PHOTOS: Door to Car Park to Exit

I just took these photographs to give you an idea of what I see as I walk out my unit, go to the car park, to drive out from Royal Domain.

This picture is the main entry to the my condo unit. I've placed a peep hole just for convenience, as it's always more comfortable to be able to see who's outside rather than randomly opening the door to an unwelcomed visitor.

I was maybe the first person who had this installed, but then I noticed the fashion quickly picked up, and my neighbours also did the same. Hahah! Good. Good. Just a little investment for safety. Nothing better.






This is the door bell press which comes standard with all units. I've never really installed an electronic bell because I've never really understood why would you need one, since everything will be communicated from the guardhouse via intercom.

But the truth is, when you have people sending in deliveries, it's very useful - let that be newspapers or food from takeaways.

So yes - I do admit, that I didn't spend like RM80 for a door bell. So if you come in, and you'd like a door bell...spend laa RM80 or whatever it costs for a door bell of your liking.

This is the view of the walkway from the main building of block B1 to the car park. It's more of a bridge decorated outside with plants which is visibly pleasant especially on sunny days.

Along this line, you can see many condominium units which is interlocked and secluded, quite dark and facing the car park. Sometimes I wonder why people choose condo units that don't have a view - but I guess what you gain is the privacy. As I look out, I notice that most of these units are indeed inhabited. So it's a preference things. Same like living on a high floor and a low floor. I like low floor + with-a-view. These residents prefer the seclusion and privacy that they get by living in the shadows of the building. I respect their taste. No big deal.





This is the car park where I park my car (but of course maa!). The car park is VERY well lit at night and it's very clean because it's always visited by the cleaners. As for moving around is concerned, the car's turning circle is not a problem unless you are driving a bus or a lorry (hahah!) in to the parking complex (which is illegal, of course!). Well I drive a Mitsubishi pick-up truck myself, and I've found the way they arrange the space in the parking lot to be quite organised and manoeuvrability has not been a problem for me. They've really spaced things out well. I'm a qualified civil engineer myself specialising in transportation, and I reckon that the developer has been very generous when it comes to space in the parking complex. This I cannot deny. Each condo unit is given one free parking, but you can make arrangements with the Maintenance Office for more. Of course, this will come with a bit of payment. I didn't need an extra space, because I only have one car. Visitors park in the visitor parking lots outside and around the building. Convenient.

This is the view as I drive out from the parking lot. The picture is actually quite deceiving . To be honest, it's not really as steep as it looks in the photo. The whole parking complex does look quite complicated when you're there the first time; but it'll only take a short while to get used to things. As long as you remember your parking lot number and the floor number (mine is 5b), you'll be fine.

So as you leave the car park complex, you'll take a right turn, around the condominium and you'll arrive at the guard house. This picture here is the short approach to Royal Domain's exit. You can see the Petronas Twin Towers in the background despite the lack of quality of my camera phone. The whole place is flooded with lights and colour at night. It's a beautiful view: Royal Domain, it's elder sister: Sri Putramas 1, the nearby motorway, and of course: the KL skyline.

PHOTOS: Room 2 - Reading / Prayer Room

This is Room 2, which is the second room as you walk through the aisle from the living area. Room 2 is between Room 1 and the Master Bedroom. Our family uses this room as the prayer room and the reading room. This room is relatively empty with only carpets, mats and a mini-library at one corner.

This photo is taken from the door towards the window. You can see the ceiling fan and the curtains, which will go away with the unit when I sell it. In this photo, the little dot on the upper wall is just the power point and condensation connection for a potential air-conditioning unit. Basically the developers have already positioned a/c connection points for each room, for convenience sake.

We've never really bothered to hide the unused power-point for a/c; but this could easily be done by mounting a decoration or a picture frame. Or more straight-forward still: you can install a new air-conditioning unit and utilise what's been provided.

This is my mini library. It's most of my books which I have collected since I started to realise the importance of reading. Hahah! I am too shy to give away the ultra-basic IKEA shelf here, so that's not on offer with the house I'm afraid. Hahah! But if you want it, just tell me. I've placed a clock for obvious reasons and the piece of paper on the wall is the Islamic Prayer Timetable.

The direction of this photo is the actual direction of Qiblat for prayers. And if you're a Muslim buyer, and if it matters to you, my wife is a qualified Hafidhah (memoriser of the Qur'an) and this room is where she does her revision. Most of the specific Ibadah take place in this room, so if you're fond of some spiritual history, then yes - there's some history.

This photo is just the ceiling view of Room 2 and shows the ceiling fan and the lamp. You can also see where the door is positioned.

Somehow, I like the outside view from the window of Room 2 rather than Room 1. There's no specific reason, it's just a preference thing I guess.

Here the blazing morning sun shines through.

From where the photo shot is taken, right beyond the window is the balcony of my unit as well. The whole property is kind of L-shaped.

Okay, this is the final photo I've taken of Room 2. Outside the door, you can see the door to the bathroom. I was standing right at the corner, beside the window when I took this photo.

The funny irony of Room 1 and Room 2 is that: Room 1 is where all the children's playing and craze take place; while Room 2 beside it is a calm abode where we pray and read. Being side-by-side, it's quite funny.

PHOTOS: Room 1 - Kids' Room

This is what we'll label here for convenience sake: Room 1. This is the first room from the living area. So in this picture, if you walk out the door and turn right, that's already the living room. The closed door just outside Room 1 is the toilet, usually for guests when they come and visit.

We use Room 1 as the Kids' Room. You can see the so many drawers and containers in this picture and these are the compartments we use to keep baby stuff and our children's clothes. This is also the room where they play, and this is where we put their toys.

This is Room 1 from the door. In this photo are their cupboards, the cot and play pen, and their toys.

I haven't placed any air-conditioning unit for this particular room. There is a ceiling fan and there is one ceiling lamp.

This is the window of Room 1, and here you can see the ceiling fan too. There are kiddy posters on the wall for our kids to learn A-B-C, count and memorise common objects.

If you're worried about stains on the wall and such, rest assured - that I will be doing re-paint touch-ups to remove whatever stains on the walls in the house. Don't worry, because I will also feel good that I give away the condo unit in good condition.

PHOTOS: Night Photos - Outside

I love the short walk to the convenience store at night, simply because the view, and the lighting is beautiful. This photo is taken just inside, right after the guard house. I wished I had a better camera that night, instead of just my phone's camera. But nonetheless, you can well see the Petronas Twin Towers in the background. The KL skyline is very visible at night because Royal Domain is so close to KL. The road here is the main thoroughfare as a vehicle drives in. My property is right in front to the end - and turn right.

This is the guard house at night. As I've said before, the security guards are doing an excellent job in taking care of the safety and well-being of Royal Domain. There are actually four separate exits. Two to come in: one for residents, and the other for visitors; and two to go out: also one for residents, and the other for visitors. Occasionally there may be repairs at the guard house, but small matter.

Early when residents just moved into Royal Domain, many were agitated because the guards were super strict. Many of us were annoyed. But then again: they're doing their job. Sometimes I wonder: would you prefer them to be more strict than they should, or less strict. Of course more strict! And on top of that, if you've got ID and access card, there is no reason why you should feel stressed out when the guards ask for verification. So when residents get into a pickle, it's usually their own fault. When you walk around the compound, you must carry your access card. It's common sense!

Two years have almost passed since I moved in, and by now the guards and their bosses already know us, and our vehicles. So it's much better now for the residents. Every time when I think about the quality security I'm getting, I feel a whole lot better when I fork out money for the monthly maintenance fees.

This is the first thing you'll see as soon as you pass the guard house. This is the ground floor of the clubhouse. The bright lights on the left is the convenience store, and beside it is the maintenance office. Exactly opposite the convenience store is the bakery. They sell quality wheat-based items I tell you! There's a salon also on the ground floor. Upstairs are the restaurant, the multi-purpose-hall, the gym, the sauna and other luxuries...hahah!

Perhaps my greatest regret to date when it comes to my maintenance fees is that I've never truly utilised the services provided at Royal Domain. There is not a speck of doubt that this place has delivered value for money. But you'll have to utilise the services, then only you will feel the value. So if you're planning to shift to Royal Domain, be sure that you use the facilities well, because they are always there for your convenience, comfort and pleasure.

PHOTOS: Night Photos - Lift & Ventilation Shaft

This photo was again taken at night. All floors, from ground level right up to the top have the same look and feel. There are three lifts. You can use all three, but the contractor, maintenance people, furniture people, movers etc. can only use the one furthest to the right. So far, the lifts have been reliable, and the waits are not too long. Sometimes, I don't even bother to wait for the lift. One flight up, and I'm on my way to the car park, one flight down, and I'm at ground level. The swimming pool and most of the outdoor facilities are on Level 8, so for sure I'll use the lift for that one.

This next photo is the grill that is standard on all floors. Behind it you can see the two little windows to the two toilets of my property. And before you ask: no, it's not easy for outsiders too peep in at you taking a shower; unless you really open these windows wide open, and make effort to be seen! Actually the gap between the windows and the grill is part of a very smart ventilation system that the developer has put in. One of the things I worried about living in condominiums is ventilation. And Royal Domain is free from that problem. Ventilation is very good here. It's breezy, cooling and comfortable to say the least.

PHOTOS: Night Photos - Aisles

I happened to be out last night and came back. After parking my car, I went down to buy some needs for the family from the convenience store. So I took some night photos to give a feel of the condo at night.

This first photo is Level-G (ground floor) of Block B1. I took this photo from the side entrance.

The condominium is very well lit at night, as you can see.

The next photo here is my floor, Level-1. Also taken from the same position and angle. As previously mentioned, I conveniently walked up the stairs from ground level to my floor. So after taking the first photo at level-G, I went up and took a photo at Level 1.There are very minor difference in the flooring of Level-G and Level-1.

PHOTOS: Master Bedroom (continued - II)

I didn't really want to put photos of even the controls and switches on the wall, but since some people could be curious, so this is what they look like. The top photo is the fan, the ceiling lamp and the air-conditioning switches. The bottom photo below here is the water heater and the lights for the bathroom. Standard stuff. They're easy to press on and off.

PHOTOS: Master Bedroom (continued)

This looks like a normal ceiling, but actually some renovation was done to brighten up the lighting possibilities at night. Initially there was only two electrical point on the ceiling. One of these points were twinned, and so the same lamp button sends light to two bulbs.

You can also see the air-conditioning unit right at the bottom-right end of this picture.

All: lamps, the high-performance energy-saving bulbs and air-conditioning unit - I tend to give away to the purchaser of my unit.

This next picture is taken from the corner beside the window, again, just to give you an idea of the size of the master bedroom. Right at the exit of the room is the start of the aisle that leads to to the other rooms and the living area. Just before the aisle, to the left is the attached bathroom for the master bedroom.

One of the things that really attracted my attention to buy this unit at Royal Domain is the 2 x 2 tiles. They are so shiny, and the living area, the aisle, room 1, room 2 and the master bedroom are all decorated with this tile. They are easy to clean and buff up to a brilliant shine with just water and a mop.

PHOTOS: Master Bedroom

This is the master bedroom. As you can see, that's the morning sun blazing through there, and this is the facade that faces Kuala Lumpur, so at night I can see the Twin Towers and the KL Tower. I took this picture on Saturday morning.

I intend to give away the wardrobe and the queen-sized bed. Their qualities are not top notch, of course: typical IKEA, but as always, they tend to look good. I would have given the dressing table too, but that's a gift from my parents so I'll be keeping that.

The curtains and the curtain-rails will also go away with the house to the lucky purchaser. I keep it on reminding again and again that there are so many add-in costs when a couple / a family wants to move into a house, and it's not uncommon to spend thousands of ringgit just for curtains and rails. Right on top of the bed, close to the ceiling (not visible) is the Samsung air-conditioning unit, which I also intend to leave behind.

This is a diagonal perspective of the master bedroom. I just wanted viewers to get a better feel of the space in the biggest bedroom of the house.

In this picture you can see the ceiling fan, the air-conditioning unit, and also one of the lamps which was fitted in only after renovation.

My wife frequently moves around the furniture to test her creativity and how things can match with practicality. There's always a variety of ways on how you want to position your furniture. I prefer to keep the path in and out of any rooms free and wide, and that gives the spacious feel.

PHOTO: A Large View of the Pool

Details of My Unit

Right, this will be the longest part of my blog, I think. I'm going to talk about my unit in particular.

Written below are descriptions of the various areas in my unit. I’ve also given dimension measurements which are only approximate values; in that I’ve just rounded up the inches to feet, to make it easier to visualise. Whatever it is: the total build-up is: 1295 sq.ft.


Entrance Way (approx.5’ x 3’)

The entrance is pretty straight forward. As I exit the lift, I turn right, walk on, and there's my unit. I've fixed a grill there (because this is Malaysia!). And after I open the grill, I can walk in a bit to open the door. The developers really put in effort to put in high-quality locks for the main entrance. I've drilled a special peep hole which I noticed many neighbours have imitated too. Hahah! Just for security reasons, and comfort I guess - because it's always more comfortable to know who's outside before you open the door. There's enough space between the door and the front grill to place a small shoe box or rack, should that be of preference. I prefer that my entrance way is empty, with just the door mat there.



Kitchen (approx (approx. 8’ x 10’)


There’s actually the main kitchen, and a wet kitchen area, which my family uses for laundry / washing machine. Ventilation is very good, so if you decide to cook something strong smelling, your sofa and your curtains will be saved. Don’t worry.





Washing Machine Area  / Wet Kitchen Area (approx. 4’ x 3’)


One thing I like about having the washing machine slightly isolated is because it helps to reduce the "damp" feel of the kitchen. Ventilation is only above it, and it's way at the end of the kitchen, so it's positioned quite well where it is.
 

Maid’s Room / Small Room (approx. 6’ x 7’)


Many people have maids in Royal Domain, but I don't. So I use this room as my store room. Without a speck of a doubt, it's the least visited room in the whole house. To my disbelief, you could actually position a single bed in the room. It is indeed = a small room.
 

Dining Area (approx. 5’ x 8’)


This is the border area between the Living Area and the Kitchen. There’s an open window concept that eases the serving of dishes from the kitchen to the dining table - cocktail bar style. I have a solid rubberwood dining table and six dining seats here. These are all going with the house when I sell it.





Living Area (approx. 29’ x 13’)


My unit is said to be the best designed unit in the Royal Domain development. The living area is big, spacious and faces Kuala Lumpur. On the walls I have mounted my self-made Arabic Calligraphy which I also plan to give away with the house to the Muslim buyer. In the Living Area there’s a ceiling fan, two ceiling lamps with energy-efficient light-bulbs, and an air-conditioning unit. The L-shaped sofa is also here, and this too I plan to give away with the house. The curtains cover the windows and sliding doors. I’ve also placed a partition curtain between the Living Area and the Dining Area, to make it more comfortable for Muslim women to be at ease when there is need for segregations. Such provisions have been convenient because we are a Muslim family. I’ve also mounted 16 square mirrors on the wall, which has further helped to widen the perspective in the living area.



Veranda / Balcony (approx. 13’ x 8’)


Once a while I would open the grill and sliding door and let the kids play outside, in the veranda area. One thing I’m very happy out is that: the developer has put in great care to put in anti-child balcony grills which makes it very difficult for children to climb about. My wife uses the balcony to plant little cute pot plants; and the balcony is where we hang our laundry. One thing about verandas though – as with all verandas – you’ll need to have the tiles washed quite frequently as they get stained if you don’t. Powerful off-the-shelf cleaning agents will do the job. As always.

My wife has always praised the fact that it’s very breezy where we stay. We’d always have the sliding doors opened to let the calming wind through. It’s always breezy, and it feels good. Also, if you open the door to the wet kitchen, the ventilation shaft that flows right up to the roof of the building will connect, and you’ll get a continous free flowing breeze throughout the day. Nice.




Aisle (approx. 20’ x 4’)


A pertinent feature of this unit is the Aisle, which starts at the Living Area and ends at the entrance of the Master Bedroom. The first room from the Aisle is Room 1 on the left, and a toilet on the right. Then it’s Room 2 on the left beside Room 1. Finally right at the end of the Aisle is the Master Bedroom which has an attached bathroom. So altogether: that makes: 3 +1 bedrooms, and 2 toilets.





Room 1 (approx. 10’ x 13’)


This is the first bedroom, closest to the living room. We currently use it as the Children's Room. So this is where we put their cupboards, toys, cots, and other children-related stuff. There is one ceiling fan and one ceiling lamp. The window is draped as usual. There is an unused connection for A/C, if you would want to add an air conditioning unit for the room in the future.






Room 2 (approx. 11’ x 13’)


This is the second bedroom, between Room 1 and the Master Bedroom. We currently use it as the Prayer Room / Reading Room. This is where my mini-library currently resides. Again: there’s one ceiling fan and one ceiling lamp. The window is also draped, of course. There is also an unused air conditioning unit in the room.
 Room 1 and Room 2 are of about the same size and layout. The orientation is the same. The windows and doors are on the same facade respectively.



Master Bedroom (approx.12’ x 17’)


What purchasers and observers have noticed about my unit’s layout is the ergonomic and spacious balance between rooms and living area. The Master Bedroom is far enough to be exclusive. The windows are a lot bigger; and is fully draped. I’ve placed an air-conditioning unit here for obvious reasons. There’s also a main wardrobe, a queen-sized bed, a ceiling fan and two ceiling lamps in the house: all which I intend to give away with my condo unit when I sell it.




Renovations Done To My Unit


I have called contractors to do electrical renovations in my unit. These are quite aesthetic in nature, and my aim was to hide the electrical wiring and condensation tubes from the air conditioning units in the walls. Hence they look a lot neater. Otherwise, most houses have a “thick-snake” looking wiring / piping arrangement that protrudes from the Living Area, piercing through Room 1 and Room 2; and then again reappearing in the Master Bedroom. UGLY! So, all the renovation work has been really worth it, because things look a lot more pleasing now.

Other than that, the electrical connections on the ceiling in the Master Bedroom have been modified to position two ceiling lamp points, so as to make the Master Bedroom better lighted. Again: hacking was done by my contractor to hide the wiring and undesirable look.

No doubt, I did spend thousands of ringgit as start-up costs before entering my condo unit with my wife and kids. So purchasing the house gives this to you for free. Again - value for money.



Toilet 1 (approx. 6’ x 6’) & Toilet 2 (approx. 6’ x 6’)


I’ve decided to put both toilets under the same title, because they both have about the same size, just exactly opposite orientations. They both have a sink respectively, strong-flowing water tap, a toilet bowl each, and a water heater for the shower of both toilets.

PHOTO: Tennis Courts

I really love how the tennis courts are laid out. Although I'm not really much of a tennis player myself, but I have to say that having the two courts beside the swimming pool totally gives that resort living feel.

The tennis courts are well maintained and the patrons take responsibility in making sure of the upkeeping of the facilities, so that we can all use it in the long run.

DIAGRAM: My Unit's Layout

Type H is the mirror layout of Type A. Both have the same space utilisation. The diagram shown here is actually I how my property looks. The entry is at the lower right corner and you walk pass the kitchen and dining area and into the living area. There's an aisle that goes to the two rooms and two toilets, with the master bedroom right at the end. The small room (maid's room / store) is accessed through the wet kitchen / washing machine area from the kitchen.

I was not particularly picky in choosing my unit, but I chose Type A to follow the advice of my brother's friend, who also bought a Royal Domain unit earlier but of a different design. I was advised that the Type A and Type H layouts are the best in the way they balance the sizes of rooms, space and practicality. So I'm really happy.

There is another design whereby the living area is excessively big, but then the unit's rooms are so small. So I'm glad that I chose Type A. But I just guess that it's a preference thing. You may want a big living area + small rooms if you like to party and have friends over the house. But maybe then if you have a family, a more balanced layout plan is more preferable. What I particularly like about Type A's layout is how the sun's light goes through the building. My house is well lit throughout the day.

Anticipated Neighbouring Development

About two years ago, the developer (Mayland) broke ground on the east side of Royal Domain, to start foundation works for a totally prestigious development called: Royal Regent. Many Royal Domain residents got upset because if this building went up, then it would totally block their KL view. However, I’ve noticed in the pass few months that this development has paused (or stopped???) – I really don’t know why.

But worse comes to worst, let’s say if the Royal Regent still goes up, the good thing about my unit is: my unit will still get the KL view. I still get the KL Skyline pretty well. I guess, that’s the good thing about going for a unit close to the corner of the building. I already anticipated things even before I bought the place. Hahahah! We're safe. That's my point here in this post! BRAVO!

And the other good thing is: since Royal Regent is coming up, this will also bring up the price of the units in Royal Domain. In short, the condominium plots: Royal Domain, Sri Putramas 1, Royal Regent and Antah Tower Condo (older development) all work together to bring up the prestigious nature of the area.

PHOTO: Aerial View of Outdoor Facilities

This is actually one of my favourite photos of Royal Domain. It gives a very clear perspective of the main outdoor facilities at the condominium. The building at the top of the picture is Block B1, my block.

As you can see, the semi oval swimming pool is absolutely enormous, gigantic to say the least. It's depth is pretty much level. If you stand up, the water will be around your waist.

The smaller blue strip is the children's pool and wading pool. The aesthetics in the area is absolutely beautiful. It feels like a resort up here.

Right at the curve of the main swimming pool (the left edge in the photo) is the sudden drop which transforms into a water fall and other water features, which you can clearly see in the photo. There's a path at the side where you can walk by and enjoy the water drop and features. Beneath is a pond, where they keep fishes - koi fish I think. Very nice and calming, especially in the early morning.

The two tennis courts are clearly seen in this picture, and the toilets, showering facilities, and changing rooms which make an arch shape borders the court.

There are many seats, tables, benches and a place to do barbecue which you can't really see in the photo.

Truly, it is resort living in KL city. Everytime when I walk to the area, I feel that I'm at a resort. The sound of the water, the gushing of the water drop / features, the hitting of tennis balls, etc.

Misconceptions About Royal Domain

I'm not really passionate about defending against negative opinions or thoughts about Royal Domain. However, I feel keen to just clarify on certain things which people may only assume without truly having the experience living here to tell what is right and what isn't.

There are a few misconceptions but I'll just discuss two for now.

Firstly – it’s that assumption (which I did assume myself) that the giant rive channel parallel to the site will emanate undesirable smells. This has not been true, thankfully. I was truly worried when I first bought my unit and moved in, but that’s not what I have found up to now. It’s really okay. Even if I were to walk and stand beside it, there is no undesirable smell.


Secondly – I was advised by a friend that there’s a huge traffic bottleneck at the mini-roundabout as we leave the condominium to work in the mornings. Although I cannot deny that there are indeed many “rat-running” cars who use Royal Domain’s / Sri Putramas’s little roundabout as a short-cut to U-turn, but residents of Royal Domain and Putramas 1 are in the advantage, because by the way the traffic flow is laid out: it is actually easier for us residents to manoeuvre out into the road. There’s no inconvenience for us at all. So this too is a misconception, and if there were anything that would discourage anyone to buy a Royal Domain unit, this would not be it.

PHOTOS : Swimming Pool

I don't think that I will exaggerate if I were to say that Royal Domain has the best condominium pool in Kuala Lumpur, or Malaysia for that matter.

First of all, it is HUGE. Secondly, as you hopefully will be able to see in this picture, as pointed by the arrow, is - at it's edges facing Genting Highlands is a drop, whereby the the water calmly flows vertically down at it's side to a water drop, similar in nature to a dam's waterfall, where on the other side (not shown in this picture) are some landscaping works.

I truly enjoy swimming or going for a dip at night to relax. The pool is open till 10:00 pm at night. It's very relaxing. And if I want to do laps, it is long enough and wide enough for me to do that too.

This next picture zooms out a little more, whereby now you can see the whole pool's perspective. Behind the camera is Block B1 where my unit is.

On the left of the photo, you can see the path that connects the B blocks to the A blocks. This path is beautifully designed with very nice aesthetics. It also devides the children pool and the wading pool with the main pool.

There are shower rooms and toilets too for better hygiene. A standard feature in this development.

The Best Things About Royal Domain

My honest straight forward answer is:


1. Vicinity to Central Kuala Lumpur (KLCC); and
2. Value for Money


Vicinity to Central Kuala Lumpur (KLCC)

Before I bought my unit, I spoke to a friend of mine who lived next door at Sri Putramas 1. He said that it only takes 5 minutes to get to Central Kuala Lumpur. Now I thought that he was joking, but when I tried to drive to KL one weekend with the family – it’s true! Royal Domain is really that near to central Kuala Lumpur! Of course on normal days you’ll have the traffic congestion and all – but it’s really not that bad.

There will that occasional bad day, which is not because of the traffic system but maybe because of an odd lorry that broke down, a silly accident or a serious one; or just really heavy rain. To be quiet frank, if you're into calm quiet green backdrops, then you shouldn't be in KL in the first place, and you may want to live in Rawang or Nilai or Shah Alam or somewhere where there is less people. But if you ar an urbanite, and you need a home that is very close to central KL yet far enough to get away - then Royal Domain is your buy!


Value for Money


Actually, the value-for-money part of things is what caught my attention when I bought my unit.

What Royal Domain really gives is VALUE. I’m talking about five star facilities at really affordable price. Highlights include: the humungous and beautiful swimming pool, landscaping, waterfall, tennis courts, gym, children play area, sauna, club house, restaurant, barbecue facilities, convenience store, etc. etc. etc. as mentioned in this blog, you can read through. It’s a complete package in itself. There’s also a car wash at the entry of the car park from behind the building. It’s very reasonably priced, and the quality of service is very good.

My strong guess as to why it’s relatively quite affordable to buy and live in Royal Domain is because of the building material. If you are a civil engineer or a surveyor, you’ll know this very well. I’m a trained civil engineer myself, and I can see how the developer (Mayland) managed to reduce costs for the development. Without compromising on safety and using substandard materials, they have managed to bring up the development, to make it look very appeasing yet affordable.


The Best Kept Secret: My Personal Opinion


The thing that most residents don’t even know is the Pasar Tani in Segambut which is just like 2 minutes drive away on Saturday morning. Hahah! I buy all the fresh fruits and vegetables and all other kitchen needs for the family there. It’s ridiculously cheap too! Seriously! Really fresh items at really low prices. I would go at about 7:15am, and come back an hour later, like last weekend. Basically – Putramas is like the border of Hartamas and beside it is Segambut. So this is my best kept secret, which is no secret no more now! Hahahah!


Security & Maintenance


I’ve decided to place a sub-topic for this one, for the fact that indeed: the security guards at Royal Domain are really doing a great job. In big numbers they cover almost every where you can think of, and they are always on the prowl to protect the area. There are many guards and they are always on the lookout for mischief and dodgy behaviour.Overall – I am very pleased with my residence tenure till now at Royal Domain.

In terms of maintenance, the cleaners also do their job well. They sweep the floors, aisles, from floor to floor, in the lifts, wipe stains of the walls, and do the necessary maintenance for whatever that crops up. The trash room (contrary to my lowly expectations!) are very clean and organised. There is constant ventilation with electrical ventilation, and it is far from smelling like a dump site, truly.

Bills & Maintenance Fees

As with all condominium residences, the arrangement is pretty much the same.

Water bills are payed through the maintenance office. I pay this together with my monthly maintenance fees.

As for gas bills: I can actually choose to receive connected from a piping system straight to my kitchen; but I have opted for the simple gas tank that I will have replaced each month. All I have to do is call the convenience store, and they will send one up promptly. I find that this is my preference without any particular reason. It's your choice really.


Electricity bills I pay directly to TNB. I receive my monthly bill from my letter box and pay through internet. Simple stuff.

Maintenance fees is about RM260 a month, inclusive of sinking fund which is used for minor works and repairs, here and there. Rarely there will be payment needed for fire insurance, and other small stuff. Nothing substantial. All-in, I have found it to be value-for-money plus the top-notch security I get from all that.

PHOTO: Upward Perspective

This is the view of the condo if you look from the guardhouse, or just outside the convenience store. It's quite a nice calming site. I always find this view calming when I walk out in the morning during the weekends.

Playground For The Kids

Some people were reluctant to take my unit when it went up for sale, simply because there’s a cute little playground for children right at ground level. So the worry went that; as we were relaxing in our living room, we would hear the shouting and screaming of children at ground level. This isn't true at all. Infact, having a playground just a flight of stairs away is a plus point! Especially if you’ve got kids running around from 3 to 5 years old in the house, it is absolutely convenient!

So whenever they feel that they need to get loose, I just take them down. 15 seconds, and I’m there. And my wife can be fixing something in the kitchen while knowing that we’re just a call away downstairs.

And just in case you may be wondering whether there is a racket of noise from the playground: my honest answer from our own family’s experience living at Level 1 – NOPE, that’s not true at all. Neither have I experienced any annoying noise from the children who occasionally go down to play nor have I found them to be a nuisance. In fact, most of them in the playground are pretty much quiet and well behaved. They are usually with their parents or the family's maid.

So to recap, my children are about 1 year, 3 years and 5 years respectively; and time management is important to me. So having these little yet clever arrangements when choosing a unit has helped it all: both in terms of time and convenience.

PHOTO: View of Kuala Lumpur

This is a typical view from the KL-facing side of Royal Domain. I must be honest that this is from a higher level, and not Level 1. But one thing for sure, I can see the Twin Towers and the Telecom Tower from my master bedroom at Level 1.

There are some bushes and trees in front which may grow high, but that get trimmed from time to time. Small matter.

Another thing is: as you approach the condominium from the entry road, you can see the lights from Genting Highlands. Quite a fascinating view too. This view is even better when you swim at night at the pool. The pool faces Genting Highlands.

During the day my unit gets morning sun. Good stuff, especially in the weekends, it feels so good.

Why First Floor?

Many people asked me previously as to why I bought a Level 1 condo unit.

My honest answer is: safety and convenience to my wife and children, and of course myself.

Most of us have read the so many unanticipated accidents that have occurred on high-rise residences in different countries here and there; so living on the first floor eliminates that danger.


Secondly, when there is an electrical cut-off, it is so easy to just climb one flight of stairs into my unit from the ground floor. Not to say that this has happened frequently at Royal Domain; but indeed it has oddly happened twice or thrice, in the past three years I’ve been living in my unit with my wife and kids. Those who dwell on the 30th floor, 20th floor, just sit at the very bottom of the emergency staircase because they just don’t have the energy to climb up to their units. Which is very frustrating and annoying especially after a hard day's work.
 Thirdly, there has been many times when I happened to be at work, or elsewhere; but I had to return quickly to Royal Domain just to fetch or send some things quickly. These were more of hop-in and hop-out visits; and the fact that my unit is just on the first floor, and close to the side road, really helps this. I just park my car downstairs, put on my hazard light and run up quickly. Something I really couldn’t do if I lived on a high floor or somewhere in the middle.

PHOTO: Block B1 & Clubhouse

The picture here shows my block, Block B1: facing Kuala Lumpur and beside it in the shadows is the Clubhouse. Most of the time, when I want to buy things at the convenience store, I would just walk down rather than wait for the lift. Within 30 seconds and I am there.

Vicinity

Kuala Lumpur (KLCC):   5 minutes
Segambut:   5 minutes
Jalan Ipoh:   3 minutes
Sri Hartamas:   3 minutes
Kepong:   10 minutes
Petaling Jaya / Damansara:   15 minutes

DIAGRAM: Royal Domain Location Map

My Package Offer

Here comes the best part!

Along with the added value you would get by purchasing my Royal Domain unit, I am also giving away these useful items:

2 x Panasonic water heaters – already mounted up in the shower area

2 x Samsung air conditioning units – one in the living room, and the other in the master bedroom

Kitchen cabinets – high quality timber and finishing, plus worktop. A direct gas connection comes with the house too, and can be utilised by arrangement with the management.

Curtains / Curtain rails – around the house covering windows and sliding door + partition in the main hall.

16 x square mirrors (IKEA) - there was a sale once at IKEA so I thought that it would be a good idea to mount square mirrors together to make the living area look even bigger. It worked! I don't plan to take this away, so if you want it, then it's yours.

1 x large wardrobe (IKEA) - this is what we currently use in the master bedroom. I love this wardrobe, it's just that - as I said: I don't like hassle, so this wardrobe will come with your purchase of my unit.

1 x queen size bed (IKEA) - slightly smaller than the king size. The colour and wood matches the wardrobe.

1 x L-shaped sofa (maroon-purple colour) - very comfortable. Good to sit, or to lie down.

1 x dining table (solid wood) + 6 dining chairs. The table is heavy (as it's solid wood!). The colour is nice too.

10 lamps (IKEA) – already mounted up on the ceiling at its sockets.

10 high performance energy saver bulbs – already mounted. Mind you, energy savers cost a fortune to invest in. But in the long run it brings down the electricity bill. So this is one up for you.

2 normal bulbs – already mounted. In the little room and in the veranda. We've never really used these areas at night, but we've just placed them here, just for convenience.

1 high intensity bulb – already mounted at the entry of the house. It gives a strong ambience when you switch on the lights. Particularly helpful when you've just arrived home with a lot of things from outside.

4 x ceiling fans (Alpha) with fibre-glass blades - I actually had a debate with the store owner when I bought these fans; but after using them, I realised the light-weight yet strong fan blades actually help to bring down electricity costs. So it was a good buy. Again - I'm leaving it with the house for your convenience.

(and specifically for the Muslim buyer)
Hand-made Islamic Calligraphy: ink and paint on large timber slab; mounted on wall – worth RM1,500 in the market. This was like an occasional hobby, I had. The outcome is now the main showcase in the living room. It was quite difficult to have it mounted on the wall, and this is something I would gladly give away to a Muslim family if they are the new owners of my unit.
(plus...)
Hand-made Islamic Calligraphy: ink and stain on paper; pasted on wall – worth RM 200. I have this love for classic-looking calligraphy but they have been very difficult to find. So at last I decided to make my own. The end result turned-out well, so they are now stuck on the wall. Again, my gift to that Muslim family who buys my unit.

So just to recap, all these items mentioned above are in good condition.

All-in: I have spent about RM30,000 on furniture / add-ins when I moved in.

It is a fact (that I didn’t know back then) that a substantial amount of money has to be spent when life is started in a new home, so this deal that I’m offering will certainly help new couples / young families to start up in their new property. I also spent thousands of ringgit for the grill (safety features) on the windows and sliding door. On top of that: the emergency grill window also come with quality locks that I bought separately, so as mentioned before: everything indeed adds up. So new couples / young families: KNOW THIS. Yes, in a way this is me promoting my condo unit to you, but more importantly, I sincerely want to emphasise the point that anytime you walk into a new house, there are many hidden start-up costs. So if you decide to purchase my unit, you wouldn’t have to worry about all the hassle. In analogy, it is more of: plug-and-play. Easy start up.

PHOTO: Highway Connections

Perhaps what's appreciating the price of Royal Domain most is it's connection to the highways. This is a photo with some graphics added which I took from the internet.

As soon as flare out into the motorway, that's already KL in front of you. If you take the four tier highway then that'll be PJ and Damansara in a few minutes. Right behind you is Kepong, Selayang, etc. Segambut and Jalan Ipoh is just a stone's throw away. And of course Sri Hartamas and all other popular hangouts is just next door. Royal Domain has served me till now, as a strategic place to live - especially when my office was in KL.

Who Is This Unit Suitable For ?

Royal Domain, and my condominium unit in particular, is very suitable for:

EITHER:

A newly married couple who are just starting their lives living together. The add-ins offered plus the value-for-money at bargain price with all sorts of facilities plus its strategic location and vicinity to KL are mega plus points too. And since you're based on the first floor, there's less worry about children injuries due to height, if you have little kids running around.

OR:

An investor who is buying with the intention of renting the unit – because all add-ins that I'm giving away with the purchase already help to bring-up your monthly rental price and give you the convenience of time and savings. And of course, you'll get an off-set from your rentals which you use to pay your monthly instalments, so the remainder is the bonus.

Why Am I Selling My Condo Unit?

The reason why I am selling my condo unit is because I want to shift to Shah Alam, Selangor; closer to where my office is. To be honest, I have been very reluctant to my Royal Domain unit for many reasons as will further be elaborated in this blog; but I cherish the idea of living close to the office, saving on time, petrol, toll and car maintenance. I can leave the house late and come back early if I live in Shah Alam. What I plan to do is just rent an apartment there. That’s my plan. Hopefully this will happen by mid this year.
I have received advise from family and friends to just rent my condo unit. No doubt, this is another option; though I'm just not keen on the hassle of collecting rent, following up with the tenant, and things like that.

I know that I will lose out, as the price for Royal Domain units have appreciated about RM100K in the past 2 years, but that's the price of the convenience I'm buying I guess. So congratulations to the future buyer. For getting value-for-money, and a long-term investment opportunity.

PHOTO: Signage at Entry

This is the main sign you'll see as you approach the entrance of the condominium. It's quite striking, and looks nice.

Important Details of My Condo Unit

As a background, I returned to the country as we entered year 2006, after having spent about 13 years in the United Kingdom. I studied and worked there. So until I bought this unit, I have been living with my parents in Bukit Damansara . I bought this unit as soon as it was completed mid-2007. I went to the Mayland Sales Gallery at Desa Hartamas and things went on from there.

 HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

MY SELLING PRICE: RM368,000
BLOCK: B1, KL View
LEVEL: 01
UNIT NUMBER: B1-01-3A
AREA: 1,295 sq. ft.


WHAT YOU GET WITH THE UNIT

24-Hours Security
Modern Club House
Gigantic Swimming Pool
Children Pool / Wading Pool
Table Tennis Room
Billiard Room
Nursery / Children Play Room
Audio Visual Room
VIP Dining Area
Restaurant
Laundry Services
Convenience Store
Hair / Beauty Salon
Tennis Court
Jogging Track
Jacuzzi
Royal Garden
Fountain / Water Features
Barbecue Pit
Multi-Purpose Hall
Gymnasium
Waterfall
Fantastic KL City View (and Genting Highlands)

PHOTO: Road Approach to Royal Domain

This photo's quite small, but it shows the actual approach towards the condominium area. It's actually quite a scene, especially at night. It gives you that "home-sweet-home" kind of feel when you arrive. Quite nice.