The debate about landed vs high-rise.
Every time someone tells me one more time that landed is better than high-rise, I will smile and ask what do they actually mean? Better to raise a family? Better as in capital appreciation? better as in rental yield? Better as in they just want to be right? For the last reason, of course I must let them win. Everyone should have their very own perspective about things. Let’s respect that. As for all the other reasons, let me just say that all of that depends on many other factors too.
#1 Better to raise a family. Take ‘better to raise a family’ reason as example. I used to be allowed to run around my taman when I was younger. I could even ride my bicycle around my taman to buy noodles every morning for breakfast when I was 9 years old. How many of the 9 year old kids could do these nowadays? Of course, if it’s a fully gated and guarded township and very safe, perhaps this is still possible but how many could afford these very well-built and planned townships these days?
If it’s just a landed home without facilities, where would the kids even be running around? In the car porch? At the very least in a condo with facilities, the kids would enjoy the pool, the playground, the running track and well even running around the whole condo within the condo which could be easily 1km if not more.
#2 Better for capital appreciation? Let’s not debate. Let’s just look at the actual numbers as below. Image Source: NAPIC Malaysia.
Do we see ONLY the landed homes having capital appreciation? All the high-rise are all stagnating or reducing in price every year? Seriously, when landed homes kept moving up in prices, that’s why more high-rise would have to be built and that’s also why the prices would also move upwards because of material, land and construction costs.
#3 Better in rental yield? Of course this one usually they will say high-rise is better. Ever wondered why? Well, the price plays an important part. A RM500,000 landed home could be rented out to a couple or a family or even a single working professional BUT the rental they are willing to pay would only be the SAME as the rental they are willing to pay for a typical high-rise too. The price of a high-rise is usually lower than the price of a landed home. That’s why rental yield is always better than the landed home. Other reasons also include the fact that if I am a single working professional, I would feel too alone to stay in a double-storey landed home too. Maybe just me…
Buy whichever you like, no need to try and convince the others that your choice is better. There’s a reason why they say one man’s meat is another’s poison. If we feel very comfortable with a landed home even if it’s not a gated and guarded development, by all means buy a unit and make it our home sweet home. Say hi to neighbours. Go for morning walks around the area and meet new friends. Walk to nearby shops. My parents did and many others did as well. It’s just a preference.
If we believe a high-rise meets our expectations in terms of more space for the kids to run around, for that crazy family time during the weekends at the swimming pool, then go and get that high-rise. And accept the fact that after parking the car, it will take another 200 steps to reach the home, maybe more. Accept the fact that there are maintenance fees to be paid. Many more yeah but hope everyone gets the idea and just love what you love. Happy choosing!
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