent "agency commission". The other agents all said that the owner pays their commission, and quite right too! Pity, one of them was quite nice!
Exhale.... I am a Brit, but have lived (and am still living) in Canada for several years.
The reason I haven't bought a plot of land is because the one plot I've seen for sale (Ledang Heights) is RM 2.5 million.... or around £520,000 in real money! Even if I could raise that sort of money, I wouldn't pay it on principle!
Jul 3rd 2013, 6:58 am
#9
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Sorry for the mistake - I saw "montreal" beside your name. You're right. There are slim pickings for land at Ledang Heights (and LFR), although I have a pretty good list if you're interested. My comparisons are based on EL bungalows selling at RM 4.3M+, off-plan. You can get a 10K sqft plot of land at LH and build a much nicer villa on that budget. Prices really are sky rocketing quickly though.
Just to be 100% open, I own a design firm that specializes in helping clients find land and build dream villas in Nusajaya. That's why I know this market pretty well - suppose you can take all that with a grain of salt and as a sales pitch then, but people on this forum (like Bocat!) have been kind enough to recommend us in the past. PM me if you'd like to know more.
Cheers
Just to be 100% open, I own a design firm that specializes in helping clients find land and build dream villas in Nusajaya. That's why I know this market pretty well - suppose you can take all that with a grain of salt and as a sales pitch then, but people on this forum (like Bocat!) have been kind enough to recommend us in the past.
PM me if you'd like to know more. Cheers
Exhale.... I am a Brit, but have lived (and am still living) in Canada for several years.
The reason I haven't bought a plot of land is because the one plot I've seen for sale (Ledang Heights) is RM 2.5 million.... or around £520,000 in real money! Even if I could raise that sort of money, I wouldn't pay it on principle!
The reason I haven't bought a plot of land is because the one plot I've seen for sale (Ledang Heights) is RM 2.5 million.... or around £520,000 in real money! Even if I could raise that sort of money, I wouldn't pay it on principle!
Jul 3rd 2013, 9:09 am
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
My comparisons are based on EL bungalows selling at RM 4.3M+, off-plan. You can get a 10K sqft plot of land at LH and build a much nicer villa on that budget. Prices really are sky rocketing quickly though.
Just to be 100% open, I own a design firm that specializes in helping clients find land and build dream villas in Nusajaya. That's why I know this market pretty well - suppose you can take all that with a grain of salt and as a sales pitch then, but people on this forum (like Bocat!) have been kind enough to recommend us in the past. PM me if you'd like to know more.
Cheers
Just to be 100% open, I own a design firm that specializes in helping clients find land and build dream villas in Nusajaya. That's why I know this market pretty well - suppose you can take all that with a grain of salt and as a sales pitch then, but people on this forum (like Bocat!) have been kind enough to recommend us in the past.
PM me if you'd like to know more. Cheers
I'm on a "real world" salary that's been bumped up a bit to help pay for schooling and accommodation. There is no way on earth I could afford nearly £1 Million for a 4 bed house. If I could, I'd be looking at Southern England!
Good luck with your business... looks like you got in at just the right time!
Jul 3rd 2013, 10:34 am
#11
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Just to be 100% open, I own a design firm that specializes in helping clients find land and build dream villas in Nusajaya. That's why I know this market pretty well - suppose you can take all that with a grain of salt and as a sales pitch then, but people on this forum (like Bocat!) have been kind enough to recommend us in the past. PM me if you'd like to know more.
Cheers
PM me if you'd like to know more. Cheers
His helpful replies (and those from others) are the reason I continue to use this forum and try to help others who are in the same situation we were then.
Jul 4th 2013, 1:20 am
#13
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Hi Geedee - LOL! Good point, I forget sometimes what prices must look like when coming from a country where things are more reasonable. I remember the sticker shock we got when moved to Singapore over 10 years ago. I couldn't get my head around buying a small condo (900 sqft) for 1M+ SGD. Since then prices there have doubled. So for those coming from Singapore, all of a sudden Nusajaya looks very affordable!
Bocat - Ahh, geesh. Thanks! Like you, I'm excited about living here and enjoy sharing/helping where I can - regardless of whether it leads to business. And yes - Would have loved to design your home! So how many bottles of wine do I owe you now for all these nice things you've said?
ex reg - Yes, we have an office in Singapore, but have also opened one in the heart of Nusajaya recently due to the number of projects we have there. It's across from LH and EL, in the Seri Medini building. It's where the bulk of our architects, designers and draftsmen work from.
Bocat - Ahh, geesh. Thanks! Like you, I'm excited about living here and enjoy sharing/helping where I can - regardless of whether it leads to business. And yes - Would have loved to design your home!
So how many bottles of wine do I owe you now for all these nice things you've said?ex reg - Yes, we have an office in Singapore, but have also opened one in the heart of Nusajaya recently due to the number of projects we have there. It's across from LH and EL, in the Seri Medini building. It's where the bulk of our architects, designers and draftsmen work from.
Jul 10th 2013, 10:38 am
#14
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
ex-reg: You're right, it's because of the influx of Singaporeans and expats getting into it. I was at Popular bookstore yesterday and saw this book entitled "Get It Right- Iskandar: What Investors Should Know Before Investing In The Iskandar Property Market." Leafing through it supports my thinking that indeed, the target market of all real estate in Iskandar is the expats and Singaporeans, and I suppose a smattering of Sultans, Datos and Tan Sris. exhale: I can only dream about getting you to build a house for my family one day! Cheers
Jul 13th 2013, 7:37 am
#15
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Re: The Nusajaya "Estates"
Geedee if you looking for quiet country living Leisure Farm. Good news is Leisure Farm will be the closest to Tuas once the new junction open up (probably early next year).
We just bought a place in Bayou Water Village in Leisure Farm. Very good estate with quieter traffic compare to the others. Those houses mostly empty during the weekday due to they mainly are weekend home for the loaded Singaporean. Hopefully my 2 little trouble makers can have more space to run about instead of stuck in a pigeon hole.
We just bought a place in Bayou Water Village in Leisure Farm. Very good estate with quieter traffic compare to the others. Those houses mostly empty during the weekday due to they mainly are weekend home for the loaded Singaporean. Hopefully my 2 little trouble makers can have more space to run about instead of stuck in a pigeon hole.