I&T Penang Properties Blogs

Many house owners have the tendency to renovate their new homes exceeding their original budget. It is common to see that house purchasers of newly completed schemes in Penang are “competing” each others in home renovations. Some common renovations visible in Penang’s new residential areas are demolition of front car porch and replaced with a bigger car porch to accommodate two or more cars, hacking down the entire front terrace and facade (without balcony) and replaced with a much bigger car porch incorporating a balcony, extending the rear portion of the house to accommodate a larger kitchen etc.

We have seen house owners carried out major renovations to their houses to the extent that the renovation costs exceeding the purchase price of the house.

Renovations do not always translate to an increase in the value of your home. However, if you’re planning to sell sometime in the future and want to ensure you get the most ROI (Rate of Return), it is important to assess the value renovation. Below are several ways to optimise the cost-value ratio and achieve maximum ROI for your renovations;

a) Avoid renovations with too much customization of personal liking and taste.

If the major renovations and home improvements are customized design to suit to personal liking and lifestyle which is not commonly acceptable in the marketplace sometime in the future, you may not get much of a return when you sell as potential buyers may find these renovations are not value-added renovations but rather owner’s own personal indulgence and lifestyle. Potential buyers may also view it as a liability because he may have to spend more money to change or renovate again.

When choosing tiles, countertops, paint, cabinet doors, kitchen appliances and awnings, go with colors that will stand the test of time even as fashions come and go. Conventional or classic home designs are still the ideal for home renovations because such designs never go out of style and will always attract buyers when you are ready to sell your home.

b) Retain the essence of the original design ambience

Avoid excessive renovations such as changing the structure of house from the original two storey house to become a three storey house or demolition of a front porch and facade and replaced with a totally new design super large car porch with a balcony. Such major renovations could have materially changed the external facade of the house and may render the house no longer blend in with the design ambience of the neighbourhood and this may affect the saleability of the house.

c) Summit proper building plan for new extensions

Check with the building department of the local council MPPP or MPSP and obtain a copy of building  approval guidelines. Engage a licensed draftsman or architect to ensure that the extensions are in compliance with the building guidelines by the local authorities.

A property valuer, when assessing the market value of a house, will give due consideration and only accord full value computation for properly constructed extensions with valid approvals.

d) Value-neutral or value-added renovations

Ascertain whether the renovations to be carried are value-neutral or value-added renovations. Upgrading cement floor with homogenous floor tiles, modernizing a kitchen or upgrading the kitchen into wet and dry cooking area, improving home security system are regarded as value-added renovations whilst demolition of front terrace and house facade and rebuilt it with a large balcony, adding a swimming pool or building a sauna or long bath,  reducing the number of bedrooms to less than three are considered value-neutral renovations.

List down your options before embarking on home renovations. For house buyer who prefers house design with large car porch and balcony, it is wise to compare and weight the option which is more worthwhile and cost effective ? to buy a landed house without a balcony and later renovate it or to look for house design that comes with large car porch and balcony ?.

House Design : 2-storey terraced houses without balcony

Another House Design : 2-storey terraced houses with large car porch and balcony

For more tips on home renovations, go to Renovation quotation.

Very often when house owner decides to sell off his house, they tend to overprice their properties as they calculate their asking price by factor in all the costs incurred during and after acquisition of the house ie. purchase price plus all incidental costs such as payment of legal fees and stamping charges plus  renovations costs, bank interest charges incurred plus exit fees or penalty charges for termination of loan agreement within the lock-in period (if any).

The true fact is that total cost spent on the particular house is NOT necessarily equate to the market price of the house. In an active and uptrend market, house prices tend to go up higher than the total acquisition costs. Conversely, in a weak or depressed market, house prices may go down and fall below the total acquisition costs of the house. The market price of the house is very much influenced by the prevailing economy conditions and market sentiments and more specifically relates to the demand and supply of similar houses in the local area.

For advisory on property investments in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, email to us at Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn. Bhd or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang Office) or +603 92839782 (Kuala Lumpur Office) and we would be pleased to assist.

The current downturn in Malaysia property market provides good buying opportunities for property investors. Here are several strategies for property investors who are keen to invest in Penang Properties.

1) Determine your strategy

Before you venture into property investment, you should determine your purchasing strategy and evaluate whether it meets your income and growth expectations. For example, if you want a steady passive rental return, consider apartments and condominiums in areas close to major industrial parks, commercial centers, university, hospitals, where there is sure to be a constant supply of renters.

Conversely, if your investment strategy is to buy and hold a property so you can build equity for a capital gain, landed homes at Penang Island may offer steady capital growth and sustainability in the long term due to limited supply of land bank or escalating land cost for landed homes.

2) Avoid investment pitfalls

Like any other investments, property investment is often associated with risks and pitfalls that prudent investor would want to avoid. Learn more on 10 Most common mistakes made by first time investors.

3) Select the right location

According to the old real estate saying, “The only three things that matter in real estate are “location, location and location”. The property needs to be in a good location close to schools, shops, transportation centre and recreational facilities. The fact that a posh bungalow that is sitting next to a garbage dump has very low desirability factor and fetch poor value. Conversely, a sea-front condominium unit within the heart of the city or along the Gurney Drive promenade will have high desirability factor and therefore constantly attracting potential tenants and investors.

4) Buy property with positive equity

Buy property from motivated sellers, buy auction property at public auctions or buy bargain property that can bring you positive equity. Due to the imperfection of the property market, there are times when sellers are motivated or must sell at all costs urgently at below market price. In a slowdown market, property sellers are more realistic in their asking prices and receptive to offers by interested buyers.

5) Look for a catalyst

One sign that an area is up-and-coming and has potential to be a new vibrant growth center in the future is the development of new critical infrastructure projects such as construction of Second Penang Bridge and the expansion of Penang International Airport and other NCER projects which when completed, would spur more investments and developments to the Batu Maung/Bayan Baharu areas of Southern Penang Island as well as Batu Kawan of Southern mainland Penang. The completion of Jelutong Coastal Highway and Buterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) have indeed transformed its corridor areas into new property hotspots with many new housing schemes mushrooming along these highways.

When you see new highways, roads, schools, hotels and major shopping centers being built, it’s a sign that the community is set for a vibrant growth.

6) Capitalise on tax relief / incentives provided by SSP

Residential purchasers can take advantage of the tax relief on interest paid on housing loans up to RM10,000 a year for 3 years between March 10, 2009, and Dec 31, 2010 under the recently announced Second Stimulus Package (SPP) Mini Budget 2009.

Whilst for business owners, it is a good time to renovate and refurbish your commercial premises as expenditure incurred on renovation and refurbishment between 10 March 2009 and 31 December 2010 will be given Accelerated Capital Allowance, which can be claimed within 2 years. The Allowance is capped at RM100,000.

There is also no capital gains tax when you dispose off your investment property as the Malaysian Government has abolished Real Property Gains Tax (RPGT) since 1/4/2007.

For more related articles on strategies in property investments, I like the following FREE web blogs of Milan Doshi and Bill Zheng, learn more :- Do properties Make the “Prefect” Investment? ; Part I and Part II By Milan Doshi and A straightforward guide to property investment strategies By Bill Zheng.

View of high rise buildings near Gurney Drive as seen from the playground of CRC.

For advisory on property investments in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, email to us at Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn. Bhd or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang Office) or +603 92839782 (Kuala Lumpur Office) and we would be pleased to assist.

As competition is heating up amongst the commercial banks for banking on home loans, more new home loan promotions and competitive refinancing packages are available in the market to entice homeowners to refinance their existing loans. Following the latest cut of interest rates by Malaysia’s central bank, most commercial banks have already revised their base lending rates (BLR) from 6.75% to 5.75-6.0%. Update : The Malaysia’s central bank has cut interest rate again on 24th Feb 2009, BLRs of commercial banks have further revised lower to 5.55% - 5.60%. With interest rates trending lower, it is a good time to review, restructure and refinance your existing loans. There are several good reasons that home owners would benefit from switching their loans to a new loan with lower interest rates;

1. Lower your monthly installment payment
2. Debt Consolidation
3. Using the Existing Equity in the Home
4. Shorten the term of your home loan
5. Combine a first and second mortgage
6. Reduce the interest you pay over the life of the loan
7. Switch from conventional housing loan with variable rate to a fixed rate loan or Islamic loan (or vice versa)
8. Eliminate MRTA mortgage insurance

Before opting to refinance, it is important for home owners and property investors to consider the savings or benefits of refinancing vis-a –vis the costs of refinancing. Do your own break-even analysis between long term savings and refinancing costs to determine whether the savings really outweigh the costs of  refinancing or otherwise. More at Making sense of mortgage refinancing and Should I refinance now ?.

However, there are circumstances whereby refinancing might not give you the maximum savings such as when you have short remaining years to retire your loan etc Refer why say no to refinancing.

For Malaysia home owner as well as property investors who are uncertain of holding the property for long term or you have plans to sell off the property in the near term, not all refinancing packages will provide you the best refinancing benefits. Refinancing packages with features of “Zero-Entry Cost” or “Zero-Moving Cost” may not necessarily the best option, depending on your financial needs. Under such packages, although you are not required to pay any processing fee, legal fees, stamp duty, valuation fees upfront, the loans are subject to higher interest rates and imposition of exit fees or early redemption penalty up to 5% of the loan amount (vary from bank to bank) in the event that you choose to redeem your loan within the lock-in period of 5 years. Example if a house owner has to redeem his loan of RM200,000.00 within the lock-in period, he has to pay 5% of exit fees ie RM10,000.00!!!

We have come across property sellers who were stuck with loans with lock-in period and only realised that if they decide to take up a good deal offered by interested buyer, they have to pay the exit fees for redeeming the loan prematurely. On the other hand, if they choose to wait until the expiry of lock-in years ie after 5 years to avoid payment of exit fees, they might lose the opportunity of capitalising gains or losing the sale due to changing market conditions. For investment properties, the better alternative is to look for refinancing packages with no exit fees or shorter lock-in period which give you more flexibility in terms of selling / renting,  though initially you may have to pay slightly higher interest rates and documentation costs, it is still better than paying exit fees which could end up diluting your capital gains.

Below is a simple checklist to guide you on home loan refinancing :-

1 Get information on the current mortgage

For the current mortgage, you should be able to get the following information from the bank:

- the outstanding balance or ringgit amount left on the mortgage;

- the remaining number of years on the mortgage; and

- the interest rate on the loan.

2 Get information on the new loan

For the new loan, you should get information on the following:

- the terms or the number of years of the new loan; and

- the interest rate on the new loan.( the latest interest rate can be as low as BLR - 2.4% )

3 Get the costs of refinancing

The costs you are likely to encounter when refinancing include:

- processing fee or application fee;

- credit check fee;

- legal fees;

- stamp duty;

- disbursements fee;

- valuation fees; and

- redemption fees (if applicable)

4. Shop for best refinancing loan packages that suit you.

- Find out the latest home loan promotions by various lenders in Malaysia :-

-Malaysia Home Loans - What’s New (January 2009)

-Conventional home loan packages

-Islamic Home Financing Packages

-other home loan packages offered by non-bank lenders; AIA, ING

For advisory on property investments in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, email to us at Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn. Bhd or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang Office) or +603 92839782 (Kuala Lumpur Office) and we would be pleased to assist.

New housing scheme by SP Setia in Penang Island

New housing area in Prai

The Malaysian Government has tabled its 9th Malaysia Development Plan 2006-2010 (9MP) mid term review in Parliament House recently. Despite the Federal Government increased the development allocation to RM230 billion, the development allocation of several infrastructure projects including Penang’s monorail and PORR, however, have been deferred.

www.intproperties.com researched on these two affected infrastructure projects following the latest decision by the Federal Government to defer it which are considered important projects to Penang economic development.

Background

The proposal and ideas on Penang’s planned infrastructure projects ie Monorail (LRT) system, PORR, Penang Bridge Expansion and Penang 2nd link have been floated since mid 1990’s, more than 13 years ago.

According to a report way back in year 1995, the Penang’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) system was scheduled for completion in year 2002. The proposed LRT system, costing RM650million at that time, was supposed to be implemented under “Built-Operate-Transfer” basis by Business Focus Sdn Bhd. It was also reported that a close-end fund under the name of Dana Mutiara was being set up to undertake infrastructure-related projects including Penang 2nd Link, PORR, monorail system etc. The idea of setting up a close end fund has since fizzled out and most of these planned infrastructure projects were shelved due to the onslaught of Asian financial crisis during 1997-1998. Read more at here and here.

The planned infrastucture projects were subsequently revived and incorporated in the 9th Malaysia Plan 2006-2010 in year 2006 and endorsed in the blueprint of NCER launched by the Prime Minister of Malaysia in August 2007.

Highlights of 9MP Mid Term Review

According to the Mid-Term Review of the 9MP, the Malaysian Government is allocating another RM30bil for development expenditure under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), increasing the ceiling to RM230bil and here are the highlights of 9MP mid-term review. Several infrastructure projects which are considered important to Penang ie.Penang Monorail, Highway Projects Are Not Under 9MP now despite the Federal Government has endorsed these projects under the initiatives of NCER launched less than 1 year ago.

Reasons and Reactions on deferment

The reason cited for the two Penang projects being deferred (RM2bil monorail and RM1.5bil Penang Outer Ring Road) was to relocate resources to cushion the impact of the increase in global oil prices and focus on people-centred projects. more at here and here. And here are the reactions from the Penang state administration. The Penang Chief Minister is urging the federal government to restore these 2 mega projects and explain the allocation cut to Penang State. The Penang NGOs, on the other hand, have dissenting views and are calling the authorities to establish a Penang transport masterplan. More views and comments relating to Penang’s planned infrastructure projects in Penang-Jelutong MP cum blogger Jeff Ooi’s blog.

Impacts on developments

The deferment of these mega projects would likely to have impacts on ongoing and new planned developments surrounding the PORR and monorail route. More info about mega projects at related blogs; NCER and the high impact projects on Penang and Penang Mega Projects.

For advisory on individual property matters in Penang, email to us at Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn. Bhd. or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang Office) or +603 92839782 (Kuala Lumpur Office) and we would be pleased to assist.

The Penang Island property sector looks set for major transformation following the launching of two mega development projects within a span of 3 months in the second half of 2007 ie Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) by Equine Capital and The Light Waterfront by IJM Properties.

PGCC, a high-impact and widely publicized RM25bil project was launched by the Prime Minister of Malaysia in September 2007 to complement the NCER initiatives whilst The Light, a RM6.5 waterfront city along Penang’s eastern coastline unveiled in November 2007.

The launching of the two mega projects has received wide publicity coverage by the mainstream media.The vernacular press, sinchew, has given in-depth coverage as well with multiple photo slots on its website and has described it as mega projects which complement each other, each has its own distinct feature with the former being located at the Penang foothill whilst the latter is sited along the waterfront overlooking Penang eastern coastline. It has also provide a comparison of salient facts of the two mega projects.

PGCC, designed by Architect Hani Rashid, will feature architectural themes that synthesise local symbolism and historic forms with contemporary-style designs. The PGCC’s website provides much of the information on its development concept and master plan complete with an animated photo gallery. The website also highlights on the project features of carbon-zero city, PGCC Central Park and Penang Metropolitan Park. The 40ha Metropolitan Park, which will link the Youth Park and Botanical Garden, will see more open spaces for the public. Two flyovers costing RM140 million connecting PGCC to PORR will be built to smoothen the traffic flow of the area. Click here to see to aerial view of the PGCC site and the traffic flow. Over the past few months, the developer has embarked on a series of road shows and exhibitions highlighting that PGCC will benefit Penangites and attract foreign investments and boosting Penang tourism. The development of PGCC is expected to create up to 30,000 jobs.

Unlike The Light Waterfront, the launching of PGCC has generated mixed reactions and split views from the public. A pro-development body, PERINTIS and several Youth associations have voiced their support for the development of PGCC whilst several concerned Penang NGOs and the residents from nearby Jesselton area have voiced their objections and concerns on the implications of this controversial project on issues ranging from environment impacts, traffic congestion, project density, approval procedures etc. The development of PGCC may be delayed and scale down.

Update : The application for PGCC project has been formally rejected by the Penang State Authority on 6/8/2008.

For advisory on individual property investments in Penang, email to us at Izrin &Tan Properties Sdn. Bhd. or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang Office) or +603 92839782 (Kuala Lumpur Office) and we would be pleased to assist.

Map showing the approximate location of PGCC and The Light in relation to the proposed Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) Alignment or Browse Google’s Map guide on Georgetown.

Location Map of PORR, PGCC and The Light (source from Thestar online)

The skyline of Penang Eastern Coastal area will see major changes when The Light is fully completed…

The NCER blueprint, prepared by master planner, Sime Darby, is expected to bring in RM177 billion investment into the Northern Corridor [Map Guide] covering 4 northern states of Peninsula Malaysia – Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Northern Perak to transform and expand the agricultural,manufacturing, tourism and logistics sectors until year 2025.

According to the NCER blueprint, five growth corridors will be created within the economic region ie. Island Corridor, Coastal Corridor, Central Corridor, Hinterland Corridor and Butterworth-Kulim-Baling-Pengkalan Hulu Grik Corridor. For more highlights on NCER, click here and here. More info are available at NCER’s website www.ncer.com.my.

The plan will position Penang into an integrated logistics hub for northern corridor. Amongst the high-impact projects earmarked for Penang are airport and port expansion, enhancement of public transportation system i) Rapid Penang Bus services , ii) high –speed ferry services iii) RM2Billion Penang Sentral – a central transport hub to be undertaken by MRCB and akin to Kuala Lumpur Sentral albeit at a smaller scale of about one fifth of its development size and iv) the Penang monorail project, micro-electronic center of excellence at USM and the RM18 Billion Penang City Centre to be promoted as MICE destination.

Update : more insights on NCER initiatives by SERI - Penang as an integrated logistics and transportation hub under northern corridor economic region.

For individual property advisory and investment in Northern Corridor of Malaysia, email to us or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang).

To what extend and how fast would all this initiatives and benefits cascading down to the ordinary people in the Northern Corridor ? Find out more on who are the beneficiaries of the NCER ? at Beneficiaries of the NCER and NCER big boost for Penang and which Property firms to get NCER benefits?.

Maps on Infrastructure road linkages;

Maps on Penang’s high impact projects under the NCER masterplan ;

An entourage of RTM crew has recently came to Penang to film a TV documentary on Batu Kawan Parliamentary area and its Member of Parliament MP Huan Cheng Guan. Amongst the places of focus are the site for the proposed Second Penang Bridge and Bandar Cassia in Batu Kawan, Auto City in Juru, Sungai Sembilang Village, Mybatik-a batik production house in Bukit Tengah and a little-known island of Pulau Aman. The half an hour TV programme will be aired through channel RTM 1 on 27th May 2007 (Sunday), Malaysian time 22.00 pm.

Like the much-publicized Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in the southern Peninsular of Malaysia, Batu Kawan Parliamentary area[click here for Location Map], which is situated in the mainland state of Penang and covers part of the two districts of central and southern Seberang Perai (stretching from Perai to Sungai Bakap), has great potential to be the future booming area of the northern Peninsular Malaysia. The construction of the proposed RM2.8 Billion Second Penang Bridge project, a major infrastructure projects initiated by the Federal Government under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), is expected to generate tremendous economic spillover effects and accelerate the developments of the northern region.

The 2,680 hectare Batu Kawan land bank, formerly an oil palm estate, was acquired by Penang Development Corporation (PDC) in 1990’s and earmarked as Penang’s third satellite township after Bandar Baru Bayan Baru dan Seberang Jaya. The new township known as Bandar Cassia will take about 30 years to complete and has a projected population of 150,000. Crescentia Park, an 186 hectare township which forms part of the Bandar Cassia master plan, is currently being developed by Equine Group. There will be a 16-hectare park with man-made lakes within Crescentia Park. See related links at Equine riding high on Penang Projects and Equine Capital Unit launching houses in Crescentia Park. Besides this, the construction of the Penang International Equestrian Centre (PIEC) to relocate the Penang Turf Club to Batu Kawan is progressing well. More info at Work on equestrian centre in Batu Kawan picks up pace.

In addition, PDC has also launched its RM150 million project; Dedaun, a 127-acre bunglow village within Bandar Cassia offering 8 different country bungalow designs. Other housing developers have also capitalized on this and launched their schemes recently in the vicinity of Batu Kawan are Tambun Indah’s Juru Heights and Airmas Group’s Palm Garden.

Batu Kawan is also famous for its sea food industry. In recent years, many sea food restaurants have mushroomed in the vicinity. Located within Batu Kawan area and close to the proposed Second Penang Bridge is the little known small island of Pulau Aman. A new jetty known as Batu Musang Jetty at Batu Kawan has been built last year to enhance accessibility and further promote Pulau Aman as an eco-tourism destination similar to Pulau Jerejak. More interesting info on Pulau Aman.

Some snapshots on recent visit by RTM crew to Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan and Pulau Aman….

Mr C H Kwong, General Manager of Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd and the developer of Crescentia Park, briefing MP Huan dan RTM crew on Batu Kawan development plan.

Coincident meet at Pulau Aman between MP Huan and Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman, who was on his last inspection assignment of an infrastructure project in Pulau Aman prior to his appointment as the new Council President of Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP).

View of Pulau Aman, with potential to be an eco-tourism destination.

With the launching of Visit Malaysia Year 2007, Penang hopes to attract 3 million tourist arrivals by end of this year. KOMTAR or Menara KOMTAR, which is the landmark of Penang and the famous icon of Georgetown, used to be a major tourist attraction in the 1980’s and 1990’s. However, KOMTAR has lost its shine in recent years due to growing competition from the newer modern shopping centers sprouting on Penang Island. Penang’s retail sector has since undergone 3 stages of changes from early 1980’s up to the new millennium.

KOMTAR needs a major facelift and a more urgent coordinated effort to revitalise the complex’s attractiveness as well as to stay competitive as the premier shopping center of Penang for both locals and tourists.

Related links on KOMTAR ; RM10 million facelift for KOMTAR; Still ‘uncompleted’ after all these years and Sale of shoplots made many millions .

More at update links - Upgrading work on KOMTAR soon and Not too late for Komtar.

Penang is synonymous with KOMTAR & Ferry service… both “converging” landmarks are in need of a major facelift !

The construction works on the second Penang Bridge was officially launched by the Prime Minister Malaysia at a ground breaking ceremony in Batu Kawan on 12th November 2006. This event was an historic one and rekindled the remembrance of the first Penang Bridge, as 24 years ago, Penang witnessed the ground breaking of the construction on the first Penang Bridge in 1982 and its completion in 1985. The areas connecting the first Penang Bridge; Batu Uban/Sungai Dua on the island and Perai/ Bukit Tengah in the mainland have since been transformed into an urban and developed areas.

Batu Kawan in the mainland and Batu Maung on the Southern Island will be the development corridor when Second Penang Bridge ready in 2011. The construction of the second Penang Bridge is expected to fast track the developments of Bandar Cassia in Batu Kawan.

Ground breaking launching at the site of Batu Kawan

More updates on Penang’s second link.

Following the announcement of the much-awaited 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP), a five-year development plan from 2006 up to 2010 on 31st March 2006, Penang would be allocated for funds amounting RM6.152 billion or 3% of RM200 Billion development fund to built a monorail system, a second bridge and Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR).

Click here Penang links for more web information on Penang and 9MP.