Setia Indah

It seems that Setia Alam has somewhat became the “flavour of the month” in Malaysia property; it has become one of those places in urban Malaysia that people – developers and homeowners alike – flock to for residential haven. It does not exactly have the great views of say, Bukit Bandaraya in Bangsar or the Pavilion Hilltop in Mont Kiara, but it definitely presents a very convenient place to live in – far from the noise of city living in KL but within close distance to possibly every important public facility. It does seem to the perfect place to live in if you want to be away from the hustles and bustles of the city life. PropertyReviews.my take a closer look…

However, because Setia Alam has become so popular a hub for gated communities and villages and townships, the exclusive, quiet retreat feel to the area is slowly diminishing. It is a growing community with undeniable signs of becoming a very busy place. Indeed, there are many young professionals who are now flocking to the area due to its obvious appeal: competitive prices (on a PSF basis), its location (although fringe-y, it’s still relatively new and “hotter” than other fringe locations like Rawang and Kajang) and brand-name developer (SP Setia).

Enter: Setia Indah

That is where the gated township community of Setia Indah comes into the picture. It presents itself as an urban oasis where residents can run to and be fully secluded from the bustling cityscapes. It has the look and feel of an urban oasis, making it the perfect residence for those trying to seek shelter from the city life.

Prospective home buyers can choose between the houses at the Echelon and condo units at the up and coming Sky Oasis Residents. Currently, the second phase of the Echelon (Echelon II) is still under construction and so is Sky Oasis condominiums. The available homes at this urban oasis are in the first phase of Echelon and are mostly double storey semi-detached homes.

With a built-up size of about 2,200 sf, the homes here are sold at RM 345 to RM 400 psf depending on what comes with it and where it is exactly located at the township. That means the houses run here at prices between the RM 700,000 and RM 800,000.  Meanwhile, the houses at Echelon II are expected to be larger and more expensive with selling prices no lower than RM 1 million. Echelon II and the Sky Oasis are both expected to be completed in the middle part of 2015.

Setia Indah is one of the handful “Tier 1” residential areas inside Setia Alam which also includes Setia Impian, Eramas, Setia Damai and Duta Villa. Below are the indicative prices PSF as per property portal listings which are correct during the time of the publication of this review:-

• Setia Indah – RM345-400
• Setia Impian – RM350 – 420
• Setia Damai – RM375 – 425
• Duta Villa – RM400 – 500

Are these prices reflect their fair market values? Download our free price valuation guide to find out.

Look And Feel

The look of the place is a good way to start talking about the credits of Setia Indah. Setia Indah sits on an 18-acre freehold land covered with century-old trees and a grandiose, crystal clear lake with landscaping and a beautiful park. Coming home to a place as serene-looking as this will make your heart write poetry with its own heartbeat.

Another graceful merit that Setia Indah should receive is its excellent eco-friendly initiatives (although not as extensive as those in Setia Eco Park or Ken Rimba). They have a regular recycling event as a flagship green project. They motivate their residents to hand over their recyclables making them such an ideal place for green-loving parents who want to teach this value to their growing children.

And it does not stop there. Apart from the beauty of the place and their drive to help preserve Mother Nature, Setia Indah is also one to promote communal living. The management creates programs and activities that promote interaction among neighbors on a regular basis. This may pale in comparison to the kampung-esque lifestyle at the neighboring Denai Alam, but it is one step closer to your neighbors still. Residents also get free calls between neighbors, another tactic to promote a modernistic communal living.

Homes come with high-speed internet services and round-the-clock security.

Our Analysis

Being the “top of mind” developer in Malaysia, SP Setia’s every move and nuance receives scrutiny from the media and the general public. This means that being one of SP Setia’s flagship, Setia Alam receives flak for any screwups – which is good for us consumers ;). While new SP Setia projects have indeed mushroomed in the past few years (locally as well as abroad – see Battersea), Setia Alam does seem to always be on its radar.

With new launches in the KL city and PJ getting more scarce (and correspondingly more expensive!) we are now seeing more “fringe” areas getting more attention, and with the change in preference from condominiums to landed properties among young professionals (with small and growing families). Shah Alam (or specifically, Setia Alam) has the advantage of a good location with excellent connectivity (sans traffic jams!), and we should expect more projects in central Shah Alam as well as its adjacent areas.

Setia Indah, specifically, delivers just what it says on the can – competitively-priced link houses with beautiful landscaping and ample running space. It does not seem to be very different from its siblings (Setia Impian and Setia Damai), and they are also priced rather similarly. Use this price valuation guide below which you can use to check if a piece of property is priced at fair market value or not –