Homes have constantly evolved over time to adapt to the changing habits and lifestyles of each generation. With the new norm and living arrangements brought on by the pandemic, the home is no longer viewed as just a place to live — it is a makeshift office, school, gym and more for many families.
Understanding the various iterations of how consumers now view their homes, top sustainable property developer Sime Darby Property is homing in on the updated market needs and requirements, as people prioritise larger home living spaces in landed properties within a commutable distance from the city centre.
This sentiment is underscored by the recent report from the National Property Information Centre (Napic), which states that landed properties dominated new residential launches, accounting for 3,127 units, in the first quarter of the year. The finding is supported by the “Behavioural Pattern of Residential Property Investors post-MCO” survey conducted by KGV International Property Consultants, which revealed that landed property remains the most popular choice of home among 57% of the respondents.
Sime Darby Property, with close to 50 years of experience and 24 successful established townships and developments including Subang Jaya, Putra Heights, Melawati and Ara Damansara, is raising the bar yet again with an extensive portfolio of quality residential developments.
The property developer’s stronghold in the market is evident as despite the ongoing pandemic, Sime Darby Property sold more than 2,700 units valued at about RM2.6 billion from the beginning of last year to March 31, 2021.
This outstanding accomplishment is mainly attributable to its notable townships, namely Serenia City, Bandar Bukit Raja and City of Elmina in Selangor.
“This achievement is a testament to our tactical marketing plan to offer a healthy mix of products at the right locations and price points, catering to a broad spectrum of buyers,” said Sime Darby Property group managing director Datuk Azmir Merican.
“Our sales performance since the start of the year has been driven by demand for residential landed type of products. We carefully considered the market demand for these projects in our decision to launch, tailoring product launches to new market norms by reviewing all upcoming projects to ensure that the product meets the latest customer demands,” he added.
Curating a unique neighbourhood DNA
As a leader in building sustainable communities, Sime Darby Property is cognisant of its responsibility to impart its future-ready DNA within and around its townships. The company aims to deliver on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, and has aligned its 2030 Sustainability Goals (SGs) with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
Sime Darby Property’s 2030 SGs consist of 18 goals that encompass efforts to create a positive impact across three sustainability spheres — people, planet and prosperity, which have already been manifested in many of its projects.
“By introducing innovative infrastructure and progressive designs in its master plans, along with a distinct focus on fostering community well-being, liveability, comfort, sustainability and accessibility, Sime Darby Property has created some of the country’s most sought-after and sustainable townships and developments,” said Azmir.
Serenia City, Sime Darby Property’s newest township in the Klang Valley, has so much to offer in this regard. Affectionately known as the Garden City of KLIA, Serenia City takes inspiration from the vibrance, colours and beauty of thematic gardens and structures to evoke a cheerful and warm neighbourhood ambience.
Green spaces have become a more valuable commodity in these new circumstances, and recognising this, Serenia City has introduced a multi-generational park concept in its township, whereby residents of all ages have access to three tiers of parks — the in-phase, neighbourhood and central parks.
At the heart of Serenia City lies the 25-acre central park that features an expansive lake and vibrant greenery, which is also home to innovative structures such as the Frame of Serenia and a water-harvesting amphitheatre to name a few. The signature feature of Serenia City is of course simply unmissable with its grand stature and fairy-tale-like wonder — the 17m-high kinetic sculpture is an otherwise static sculpture that comes to life when powered by the wind’s kinetic energy.
The epitome of sustainable development, Sime Darby Property’s flagship township, the City of Elmina in Shah Alam, is designed to embrace the eight pillars of wellness — physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, occupational, community, family and environmental well-being — to curate holistic living for its residents.
Another key example of sustainable development is Bandar Bukit Raja in Klang — one of Sime Darby Property’s maiden and mature townships in the Klang Valley. Bandar Bukit Raja was established to complement the growing economic boom of Klang by offering a neighbourhood that provides the much-needed balance of nature, tranquillity and serenity for a more liveable environment.
Sustainability as part of everyday life
Azmir believes that as a responsible and sustainable property developer, Sime Darby Property must play a bigger role in creating a thriving environment for people and nature to live in harmony.
“We have dedicated large areas within our townships to parks and greenery, as well as centres to advocate biodiversity and conservation efforts. Sime Darby Property actively partners with notable non-governmental organisations to further these endeavours within and around our townships,” he said.
A prime example is Sime Darby Property’s partnership with a global organisation to rejuvenate the surrounding wetlands in the City of Elmina via the Elmina River of Life, which courses through Elmina Central Park. This provides a guideline for how Sime Darby Property can design its future wetlands and forest areas into parklands as well as act as flood mitigation infrastructure.
Shaped like a basin, the 300-acre Central Park can transform into a natural floodplain in the unlikely occurrence of a “once in a thousand years” flood event (engineered to Q1000). The Elmina Rainforest Knowledge Centre (ERKC) and the Elmina Living Collection Nursery (ELCN) in the City of Elmina are joint efforts with the Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Centre (TRCRC) to collect the seeds of endangered, rare and threatened (ERT) tree species from the adjacent 2,700-acre rainforest reserve and plant them within Sime Darby Property’s townships.
As part of SG Goal 15 — Biodiversity (IUCN Trees), Sime Darby Property has planted more than 111,100 trees in its townships since September 2011, including more than 21,890 IUCN red list trees, with a target to increase the number to 50,000 by 2030.
At Serenia City, three 100-year-old trees, originating from a tea plantation that dates back to colonial times, have been preserved in the township with the help of Persatuan Arborist Malaysia. Residents get to observe and appreciate the history behind these trees, which are located in the Serenity Park. In addition, the development boasts 12 community lake parks, spanning over 80 acres, as well as a 25-acre central park, which has a FIFA-certified football field.
Known as the pride of Klang, Bandar Bukit Raja recently won the Malaysian Landscape Architecture Award for the ingenious design of its 125-acre Bandar Bukit Raja Town Park. Residents can appreciate the largest town park in Klang, which boasts ample greenery, tall trees, well-planned roads and scenic lake parks.
As part of SG Goal 8 — Cycling & Jogging Tracks, Sime Darby Property has built almost 70km of cycling and jogging track in Serenia City, the City of Elmina and Bandar Bukit Raja, with a target to achieve a total of 300km by 2030.
Right product, right location
Sime Darby Property has consistently aspired to build homes and townships that are designed for the future. The residences not only provide a roof over one’s head but also cater to lifestyle needs and aspirations.
Each Sime Darby Property township undergoes a meticulous process of viability assessment that takes into consideration its future potential, with close attention paid to the viability of the project’s location as well as factors beyond its distance from the city.
Bandar Bukit Raja is close to Port Klang and Klang city, while the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport and HELP International School are just a short drive from the City of Elmina. Serenia City is located close to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Xiamen University, Mitsui Outlet Park and the ERL Salak station.
Sime Darby Property townships are also connected to major highways and roads for optimal connectivity. Bandar Bukit Raja can be accessed via the West Coast Expressway, North Klang Valley Expressway and Federal Highway, while the Guthrie Corridor Expressway and the upcoming Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH) connect to the City of Elmina. Serenia City is also reachable via the Maju Expressway (MEX) and North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE).
“Sime Darby Property is keen to provide potential homebuyers with the right products at the right location. The strategic location of these projects, coupled with quality homes on freehold land by an established Malaysian property developer, make for great investments,” said Azmir.
Homebuyers can choose to make these homes a permanent residence not just for themselves but also as a family home to pass on to the next generation. Best of all, they can even choose to sell them at an increased value once the township matures.
*Statistics show that investing in property in well-planned and mature township developments deliver positive returns. For instance, the average median price of properties in Subang Jaya saw a compound annual growth rate of 9%. Likewise, the transaction prices of landed residential properties in Ara Damansara have appreciated between 4.25% and 10.8%.
Transaction prices of properties in Bandar Bukit Raja have increased by 20% to 30% on average over the past several years. With its impressive take-up rate and appeal, the City of Elmina is expected to deliver excellent returns as the township continues to mature.
With its expertise in building award-winning developments as well as its relentless pursuit of sustainability, Sime Darby Property continues to push the envelope in producing homes that improve the overall quality of life for its community as well as future generations.
For almost half a century, the developer has built and delivered quality homes with superior space and fittings to buyers. It is also a proponent of two innovations — multi-generational homes and FittingsPlus+ — to meet homeowners’ needs.
Multi-generational homes are designed for residents of all ages, taking into consideration the specific needs of young children, adults and the elderly. FittingsPlus+, on the other hand, offers a hassle-free moving-in experience.
Each new Sime Darby Property home is equipped with features such as instant water heaters, outdoor water filter, air-conditioning unit points and piping (without indoor unit), booster pump and built-in MS grilles to make moving in an easy affair. For more information on Sime Darby Property and its products, visit www.simedarbyproperty.com.
Register your interest in the upcoming launches of Elmina Green Five in City of Elmina, Alura in Bandar Bukit Raja and Serenia Aiora in Serenia City. For more information, please visit: https://www.simedarbyproperty.com/serenia-city/serenia-aiora/
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