In the Malaysian context, flats are seen as the bottom of the barrel in terms of housing options. It is true that many flats are riddled with problems such as maintenance, lifts not working, strata title not being obtained, littering habits of residents and the list goes on.
Most people I know avoid living there, and people who grew up in flats aspire to move out from flats and move up in the property ladder, and this is a good thing as one would like a more conducive living environment to raise their children, or enjoy certain amenities that flats are unable to provide.
I own a total of three flats, and currently living in one of them in Cheras. Before you label me as an opportunistic capitalist pig, I was also once in the B40-M40 income bracket and hustled my way out of it. Properties were the only investment tool I understood for a number of years, and flats were what I could afford, so that where I channeled my money to.
The flat I’m staying at is located next to an MRT and it’s in the city, which makes commuting easy by public and personal transport. There are various communities living here, and it’s also notable to house many Myanmar refugees, and there’s even a school here for the kids.
These are what I like and dislike about this particular flat:
Pros
- strata title, freehold and fantastic location for future rentability
- it can be highly functional and comfortable with cheaper appliances and materials, and I don’t have to care that it doesn’t look like a condo. read: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diderot_effect
- the management is very responsive. problems are communicated and rectified immediately
- community vibe: residents interact with each other regularly
Cons
- open parking space: this isn’t unique only to this flat, but it’s a chore not having a dedicated car park and having to park at a different spot each time, and you pray it’s not raining when you want to enter/exit the car.
- the exterior hasn’t been repainted for a long time, and does not look pretty
- cleanliness: it’s not the worst I’ve seen, and it’s unavoidable.
Another thing that I wanted to be mindful of, is to be restrained in my appearance. I don’t know how to explain it better without sounding offensive, so I’ll just say that it’s a nice feeling to blend in.
I uploaded a flat tour last year, and you can check it out here: https://youtu.be/WFjSilyq1zc
I will be moving out again next year (not to another flat), and I hope to give you a review and home tour once it’s renovated.
Cheers. - wan