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Building up an Apartment in Kota Kinabalu

Who would've thought that building and designing up your apartment is THIS stressful? The show The Apartment doesn't seem to make it that way!! :-/

Ever since I finally signed on my Sale and Purchase Agreement, I have been just the busiest with my apartment, sorting out designs, cashing out money, calls on electricians, wiring, painters, furnitures, movers. I would have gone all hippie on my house and do it by myself, but the loan repayment was going to chase me off the soonest they could and doesn't help that I only have the weekends to spare (sometimes none), so I told myself that I'm going to need to pay everyone else in the world to relieve my stress and help me out with my deadline. Because if not, God forbid I would have paid for an empty house for months which is NOT cool.

Some people would've just settled with the apartment as is, but I REFUSE TO, like in CAPS kind of refuse (I bought second hand's apartment btw). That's because it simply means;

1) I cannot demand for more for rent
2) It's going to be my storehouse for my future house anyway
3) Designing can be SO MUCH FUN!
4) And it's my asset. I actually have an asset, like my own?

I know some of my friends who are around my age will not seem to understand why I would spend so much on this soon-to-be-rented-out apartment-anyway, but truthfully, it's a lot more cheaper to get your fundamentals done up NOW than later. Trust me, things will only get expensive I cannot reiterate this any-more.

In all honesty, all of us can own a place. The only thing that you need to worry about (which some people refuse to succumb to) is your loan repayment. So let's say you want a pad that cost xxx amount of money, and after much calculation (usually they will recommend you to take the maximum years) means in order for you to call it yours and maintain it yours is that you pay xxx amount of money until you die or something (there's no better way to say this). Some people who choose to make this as their priority would put aside xxx amount of money from their salary to pay their homes. IF they are renting it out that means, then their loan repayment will usually be paid off for them by their tenants. Sometimes, even giving them a bit of a revenue, a few hundreds tops.

But remember folks, rental is not how people make money. Buying a property that cost MYR 300k, and sell it off years after that to MYR 550k is how you make money (you get RM 250k). You buy, and you sell. And you do this vicious cycle again and again which obviously have hindered lower income folks to actually afford any. So that means, people are the evil ones. Not the "government". True enough, Government has just increased their RPGT (Real Property Gains Tax) to a whooping 30% if you sell your house within 3 years. So this is supposed to "stop" or "delay" people from selling off their properties really fast and making easy money. For us? Property prices are probably like food prices, you wouldn't expect your Kolo Mee to go backwards to MYR 3.00. They will maintain, or increase. Because it is a necessity, there's a demand for it everyday. So you either want a house and get it while you can, or you don't and choose to rent or stay with family for the rest of your life (there is no better way saying this). The most important thing is: how much is your loan repayment that will be taken off your salary and keep your jobs!! (if not, at least look for jobs before you quit) or you will quiver.

I've broken down below on how much I've spent, truth is I pay about MYR 1, 000 for my loan repayment (which have yet to start).

Home Deposit*: MYR 25k
Vinyl Flooring: MYR 2, 085.00
Paints: MYR 265.00
New Furnitures: MYR 319.00
New living room's ceiling fan + two drooping lights + 15 light bulbs (a change from white lights to yellow): MYR 686.00
Water pump x 2: MYR 772.00
Water pump installation on two bathroom: MYR 300.00
Custom made grill and installation: MYR 650.00 (entrance door only)
Lock fix: MYR 80.00
Blinds: MYR 36.90
Curtains: MYR 150.00
Lights + Basic Kitchen Utensils:MYR 400.00
Cooking induction: MYR 286.00
Full length mirror: MYR 119.90
Paintings: MYR 79.80
Bedding x 2 (Queen and Single): Preloved from family's home so FREE
Labour Charge: MYR 800.00 for painting, cleaning, toilets fix, drilling and other basic installation 
Electrical wiring (lights installation and arrangement) of new and old lights:
Movers labour charge: MYR 300.00
Miscellaneous: MYR 2k

Total (*excluding deposit): MYR 9329.60 (which is on a shoestring if you ask me, my brother told me to teach his friends a thing or two how to decorate your home for less)

I'm not even sure about the unrecorded ones.

I am on airbnb.com so if you're planning to come to KK and you're looking out for a place to stay for a day, a week or so let me know cause my place is up for rent :) My apartment on AirBnB.

Also, tadahhh -- nothing much really, but I've done my best below are the before and after pictures. There's another room (which I have called Matahari and Kucing respectively - but this one's Matahari that has not been taken photo of yet).

I did the concept of colours, design and putting a lot of stuff by myself for the most part. It took me about 2 months (or less) to get everything changed and up and running. I love this conceptualization and my favorite thing about controlling my own design is the amount of colours and quirkiness I can imply into.

THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN! I am allergic to very sophisticated and bland colours, if you visit my place, you would have seen big bold colours like green, pink and purple.












Love,
Jacqueline Rowena @ Jacqkie.

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