THE EDGE REIF 2015: Do you want to live in a gated development?

To gate or not to gate.

Several participants of The Edge Investment Forum on Real Estate 2015 that took place on April 25 were given this choice. All those who were interviewed said they preferred to live in gated communities for one main reason – safety and security. However, some also mentioned that living in a gated community could mean a possible rise in maintenance fees, which is also a concern for them.

According to Tang Chee Meng, chief operating officer of Henry Butcher (M) Sdn Bhd, residents in some old neighbourhoods are willing to cough out a substantial amount of money to either pay for security guards or set up fences.

“Yes, people definitely prefer gated residences than non-gated. You can see residents in housing areas that are not gated are more than willing to pay to upgrade the security facility, even hire a team of security guards. A gated residence is the trend now. I believe most of the new developments have a gated design and this reflects what buyers are looking for when they invest in a property,” he said.

“However, I don’t see a very significant property price impact between gated and non-gated developments,” he added.

The forum themed “Investing In Uncertain Times: Make Better Decisions” was organised by The Edge Malaysia and presented by theedgeproperty.com with support from Sunway Bhd. 

To view the video, please click here.