Klang Valley’s million ringgit launches

0 Comments | New Straits Times, Jul 30, 2010 | by S.C. Cheah

HAVE you noticed the increasing number of “million ringgit”-plus property launches of late? Several of these developments have either been completed or are about to be ready, and their developers are trying hard to sell off their remaining units by giving hefty discounts and other financial incentives.

In the Klang Valley, the asking price of terrace houses in prime areas is easily over RM500,000 and paying upwards of RM1 million for a spacious landed unit isn’t unheard of nowadays.

Here’s a snapshot of a few new upmarket launches in the Klang Valley:

Pavilion Residences 1

SEB Asset Management, the asset management arm of an international banking house, recently extended an eight per cent discount on the list price and a further eight per cent rebate on the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) price for the final release of its Pavilion Residences 1 Uber Collection. This completed condominium project in Kuala Lumpur city sits atop the Pavilion KL shopping centre, with the available units comprising some threebedroom condos, 19 Sky Villas (four bedrooms) and three Sky Palaces (duplexes).

With the financial incentives in place, a 4,157sq ft, four- bedroom Sky Villa on the 31st floor with views of the Petronas Twin Towers is much lower than its list price of RM7.03 million.

After the eight per cent discount on the SPA price and further eight per cent rebate, the final price is RM5.95 million or RM1,431psf. Furthermore, instead of paying the usual 10 per cent upon signing the SPA (amounting to RM646,760), investors need only pay two per cent or RM129,352.

For the larger duplex unit with 6,689sq ft of space, a condo on the 38th floor that was listed at RM11 million is now available for RM9.3 million – a sizeable RM1.7 million discount!

That means instead of paying the 10 per cent downpayment or RM101,236 as per the SPA price of RM10.124 million, with the eight per cent rebate factored in, it is only two per cent or RM202,473.

Checks show that Singaporean investors have bought some of the units in this 43-storey Tower 1 (with 142 units in total) priced from around RM1,100psf to RM1,450psf (after discount) as the rate is said to be cheaper than the RM1,400psf to RM1,700psf currently offered in the secondary market.

Besides the six-storey Pavilion KL and the 99-year leasehold Pavilion Residences that comprises two towers (the second is 50 floors high), other components of the development include a 19- storey office tower and the proposed 200-room Raffles Kuala Lumpur.

Surian Residences

A recent exciting new launch was that of the two-block, 311-unit Surian Residences in Selangor’s suburb of Mutiara Damansara.

This much sought-after township landmarked by retail centres such as the Curve, Ikea, Ikano Power Centre and Tesco has consistently drawn so many buyers that the developer, Mutiara Rini Sdn Bhd, has had to conduct balloting exercises for its units.

The latest ballot early this month saw 6,000 invites sent out, which garnered 80 per cent sale on the first day even though the units at Surian Residences were pegged from RM507,000 (for an 850sq ft apartment) to RM1.24 million (2,250sq ft) or about RM600psf.

And just to think, when Mutiara Rini launched its first condominium in 2003, the 346-unit Surian Condominium, it was pegged at around RM250psf (half of what it is now worth).

Laman Granview

When developer IJM Land Bhd opened the second and third phases of this project in Saujana Puchong at the end of last month, it treated visitors to a lion dance, fire safety campaign, magic show and feng shui talk.

Located 450ft above sea level – the highest point in Puchong – residents will be able to enjoy panoramic views of the surroundings that include the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve.

The project’s features include a “residents’ only” clubhouse with infinity pool and 24-hour security with guard patrol.

The current launch involves 56 units of two-and-a-halfstorey semi- detached houses with 3,577sq ft of space sitting on land with dimensions of 40ft by 80ft as well as 29 units of three-storey zero- lot bungalows (built-up 3,651sq ft; land dimensions 45ft by 85ft).

The former starts from RM1.54 million to RM1.64 million, the latter from RM1.95 million to RM1.98 million.

When this 53-acre gatedand- guarded leasehold scheme was initially launched in 2007, its first batch of semi-dees were from RM1.18 million to RM1.26 million while the zero-lot bungalows were from RM1.3 million to RM1.34 million.

The Westside One

Following the sell-out of the first batch of condos in the 40- storey Westside One located within Desa Parkcity in KL, award- winning developer Perdana Parkcity Sdn Bhd opened the second release, pricing the units from RM806,000 to RM2.36 million.

Pool Villas

Dijaya Corp Bhd has also launched 54 units of the three-storey villas priced from RM3.7 million to RM4.9 million at its Tropicana Resort Homes in Petaling Jaya.

All units averaging 7,000sq ft in size come with their own lift and private pool, two master bedrooms, six other bedrooms and three living areas.

Recycle books, Dex urges

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 1, 2005 by Deseret Morning News

With 620,000 new Yellow and White pages directories from Dex Media finding their way onto porches the next few weeks, the company is encouraging people to recycle their old books.

Salt Lake area homes and businesses are encouraged to use curbside recycling containers or drop old Dex directories at recycling locations around the city. A list of locations is available by calling 877-2-GET-DEX or going online to DexOnline.com/ Recycle.

The company said Wednesday that Salt Lake-area residents last year recycled an estimated 622 tons of Dex phone books. It said that equated to enough landfill space to handle a year’s worth of trash from 280 households and saved 10,575 trees, enough power for 255 homes for a year and enough water to fill six Olympic-size swimming pools.

The recycled books are used for new directories, which contain up to 40 percent recycled materials, as well as packaging, animal bedding, insulation and fruit trays and fruit insulation padding.

World Cup winners; It’s the ultimate match of the day – simple and delicious international snacks to compliment the big games. Roll on half-time!

0 Comments | Daily Mail (London, England), The, June 12, 2010

AMERICAN CLASSIC BURGER

Serves 4

500g (1lb 2oz) beef mince

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 gherkins, finely chopped

2tsp mustard

2tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 egg

25g (1oz) white breadcrumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

Burger buns, lettuce and sliced tomatoes, to serve

Put the mince in a large bowl and, using your hands, work in the onion, garlic, gherkins, mustard, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper, until well combined.

Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into large burgers.

Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium.

Place the burgers on a baking sheet and grill for 5-6 minutes each side until cooked.

Top with a thick slice of cheese.

Serve the burgers in buns with lettuce and tomatoes and a tangy relish.

We’ve gone for a great American Monterey Jack cheese (available from most supermarkets), but any cheese will work well.

ARGENTINIAN CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Makes 12

For the pastry.

350g (11oz) plain flour

pinch baking powder

175g (6oz) butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten For the filling

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1tbsp tomato puree

1tsp smoked paprika

1tsp ground cumin

200g (7oz) cooked chicken breast, diced

8 pimento stuffed green olives, chopped.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper First, make the pastry

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl

Stir in the butter and 1 of the eggs, then gradually stir in about 100ml (31/2fl oz) warm water to make a soft dough.

Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

To make the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Add the red pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Stir in the tomato puree, paprika and cumin and mix well.

Add the chicken and olives and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mix gets too dry.

Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200[degrees]C/gas 6.

Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 3mm (1/8in) and cut out circles approximately 14cm (51/2in) diameter.

Divide the filling between the pastry circles and moisten the edges with water.

Fold the pastry over to enclose the filling and crimp the edges to seal.

Transfer to a baking sheet and brush with milk to glaze.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until risen and golden.

Empanadas are popular all over South America – try other fillings such as beef and olives, ham, spinach and cheese.

SOUTH AFRICAN SPARE RIBS WITH BRAAI SAUCE

Serves 4

2tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 green pepper, deseeded and diced

2tbsp brown sugar

400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes

1tbsp tomato puree

2tbsp worcestershire sauce

2tbsp fruity chutney

2kg (4lb 8oz) pork spare ribs

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the green pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the spare ribs, and bring to the boil.

Season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until thickened.

if you are cooking your ribs on the barbecue, brush them with some of the sauce and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Turn the ribs occasionally and brush with more sauce.

To cook in the oven, pour the sauce into a roasting tin and add the spare ribs.

Turn to coat in the sauce and bake for 40 minutes at 180[degrees]C/gas 4.

South Africans love their meat so we’ve gone for a great tangy barbecue sauce, which also works well with chicken and pork.

MEXICAN CHILLI ‘N’ TORTILLA CHIPS

Serves 4

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

500g (1lb 2oz) beef mince

1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp (heaped) plain flour

2tsp cocoa powder

400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes

200ml (7fl oz) beef stock

1tbsp worcestershire sauce

400g (14oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed.

handful coriander leaves, chopped.

tortilla chips, guacamole, tomato salsa, grated cheddar cheese and sour cream, to serve.

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Tip in the mince and cook over a high heat for 4-5 minutes, until browned.

keep stirring to break up the mince.

Stir in the chilli and cumin and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the flour and cocoa and cook for another minute.

Pour in the stock, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and kidney beans and mix well.

Bring to a gentle simmer, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 30 minutes, until thickened.

Spoon into bowls and serve with the tortilla chips, cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

We’ve used cocoa powder, but the Mexicans like to use dark chocolate in savoury dishes.

GerMan hot doGs with Mustard onions

Serves 4

25g (1oz) butter

1tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, sliced

1tbsp soft brown sugar

150ml (5fl oz) beer

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

4 good-sized pork sausages

Garden is the result of 20 years’ work

Comments | Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, Jun 26, 2010

EXPLORE a private garden containing everything from exotic plants to vegetable plots next weekend.

The half-acre garden at Demeter House, Low Street, Winterton, will be open to the public on Sunday, July 4. Created over a period of more than 20 years, features include a jungle garden, pond, fruit and vegetables and much more.

The garden is opening as part of the National Gardens Scheme, which sees more than 3,000 gardens around the country open up to raise money for charity.

Tea and scones will be available throughout the day. Visits do not need to be booked, drop in at any time from 2pm to 6pm.

Admission costs Pounds 2.50 and children go free. All proceeds to charity.

For further information, visit www.ngs.org.uk

Five-bedroom home has a refitted kitchen

0 Comments | Tamworth Herald, The, Jun 10, 2010

A MODERN, five-bedroomed detached property with a refitted breakfast kitchen is on the market with agents Mark Evans & Co.

Number 27, Moat Drive, Drayton Bassett has a family room as well as a lounge and dining room, and there’s an en suite to the master bedroom.

The property has double glazing, gas central heating, and there’s a garage and block-paved driveway.

Offers around Pounds 299,950 are being invited.

To view, call agents Mark Evans & Company on 01827 311300.

In brief, the accommodation comprises hall, cloakroom, lounge, dining room, kitchen and family room top the ground floor; with five bedrooms, one with en suite, and a bathroom upstairs.

The lounge has a bay window and an Adam fireplace with marble effect inserts and hearth, gas fire inset and double doors to dining room, which has sliding patio doors to rear and through archway to kitchen.

The refitted kitchen has a range of units and work surfaces including stainless steel sink top, fitted fridge freezer in matching unit, fitted dishwasher in matching unit, space for automatic washing machine, low-level oven and hob with extractor fan, low-level breakfast bar, tiled floor and built-in under stairs cupboard The family room has double patio doors to garden.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has bay window to the front, built in double wardrobes The family bathroom has tiled vanity shelves, WC, sculptured bath with mixer tap and shower over, tiled corner shower and wash basin.

The front garden is lawned and there’s a double width block- paved driveway leading to the garage, which has an upand-over door, light and power.

To the rear is a block-paved patio, a lawn with borders, and a second circular block-paved patio beyond.

the property LOCATION: 27, Moat Drive, Drayton Bassett ROOMS: Hall, cloakroom, lounge, dining room, kitchen and family room Upstairs: Five bedrooms, one with en suite, and a bathroom PRICE: Offers around Pounds 299,950 CALL: Mark Evans & Co on 01827 311300

SCULPTURE FROM THE SEA

0 Comments | Evening Standard; London (UK), Jul 28, 2010 | by Nicole Swengley

EVEN in cities you can create the impression of relaxed beachside living by using driftwood furniture and shoreline-style accessories, and the look can appear surprisingly sophisticated.

Driftwood furniture ticks all the right boxes. Its weathered grain and sea-sculpted shapes can be stunning and, being recycled, it conserves resources and reduces waste — and homeowners love its evocation of a carefree summer by the beach.

Martin Scorey, a boat-builder by training, makes innovative furniture using traditional skills at his Southampton base. “I love using driftwood because it’s tactile and evokes the weathered, windswept feel of the British shoreline. To walk along a beach after a storm collecting wood is just the inspiration I need to fashion it into a unique piece of furniture.”

Scorey’s throne-like chairs are made to order (from Pounds 250) and handdecorated with shells, pebbles and rope. Tables in a variety of idiosyncratic shapes (from Pounds 280) and custom-made, decorative timber screens (from Pounds 600) are also available from his Shoreline Furniture collection.

Homeowners looking for less sculptural pieces can create the driftwood look with Scorey’s glasstopped desks (Pounds 600), bedside cabinets (Pounds 140) and coffee tables (Pounds 250), made from sand- blasted Cedar of Lebanon. Bathroom and kitchen cabinets are custom- made in a similar style (from Pounds 110).

The marine theme can also be extended, indoors or outside, with decorative accessories such as green glass fishing net floats, whelk pots, driftwood flowers, shrimp nets and vintage pond yachts, all available online from Shoreline Furniture.

Surfing enthusiast Jonty Henshall started making driftwood furniture while living at Sennen Cove in west Cornwall. “If I find an interesting, discarded piece of wood I try to use it in a sympathetic way, creating sculpture, furniture and paintings that will capture its unique form forever.” His made-to-order designs are available at Beyond the Sea in Padstow, north Cornwall, and online. Prices start from Pounds 120 for bedside tables, from Pounds 250 for coffee tables, from Pounds 350 for dressers and from Pounds 650 for beds.

One of the pleasures of living with driftwood furniture lies in knowing where the raw material washed up. David Holmes of Nautilus Design combines driftwood collected from St Peter’s Bay in Essex with driftnet corks from Petershead in Scotland to create attractive mirror frames. Meanwhile the knotted trunks of birch trees washed up on a Pembrokeshire beach are cut into stubby lamp bases (Pounds 185 a pair) and topped with shades made from layers of hand-made, recycled paper pulp.

“It’s a pretty perfect lifestyle, collecting driftwood from some of Britain’s most scenic beaches, then taking it home to my workshop in Bedfordshire to make one-off designs,” says David. “Wood can be a difficult material. Oak goes very hard in salt water and I’ve burned out many a drill bit and saw blade. And a nearly finished piece is sometimes ruined when you discover a soft spot is, in fact, a honeycomb of tunnels created by sea worms.”

Holmes’s Twig mirrors (Pounds 235) are painstakingly crafted from small, salvaged pieces carefully entwined in a wreath-like fashion, while artistic combinations of driftwood chips form the rays of his starburst mirrors (Pounds 235). He also makes cabinets (Pounds 145), lamps (from Pounds 145) and photo frames (Pounds 75)
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