Mont Kiara Pines

Before all the glitz and glamour defined the upscale Mont Kiara stood Mont Kiara Pines, a residential condominium with a freehold land area of whopping eight acres (huge by Mont Kiara standards). Since its completion in 1993, the entire Mont Kiara district has developed into one of the most privileged and most expatriate-friendly locations in Kuala Lumpur. Businesses quadrupled over the years while condominiums are being built from left to right. The long-standing glut in the area remains as bad as before, but it does not dim the prospects of this high end enclave the least. More on this later…

One of Mont Kiara’s pioneer developments, Mont Kiara Pines has withstood time and the changes it brought along with it.

The Pines is a condominium that withstood the test of time and the changes that it brought along with it. It has long been considered as Mont Kiara’s pioneer developments, and with it comes the prestige and reputation as one of the condominiums that has been there even before Mont Kiara has flourished to what it is today.

Launched at RM190 PSF (unthinkable right now!), it was overwhelmingly received by buyers which are largely Malaysian (90% of the buyer demographic were locals with the rest consisting of Singaporeans). It was easy to see its appeal despite being a new area and a total lack of brand name during that time – condominiums at Bangsar were at RM300 PSF, and the 1986 financial crisis was just at its tail end.

As one of the oldest condominiums in the Mont Kiara enclave (more than 20 years old!), one would expect a considerable amount of wear and tear on its facades. However, a recent visit showed us otherwise; the place seemed to be nicely maintained with some new landscaping in the process.

Below is the specifications sheet for the Pines –

Sunrise’s Pioneer Project

The Pines is a major development back then for its developers, Sunrise (now known as UEM Sunrise post-merger with UEM). It is a 3-block residential condominium unit that comprises of 508 units, with 35 storeys per block. Built on freehold land measuring up to eight acres, the condominium has gone through a major renovation that was valued at RM4 mil in June 2006 and was completed on 2008. It’s off Jalan Kiara, which means that it’s near the “heart” of Mont Kiara – within walking distances to One Mont Kiara, Plaza Mont Kiara, Villa Mont Kiara and just down the road from Las Vacas for a tasty steak. 🙂

Mont Kiara Pines underwent major renovation valued at RM4 million, which was completed in 2008.

The renovation made the condominium more appealing to investors and renters. Included in the renovation project was a floor tile replacement (specifically timbre and granite), the extension of the three lobbies, guardhouse entrances upgrades, the inclusion of a mini-golf, landscaping, pavements, and stone-caddling. A fresh coat of paint was also applied to the building’ s exterior, as well as the addition of park and street furniture.

Facilities

Sunrise Developers has made it a point to keep the condominium’ s facilities fresh, modern, and fit to suit the tastes of the modern-day city-dweller.

Don’ t get fooled into thinking that The Pines lack the facilities of a modern, newly-constructed condominium in Mont Kiara. Sunrise has made it a point to keep the condominium’ s facilities fresh, modern, and fit to suit the tastes of the modern-day city-dweller. Residents can enjoy a quick swim at the condominium’ s swimming pool.

One could also get a makeover at its salon, then head on to the sauna for a relaxing time. Kids can truly take advantage of the condominium’ s spacious and fun playground; while sports fanatics can break a sweat by playing tennis, squash, and badminton on its respective courts. Runners can fully use a jogging path for their daily run.

The fact is that when compared with newer condominiums, the Pines does seem to be a little behind, but that’s acceptable given its “venerable” condition and age. There are indeed not many condominiums built in 1993 (Mont Kiara or elsewhere) with facilities maintained as well as the Pines.

Mont Kiara Pines Pricing Information

Unit sizes start from1,228 square feet to 2,900 square feet. Prices for the condominium’ s units have seen a rising trend, except during 2007 when the condominium was going through its renovation phase. Last recorded price was tallied at RM550,000.

Prices for Mont Kiara condominiums have been on the uptick for the last couple of months, and we expect the current trend to continue up until the end of this year at least. Below is the chart of prices of apartment units at Mont Kiara Pines since 2011 compiled from public resources. Use this to estimate the “fair value” if you want to buy or sell a unit. If you need guidance on how to do this, be sure to download our nifty little guide.

For a more updated version of the chart above, check out the below (asking prices for the past couple of months since early 2014) –

Mont Kiara Living for the Practical

If you are keen on living in Mont Kiara with just enough ringgit to spare, then Mont Kiara Pines is for you. Compared to its new condominium brothers and sisters in the Mont Kiara enclave, its price isn’ t too steep. One could still enjoy the benefits of having a prestigious Mont Kiara address, and still experience the comfort and convenience provided by a well-developed property from a well-known developer, whose reputation is something to admire.

Mont Kiara Pines seems to offer good bang for the buck with superb location and well maintained facilities

Being in such great location enables potential home buyers to live nearby the hottest entertainment spots, educational institutions, pubs, shopping malls, and fine dining areas. Mont Kiara has earned the equity of being one of the few enclaves in KL where most facilities are within walking distance, and the Pines being in the heart of the enclave occupies one of the best spots, ever.

We do notice that the asking prices found at the local property portals seem to be rather erratic with some weekly fluctuations which may well deviate from their “true” market value. During its early days, Pines have always been known to be popular among genuine home buyers who were looking for a place to stay for themselves; this means that the degree of speculation could be much lower.