It is certainly a good time to purchase a house, especially for 1st-time homebuyers, as many saving opportunities are now available

by FARA AISYAH / pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

THE good news is, homebuyers are coming back into the market. The better news is, property companies are finally lowering their prices with discounts and other incentives that could create more excitement in the market.

Any property agent and expert might tell you that it is certainly a good time to purchase a house, especially for first-time homebuyers, as many saving opportunities are now available.

The oversupply of homes has led to the decline in property prices, with developers and home owners competing to seal as many deals as possible to push themselves up amid the challenging market.

Topping the attraction is the government’s policies announced in Budget 2019, which include the waiver of stamp duty on the instrument of transfer and loan agreement for residential homes valued up to RM300,000 for a two-year period.

A six-month waiver of stamp duty charges for properties priced from RM300,001 to RM1 million can also be exercised, which would provide additional savings that are definitely advantageous to the first-time homebuyers.

Despite all the attractive goodies and juicy dangling carrots, many buyers are still concerned about how much their budget could be stretched.

Can buyers still find a good deal ranging between RM300,000 and RM350,000 in Selangor?

This is what The Malaysian Reserve (TMR) discovered through a recent online survey.

Below RM300,000

For less than RM300,000, buyers are able to find three-bedroom and two-bathroom apartments, or condominiums.

The units include a 685 sq ft apartment in Denai Alam for a RM290,000 asking price, 800 sq ft in Cyberjaya (RM250,000), 1,000 sq ft in Kelana Jaya (RM230,000) and 864 sq ft in Seri Kembangan (RM250,000).

In Putrajaya, buyers could perhaps check out the 1,006 sq ft three-bedroom and three-bathroom apartment units offered at RM286,500.

For those who are dreaming of landed properties, sad to say, not many choices are available for the below RM300,000 bracket.

Unless, one does not mind to move further away from the city where a few landed houses are located. Some

of the few gems found are 1,300 sq ft single-storey units with four bedrooms and two bathrooms in Banting (RM270,800), 800 sq ft double-storey units with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in Serdang (RM200,000) and 1,500 sq ft double-storey units with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in Semenyih (RM280,000).

Below RM350,000

High-rise units ranging between RM300,000 and RM350,000 in Selangor are also available, but not many are located in the city centre.

As for three-bedroom and two-bathroom apartments, or condominiums, one can opt for 900 sq ft (RM330,000) and 986 sq ft (RM338,000) units in Cyberjaya; 1,061 sq ft (RM329,000) and 1,073 sq ft (RM326,000) units in Balakong; and 1,007 sq ft (RM318,000) units in Bangi.

There is also an apartment priced at RM314,000 in a better location which is Subang Bestari.

However, its build-up area is smaller at 635 sq ft, consisting of only two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Meanwhile, there are two single-storey units below the price tag in Selangor, including a 1,483 sq ft unit with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in Puncak Alam (RM320,000); and a 1,320 sq ft unit with four bedrooms and two bathrooms in Setia Alam (RM315,800).

For double-storey units with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, there are a 1,800 sq ft unit in Rawang (RM313,000) and a 3,165 sq ft unit in Puchong South (RM345,000).

In addition, there are a 1,000 sq ft double-storey unit with three bedrooms and two bathrooms (RM324,000) and a 1,500 sq ft double-storey unit with five bedrooms and three bathrooms (RM320,000) in Puncak Alam.

The check by TMR also shows that affordable new properties are still available in Selangor, although the locations are rather far from most central business districts.

However, buyers might also be lucky to find some good deals such as a RM230,000 apartment in Kelana Jaya and a RM314,000 apartment in Subang Bestari mentioned above.