EdgeProp’s Cash Bonanza winner celebrates by investing into new home

• The winner of EdgeProp’s first Cash Bonanza round shares his journey on buying his first property, advice to other interested homebuyers, and how he plans to use his prize money.

PETALING JAYA (Aug 8): EdgeProp congratulated Chia Kah Fei, who had won the first round of the RM10,000 Cash Bonanza for EdgeProp START members. This came as a timely win for Chia, 33, who recently purchased his first home with his long-term girlfriend, Grace Seow.

Chia currently lives in Kota Damansara, and works as a marketing executive for a property developer. After renting for 10 years, he felt it was the right time to start hunting for a home to share with Seow.

Piqued by an advertisement on Instagram, Chia then began liaising with a property agent who helped him get on track with his search for the right property.

“I initially started going into this process without much knowledge of the property buying process, but I am glad I was able to find guidance through a good agent,” said Chia.

Subsequently, he decided on purchasing a unit at The Pinnacle Ara Damansara, Selangor, developed by Pinnacle Armani AD Sdn Bhd. It was the first property that he viewed with Seow, and they liked the wide range of facilities available for its price point.

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The project’s location in Ara Damansara, and its transit-oriented nature was what ultimately convinced them, as it was also the neighbourhood they wanted to be in. The serviced residence is connected to the SS7 LRT (light rail transit) station via a link bridge, and the Lembah Subang LRT station via a covered walkway.

Start young in securing your own property

Asked if he had any advice for aspiring homeowners, Chia said: “Start young.

“Even if it means just taking small steps everyday, it is better to capitalise on the market now, because in 10 years, we might not be able to afford a home”.

Chia also shared some tips on getting your finances in order to help secure a loan when purchasing a home.

“I think that genuine savings alone are not enough. After getting your money, you need to put it in different areas of investment. The US stocks and the S&P 500 are some things I have been investing in lately,” he revealed.

On house hunting, Chia had this to say: “The first piece of advice, which to me is the most important one, is to do your research on who the developer is. The second is to choose the right location. When considering where to buy, I would focus on how strategic a potential location might be in the long run”.

Chia and Seow’s plans include reinvesting his prize money and growing it to spend on their new home and offset future costs.

“Maybe in four years' time, it would become RM15,000 or RM20,000. So with that amount, I can buy even more furniture,” Chia quipped.

EdgeProp is currently running Round 2 of its RM10,000 Cash Bonanza, which will end on Aug 31. To find out how to enter the Cash Bonanza, visit www.edgeprop.my/cashbonanza.

Looking to buy a home? Sign up for EdgeProp START and get exclusive rewards and vouchers for ANY home purchase in Malaysia (primary or subsale)!