WANGSA Maju is surrounded by recreation and entertainment centres as well as shopping malls such as AEON Alpha Angle, AEON Big, Wangsa Walk and Giant.
There are also international schools, worldclass healthcare and education facilities, such as Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC), University Tunku Abdul Rahman and Malaysian Institute of Art.
These are, perhaps, some of the reasons why the area is becoming so popular with owneroccupiers and property investors.
While good location remains the reason why you would buy a property, accessibility is also equally important.
If the property you have bought as an investment is located strategically but has poor accessibility, you may see yourself holding on to it for years as price appreciation would be very slow.
Wangsa Maju is accessible from major towns and cities via Damansara Ulu Kelang Expressway, Ampang-KL Elevated Highway and Middle Ring Road 2.
There is also access to Japan Ampang and Jalan Genting Klang. The Sri Rampai, Setiawangsa and Wangsa Maju light rail transit (LRT) stations are located within the area and that means you can head just about anywhere using public transport services.
Wangsa Maju was part of the Setapak rubber estates in the 1900s to 1980s, until the township was formed in 1984.
One of the earliest developers there was PGK Sdn Bhd, which together with the City Hall, built medium and high-rise condominiums, double storey terraced houses, semi-detached houses, shops, offices and commercial complexes.
The boom came from demand for housing from students of TARC and the Malaysian Institute of Art.
Wangsa Maju is now one of the largest townships in Kuala Lumpur and consists of many sections — Section 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 10.
There are many types of housing in the area, from low- to medium-cost houses, and there are also projects targeting the higher income group.
One of the more established developments in Wangsa Maju is the resort-themed condominium project called Irama Wangsa, developed by Beneton Properties Sdn Bhd.
Irama Wangsa is a 3.64ha gated-and-guarded community located in Section 10. It is being developed in two phases — Phase One comprises Tower A (222 units) and Tower B (232 units), and Phase Two has TowerC(200 units).
The project, which hasagross development value of RM480 million, was first launched in 2014.
TowersA(with unit built-ups of 991 to 1,378 sq ft) and B (1,152 to 1,378 sq ft) have been fully completed while Tower C is almost ready.
According to Henry Butcher Malaysia, the launch prices started from RM535,000, which is about RM500 to RM600 per sq ft (psf), for units in Towers A and B.
For Tower C, the launch price was from RM600 psf.
The units in Tower C are bigger than those in the previous two blocks. The built-up sizes range between 1,206 and 1,637 sq ft.
DANCING TO THE TUNES OF IRAMA WANGSA
Henry Butcher Malaysia recently interviewed Chan Kin-Meng, the chief executive officer of Beneton Properties.
In an article published by Henry Butcher, it stated that Irama Wangsa is the only freehold high-rise residential property among the new developments in the vicinity.
The project has conserved 1.62ha of hilly terrains to be perfectly manicured and converted into a unique hill park for the residents’ recreational pleasure.
According to Chan, Irama Wangsa has exceeded its initial expectations, and one can easily appreciate why he said so when savouring the sensory experience of being onsite amid the beautify landscape and tranquil resort environment.
“Along the way, the design development process has never been static for us and we keep adding features and making modifications even at the final stages of construction to enhance the development and provide the most ideal living environment for the residents.
“For instance,the resort-themed pool area plays a major role in the overall concept of Irama Wangsa.
“And from the first round of handovers, the satisfaction expressed by the owners and the smiles on their faces have been a heart warming validation of the efforts put in by us. We are delighted to know that all the extra hours that we have put in and the additional costs that we have incurred in making the design improvements have been well worth it,” he said.
Following this notion, Chan said the resort concept helps soften the general architecture of the design, especially with the swimming pool being the focal point.
The unique shape of the pool encourages residents to use it often not only for recreational purposes but also as an outlet to relax and de-stress compared with a standard olympic-sized pool which could be too overwhelming, he said.
On his role in the conceptualising stages, Chan said it was important for him to design a place where he could envision himself dwelling in, and this made the creative process a fruitful one because that helped create what was best for the buyers, given his meticulous and fussy nature.
He also thought that making an oasis out of Irama Wangsa was imperative due to its proximity to the city centre.
Irama Wangsa is a gem in the heart of a township that thrives in nature and sentiments.
It is rare to have a piece of dwelling which has the foundation of contemporary living without compromising the simple luxuries in life as in the presence of greenery.
According to Chan, it was a challenging task to develop a sense of tranquility at first, given its strategic urban location and surrounding environment. However, as ideas flowed, it morphed into the next best thing where the concept of building the project around an existing hill without compromising its natural aesthetics took root.
“If we can offer something different for urban residents, we hope that having accessibility to private greenery such as parks would be the ideal, modern-day living. Also, it is very important for young families to invest in such property just so their young ones will still be in touch with nature, in contrast to other properties that do not offer (such features),” he said.
YIELD AND CAPITAL APPRECIATION
Chan said Malaysia has a fairly young population.
According to data provided by the Department of Statistics, 41 per cent of the population in 2016 were between the age of 25 and 54, whereas only 50 per cent of the population in Kuala Lumpur and 69 per cent in Selangor owned ther houses as at 2012.
“As this is the economically active group, a strong demand will be created for housing accommodation in the future. Furthermore, what makes Irama Wangsa unique is how close it is to the city centre, the excellent connectivity via highways and LRT, and the availability of all kinds of urban conveniences closeby.
“Thus, there is no doubt that the potential for Irama Wangsa as a home as well as a valued investment is definitely high in the future as much as it is right now,” he said.
Chan also said that the charm of Irama Wangsa was also partially due to the mature neighbourhood of Wangsa Maju which offers a comprehensive range of amenities and facilities, such as shopping malls, shops, entertainment outlets, sports centre, places of worship, as well as government and private schools.
He also believes sentiments could play a role in influencing the newer generation to move into the area, given the existing allure that comes with the territory.
How the change in government administration after the 14th General Election influences market sentiments? “Well, it is fairly early to judge but we certainly cannot ignore the renewed sense of optimism in the air. It is a sign of a maturing society that we know we have the ability to determine our course as a nation.
We now have a government, fairly made out of young minds, too, and decisions made would help impart implementations that would look into affordability,” he said.
Chan believes that once the new administration has settled down and there are clearer and more transparent policy directions, investors would feel reassured and the economic growth would resume at a faster pace. All this would ultimately benefit the property market.
He also stressed on the importance of having significant networks and partnership, such as that of Beneton and Henry Butcher.
To date, Beneton has worked with Henry Butcher on a number of projects, including its previous one at Viva along Jalan Ipoh.
Chan commended Henry Butcher’s value on the quality of service and professionalism in providing advice.
“There is a fine line between making a sale and maintaining a great sense of professionalism with clients, developers and agents. Henry Butcher nails those down perfectly,” he added.