Fernlea Court, Embassy Row

Clad in white paint, Fernlea Court stands immaculately on Persiaran Ampang Hilir off Jalan Ampang perhaps known better by the “Embassy Row” moniker due to the presence of embassies here. This freehold property, made up of two blocks with three storeys each,  sits on about an acre of land in a quiet neighborhood. Fernlea Court was completed in 2000.

Persiaran Ampang Hilir is a mixed neighborhood of foreign embassies and residential properties, flanked by Jalan Ampang and Jalan U Thant. Among Fernlea Court’s immediate diplomat neighbors are the embassies of North Korea, Laos and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Fernlea Court itself is situated between Damai Suria and Albakri Court. Other residential properties on the Persiaran Ampang Hilir stretch are Desa Palma, Madge Residences, Katana and Kondominium 8.

We checked the current sub sale listings for the three neighboring resort-type condominiums – Fernlea Court, Villa Putra Putri (about 300m away on Gerbang Ampang Hilir) and Albakri Court – and compared the prices.

• Fernlea Court has asking prices from RM630 psf to RM700 psf.  There was one listing for Villa Putra Putri and the asking price is RM1,022 psf. Unfortunately, there were no listings for Albakri Court at least in the “for sale” category of the classifieds.
• As for rental rates, Fernlea Court units may be rented from RM2.15 psf to RM3.20 psf while Villa Putra Putri units are leased at RM2.65 psf on the average, and Albakri Court rental rate is pegged at RM2.00 psf.

SIDENOTE: Since these are low density developments there are smaller number of units available; the sample size is therefore small. For a more accurate method on figuring out the fair market value of a unit at Fernlea Court, use our property valuation guide which you can download here for free.

The property has only about 15 units – so at any one time the units available for sub sale may be limited. A typical unit has a built-up size of 1,600 sqf while duplexes are sized 2,874 and 2,918 sqf. Facilities provided for residents include 24-hour security, a gym and basement parking. Note that the “usual” facilities that you’d expect from a typical condominium is sorely missing – the absence of a swimming pool is rather glaring. Another local property portal claims that the maintenance fee is lower because of the lack of facilities, but we have yet to verify that.

The perimeter of the property is beautifully landscaped and the overall ambiance is very peaceful – as you would expect from an Embassy Row property.

Our Analysis

As you can see, there is not much difference on the rental rates, which means that they are probably equal for most aspects. But why there are units for sale at Fernlea Court (which are cheaper per square foot than Villa Putra Putri) and no for sale units at Albakri Court? We believe that it is because Fernlea Court is lacking in facilities. It does not even have a swimming pool. But if all things equal, we think that Fernlea Court is a great investment, something for keeps. It is well-maintained and strategically located after all. Also, many Embassy Row properties are showing their age; Fernlea Court is definitely no exception. From the outside it does look pretty well maintained, and so that’s a plus.

All in all: Fernlea Court might be a good “entry point” for an Embassy Row property investment given its location and rather family-friendly configuration and sizes. The lack of standard facilities may worth noting, but it could be positioned as a “no frills” option versus the standard condominium which could be bloated with facilities that nobody use (you mean you go to the sauna three times a week?). Finally, the price is perhaps the most important factor – use this guide below to help you derive the fair market price for Fernlea Court (it’s a 20+ page PDF download which is emailed to you) –