A House Not A Home

I'm a home owner!

My living room

View from my  living room balcony

I bought an apartment at the end of 2014. I became interested in 2 apartment projects by this particular developer. But by the time I made an enquiry, the units had been sold out. I was ecstatic when I was told that another project would be launched, so I registered my interest with them.

They gave me a call prior to the launching of this new project. So the following day, I went to the developer's office very early - way before it opened its doors. I anticipated a queue at the office, as it was the case with its prior projects. However, I was surprised to find that all was quiet.

I waited for a while, and then came a middle-aged man, Mr. W. We got chatting and discovered that we were both interested in the same project. Mr. W said he was buying the apartment for his daughter. He'd gotten the brochure earlier, and so the both of us stood outside the office, discussing which unit we would potentially buy - the size to buy and the prices offered.

I was debating whether to buy the smallest unit or potentially a larger one. Looking at the prices, I thought the larger units were all overpriced. Incidentally, Mr. W and I both aimed at the same unit on the same block. Of course, he managed to book it first, and I had to settle for the unit above his. Heh. We'd become neighbours.

I'd gone to the office without any preparation at all. No cheque book. No cash. So the lady insisted that I had to pay a downpayment of 5% to book my unit. No payment, no booking. She couldn't even reserve the unit for me while I go get a cheque for it. An hour was what I asked for but she refused me. What a bitch she was. So in the end, what I did was to charge 2.5% to my credit card. Then, I went home to get a cheque for another 2.5% of the downpayment and drove immediately to the developer's office to pay. That was RM15,700 downpayment for a 861 square foot 2+1 room apartment with a garden view, on the second floor.

Paper work ensued in the next few months .... my sales and purchase agreement, and my loan was done without a hitch. I forgot about the existence of the apartment until I got periodical statements from the developer and the bank about financial matters. I'd never gone to see the site when it was building. I'd never visited my unit when it was under construction. All I did was start paying for my housing loan some time last year.

Before I knew it, 3 years had passed ... and last month I was contacted about handover. I was in Sri Lanka at that time ... and so I waited till the beginning of this month to collect my keys. When I first unlocked the doors to the apartment .... hmn ... it was smaller than I expected, but the workmanship was better than I thought. Heh. I'd actually expected the worst after seeing the very poor workmanship of my friend's house at Samarahan.

Now, I have another burden. To furnish the apartment! I'd gotten it small because I thought it would be sufficient for me. I also hated cleaning, so the smaller the better. Plus, I did not want to spend so much on furnishing the apartment - so I thought if it were smaller, I could spend less on furniture and stuff. In the long run, I also thought I could save on the management fees - the bigger the apartment, the more you have to pay!

Over all, I'm quite happy with the size of the bedroom and the living room. I did find the kitchen and the yard too small. I'm now looking for inspiration for some renovation work, like how to maximise space, and how to make my tiny kitchen bigger and more functional. Hmn .... it will take me probably more than a few months before I start shopping for contractors, fittings, appliances and etc.

I'd visited my house a few times now. I'd met my neighbour Mr. W again. I'd visited his unit - he'd furnished it with simple furniture and had rented out his unit. Last I went, there was already someone staying there. I also met my neighbours opposite my unit. They seemed a friendly couple too.

Hmn ... I do not have a conclusive plan yet, but I'd probably not stay at the apartment ... I'd rather stay with my folks. Maybe a weekend home? Hmn ... really not sure.