[Area Insight] Puchong: A Town Of Bright Prospects

Located in the southern portion of Petaling region, Selangor lies Puchong bordered by Subang Jaya in the north, Sepang and Putrajaya in the south, Serdang in the east and Putra Heights in the west.

Puchong has existed for at least more than 120 years and got its name after a type of bird that is said to often fill riverbanks and mines.

During the 1980s, Puchong consisted of a single two-lane road running through estates and villages. Puchong development began circa 1985, when the mining licenses expired and infrastructure began to be built. Previously, local Chinese companies acquired mining companies in Puchong from the British after independence in 1957. In the mid-1980s, the collapse of international tin prices resulted in many residents and workers shifting to rubber and palm oil plantations. It began to gain momentum in the 1980s, when Putrajaya became the new federal administrative capital and Cyberjaya began to develop.

Fast forward today, there are now seven LRT stations in Puchong. The area is accessible via the Maju Expressway, Damansara-Puchong Expressway and NKVE-Elite Expressway and with convenient access to the Kuala Lumpur city centre and other parts of the Klang Valley such as Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya. Existing buildings located close to the LRT stations in Puchong include Giant Bandar Kinrara, IOI Mall Puchong, Lotus’s Puchong and SetiaWalk.

One of its most well-known development dated back to the early days is Puchong Jaya, launched by IOI Properties Group Bhd in 1990. Subsequently, the developer also opened IOI Mall in Bandar Puchong Jaya in 1996, Bandar Puteri Puchong in 2000 and 16 Sierra in Puchong South in 2010. Later in 2013, it unveiled the Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC) on a 3.24ha parcel in Bandar Puteri Puchong, comprising four corporate offices and a business hotel run by Four Points by Sheraton, which began operations in 2014. Meanwhile, the PFCC serves as the core for all IT related companies and service.

Puchong is also well-known for its myriad of food choices. Population F&B offerings include Puchong Yong Tau Fu @ Batu 14, Restoran Foo Hing Dim Sum House, Puchong Mess Banana Leaf Rice and Mimi Nguyen Café. A local favourite is Yap Chuan Restaurant, which is famous for its dry bak kut teh, though Puchong has many bak kut teh outlets. If you are a fan of bitter gourd, Restaurant Fu Gua Thong is where you can satisfy your appetite.

There is also a wet market here called Puteri Mart which also has a food court. Four Points by Sheraton Puchong is a 4-star hotel which comes highly recommended.

Plenty of property options

Meanwhile, Bandar Puteri is a township in the heart of Puchong strategically located close to Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, Sunway and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Also developed by IOI Properties, here you will find a wide range of property offerings.

From 2-storey terrace/link houses, 2.5-storey terrace/link houses, bungalows, semi-detached houses, apartments such as Lakefront Suite Puchong, 5-Star Residency and condominiums such as Zefer Hill Residence, Hijauan Puteri K Boulevard and Casa Puteri, there are plenty of choices for everyone from all walks of life.

Amenities are aplenty here with health facilities including Columbia Asia Hospital Puchong and KPMC Puchong. Primary and secondary education are offered by local schools such as Sekolah Agama Pusat Bandar Puchong, SK Pusat Bandar Puchong 2 and SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1. Banks including Bank Islam, RHB Bank and Citibank are also some of the financial institutions one can find here.

Another area located here is Pulau Meranti, the oldest village in Puchong, under the northern Sepang constituency of Selangor and is administered by the Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang). Housing development here is not as rapid as compared to the bustling Bandar Puteri but still remains attractive due to its competitive property prices.

A quick check on the current median prices of homes in Puchong, it is hovering at RM325 psf, which is translating to RM334,000. For Bandar Puteri Puchong, prices are hovering slightly higher at RM362,500 with new projects such as Le Pavillion and The Cube, bringing up the value of the property.

Other upcoming development in the township include the IOI Rio City (a 72-acre mixed-use development), Stellar Suites (small offices/versatile offices) and The Cruise (serviced apartments).

Because of its attractive median price, the residents here mainly make up of multi-generational families who are looking for an area with schools and amenities nearby.

Buyers of residential developments in Puchong are mostly homeowners with a lacklustre interest from investors, which are mainly Malaysians as the area does not garner much interest from foreigners. Hence, whether you are a first-time homebuyer, an upgrader or even a retiree looking to downsize, there are plenty types of properties for you to choose from.

Challenges ahead

Nonetheless, one can expect this successful and popular urban area to have the issue of traffic congestion. A headache would be the parking situation with a lack of enforcement of rules and cars frequently double-park on the side of the roads, leading to more traffic jams.

Flooding has been an issue here as well, especially when flash floods or heavy downpour takes place.

However, the traffic situation has definitely improved since the addition of public transport amenities, leading to less car usage and enabling additional connectivity to the area. The LRT stations with Park N’ Ride facilities and the free bus service provided by the Selangor government have helped to encourage motorists to use public transport as well.

On the back of the continuously improvement of infrastructure and overall area development in Puchong, one can only expect the prospect to shine even brighter from here on.

[Image source: IOI Properties]