Armanee Terrace, Damansara Perdana

Armanee Terrace is one of the most expensive condominiums in Damansara Perdana area. It is also the first condominium in Kuala Lumpur with double-storey concept. This is a project from a famous developer, MK Land, which was targeted to the higher-end market.

Armanee Terrace is a building consisting of 1 tower with 3 wings. Three elevators are dedicated in each wing to serve the residents of 522 duplex units. However, as the wings are only 10 to 15 meters away from each other and they all share the same center lobby, each elevator can actually be used by all residents from each wing.

Every units in Armanee Terrace is a Duplex (2-storey) which comes with a very big terrace. About 20% of the terrace is tiled, while the rest is some 20-25 cm thick soil to give each residents their very own garden. This is what the developer meant with their marketing statement for this condominium “Your Garden in The Sky”.

Located towards the end of Jalan PJU 8/1, next to a hill and surrounded by a lot of trees, the residents of Armanee Terrace always get to enjoy a clean and refreshing air. Being only about 2 km away from famous shopping complexes such as IKEA, Tesco, The Curve and 1-Utama, many people will find this place very convenient to stay. There are several high end developments in Damansara Perdana, such as Forest Hill, The Rafflesia, and Empire Residence. Armanee Terrace is also considered one of the best luxury condos in Damansara Perdana.

Property Details

• Name: Armanee Terrace
• Address: Jalan PJU 8/1, Bandar Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
• Developer: MK Land
• Completion Date: 2008
• Type: Condominium
• Tenure: Leasehold
• No. of Blocks: 1
• No. of Storey: 18 (36 floors altogether – each unit is a duplex)
• No. of Units: 522
• Built-up: 2,300 – 3,000 sf

Layouts

• Standard (2,300 to 2,450 sf)
• Corner (2,800 to 3,000 sf)

Facilities

• 9 lifts serving three wings in the tower
• Lobby and reading room at each of the three wing
• A partially-soiled terrace (a “garden in the sky”) for each unit
• 2 car parks for each unit
• 24-hour security with card access and CCTV system
• 2 indoor badminton courts
• 2 tennis courts
• 4-acre central landscaping courtyard with 2 swimming pools, children wading pools, jacuzzis, water slide, waterfalls, cascades with BBQ facilities, gazebos, water lily ponds and sauna rooms
• A clubhouse with reading room, games room, meeting/function room, computer room, cafeteria and health center with spas and sauna.
• 18 units of community shops
• Handicap-friendly access to all facilities and units
• Residents gym
• Basketball court

Analysis

The developer tried to be innovative with their “Garden in The Sky” concept. However, the concept turned out to be quite unsuccessful. Some residents complaint there are no direct sun light to the garden, causing the plants unable to grow well. Furthermore, 20-25 cm thickness of soil might be ok for grass, but not for certain types of plants.

The whole drainage system for the gardens, which is made from plastic pipes, is also a total flaw. Some people feared that within a few years, water and soil will obstruct the building, roots will crack the basement, humidity will stain and give the building a terrible look.

Some residents of Armanee Terrace, if not all, also complained on the finishing touch, when they found that the units came with poor workmanship for its class, which had caused them a lot of renovation and replacement works to do. These complains were probably no surprise, since MK Land was known as a quite reputable developer for low-class condominiums and flats, but a totally new player for condominiums with such high-end facilities, which would have a totally different class of clients.

However, when it comes to landscaping and facilities, Armanee Terrace is no doubt one of the best around the area. A club house is located in front of the tower, where the management office nested, accompanied by restaurant, a spa with sauna, and several shops. Apart from the club house, there is another 3-storey building standing near the tower, where most of the facilities are located.

Coming with a Balinese concept, the Balinese ambiance is very obvious especially around the swimming pool area which is decorated with wooden furniture and surrounded by plenty of trees. The lobby area, still with Balinese feel, is very grand with beautiful glasses and floor tiles.

With initial selling prices at RM230 to RM250 psf, Armanee Terrace came totally bare with nothing inside – no air conditioner, shower glasses, kitchen cabinets. The units were given very cheap flush doors, tiles, and sinks, which was a disappointment to most of the buyers. However, although the owners had to spend a lot of money to renovate the bare units, the price was still considered fantastic, especially if you look at the club facilities provided by the developer.

Overall, Armanee Terrace (after sufficient renovation works), would be a very nice place to stay. However, not as an investment. After basic renovations, which were required to give the units decent furnishings and look for its class, the units in Phase I should be valued at around RM330 to RM360 psf, which is just too pricey if compared with similar condominiums in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, many people did not have good responses with the development of Armanee Terrace II. Even with much bigger units and enhanced features, the selling prices are still considered unreasonably high for condominiums located in Damansara Perdana area.

With just a little more money, people can actually get condominiums with similar facilities in much better areas, such as Mont Kiara and Bangsar. As for renting, after such renovation works, owners would need to rent out their units at RM7,000 to RM8,000 per month. It is definitely not easy to find tenants who would be willing to pay so much for a rent, not in Damansara Perdana.