with all due respect, Seasons Garden is not a comparable product. Here are 10 reasons :
1. Location - Lexa is on the main road, assuring easy access while Seasons Garden is further in. SG is surrounded by existing medium low and low medium cost units blocks which unfortunately are not that well maintained. Further, it is right by DUKE, translating into higher noise factor.
Agree. On location, Lexa is better than SG but i believe slight inferior than Wangsa 9 and Infiniti. However given different pricing entry point, W9 and Infinite are not direct competitor with Lexa2. Concept - Lexa is part of a 5-Phase masterplan with a central park as a focal point in the middle. Each phase offers an individual identity while adopting part of the overall concept plan of the 16.5 acre The Quartz. This ensures consistency and continuity, with a good central landscape theme. SG is a all-in-one development with little differentiation one from the other.
Do you have any idea how long developer intends to complete all 5 phases? If final few phases are stretched too further away, it can be backfired to first phase owner as the construction, noise, time taken to realize the whole masterplan compared to single phase project. 3. Commercial/Retail - Developer will retain the commercial/retail portion in Lexa to ensure the right product and tenant mix that will fit the lifestyle being offered. Besides that, the entry and exit to the commercial area is right off the main road while the residential access is via the central park so there is separation between the two.
4. Land tenure - Lexa and The Quartz is freehold while SG is leasehold
5. Density - Lexa has 438 units on 2.7 acres (162 units/acre) while SG has 1,502 units on 6 acres (250 units/acre). Also, being all 3 and 3+1 layout designs, population density in SG is much higher than Lexa.
You done your homeworks here. Then again, their pricing for each unit reflected from their density.6. Layout - While both projects target affordable absolute prices, as you indicated, the designs are quite different. SG prefers to give yards for all types, at the expense of the kitchen. It is quite safe to say that all users will eventually combine both to accommodate realistic needs for kitchen size. In Lexa, there are several configurations available ie 2, 2+utility, 3 and 4 bedroom designs. Each has their own benefits but are all very practically designed with every masterbedroom accommodating a king sized bed, secondary rooms a queen sized bed except for the utility room (unit nos 8 & 9), the compact room in type C (Unit no. 6) which fit a single bed. All clearly specified. Lexa designs are all very efficient with little unusable wasted space, and allow a lot of natural lighting and ventilation, with most ( except for Type A and C ie Unit No. 1 and 6 ) boasting windows on front and side due to the semi-detached unit design and point block design as opposed to the long corridor approach of SG. Lastly, there is the option of larger balcony space according to personal preference.
Yes, the comments on the SG is fair. The kitchen is too small to accomodate the yard. Most likely the buyers will demolish it as per the show unit. It is very interesting to see how you fit in 2bedrooms within 660sf. 7. Filling a market gap - In relation to all the other ongoing developments in Wangsa Maju, Lexa is the only one that offers a 4 bedroom design, priced at RM 600K ( expected average price ). For those that actually do offer this configuration, they are priced at RM1.3 and 1.8mil, well beyond the affordability range of the residents.
8. Specifications & quality - Lexa offers quality materials which are clearly specified from the beginning with selection already made and locked in. Further, they offer free kitchen cabinets with hob and hood, airconditioners to living and master, water heater to bathrooms, shower screens, vanity tops, feature walls in bathrooms.
Due to inconvenience in condo renovation, i believe rightfully developer should partial fitt condo with heater, aircon and fully fitted kitchen to save a lot of inconveniences to purchasers.
9. Facilities - the land area in SG is able to offer more facilities. However, they are not optimised to suit the needs of the residents, nor well laid out. Lexa offers a 50m pool, and open lawn space for little children to run around and kick a ball (consider Nadia homes in Desa Park City as a good example). Too often, developers succumb to the temptation to landscape up every inch of common area, forgetting the need for simple outdoor space for kids. This is such a luxury now. Lexa caters to all members of the family while SG seems to prefer the adults' needs only. Besides that, there is a deliberate effort to ensure a sense of space. The main lobby will be large double volume, akin to what you will find in Marc Residences KLCC for comfort and great welcome feeling. SG's facilities face the carpark podium which is not ideal.
Is the central park is public area?10. Developer - Lexa Residence and The Quartz are being developed by Beverly Group, a Singaporean outfit that has successfully completed Marc Residences KLCC and currently constructing 28BLVD in Pandan Perdana. They have operations and projects in Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and China, having partnered with many key names such as ING and CapitaLand. Here, they are collaborating with Mapletree from Temasek, Singapore ( Investment arm of Singapore Government, equivalent to our Khazanah Nasional ), and Lai Sun Group from Hong Kong, a listed diversified conglomerate founded in 1947. All three have strong financial standing and expertise to deliver a great product, with reputations to uphold. Buyers can be assured of a great product with fine construction quality, abiding by all rules and regulations.
There you have our take on the comparison. What are your thoughts?
On surface it does looks good. How far the pricing will off from the indication as some developers have habit to increase the price, depends on how strong is the interest?