EcoHill

Only five years ago, Semenyih in the state of Selangor was just a popular place for outdoor and nature lovers to enjoy a few hours of hiking the scenic hills in the area and indulging in some delicious yet affordable local food. But once the visitors left, there was little excitement in Semenyih town.

Fast forward to today, there are at least 50,000 vehicles that traverse the Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS) bringing their owners to work and back to their homes in Semenyih every day.

Setia EcoHill, one of the first and most significant new township developments in Semenyih, has seen some 5,000 units sold and 2,000 units handed over so far. The township has excellent connectivity and accessibility via Lekas-EcoHill Link — a dedicated highway interchange which has become one of the best additions to the Semenyih corridor as it offers greater convenience with the significant reduction in travel time to town and other areas.

The 673–acre township is S P Setia Bhd’s first development in Semenyih. It was first launched in October 2013. The integrated development stresses on liveability featuring residential and commercial properties as well as amenities including over 80 acres of green reserve plus 13 community parks and gardens dedicated for the community’s use.

One of its most iconic parks would be the 11-acre EcoHill Park where thousands of people visit daily, making it the most vibrant park in the vicinity.

EcoHill

Besides the green lungs, residents can also enjoy a variety of facilities at the 360,000 sq ft community club house at Setia EcoHill known as Club 360. Perched on the highest vantage point in Setia EcoHill with mesmerising views, the private clubhouse features an Olympic-length swimming pool, a dynamic gymnasium room, steam and sauna rooms as well as an indoor sports centre with a badminton court, basketball court and futsal arena.

Other amenities within the rapidly growing township are the first international school in Semenyih and an upcoming commercial lifestyle centre known as EcoHill Walk.

“We are committed to not only build a liveable township in Semenyih but to transform the entire landscape of Semenyih with our developments that cover nearly 3,000 acres in the Kajang-Semenyih corridor, namely Setia EcoHill, Setia EcoHill 2, Setia Mayuri and Glengowrie Estate,” says Setia EcoHill Sdn Bhd general manager SM Koh.

EcoHill Taipan, the first commercial component of Setia EcoHill, consists of 56 shopoffices sporting colourful glass facades, spacious layouts and high ceilings. Among the existing tenants are Mr DIY, 99 Speedmart, 7-Eleven, Kumon, Cambridge English, SpinCycle Laundromats, Poliklinik Damai, EcoSmile dental clinic, courier service, fitness centre and Chinese cuisine and “mamak” restaurants to serve residents here and in the surrounding areas.

As an experienced township builder, S P Setia believes that amenities are key to encouraging people to move in — school, eateries, grocer, clinic and others.

Hence, it is heartening for Koh to see that in just nine months after EcoHill Taipan had been handed over, 70% of the shops have been occupied and businesses are running well. It also reflects the strong demand for amenities that provide daily needs to the fast growing population here. Investors are also enjoying good returns of 5% to 7% from the vibrant business environment.

Therefore, he believes,  it would be timely for EcoHill Walk, the lifestyle commercial centre in the township to open its doors in two years’ time when more homes are handed over.

EcoHill

The commercial hub

Located right next to EcoHill Taipan, EcoHill Walk is on a 17.5-acre site with high visibility and great accessibility via Jalan Semenyih and LEKAS. The development has an overall gross development value (GDV) of

RM900 million.

The commercial centre comprises EcoHill Walk Mall, 80 retail shop offices and 890 units of serviced apartments.

Housed over eight blocks, the 27.5ft by 60ft retail shop offices that feature  high ceilings of 12ft to 22ft, are priced from RM455,000 onwards.

Designed as an upgraded version of S P Setia’s previous commercial project — Setia Walk in Puchong, EcoHill Walk is planned in such a way that the mall and retail shop offices complement each other in perfect balance for a sustainable business model. The mall provides the comfort of indoor shopping with a grocer and cinema while the retail shop offices provide an experiential and vibrant environment with an inspiring landscaped walkway and mesmerising water features.

EcoHill Walk Mall is the first mall in Semenyih. It will have 280,000 sq ft of built-up space or about 170,000 sq ft of nett lettable space. MBO Cinemas has been confirmed as an anchor tenant, making it the first integrated commercial development in Semenyih that has a neighbourhood mall with a cinema.

Positioned as a neighbourhood mall, it offers everything for a weekend family outing like the cinema, restaurants, hypermarket, bookstore, toy store, fashion boutiques and telco stores. EcoHill Walk is poised to serve some 600,000 residents within 20 minutes drive from Setia EcoHill, by 2020. Currently, the nearest mall is IOI City Mall in Putrajaya, about 20 to 30 minutes’ drive away.

EcoHill

More high-end homes

One of the available phases for sale at the moment is Kingsville, which consists of 59 units of single-storey bungalows and 16 units of 1½ storey bungalows with land area of 52ft by 90ft and 52ft by 105ft. Prices are from RM1.328 million onwards.

The classical and tasteful English-inspired Kingsville homes are ideal for senior buyers, retirees and those who wish to live in stair-free homes.

It is located opposite Setia EcoHill Welcome Centre @ Club 360, right at the heart of the township yet within a serene and safe environment with 24-hour access control and CCTV surveillance.

Also with limited units available for sale is Gloris, the final terraced houses to be developed at Setia EcoHill. Consisting of only 77 units with built-ups starting from 2,645 sq ft and priced from RM878,000, Gloris is ready for moving-in.

Gloris is a low-density superlink precinct with less than 10 units per acre. The units come with complimentary home improvement package comprising wet and dry kitchen cabinet and plaster ceiling.

Although the overall take-up of Setia EcoHill is good, Koh believes it can be better if fewer loan applications are rejected.

Therefore, S P Setia has introduced an innovative deferred payment scheme called Enhanced & Simplified Setia Express Advance Loan (SEAL) that enables eligible purchasers to defer their payment of the Differential Sum with 0% interest up to five years.

It is a scheme that will ease homeownership as it allows homebuyers to own a home without worrying about the end-financing. However, SEAL is only open to those who are buying a completed residential unit with a minimum end-financing of 60%.

Under SEAL, the applicant has the option to bullet payment or instalments while early payments can enjoy additional discount from the total sum of the scheme.

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my pullout on Nov 9, 2018. You can access back issues here.

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