13 FEBRUARY 2019 WEDNESDAY
Malaysia is fast catching up as more developers offer tech features in their projects. See stories on pages 3 & 6.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
seaworthy ship will remain afloat
Not all ships will rise during high tide or are beached when the tide recedes. > P02
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COMMUNITY FIRST AT ASPIRA PARKHOMES
Cleaner and greener environment for residents of this freehold development. > P04 StarProperty.my
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DEAL WITH A LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT
When buying property, always remember to purchase from a licensed real estate agent. > P07 StarProperty.my (Eng) Property Trends (Chi)
E vent highlights
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Editorial Contributing Editor DAVID YEOH Acting Head of Content tharmini kenas tharmini@thestar.com.my Content HAKIM HASSAN NG PAU LING VIKTOR CHONG kevin eichenberger Video Producer ALAN KHAW alankhaw@thestar.com.my Designers KWONG CHEE OON QUEENY YONG NURUL AIDA TAJUDIN
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SEAWORTHY SHIP WILL REMAIN AFLOAT
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property is no longer a selling point because it has HE general public sentiment is that the real estate become an expectation. Consumers are looking for market is soft and developers are desperate to By more technology in their homes ranging from IBS move their products. Stories of bulk-buying at Ernest Towle (Industrialised Building System) to IoT (Internet of Things). huge discounts are regularly churned out when Whether the market is hot or cold, the right product at property investors get together. the right price meeting the right need will always be in demand. As the saying goes, not all ships will rise during high When this happens, the cost of business will be “normal” without too tide or are beached when the tide recedes. It all depends on their many incentives being thrown in just to move the product or service seaworthiness and where the ships are. along. If too close to the shore, the peril of being grounded is real. In If the products or services are indistinct in their benefits and have deeper waters, a seaworthy ship will remain afloat. too many suppliers, much more effort and “sweets” will be needed to Similarly, the fate of the entire property market cannot be tarred garner interest for a sale. with one economic brush. Even if all that happens, the buyer must ensure that he or she is Many factors determine the success or failure of a project or financially able to sustain the purchase over the long run or until the development. Where there is huge supply coupled with challenges in property is disposed of. Buying with the hope of securing immediate securing mortgage, expect the movement of those units to be slow. rental just to break even is a risk only for the brave, rich or foolhardy. Tastes and preferences have also evolved. The Internet-ready
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Ask Me Anything: Clear your doubts on property issues Ask Me Anything is a platform for readers to ask about all things property. If you have any enquiries, key in your questions at bit.ly/AskMeAnythingProperty and property experts will answer them.
Latest happenings PCON 2019 to focus on ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’
Launch of affordable housing at Pantai Sentral Park IJM Land Bhd and Amona Development have joined hands to support the government’s initiative, Rumah Mampu Milik Wilayah Persekutuan (Rumawip), by developing Suria Pantai, a housing project with an affordable price of RM275,000. The low-density development at Pantai Sentral Park offers built-up space of 810sf in a building that comprises 34 floors with 26 units per floor. So far, the take-up rate for the 896 units is at 75%. According to IJM Land Bhd senior general manager Datuk Hoo Kim See, Suria Pantai is located in the Golden Triangle. “It is one of KL’s most affordable and accessible addresses, within reach of amenities as well as paths of connection.”
BiGe and Wealth Wolves will be holding the Property Conference (PCON) 2019 which focuses on the “Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Impact on Property Market”. The event is on Feb 23 and 24 at the Quill Convention Centre. Reputable real estate professionals will share their insights at the conference. The speakers include Alpha REIT chairman Datuk Stewart Labrooy, Brickz.my founder Premendran Pathmanathan, and Asia PropTech founder Leo Lo. According to Wealth Wolves Sdn Bhd executive director Leong Seng Tat, the main objective of PCON is to bring property experts together to identify issues faced by the market and provide solutions.
IQI Global joins hands with Common Ground Global real estate agency IQI Global is partnering with Common Ground Works Sdn Bhd, Malaysia’s largest leading co-working space, to market communal workspaces. The signing ceremony between IQI Global group CEO Kashif Ansari and Common Ground Work Sdn Bhd head of operations Ru Sow took place in Common Ground, TTDI recently. Kashif said that “2018 was an amazing year for partnerships and innovations for IQI and this latest partnership is a great way to start the New Year. We look forward to working with Common Ground.”
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Cover Story
THE FUTURE HOME IS SMART Malaysia is fast catching up as more developers offer tech features in their projects
By Hakim Hassan hakim@thestar.com.my
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MART homes are the way to go as more tech companies jump on the bandwagon to introduce new and exciting products touted to enrich our daily lives in the near future. According to research firm Statista, the smart home market constitutes the sale of networked devices and related services that enable home automation for private end-users (B2C). The devices – connected directly or indirectly via a gateway to the Internet – mainly control, monitor and regulate functions in the house. “The remote control and monitoring of individual devices and, if applicable, their direct communication with one another (Internet of Things) is an essential component of intelligent home automation,” explains Statista. “Therefore, services that are necessary for the maintenance or control of the household network are also considered, for example subscription fees for control apps or external monitoring services.” Smart-home solutions can roughly be divided into two groups. Integrated smart home: A single occupant home or household in multi-unit dwellings that are equipped with a central control unit (gateway) connected to the Internet and from which a large number of networked devices can be linked to one another. This group of smart homes uses devices from at least two market segments. Stand-alone smart home: An isolated application that does not
necessarily use a central control unit, serves a single purpose and can be directly controlled (via a router) from a smart device. Included are all smart homes that use devices from only one segment. According to Statista, revenue in the Malaysian smart home market will amount to US$105mil (RM434mil) in 2019 and is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2019-2023) of 25.5%, resulting in a market volume of US$260m (RM1.07bil) by 2023. The research firm added that household penetration is 4.1% in 2019 and is expected to hit 12.6% by 2023 while average revenue per installed smart home now amounts to US$82.57 (RM341). Media reports say this will be boosted as companies such as Tenaga Nasional Bhd Energy Services (TNBES), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Bhd, are eyeing at least 30% of its current customer base, or about nine million customers, to be equipped with smart home systems in the next four years. The utility company recently fitted 80,000 homes in Melaka with smart meters and aims to equip 340,000 homes after receiving positive feedback from pilot projects in the state and Putrajaya.
Ready-made smart homes A slew of developers now offers smart homes to customers, among them is Sunsuria with its Bell Suites development in Sunsuria City, Sepang.
Sunsuria Bhd chief operating officer “Smart Simon Kwan said: “Based on Sunsuria homes City’s principles of ‘Smart, Livable, Suitable’, we have these smart features provide in Bell Suites – SOHO homes located convenience strategically across the main gate of Xiamen University Malaysia and named based with the aspiration to promote limitless on an innovation and creativity.” individual’s He mentioned that the homes are fitted with Smart Home Gateway, which lifestyle. makes smart devices work together – SIMON KWAN and connect to the Internet, and Gang Switch which controls lighting and supports time setting, linkage control and scene management through an app. For security, the developer has installed Smart Door Lock, an all-in-one system that integrates lock, doorbell, camera, motion detector, night vison, microphone with speaker, highprecision fingerprint identification and other advanced measures which can trigger off in the event of a burglary. For voice control options, the developer offers the Amazon Alexa personal assistant. In explaining what constitutes a smart home, Kwan said it is a combination of appliances that have Internet connection and devices which interact with each other through a single network. “Smart homes are powered and connected by proprietary frequency bands through mesh network whereby no physical wire or cabling is required when setting up a smart home system, much like plug and play. “The system allows you to select your preferred scene based on your
lifestyle and it will act on it accordingly. For example, lights will only be switched on when you open the door through Smart Door Lock,” he said. Asked what factors influence buyers to go for smart homes, Kwan cited lifestyle and energy saving as the main considerations. “Smart homes provide convenience based on an individual’s lifestyle and energy usage learnt through behaviour,” he added. He also said that this type of property is much sought after by millennials who want smart features in their homes. “In fact, millennials drive the demand for smart homes. Not only are they tech savvy, they are always on the lookout for what’s new in the market and are ready to accept smart technology in their lifestyle,” Kwan concluded. Kwan says Sunsuria Bhd believes in having a liveable environment and ready infrastructure the minute residents move in.
F eatured Development
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COMMUNITY FIRST AT ASPIRA PARKHOMES
Cleaner and greener environment for residents of this freehold project
Communal living in a green setting at Aspira ParkHomes.
The central park is part of the modern tropical design of the development.
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EM Sunrise Bhd, through its latest project Aspira ParkHomes, is focused on building a community within a healthy and sustainable environment. Based on a modern tropical design, the development has been carefully planned with trees, shrubs and green spaces. This back-to-basics approach is aimed at enhancing the lives of residents through a cleaner and greener environment. Besides, Aspira ParkHomes is adjacent to the public recreational park within Gerbang Nusajaya, an awardwinning township in Johor. Gerbang Nusajaya bagged The Best Choice award and The Best Comprehensive Township (Honours) award at the StarProperty.my Jewels of Johor in 2018. Residents will be exposed to a lively communal atmosphere in this gated
and guarded freehold development, which comes with a community centre and a seven-acre central park with playground, jogging track and cycling lanes. Phase 1 comprising 162 units at Aspira ParkHomes are double-storey terrace houses with a built-up area of 1,931sf. Priced from RM599,000, each unit has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a backyard and is targeted at first-time house buyers and investors. Launched at the end of 2018, Aspira ParkHomes is expected to be completed in December 2021.
Easy access and convenient Residents of Aspira ParkHomes will enjoy improved connectivity when the Gerbang Nusajaya Interchange is
It's ideal for first-time house buyers and investors.
completed in 2020. The interchange connects to the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link Expressway, the Tuas checkpoint and Singapore CBD. Having entertainment and retail elements such as Legoland, AEON, Tesco, Giant, and Mydin Hypermarket near them, residents will be assured of a convenient lifestyle. Aspira ParkHomes is also within easy reach of other key destinations – 5km to Educity, 6km to CIQ Sultan Abu Bakar, 13km to Bukit Indah, 15km to Puteri Harbour and 29km to Senai International Airport.
Gaining from its location Located within Gerbang Nusajaya, Aspira ParkHomes will reap the benefits that come along with the business and economic engine of
The modern facade of Aspira ParkHomes houses.
Iskandar Puteri. The Gerbang Nusajaya CBD is a green city with offices, hotels, MICE facilities, retail spaces, schools, a healthcare centre, and other residences. Some of the benefits include Aspira Square, a commercial area with shopping, entertainment, event venues and offices. Within walking distance of the development is the proposed HSR Station in the Gerbang Nusajaya TOD area, which makes Aspira ParkHomes highly accessible. The Nusajaya Tech Park, an industrial site that offers infrastructure and services supporting light to medium industries, also adds to the gains. For more details, call 07-277 9007.
ABOVE Green spaces help to promote a sustainable environment.
Aspira ParkHomes is adjacent to the central park within Gerbang Nusajaya, an awardwinning township in Johor.
Effective layouts enhance spaces and their usage.
Wednesday 13 February 2019
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F eature
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HOW SMART CAN A SMART HOME BE? IMAGINE this: You had a bad day at work and you are driving back with a throbbing headache. On reaching home, the front gate opens seamlessly and closes once you are in the compound. You get out of your car, your front door opens, and the house lights come on. Inside, the airconditioner has been turned on and is cooling the house. You step into your bathroom and the water temperature is just right to help reduce the intensity of your headache. You settle into bed, curtains drawn and the light dim enough for you to doze off. You awake to sunlight gently streaming into your bedroom, and you hear the coffee machine percolating. That’s how smart a smart home can be.
THE GOOD SIDE 1. You get to live a worry-free life
Since you control the appliances and systems through your smartphone, you need not make a U-turn to check if you have turned off the heater.
2. Perfect environment for the elderly
Towards full home automation
If you have older adults in the family or if you are growing old, automated home systems are a blessing as you won’t have to manoeuvre much. All you need is a remote to control everything in the house.
3. You will save time
If you are a very busy person, holding the one key to every appliance and system in your house will save you a considerable amount of time in the long run.
Domotics becoming more sophisticated with lessons learnt from specialised networks of sensors and devices
THE OTHER SIDE By KEVIN EICHENBERGER kevin.eichenberger@thestar.com.my
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HE dream of domotics (home automation) began with electric lighting, thermostats and doorbells – systems to replace the duties of uniformed staff in large mansions. Over the past five decades, the domotic reality has manifested itself with lessons learnt from security systems, closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and the ubiquitous autogate. These specialised networks of sensors and devices (such as locks, cameras, and fans) have been in use over the past half-century to manage resources and security within large buildings, but they often entail the full attention of human controllers, engineers for maintenance, and manuals that number hundreds of pages. A Jetsons’ future may still be quite far off – at least until builders and appliance manufacturers get their acts
together and produce a truly “smart home”. However, with a wireless network and some expertise, you can put together an intelligent system today to do more than wake you up in the morning and spin your favourite media on demand. Voice assistants. The big names that offer something close to full home automation are obvious. Alphabet (otherwise known as Google), Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft have been vying for the attention of aspiring “smart home” owners in recent years with their slick voice assistants. With immense resources expended to bring voice-recognition technology up to a usable standard, voice assistants act as the central control components of most smart homes – replacing wired button boxes and remote controls. Simply plug a voice assistant into a power socket and begin introducing it to any available devices on a wireless network. Smart hubs. A plethora of manufacturers (such as Samsung,
Philips, and Logitech) focus on streamlining the operations of their various electronic appliances and devices through smart hubs. This innovation takes some of the burden off voice assistants and ensures that network routers do not get overloaded by a flurry of commands. Smart hubs take the guesswork out of integrating home appliances into a single network but with the various brands of voice assistants and smart hubs available, complete integration is certainly not guaranteed, at least not yet, and not without an engineering mindset or a curated collection of thirdparty solutions from platforms such as IFTTT (If This Then That). Smart plugs. Manufacturers outside of the blue-chip circle produce smart plugs that are compatible with most of the big-name smart hubs and a combination of the top four brands of voice assistants, enabling the basic operations of almost any electrical device or appliance with voice control or smartphone apps.
with a wireless network and some expertise, you can put together an intelligent system today to do more than wake you up in the morning and spin your favourite media on demand.
1. Possibility of being hacked
Smart home data is very crucial and can be used for all the wrong reasons if fallen into the wrong hands. Hackers may try to infiltrate the intelligent home. If they succeed, they will be able to control the appliances and systems in your home to aid a break-in.
2. Hard for less tech-savvy people
Less tech-savvy users could be intimidated by the home automation applications and may not buy in the idea of a smart home.
around the world. There reassuring property prices falling byare 13% to 15% signs of the growth, butThere sustainability over around world. are reassuring the long term remains to be proven. signs of growth, but sustainability over theterm midst of whattoseems to be the In long remains be proven. STARPROPERTY.MY a grim global environment, Malaysia In the midst of what seems to be FEBRUARY 2019 is grim still13 among the most affordable and a global environment, Malaysia promising places to invest in property. is still among the most affordable and Properties places here are increasing in promising to still invest in property. value with here each are passing year – but the Properties still increasing in increases steady. value withare each passing year – but the increases are steady.
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A sk Me Anything
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Make sure you deal MAKE SuRE YOu MAKE SuRE YOu DEAL with licensed agents DEAL wItH wItH LIcEnSED LIcEnSED AgEntS AgEntS
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agents lack the knowledge needed to conduct business professionally. They agents lack the knowledge needed to focus only on the deal. Apart from conduct business professionally. They closing theon deal successfully, focus only the deal. Apart there from are other things to take into closing thecrucial deal successfully, there account. instance, with the are otherFor crucial thingschecking to take into bank on whether the price paid covers account. For instance, checking with the all expenses. If it doesn’t, the owner or bank on whether the price paid covers theexpenses. purchaserIfwill have tothe cover the or all it doesn’t, owner extra expenses.will Agents the purchaser havewithout to coverenough the knowledge can mislead the owner and extra expenses. Agents without enough the purchaser. knowledge can mislead the owner and the purchaser. Disclaimer: All data and information provided are for informational purposes only.provided All inforDisclaimer: All data and information mation is provided onpurposes an as-is basis. users are for informational only. All inforare strongly encouraged to seek professional mation is provided on an as-is basis. All users advice before relying on any dataprofessional and/or inforare strongly encouraged to seek mationbefore provided. advice relying on any data and/or information provided.
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F eatured Development
AFFORDABLE LUXURY IN PUTRAJAYA
Antara Residence suitable for new home buyers and investors
The rooftop garden brings residents closer to nature.
High ceiling enhances the interior of the units.
I
N an area where demand for housing is high but supply low, the Putrajaya Presint 5 serviced apartment project by Nadi Cergas Development Sdn Bhd will make a difference to first-time home buyers and even investors. Scheduled for completion in 2020, the 1.32-acre freehold Antara Residence comes with a wide range of facilities such as sky garden on every floor, lap pool, pavilion, gym, yoga and dance room,
Jacuzzi, herb garden and relax lounge. The one to three-room apartments, from 583sf to 1,006sf, are among the most affordable in Putrajaya with a starting price of RM335,000. Outstanding features of the units include a high ceiling of up to 3.5m, well-designed layouts, increased privacy with only six to eight units per floor, and premium lobby and corridor. Putrajaya Presint 5 is easily accessible via Maju Expressway (MEX), Damansara
Puchong Highway, Elite Highway, South Klang Valley Expressway and PutrajayaCyberjaya Expressway. Antara Residence is 29 storeys and comprises 458 units with sky garden on every floor to create a green and sustainable environment that brings residents closer to nature. For more information on Antara Residence, please visit www. antaraputrajaya.com or call us at 016-2862556.
ABOVE Thoughtfully designed spaces.
Every floor comes with a sky garden.
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Wednesday 13 February 2019