Why I love My House

Disclaimer: I am writing this entirely on my own. I am not paid nor requested by Paramount Development. These are entirely my own views.

I have purchased my house for a year now, in Kota Kemuning. Sign the contract in July 2009, got the keys a year ago. Time flies. Well, my house is still pretty empty due to the lack of income this year. In any case, it beginning to look like a very good purchase. It is a corner lot, with more than 30 by 70 feet of garden.

The house was developed by Paramount. And here are the reasons why I think it is better than some other houses that I've seen, including those in Putra Heights.

1. Paramount gives value for money paid. Drains are enclosed. No open drains in the front of the house.
2. Power supply is three phase. Not required, but Paramount didn't mind spending the extra money. Three phase power allows me to expand my house in the future without the need to worry about insufficient power supply.
3. Under-ground cabling. TNB Power cables are installed underground. No unsightly poles and wires running around.
4. Good water pressure from the water mains.
5. No problem with 'dirty' or muddy water. I suspect the pipes are in a ring layout rather than a dead-end configuration.
6. Telephone cables - 10 pairs from the house's junction box to Telekom's junction box. Usually, they put in only one or two pairs. If it is damaged by lightning, there isn't too much spares around.
7. Wide back lanes.
8. Tiles are MML tiles. Very high quality indeed.
9. Jotun paint is used. Again, high quality.
10. House has high ceiling. Makes it cooler.
11. No faulty plumbing (eg clogged toilets) during handover
12. No faulty wiring (eg, light or power point fails to work)
13. No faulty phone points (I heard my Telekom installer describing Gamuda's development nearby - more than 80% of the phone points in the house did not work!)
14. Wiring are in actual conduits, not just part conduit part cemented into the wall.
15. Electrical distribution box - MCB, MCCB and ELCBs are by EPS. A Malaysian brand, but has quality. Some developer uses some less known brands. Some even without SIRIM approval. EPS parts are not the cheapest in town.
    
16. Wiring and cabling are correctly sized. Some developers or their contractors under-size the cables to cut cost.
17. Paramount actually has land reserved for green lungs. Try Sime Darby. They sell and develop everything (case and point - USJ). They even want to develop the lake near SS15. Bugger.
18. Plastering work is very well done. Walls are considered very smooth given that it is done by the developer.
19. Provides autogate wiring - using proper armoured cable. Some buggers (including private autogate installers) would use ordinary PVC cables. That will cause never ending problems.
20. Electrical Earthing of my house is actually below 5 ohms. This is better than some power stations and well below the ISO requirement of at most 8 ohms.

In short, I trust that Paramount has done their best and indeed delivers quality. They do not cut corners and do not mind spending the extra. I truly appreciate it :)

I Love Shah Alam

I have been staying in Shah Alam for more than 9 months now. All I can say is, I love it. Here's why.

1. A lot less traffic.
   
2. It is close to major highways, KESAS, LKSA, Federal Highway, Shapadu, Lekas and NKVE.
3. Plenty of parking in front of Maybank Kota Kemuning. Try that in Taipan!
4. EPF has plenty of parking, and cheap too.
5. Telekom Malaysia has its own building, with ample FREE parking.
6. General Post Office is here - and yes, it has lots of free parking too.
7. We have Tesco. Giant Hypermarket is being built.
8. We have lots of KFC, McD and even a Burger King outlet. (no, don't eat too much fast food)

In contrast, here's what you get in USJ:

1. The forever jam in Jalan Kewajipan, especially the Giant - Summit - KESAS intersection.
2. Too many schools along Jalan Tujuan, causing jams.
3. Hardly any undeveloped space.
4. All offices are in shoplots.
5. Taipan is badly conjested, yet morons put up more buildings.
6. USJ 9 is also badly conjested.
7. Lack of government offices (EPF for example)
8. LDP is always conjested.
9. Toll at KESAS to KL, and LDP to Puchong.
   
10. Houses are getting way to expensive
11. Number one spot for dengue
    

Sime UEP has made a royal mess out of USJ. Every corner has been developed. Stuffed. Mind you, there is no major improvement in infrastructure. Still two roads in and out of USJ - namely Jalan Kewajipan and Jalan Tujuan. All access roads have at least two traffic lights. That's the killer.

Sure, they have some new fly overs near SS15 along Jalan Kewajipan, but the traffic lights at the KESAS junction is still there. You see a new bus station? Or a new bus stand? Nope.

This is what happens when greedy bastards run the place. Build as much as they can. They are still building some houses near Jalan Kewajipan / LDP. And they want more bungalows at the park / lake in SS15. All the town council can say is....approve approve approve. And the bastards and stuffing as many condos and shopping complexes near the KTM station - where the new Empire shopping mall is. You see the KTM station getting bigger? Nope. Bastards aren't they? OK - go blame KTM for the station, but do they build their own bus stops? Or cater for public transport? Or a good taxi rank? Nope. I wouldn't even want to imagine how conjested Subang Jaya will be with all the new condos occupied.

I must note that under the new government, the few bungalows in the padang near my house there has not started work. Apparently MPSJ didn't give out the build as you like order. So, voting for a new government did help.

In short, Subang Jaya and USJ is nothing but a mad house. Good for retired folks, as they move about after peak hours. But if you are a working professional, I suggest Shah Alam.

It's Raya

Once again, it is Raya and Salam Eid to all.

The good thing about raya, besides food, would be hot pussies. Let me explain further. I have some bloody annoying cats (stray or otherwise) that has their macho contest right outside my room - in a side lane. They are not my pussies, but they do keep me awake at night. They know darn well that I cannot get them. Not afraid of water either. So, what's my solution? Hot Pussies!

Years back, I got a water gun, albeit not the powerful type, fill it up with vinegar and spray them. The end results - sour pussies. Hahaha. Pun intended. Cats hate vinegar and when they try to lick it off, the look of sour pussies are worthless. Alas, it is a bit too troublesome to get up in the middle of the night to reload my gun. Ahem... What more, vinegar is kindda messy.

Then, someone suggested 'pop pop', a kind of fireworks. It is some encapsulated gunpowder - and when subjected to impact - such as being thrown to the ground, it pops. Popping pussies are fun. They do run at the sharp and loud noise, but there is a limited range on how far I can throw them.

Being Raya, I manage to get some more powerful fireworks. Light it, throw it, and it goes bang. That kind of fireworks. Range is the same as pop pop (relies on me throwing it), but it goes out with a bigger bang. Banging pussies are more fun.

Lastly, I got some moon travellers aka rockets. They fly for about 20 meters before going 'bang'. A flying pussy might well be fun.

Not to worry - no cats were hurt or will be hurt - just some excited pussies jumping around. I just want some sleep. After all, cats are bloody smart. If they know the object will explode, they keep away. Not easy to get pussies.

House Wanted

A public holiday for Kuala Lumpur today, courtesy of the Prime Minister. That's a joy of working in Malaysia.

Will be spending most of the day looking for a house. I intend to buy a house soon, especially when the stock market appears to be on a free fall. As a buyer, I can only hope the prices of real estate will follow suit.

On the subject of houses, it pains me very much to see that my grandpa is not able to stay in his house. He has to stay in pretty much a nursing home. Reason - he had a fall early last year and suffered brain hemorrhage. After an operation, he has recovered substantially but needs either a walking frame or a wheel chair to move around. Now, this becomes the tricky part.

• The washroom is rather small - the wheel chair / walker cannot fit in. We have tried - it just fits and there is no space at all to move around. Hence, he is not able to use his own washroom.
• There are just way too many steps. Even a small step of about 2 inches between the living hall and the kitchen becomes a hazard for a frail person.
• Car porches in Malaysian homes, in generally, are very badly designed. Most of the time, after parking under the covered portion of the porch, one is not able to put the wheelchair next to the car - not enough space. I have no idea why car porches / garages must be in front of the house in Malaysia. The cars take up so much space and we really do not need it obstructing our entrances.

Oh well, this little lesson has prompted my parents to seriously think of a house suitable for the elderly. We have not even discussed about double-storey houses! It is very sad to see one not able to life in his/her own home.

Some has suggested staying in a condo. I have little contact with condos. I am curious to know, how many condos are equiped with lifts suitable to paramedics? Can the stretcher fit in?

Oh, by the way, I am looking for a house near USJ and / or Subang Jaya. I really should not turn my blog into a "Classified". Not a good idea.