Living in JB 2 (Johore)

[DREAMorACTION]

Do u look like Andy Lau? If u do, maybe u'll have a chance ha ha

Tempting.. If I put my kid in Marlborough and they will give me PR.. I am definitely going to give it a serious thought...

 

[FHBH12]

Laminating flooring.. To my experiences.. Rather not touch, we used to b one of the supplier during its haydays. It does not last as what it claims. Bear in mind it is only a very thin layer of laminate on compressed wood board.

Yes, I prefer to have at least ceramic tiles for my BH unit. Unfortunately, it is given by developer, so I will just leave it as it is. Anyway, it is a weekend or holiday home at the moment. If I retire there, I will still keep the laminate as it can cushion any fall.

 

[DREAMorACTION]

Sis, how does laminates fare against full carpeting of all open areas? I know nobody does this, but why is carpet not an option to all? I haven't heard anyone mentioning carpets so far ...

Laminating flooring.. To my experiences.. Rather not touch, we used to b one of the supplier during its haydays. It does not last as what it claims. Bear in mind it is only a very thin layer of laminate on compressed wood board.

 

[wuqi256]

Parquet flooring is good and solid but don't see any developer offering them in JB for landed properties if I can recall correctly; you will have to put it in yourself.

Only saw one landed developer offering laminated wood flooring for the staircase and upper floor, that don't feel like you are walking on solid ground; I can't be sure whether it is the quality of the material or installation that causes the problem. If you are suffering from arthritis, then you will be comfortable with it, otherwise personally I would rather opt for tiles instead. Wouldn't be cheap to replace the whole flooring with parquet or timber strips if you don't like it and it will add up to your investment cost. So for me, I rather give it a miss and go elsewhere.

Actually at least 3 of them do parquet or hardwood flooring, for the 2nd floor and the staircase. If its well done then there should be very little problems with it assuming your renovation guys and movers put at least a layer of thick cardboard when carrying out their work. Laminates will give you the cushy type of feeling that was described. I have laminates for a 3 storey place.

Tiles are still the best for long term but then again, the workmanship is very important.

 

[wuqi256]

Sis, how does laminates fare against full carpeting of all open areas? I know nobody does this, but why is carpet not an option to all? I haven't heard anyone mentioning carpets so far ...

Laminates keep well over the years and tend to be quite good for kids. It has to be properly done though as the edges and skirting can prop up now and then. When kids do fall, as they inevitably will, laminates will tend to help cushion a bit. The ones i used, i used the higher quality ones and thicker foam so that kids will not hurt themselves. Paying more is fine as long as they are safe.

Carpet is good but can gather dust easily as well as perceived as being more allergic to kids. One time, a company i had in SG, i used carpet. For some reason, the cleaning chemicals used irritated the skin of everyone. You get customers coming in and then slowly but surely, some will start scratching, then more. Don't get me wrong, carpet is good but not so kid friendly.

 

[wuqi256]

Yes, I prefer to have at least ceramic tiles for my BH unit. Unfortunately, it is given by developer, so I will just leave it as it is. Anyway, it is a weekend or holiday home at the moment. If I retire there, I will still keep the laminate as it can cushion any fall.

Yes, keep the laminate until it really cannot serve anymore. The better grade ones may last longer, then again, it could be marketing talk.
Speaking of which, we have a signboard that is 2 storeys high, on top of the ground floor. So when recently the lights went out for some
reason, we called the company that fixed it, just a few months ago. Rather than coming down to check, they said all the lights must have
shorted and we will need to get a skylift(crane basically) to fix them. Some companies, even introduced by franchisors are very irresponsible,
i checked and determined that all the lights should not all fail. Checked the DB and asked an electrician to check on the timer. Turns out that
it was the timer which had failed.

Fixed something that was quoted at 600 RM excluding the bulbs for 40Rm.

 

[tonto]

Sis, how does laminates fare against full carpeting of all open areas? I know nobody does this, but why is carpet not an option to all? I haven't heard anyone mentioning carpets so far ...

I have thought of carpeting as an option because it can give the hotel feel, especially if using the Malaysia property as weekend home (like going for holiday). But carpet collects dust and must maintain through regular cleaning. Even so, you can never really remove dust. Not ideal for children (spills) or asthmatic occupants (breathing) or those with cats or dogs (accidental pee/poo/vomit).

I lived in a carpeted apartment in Tokyo for two years. Its nice during winter as it makes the place warm but feels hot during summer due to the summer heat. With Malaysia's weather, unless you are prepared to switch on aircon whole day, otherwise not v practical. Certain hot items also should not get into contact with the carpet (like a hot iron), otherwise will leave an ugly patch and whole carpet is ruined (unless you use carpet tiles, then you can just change the burnt tile).

Cost wise, carpet is also not cheap (dunno about Malaysia prices).

 

[Sanur]

Sis, how does laminates fare against full carpeting of all open areas? I know nobody does this, but why is carpet not an option to all? I haven't heard anyone mentioning carpets so far ...

Laminate flooring is a thin layer of laminate on top of compressed wood, it warps,but comes in certain length n width but the joints does give ways if there are too much moisture, especially if it's on landed, the trend now is engineered wood, similar to laminate, just a thin layer of wood. Sorry, I wouldn't want to say much as there might b some here who are in this business. As for carpets ( hmm hmm, we r in carpet ) in European country, they use carpets due to cold weather and many do not remove their shoes at home. I love carpet but hub against it.. Saying it traps dirt n smell. Stains n dirt can be shampoo off, but the smells of dampness usually lingers, another option which is very costly are carpet tiles, again unless one willing to change very offen. Do not compare to shopping n office buildings, as the workers do not sleep there. Carpets are not suitable for young kids n people with sensitive nose.

 

[Funds Transfer]

Oh I c ... I tot service sector is the only way to go in the future. Thanks for your detailed breakdown of so many other important sectors that r thriving.

Yes, services is still important, I guess.

But with the Government combating inflation through the strengthening of the Singapore dollar, you will find that many SMEs are facing great difficulties in exporting their wares out of Singapore. Our competitive advantage has been eroded overnight. The only way out is to move up the value chain.

Many SMEs with its relatively low focus on talents and R&D are facing problems attaining that; certainly not in the league of their German and Japanese counterparts.

 

[Funds Transfer]

Laminating flooring.. To my experiences.. Rather not touch, we used to b one of the supplier during its haydays. It does not last as what it claims. Bear in mind it is only a very thin layer of laminate on compressed wood board.

So what would be the best flooring that you swear by? Parquet?

 

[FHBH12]

Yes, keep the laminate until it really cannot serve anymore. The better grade ones may last longer, then again, it could be marketing talk.
Speaking of which, we have a signboard that is 2 storeys high, on top of the ground floor. So when recently the lights went out for some
reason, we called the company that fixed it, just a few months ago. Rather than coming down to check, they said all the lights must have
shorted and we will need to get a skylift(crane basically) to fix them. Some companies, even introduced by franchisors are very irresponsible,
i checked and determined that all the lights should not all fail. Checked the DB and asked an electrician to check on the timer. Turns out that
it was the timer which had failed.

Fixed something that was quoted at 600 RM excluding the bulbs for 40Rm.

I have this feeling that JB inflation might actually be higher than in Singapore, due to the influx of government and foreigners' investments. However I do hope that when I retire decades later, it will still be cheaper than in Singapore. Cost of living in Singapore is already very high now.

 

[Funds Transfer]

Marlborough college takes its first batch on 27 August. Day pupils from Singapore will be transported by a bus service, which will pick them at several points in the republic for the hour long trip. They will not have to get off the bus for immigration checks, but will have to carry their passports.
From straits times (today)

I wonder how is the enrollment rate coming along.

 

[Sanur]

So what would be the best flooring that you swear by? Parquet?

Hey everyone.. Do not get me wrong, am sharing what I really know if laminate flooring cos we were in it, as for carpet I still can complain as its still on going business, I don wan to sell flower say flower smell nice . Just want to b trueful.

For us, tiles are best, we removed our teak flooring n change it to wooden looking homo tiles, do much nicer n peace of mind ( worry of termites) tou proper water proofing done before tiling, during cold days there are a layer of moisture, serious moisture, so imagine, when it's wooden flooring, the wood might have absorbed the moisture without us knowing. Am glad we made d decision to change, or else never know that there are so much moisture. Let's think what happen when wood are wet or the time.

 

[tonto]

For Malaysia weather, still best to use tiles. Tiles are cooling, green and can withstand wear and tear quite well.

 

[DREAMorACTION]

Carpet is good but can gather dust easily as well as perceived as being more allergic to kids. One time, a company i had in SG, i used carpet. For some reason, the cleaning chemicals used irritated the skin of everyone. You get customers coming in and then slowly but surely, some will start scratching, then more. Don't get me wrong, carpet is good but not so kid friendly.

I have thought of carpeting as an option because it can give the hotel feel, especially if using the Malaysia property as weekend home (like going for holiday). But carpet collects dust and must maintain through regular cleaning. Even so, you can never really remove dust. Not ideal for children (spills) or asthmatic occupants (breathing) or those with cats or dogs (accidental pee/poo/vomit).

I lived in a carpeted apartment in Tokyo for two years. Its nice during winter as it makes the place warm but feels hot during summer due to the summer heat. With Malaysia's weather, unless you are prepared to switch on aircon whole day, otherwise not v practical. Certain hot items also should not get into contact with the carpet (like a hot iron), otherwise will leave an ugly patch and whole carpet is ruined (unless you use carpet tiles, then you can just change the burnt tile).

Cost wise, carpet is also not cheap (dunno about Malaysia prices).

As for carpets ( hmm hmm, we r in carpet ) in European country, they use carpets due to cold weather and many do not remove their shoes at home. I love carpet but hub against it.. Saying it traps dirt n smell. Stains n dirt can be shampoo off, but the smells of dampness usually lingers, another option which is very costly are carpet tiles, again unless one willing to change very offen. Do not compare to shopping n office buildings, as the workers do not sleep there. Carpets are not suitable for young kids n people with sensitive nose.

I c .. So the common concern is about allergy for kids.

My office is fully carpeted and I dont smell the damp, so I was thinking why the same cannot be done at houses. Although stains are inevitable but it can be shampooed. My office only clean the carpets once every few months but still maintained quite ok ...

Ya, I like the cosy feeling. I have a small little carpet in my room now and my kitty like it too. But I agree that they tend to leave some furs on the carpet but it can be easily vacuumed

Note your point on the heat. But I went to some show houses and it felt ok even when the AC is not on. However, some furniture shops do stink like mad haha

So I will only do full carpet in bedrooms. And leave the tiles as they will be for the living room.

 

[jasonjst]

There are always bulls and bears in a market - I'm on the slightly bullish side. Due to the pricing e.g. a $1 mil MYR semi-D (equiv to $400k SGD), a depression in JB property of let's say 50% is $200k SGD. The same sized semi-D in Singapore costing $4mil SGD under-going a 5% correction will suffer from $200k SGD loss in market value. Both are equal in absolute term. In another words, Singaporeans and PRs can withstand a much deeper contraction in prices in JB than a mild price correction in Singapore. Having said this, I understand your point of being cautious of a possible downturn in the JB properties. This is good advice. Thank you, I didn't sink in a lot of $ in JB and bought only the cheaper BH despite some location flaws (nothing is ideal).

Yes you are right . To add , a large number of people ( especially earlier buy before 2010 ) buy with spare cash/saving they can afford to write off completely . Hence in they sure can take a very deep downturn , cheer !

 

[teck21]

Teck has shown his passion and excitement about Living in Iskandar for the past year and many of us have became his online friends with common goals and we have been following his updates on the creation of his dream home. It's kinda sad that Teck has decided to sell his unit after all the effort he had put in to create his dream home in Iskandar. Teck, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Thank you Investor and everyone else.

It is quite unfortunate that my family and I are not going ahead with our move. The reasons for my reversal are purely personal, and everyone's circumstances are different.

I still retain a great deal of confidence in the longer term prospects for Southern Johor, but it just feel that at this point in time, my interests are better served by simply selling my place.

I had considered renting it out, but decided against it because of the 26% tax and also because I don't really wish to deal with potential tenant issues there without being there. Not to mention more money outflow would be required to get it 'rentable'.

Do feel kinda sad for my wife since she wanted a kitchen like that very much, and now she won't get to use it.

By the way, even assuming the asking price is met, please don't think I am making a killing lol. Not at all, I would be lucky to come out without a capital loss, and that's not taking into account all travelling and the adverse exchange rate movement. Adverse to me at least lol.

Add those all in, I will definitely be out-of-pocket after the sale. Just thankful that any loss will likely be quite minimal.

I hope to be invested directly in Johor again soon, but not right now.

I still have my Legoland annual passes, fully intend to utilize them!

 

[nickyu]

Laminates keep well over the years and tend to be quite good for kids. It has to be properly done though as the edges and skirting can prop up now and then. When kids do fall, as they inevitably will, laminates will tend to help cushion a bit. The ones i used, i used the higher quality ones and thicker foam so that kids will not hurt themselves. Paying more is fine as long as they are safe.

Carpet is good but can gather dust easily as well as perceived as being more allergic to kids. One time, a company i had in SG, i used carpet. For some reason, the cleaning chemicals used irritated the skin of everyone. You get customers coming in and then slowly but surely, some will start scratching, then more. Don't get me wrong, carpet is good but not so kid friendly.

hi bro wuqi,

for the semi d in hh, are those laminated flooring or hardwood flooring? Sorry alittle confuse on the different type of flooring...

 

[Investor]

Thank you Investor and everyone else.

It is quite unfortunate that my family and I are not going ahead with our move. The reasons for my reversal are purely personal, and everyone's circumstances are different.

I still retain a great deal of confidence in the longer term prospects for Southern Johor, but it just feel that at this point in time, my interests are better served by simply selling my place.

I had considered renting it out, but decided against it because of the 26% tax and also because I don't really wish to deal with potential tenant issues there without being there. Not to mention more money outflow would be required to get it 'rentable'.

Do feel kinda sad for my wife since she wanted a kitchen like that very much, and now she won't get to use it.

By the way, even assuming the asking price is met, please don't think I am making a killing lol. Not at all, I would be lucky to come out without a capital loss, and that's not taking into account all travelling and the adverse exchange rate movement. Adverse to me at least lol.

Add those all in, I will definitely be out-of-pocket after the sale. Just thankful that any loss will likely be quite minimal.

I hope to be invested directly in Johor again soon, but not right now.

I still have my Legoland annual passes, fully intend to utilize them!

So good to hear from you again. I thought you'll just disappear. Maybe we'll meet in Legoland haha!

 

[FHBH12]

Thank you Investor and everyone else.

It is quite unfortunate that my family and I are not going ahead with our move. The reasons for my reversal are purely personal, and everyone's circumstances are different.

I still retain a great deal of confidence in the longer term prospects for Southern Johor, but it just feel that at this point in time, my interests are better served by simply selling my place.

I had considered renting it out, but decided against it because of the 26% tax and also because I don't really wish to deal with potential tenant issues there without being there. Not to mention more money outflow would be required to get it 'rentable'.

Do feel kinda sad for my wife since she wanted a kitchen like that very much, and now she won't get to use it.

By the way, even assuming the asking price is met, please don't think I am making a killing lol. Not at all, I would be lucky to come out without a capital loss, and that's not taking into account all travelling and the adverse exchange rate movement. Adverse to me at least lol.

Add those all in, I will definitely be out-of-pocket after the sale. Just thankful that any loss will likely be quite minimal.

I hope to be invested directly in Johor again soon, but not right now.

I still have my Legoland annual passes, fully intend to utilize them!

I have also followed your exciting blog. It is a very drastic decision to sell upon TOP at a possible loss. I hope it is not casino related and wish you all the best. Cheers.