Since I got married I used to live in an apartment or condominium. Frankly, I am not sure what's the difference between condominium and apartment as I knew both are high rise residential buildings. I've been living in a service apartment and was owned one condominium back in Malaysia. Here in Vietnam, we also living in an apartment and hardly heard people mentioned about condominium. In Vietnam the term most heard for residentials are, house, villa, apartment and hut.
Ok, this writing is actually my opinion about the design, facilities and services of the apartments that I've lived in and I've seen and observed. Back in Malaysia, we currently have what they called it service apartment in Damansara Perdana. When my husband bought the apartment (we just engaged at that time), my thinking was the apartment will be facilitated with services such as in-house cleaning (day-maid) service, laundry service, etc. That time back in 2005, with that price and size of less than 100sqm, I could consider it as a mid range service apartment. This block that we lived in is considered as a commercial block of the residential complex that contained another 2 blocks, that they called it condominium. This mean in this residential complex, it has 2 condominium blocks/buildings and 1 service apartment block/building (this is where we were lived in before we moved to Vietnam. We still live in this apartment when we go back Malaysia during the school holiday).
Back to my expectation, I am expecting those services provided when moved in when its completed. We moved in after my the delivery of my daughter. It was a disappointment when it was not turned out as what I've expected. According to the developer, the meaning of service apartment for this particular building was a commercial building as the address can be used as both commercial and residential, while the condominium address can only be used as residential address. It turned out that we have to pay higher assessment tax as compared to the condominium building. I feel we've been conned as the actual promotion did not reflect the actual scenario. What the..................May be someone professional can be best explained to us about all this. But it was ok to us as long as we have a place to live safely. For your information, our service apartment has no reception counter and we can only pay management fee at the management office where all the building and technical management are stationed. The management office is operated with an office hour 9a.m - 6pm with 1 hour break at 5 days a week with alternate Saturday operation. This means we can only communicate and do transaction during operation hour as mentioned.
Back to my expectation, I am expecting those services provided when moved in when its completed. We moved in after my the delivery of my daughter. It was a disappointment when it was not turned out as what I've expected. According to the developer, the meaning of service apartment for this particular building was a commercial building as the address can be used as both commercial and residential, while the condominium address can only be used as residential address. It turned out that we have to pay higher assessment tax as compared to the condominium building. I feel we've been conned as the actual promotion did not reflect the actual scenario. What the..................May be someone professional can be best explained to us about all this. But it was ok to us as long as we have a place to live safely. For your information, our service apartment has no reception counter and we can only pay management fee at the management office where all the building and technical management are stationed. The management office is operated with an office hour 9a.m - 6pm with 1 hour break at 5 days a week with alternate Saturday operation. This means we can only communicate and do transaction during operation hour as mentioned.
But, here in Vietnam, I found that, if you live in a service apartment means that the management of the building will provide a house keeping service and some with laundry service.The normal apartment doesn't has the housekeeping service and normally the management fee is lower than the service apartment's management fee. Besides that, there is no different between the normal residential and commercial residential. Every each of apartment complexes has their own reception counter that serve the residents, regardless it's a service apartment or non service apartment. Basically, it's a part of the facilities provided which included in the management fee without discrimination of types of apartment you lived in.
In our apartment that currently we are residing (Imperia An Phu Residences, developed half way by Korean developer with a Korean Design), its reception operates as early as 7 a.m and close at 8.00p.m and some will close at 9.00 p.m. The reception is still open during lunch hour (I believed they practice rotation break). This reception counter is specifically will give service to its residents it term of many things such as paying the bills (electric, gas, water, internet as well as tv cabel), arranging transport, posting/delivery of parcel, management of facilities (common hall, recreation room, library, tennis court, gym, etc). This reception counter will receive complains too, e.g resident has lightings or air-cond problems, they would just go to the reception, logged a report and the reception will arrange technical team to inspect and fix it. Should the fixing needs an exterior service, they are willing to arrange for the residents.
In our apartment that currently we are residing (Imperia An Phu Residences, developed half way by Korean developer with a Korean Design), its reception operates as early as 7 a.m and close at 8.00p.m and some will close at 9.00 p.m. The reception is still open during lunch hour (I believed they practice rotation break). This reception counter is specifically will give service to its residents it term of many things such as paying the bills (electric, gas, water, internet as well as tv cabel), arranging transport, posting/delivery of parcel, management of facilities (common hall, recreation room, library, tennis court, gym, etc). This reception counter will receive complains too, e.g resident has lightings or air-cond problems, they would just go to the reception, logged a report and the reception will arrange technical team to inspect and fix it. Should the fixing needs an exterior service, they are willing to arrange for the residents.
In Malaysia, we may only see a reception counter for the selective higher end condominium or exclusive condominium or its a combination of hotel and service apartment. The normal condominium or "service apartment"/ apartment, mostly have no reception counter. Any complain about the facilities will be handled by the management office. This is where the residents can see the chaotic, behaviour of the building manager, where the clerical, vendor and technical came in and out and at the same time serving the customer/ residents, somehow it looks not that professional for me who has been used to be served by a proper channel of residential building management. I am not sure why building managers or building manager service provider unable to provide this proper service to the residents. It is not only our "service apartment" that doesn't have the reception but the condominium I bought also did not have the reception counter for residents. I think, the reception counter is important as it is located away from the management office. This is important as it will develope a gap between the customer to the internal management.
As a resident or user/customer, I would not need and should not know about the internal problem of the building management. The gap also play as the confidentiality safety to the building manager. That's why it is more appropriate to have a reception counter away from the building management office. For me it is inappropriate that the outsider observed or listen to the internal management activities and conversation. Well, I do not know about others, but for me it looks more professional when you have a reception counter away from the management office in order to attend and assist the residents' complain and request. Sometimes I feel weird as most of us know that Malaysia is more developed than Vietnam but in this particularly issue, I found the service and facilities I get in Vietnam is far away better than I get in Malaysia.
As a resident or user/customer, I would not need and should not know about the internal problem of the building management. The gap also play as the confidentiality safety to the building manager. That's why it is more appropriate to have a reception counter away from the building management office. For me it is inappropriate that the outsider observed or listen to the internal management activities and conversation. Well, I do not know about others, but for me it looks more professional when you have a reception counter away from the management office in order to attend and assist the residents' complain and request. Sometimes I feel weird as most of us know that Malaysia is more developed than Vietnam but in this particularly issue, I found the service and facilities I get in Vietnam is far away better than I get in Malaysia.
Now about the design. I've been living in an apartment that has Korean designed as it was developed by Korean developer and soon will be moving to an apartment developed by local Vietnamese developer. I was living in an apartment developed by local Malaysian developer , had owned a condominium developed by Malaysian developer and has experienced the ambiance of apartment developed by Singaporean developer in Malaysia. Apartment's design of all these apartment did give me different ambiance and feels when I was in it.
Amongst of all apartments that I've experienced in it, I found the Korean designed is one of the best and most practical. Here we are not talking about the quality and workmanship as yet. Here, I am talking about the design in particular.Why I said the Korean design is the most practical? I think the Korean design is the most practical because it take into consideration of the Asian's aesthetic culture, the technology and the practicality. For example, in our current apartment, the layout of the unit has the shoe space.
Mostly in Asian culture, they will take off shoe prior entering the house, so this apartment has designed a shoe area as you enter the apartment that separates the floor of the interior space. As such you will take off you shoe at the shoe area as you entered the unit but not yet reaching the interior layout such the living room, dining or kitchen area for example. At the shoe area, the built a show cabinet to store shoe that you seldom use and some space for slippers and shoes that you regularly use. This shoe area is lit with dedicated lightings.
Next, this apartment unit has a practical size for each section ( living room, toilet, dining, kitchen, store, laundry, compressor area) that ease the maintenance of each section and comfortable to move. Another point is keyless entrance which very very practical as you only use one access card for the turnstile, the lobby door and the unit door. Without this access card you are unable to have an access even to the complex except the reception counter. Each unit door is using coded door, that means only residents has the individual pass code to access their particular unit. This is very important for safety purposes. This means, 3 layers security check with or without vehicle. In each unit, it is installed with visual inter comm. That means you can see and recognize your expected guest from the inter comm monitor. The inter comm monitor is not only installed at the wall but also at the mini tv installed in the kitchen. This is so practical as the housewife who is busy cooking in the kitchen doesn't has to run and check or open the door of the expected guest from the main inter comm monitor. You may also just press the open button for the door from the toilet if you are in the toilet. The inter comm device installed in the toilet also has etiquette button if you don't want the outsiders listen to the toilet flushing sounds.
Their landscape of common area, kids area and swimming pool area was designed and built practically for recreation, exercise plus kids and disable friendly.
Amongst of all apartments that I've experienced in it, I found the Korean designed is one of the best and most practical. Here we are not talking about the quality and workmanship as yet. Here, I am talking about the design in particular.Why I said the Korean design is the most practical? I think the Korean design is the most practical because it take into consideration of the Asian's aesthetic culture, the technology and the practicality. For example, in our current apartment, the layout of the unit has the shoe space.
Mostly in Asian culture, they will take off shoe prior entering the house, so this apartment has designed a shoe area as you enter the apartment that separates the floor of the interior space. As such you will take off you shoe at the shoe area as you entered the unit but not yet reaching the interior layout such the living room, dining or kitchen area for example. At the shoe area, the built a show cabinet to store shoe that you seldom use and some space for slippers and shoes that you regularly use. This shoe area is lit with dedicated lightings.
Next, this apartment unit has a practical size for each section ( living room, toilet, dining, kitchen, store, laundry, compressor area) that ease the maintenance of each section and comfortable to move. Another point is keyless entrance which very very practical as you only use one access card for the turnstile, the lobby door and the unit door. Without this access card you are unable to have an access even to the complex except the reception counter. Each unit door is using coded door, that means only residents has the individual pass code to access their particular unit. This is very important for safety purposes. This means, 3 layers security check with or without vehicle. In each unit, it is installed with visual inter comm. That means you can see and recognize your expected guest from the inter comm monitor. The inter comm monitor is not only installed at the wall but also at the mini tv installed in the kitchen. This is so practical as the housewife who is busy cooking in the kitchen doesn't has to run and check or open the door of the expected guest from the main inter comm monitor. You may also just press the open button for the door from the toilet if you are in the toilet. The inter comm device installed in the toilet also has etiquette button if you don't want the outsiders listen to the toilet flushing sounds.
Their landscape of common area, kids area and swimming pool area was designed and built practically for recreation, exercise plus kids and disable friendly.
Comparison of Apartments' layout and its facilities:
From a housewife point of view:
Being a Malaysian living abroad would not allow you to own a property but giving me an opportunity to experience living nomad from one apartment to another. It gives me an opportunity to compare the quality and practicality of design and floor plan layout of the apartments that we rent and we owned back in our home country.
From my observation, most of middle to upper level of apartments in HCMC is much more practical in terms of floor layout and safety system as compared to apartments built in KL and P.J.
I took example the range of years (2000 - 2010) that the apartments were built. In P.J and Subang (Emerald Perdana (completed end 2004), Perdana View (completed around 2004 - 2006), in Damansara Perdana and Saujana Residency (completed around 2006 -2007) in Subang Jaya).
1. Intercom System
First, we look into the security system aspect. Both Emerald and Perdana view were equipped with an intercom system (voice only-wall phone) but surprisingly, Saujana Residency that were priced higher than Emerald and Perdana and built lastest than Emerald and Perdana is not equipped with an intercom system. Can't you see the hassle when the guest is coming over?. the guard has to call the owner /residents on their personal mobile to inform and to ensure the guest prior allowing them to enter the building. Comparing to HCMC, all of apartments built within than years range have been equipped with intercom system. I believed when they built they thought of the possibilities of potential tenants, as their target potential tenant is always expatriate/ foreigners as primary tenants, locals as secondary tenants. As such, all apartments there were equipped with intercom system at least voice type, some with both visual and voice intercom system.
Emerald Perdana and Perdana View have a better floor layout better than Saujana Residency as they have better air ventilation where both have kitchen that attached to the drying are which was open , while Saujana does not has a proper drying area, or if they called it drying area, however it was a closed area attached with its closed kitchen. The design only provide a small air window ( is not a window actually) at the drying area. These are the poor element that contribute to poor ventilation in the kitchen area. Comparing with apartments in HCMC, even though some of apartment do not have drying area (for the design without drying area, normally the dryer will be provided or the washing machine will be placed at the balcony), normally the kitchen is open concept or has a big window for better ventilation. Most apartments in HCMC have open concept kitchen and if it is a closed concept kitchen, it would be attached with an open concept drying area to keep a better ventilation.
3. Reception Area
Emerald Perdana and Saujana Residency, these two apartments do have reception area or lobby area. Their lobby area are nice and spacious but unfortunately not being full utilized for the benefits of the residents. I hardly see apartment's lobby has seats and reception counter in KL, P.J, Shah Alam and Penang.Badly design, Perdana View doesn't has proper reception area at all. Most of residents of apartments in P.J,Shah Alam, K.L and Penang have to pay bills themselves via online, post office or service provider counter. Maybe in the service apartment there is a reception counter that could accept payments of utilities bills for its residents but so far I never encounter any as yet in Malaysia. In Malaysia, most of the time residents pay their service charge at the management office which is serve as service counter and building facilities management office as well. Here, in HCMC most of the lobby would at least has a chair or sofa for its residents to sit while waiting and most importantly each apartment has at least one small reception counter to give service to residents. Some of the reception counter can accept all utilities bills to ease their foreign residents. And most of the time the management office for the building is located away from the reception counter. This is important as it doesn't mix the customer service operation and building facilities operation. As a resident would you care to think about the building's operation?. I just care where to pay the bills and service charge and I don't like to be bothered by other staffs' conversation behind the service counter.
For this posting, I think it is enough to give some comparison as I am not the expert to analyse. It just an opinion that come from an observation of a housewife who spend most of the time at home.
1. Intercom System
First, we look into the security system aspect. Both Emerald and Perdana view were equipped with an intercom system (voice only-wall phone) but surprisingly, Saujana Residency that were priced higher than Emerald and Perdana and built lastest than Emerald and Perdana is not equipped with an intercom system. Can't you see the hassle when the guest is coming over?. the guard has to call the owner /residents on their personal mobile to inform and to ensure the guest prior allowing them to enter the building. Comparing to HCMC, all of apartments built within than years range have been equipped with intercom system. I believed when they built they thought of the possibilities of potential tenants, as their target potential tenant is always expatriate/ foreigners as primary tenants, locals as secondary tenants. As such, all apartments there were equipped with intercom system at least voice type, some with both visual and voice intercom system.
Emerald Perdana and Perdana View have a better floor layout better than Saujana Residency as they have better air ventilation where both have kitchen that attached to the drying are which was open , while Saujana does not has a proper drying area, or if they called it drying area, however it was a closed area attached with its closed kitchen. The design only provide a small air window ( is not a window actually) at the drying area. These are the poor element that contribute to poor ventilation in the kitchen area. Comparing with apartments in HCMC, even though some of apartment do not have drying area (for the design without drying area, normally the dryer will be provided or the washing machine will be placed at the balcony), normally the kitchen is open concept or has a big window for better ventilation. Most apartments in HCMC have open concept kitchen and if it is a closed concept kitchen, it would be attached with an open concept drying area to keep a better ventilation.
3. Reception Area
Emerald Perdana and Saujana Residency, these two apartments do have reception area or lobby area. Their lobby area are nice and spacious but unfortunately not being full utilized for the benefits of the residents. I hardly see apartment's lobby has seats and reception counter in KL, P.J, Shah Alam and Penang.Badly design, Perdana View doesn't has proper reception area at all. Most of residents of apartments in P.J,Shah Alam, K.L and Penang have to pay bills themselves via online, post office or service provider counter. Maybe in the service apartment there is a reception counter that could accept payments of utilities bills for its residents but so far I never encounter any as yet in Malaysia. In Malaysia, most of the time residents pay their service charge at the management office which is serve as service counter and building facilities management office as well. Here, in HCMC most of the lobby would at least has a chair or sofa for its residents to sit while waiting and most importantly each apartment has at least one small reception counter to give service to residents. Some of the reception counter can accept all utilities bills to ease their foreign residents. And most of the time the management office for the building is located away from the reception counter. This is important as it doesn't mix the customer service operation and building facilities operation. As a resident would you care to think about the building's operation?. I just care where to pay the bills and service charge and I don't like to be bothered by other staffs' conversation behind the service counter.
For this posting, I think it is enough to give some comparison as I am not the expert to analyse. It just an opinion that come from an observation of a housewife who spend most of the time at home.
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