Condominium with an infinity pool or a landed terrace home with a garden? No matter what you’re looking for, buying property in Malaysia can be perplexing with so many options available!
Before you commit to it and spend almost all your money, understand and know what you’re buying and whether it suits your lifestyle. Houses have either residential or commercial titles and different benefits or uses.
Discover all the common properties in Malaysia you may encounter on your property search and see which is the best for you to turn into a home.
Types Of Landed Properties
1. Terraces, Link, and Super-Link
A terrace house is one of the most common properties in Malaysia and a popular choice for those wanting to move from a high-rise unit to a landed house. Link and super-link houses are similar to terraces – the only difference is the size! The terrace house is the smallest, followed by the link and super-link.
Usually with a small garden or driveway in front, these homes can range from single to triple storeys. Intermediate lots share both sides of the walls with their neighbours, while corner lots – or end lots – are at the end of the row and share only one wall, with the other side opening up to a garden.
2. Semi-Detached and Detached
Moving up the size and price ladder, a semi-detached house shares a wall with a neighbour and has land next to it. The house beside it mirrors the design, hence, semi-detached units resemble pairs of houses. However, detached houses stand alone, don’t share any walls, and have land surrounding the house.
3. Townhouses
From the outside, a townhouse looks like a terrace house. But on the inside, it’s divided into two units or more. Depending on the design, the units may share a front porch and entrance area or have private ones. In terms of size, each townhouse unit can be one and a half storeys to two storeys, altogether combined in a three- to four-storey property.
4. Cluster
In Malaysia, a cluster house refers to houses built together in a small group. The houses share two walls – one with your next-door neighbour and the other with the neighbour living directly behind you. Empty land is normally on the other side of the house, and the property is a semi-detached home.
5. Bungalows and Zero-Lot Bungalows
A bungalow is a standalone house, surrounded by a garden that makes up some of the property’s land size. Bungalows can either be built by a developer as part of a housing project or built and designed from the ground up by the owner – if it’s a unique design, it’s probably the latter.
On the other hand, a zero-lot bungalow is almost the same as a bungalow, except that the house is built towards the corner. With this, the garden surrounds it on only two sides to maximise land space.
6. Mansions
What’s the difference between a bungalow and a mansion? Besides the owner’s tax bracket, mansions are bigger and more luxurious. These houses are large enough to accommodate full-size private facilities like a swimming pool, tennis court, and expansive driveway, and are built by the owners.
Types of Multi-Storey Properties
1. Flats
In Malaysia, flats are low-rise, multi-storey developments usually less than five storeys. A more affordable option, a flat may have very few facilities or none at all, including lifts. Nevertheless, as flats have been around much longer, their built-ups are comparable and spacious.
2. Apartments
Upgrading from a flat to an apartment means a taller building, more facilities, and greater space. Compared to flats, apartments have enhanced safety and security measures to protect residents. This means residents must pay a maintenance fee to ensure the upkeep of the property’s shared facilities and amenities.
3. Condominiums
Comparing condominiums with flats and apartments, the former has bigger built-ups, extensive facilities, and designated parking spaces. With a residential title, a condominium spans many floors and built-ups. Maintaining the building includes monthly maintenance fees, sinking funds, and service fees borne by the owner.
4. Serviced Residences/Apartments/Suites
A serviced residence, apartment, or suite, is essentially an upgraded condominium. It has more facilities and services so residents can feel like they’re living in a hotel, and the property carries a commercial title. Besides that, a serviced residence is pretty much like a condominium, if not grander!
5. SOHO, SOFO, SOVO
Gaining popularity in recent years, SOHO, SOFO, and SOVO units seem similar. SOHO, which stands for Small Office Home Office, has a residential title and can be used as both a home and office. Conversely, SOFO, a Small Office Flexible Office, and SOVO, a Small Office Versatile Office, carry commercial titles and can only be used as an office.
6. Studios
A studio unit is a small living space catered to singles or couples, typically designed with only one room or an open layout. A studio with an open layout has no walls to separate different spaces (except for the bathroom), blending the kitchen, living room, and bedroom into one space.
7. Duplexes and Lofts
Measuring two storeys high but in a high-rise, a duplex is also known as a loft, offering comfort and cosiness in a space. The two levels are connected by stairs, giving the idea of living in a landed property, and the upper floor is usually smaller than the lower by half.
8. Penthouses
Usually located on the highest level of a high-rise or in between, a penthouse takes up the entire floor or at least half. Because of the size, a penthouse is one of the most expensive units available in a high-rise, and it can be a single-storey or double-storey.
9. Shop Houses
A shop house is a unique combination of a shop and a house in one! The lower floor is a shop lot while the upper floor is a house – usually a family home for the shop lot’s owner. Both properties may carry commercial titles, but the house can be changed to a residential title as it is a place of residence.
Types Of Commercial Properties
1. Retail Lots
Retail lots are in shopping malls and differ in size, from kiosks to multi-storey departments. For businesses, a retail lot is an investment to reach mass audiences better with high foot traffic and to boost the brand’s physical presence.
2. Shop Lots
Shop lots comprise a commercial area that caters to surrounding residents, and can be single-storey or multi-storey with stairs or lifts. Ground floor units are more expensive as they are on the pedestrian level and easy to access, whereas the upper units may be cheaper the higher they are.
Which Property Should You Buy?
Before you buy a property, it’s great to do some R&D (research and digging) into the types of property you’re interested in and what it comes with. This means comparing residential and commercial property titles, leasehold and freehold land titles, whether it’s a strata-titled development, and more.
Knowing what kind of property you’re getting into can help determine how much to pay for your house, plus the monthly repayment for your home loan. Feel free to use our Mudah.my home loan calculator to estimate your mortgage quickly and conveniently to move your house-hunting journey forward!