a22andrew

Hi - we are currently evaluating a place to live in Malaysia. We like Batu Ferringhi, in Penang, but our housing preferences seem hard to meet. We have a dog, so would like some yard. As it seems swimming in the beach is not ideal, we would also like easy access to a pool... the obvious solution is a house with a pool, but this doesn't seem to be possible in BF?

Is there some way of having access to another pool? Like paying membership to a resort or something?

Any other ideas??

thanks heaps.

bakedbean

Hi there and welcome to the forum

You can get membership of various clubs.... not always cheap, but depends what you want.

I have friends living in a house here in Penang who have taken membership of the Penang Swimming Club (PSC). You can look here: http://www.penangswimclub.com/
There's lots of history to the place and it's got all sorts of things there: sailing, gym, loads of subsidised restaurants and bars etc etc.

There is a Chinese Swimming Club. I have no idea what the deal is there. Same with the Penang Sports Club. You could probably google either of them. Having said that, if you choose Batu Ferringhi as your home, PSC will be the closer option.

It might be worth talking to some of the B Ferringhi hotels and see if they will do some deal. All things possible in Malaysia

bakedbean

Having written all the above LOL, I just did a google on Ferringhi Villas as I know a couple who live there, and was surprised to see that there is a communal swimming pool, gym and tennis courts at that development...wow Maybe you better check that one out.

When are you planning to move here? Are you doing MM2H? (if I'm not being too nosey).

a22andrew

Hey, yeah, I did see that one; my impressions are that it's expensive, fairly deserted and quite run-down for the age of it (just from reviews on the Internet) - have you heard better things?

We had one agent quote us 5000myr a month for one of the villas. That's getting too high from my point of view; almost like home, which kind of defeats the purpose.

So I should have been more specific - looking for affordable, with a yard and access to a pool.

Yes, I'm thinking MM2H, as it would give the flexibility of starting my own business, not having to worry about visas, etc.

a22andrew

Thanks for that - the swimming club looks close to the mark, but I guess we're trying to get the resort feel. Without the beach, it's hard (outside of the condo situation)! Yes, I might check with Hard Rock or something similar... you'd think there'd be pools attached to the houses though... they should sort that out

bakedbean

The couple I know seem to like it at Ferringhi Villas. They've bought there. I cannot speak personally as they haven't invited me round

Land in Penang island is expensive so you won't find too many big plots, if any.

If you're not set on Penang, may be worth checking out Melaka (Malacca). Property is cheaper down there and there's a growing expat community it seems ..... Err, if you want an expat community.

I don't know the rules for working/running a business with the MM2H visa. Presume you have already researched that.

a22andrew

Thought about Melaka, but it's for alternate lifestyle, not full retirement, so we want somewhere where income can still be found, but laid back. Langkawi (which my mobile really wants me to call "pancakes") is my real preference, but my wife still wants to maintain an academic career (in the education/teacher training field). Doing my head in actually: I thought Penang might provide a good balance, but now that we are here on holiday, it feels very urban and not anything like langkawi. So lost

bakedbean

No it's not like Langkawi. You might want to check the work options first though. MM2H is not a work visa and has restrictions for work. Think you may be looking at too many boxes to tick. Anyway, enjoy your holiday.

a22andrew

Thanks for your thoughts. My understanding is that the mm2h visa allows the visa holder to start a business in malaysia. I think the visa holder's spouse can obtain a work permit. Cheers.

JC3

Hi,

I would suggest taking a look-see at Ferringhi Villas.

There’s about 110 villas there, in several different styles and sizes. The development is about 12 years old, with an attractive well-established tropical landscape. About 1/3 of the villas are permanently occupied, 1/3 are used as holiday homes by their owners and 1/3 are empty investment properties. Some of the houses are tired looking, some are in great condition. The pool is fine, the tennis court is useable but could do with re-surfacing. Several owners there have dogs. It's quiet there - but some would say that's an advantage.

Rentals cost from about RM 3,000 to RM 10,000+ per month. At the lower end you would need to negotiate hard. RM 5,000 could become RM 3,000. There’s a big difference between asking price and what some owners will actually accept – Western tenants are much preferred by many owners.

Try searching for ‘Ferringhi Villas’ on iproperty.com in the rental properties section. Then call one of the agents and get them to show you around. The agent I think is most familiar with FV (and who gets most of the business) is called Evelyne.

JC3

bakedbean

Hi JC3 and welcome to the forum I'm thinking that I know you, don't I?

JC3

Quite probably!

a22andrew

Thanks mate, that's great info.