Ken Rimba, Shah Alam Insights

Ken Rimba Condominium 1 is part of a mixed development called Ken Rimba in Shah Alam comprising double-storey terraced homes named Legian, 2 ½- storey terraced homes named Jimbaran and shop offices. The condo was unveiled in 2015. The energy-efficient residential tower boasts the prestigious BCA Green Mark Gold Plus award and GreenRE Gold award. The developer, Ken Rimba Sdn Bhd, has won a few awards for its green projects, all carrying the brand name Ken. The developer’s other Klang Valley projects include Ken Bangsar, Ken Damansara and Ken TTDI. The condos comprise eight units per floor either facing the pool or a view of Shah Alam’s i-City. Each block is served by three elevators. The three blocks are connected to the same covered car park and facility floor on top. For the discerning few, there are 26 pool villas priced at RM880,000, which are 2 ½ -storeys and have direct access to the facility floor. Each unit, big or small, is allocated two car park bays. As the name denotes, its common areas provide a rich foliage of greens for an oxygen-rich refuge, protected by 24-hour security, with CCTV and an access card system. Another plus point is its freehold status. With prices starting from RM399,000 for a 1,076 sq ft unit, it’s no wonder the Ken Rimba Condominium 1 units have been snapped up like hot cakes. As at November 2016, there were only 20 units left out of the 679 units. The 1,119 sq ft units are tagged at RM576,000 while the 1,183 sq ft units are priced at RM590,000. Of the six pool villas, two units are still available then, priced at RM880,000. There will be another upcoming condo project within the township later. **##Location##** Although it carries a Shah Alam address, Ken Rimba is actually just a five-minute drive from AEON Bukit Raja, Klang. If you work around northern KL and Petaling Jaya, the drive to your workplace is eased by the connections via several major highways, namely KESAS, NKVE, LKSA and LATAR. The only setback for some may be the distance to KL city, reachable through the Federal Highway. Alternatively, you may walk under the 700m covered walk-way to the Padang Jawa KTM station to connect you to KL and elsewhere. Or get a family member to drop you at the Shah Alam Bus & Taxi Terminal about 1km away. Surrounding amenities are aplenty. For daily supplies or eating-out, there is an array of choices situated in a commercial centre within walking distance. Well-known hypermarkets are also nearby. You don’t have to travel far too if you register your children in the nearby schools such as SMJK (C) Taman Rashna, SK Sek 16 Shah Alam, SMK Sek 16 Shah Alam. Older students can take hassle-free drives to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTm), Segi College, Sri KDU and KBU College. About 15 minutes away is Tropicana Medical Centre. Vibrant shopping hotspots like Sunway Giza in Kota Damansara and Mutiara Damansara’s The Curve, IPC, Ikea, and Tesco are within an easy drive away. **##Analysis##** There are not many condominiums that are certified green in the country. Although the green features are more for the common areas such as the rain-water harvesting system to irrigate the landscaped areas and the low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint used for the common areas, the cooler interiors resulting from the heat-reflective paint for the façade, north-south orientation, adjustable louvred windows and cavity blocks on certain walls means energy savings in the long run. In terms of capital appreciation, the earlier launches in Ken Rimba may give one an idea. Legian’s double-storey terraced homes which were launched from RM380,000 and completed in 2012 have seen sub-sale prices from RM620,000 in 2015. Jimbaran, completed in 2015 are fetching RM690,000 and above on the secondary market from its launch price of RM620,000 upwards. In terms of rental, there could be good potential for rental gains from the UiTM students nearby looking for accommodation.