Different ways to check new and secondary market properties

The past chairman of One Menerung and Sri Penaga Management Corporation Khaw Chay Tee (pictured) notes the manners of inspection and rectification for properties bought from developers and the secondary market are different.

The One Menerung and Sri Penaga development project located in Bangsar are both previous winners of the EdgeProp Malaysia’s Best Managed and Sustainable Property Awards which recognises real estate managed with excellence with the aim of raising the bar on Malaysian property management practices, benchmarking it against the best in class globally.

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“If you are buying a property from the developer, you are in somewhat a stronger position pertaining to defects because you are still in the defect liability period (DLP). Even if you do not want to be involved or be in the Joint Management Body (JMB), you can write letters to the committee to let them know about the defects you have noticed and bring them to their attention,” Khaw tells EdgeProp.my.

Khaw also highlights that some developers may have initially charged a low maintenance fee to entice buyers to invest into a project only for the latter to realise later on that the service charges are not sufficient to maintain the common property in good condition on a day-to-day basis.

“When you do your checks, make sure they do a permanent remedy on the defects. Also, make sure the owners have in place the warranty for services such as waterproofing and the water pumps. It is crucial that the JMB/Management Corporation (MC) work hand in hand with the property management company because the first property management company is often appointed by the developer. If they are professional, make sure you push them to exercise their professionalism and not to be biased to the developer,” Khaw cautions.

On the other hand, Khaw also points out that not every homebuyer would buy a primary market property as some prefer secondary market property which means that the MC has already been set up and the DLP is already over.

“In this instance, right from the start when you come and look at the property, observe how tight the security is and what their standard operating procedures are when registering guests. Do you feel that there is enough precaution carried out? Security is the most crucial aspect and is often at the top of the list when homebuyers choose to buy a property.

“Take a look at the common facilities as you walk around. Are the public toilets properly maintained – can they be flushed? Take a look at the defaulters’ list which is often posted on the notice board.  Go ahead to the management office and have a chat with the staff there. Are they sharing openly with you or are they being secretive? If there is information which they are not transparent about, then that is your red flag,” Khaw continues.

He says that if these aspects are not looked at, one may end up forking out a large amount of money should the property need an overhaul or have major extensive repairs in the subsequent years.

“Sometimes, it is always the same people rotating in the board of the (MC) committee. I would strongly encourage all owners to be aware of what is going on in their developments and to attend the Annual General Meetings so that they are in the know of what is happening and contribute their expertise to elevate the standard of strata living,” Khaw concludes. 

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my E-weekly on March 12, 2021. You can access back issues here.

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