Seven hundred metres from Petronas Twin Towers stands Park Seven Condominium. Developed by Selangor Dredging Bhd, the seven 20-storey blocks contain 105 units, with each floor having only one unit. The developer calls them “bungalows in the sky”. But more than just providing a low-density dwelling, the design also incorporates aesthetically pleasing sculptures and allows plenty of ventilation and light into and around the buildings. 

The property was completed in 2008 and is being managed by SDB Property Management Sdn Bhd, which is under SDB Properties Sdn Bhd, the property owner. This is not the first time Park Seven Condominium has competed in the Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards, having won Bronze for the Below 10 Years Multiple-owned Strata Residential category in 2018. This year, it competed under the 10 Years and Above Multiple-owned Strata Residential category, winning Silver.

Managing an older property is certainly not the same as managing a new one, and maintaining a property that has discerning residents requires special attention.

“SDP has been managing Park Seven since vacant possession 12 years ago,” says SDB Properties post-development manager Toh Keng Hong. “Park Seven has many expats and retirees, who expect the place to be like a resort.”

SDB Properties head of business unit Peter Quah says Park Seven Condominium is occupied mainly by the original owners and there are rarely any transactions at the development. 

Moreover, the condominium is also one of the first residential buildings in the Kuala Lumpur city centre that is earthquake-resistant, he says. An unusual addition, some may say, but it must have been a welcome feature, considering tremors from seismic activity that have shaken buildings in KL in the past few years. 

Furthermore, the developer also ensured that all construction materials used were of the highest quality, “left exposed as much as possible in their natural state — for example, unpolished timber floors are used throughout the development; and honed marble is used in the living spaces of each unit”. 

For areas that are in the East-West orientation, Low-E Glass has been installed to reduce heat exchange and a double-volume recreation deck of more than 36,000 sq ft on Level 1 provides plenty of recreation space for residents to take care of their physical and mental well-being.

While all these facilities and design aspects have provided a vertical home for many, their maintenance is key to longevity. Based on records from December 2020 to November 2021, their collection rate is currently 96%. Quah says residents are encouraged to make online transfers with standing instructions, and about 60% of the residents are already doing so. The other form of payment is via cheque and there is no cash collection. 

Toh says, “We review and revise our fee structure every five years to ensure that, in 10 years’ time, we can sustain the building with our sinking fund. The maintenance fee inclusive of sinking fund at the moment is 40 sen psf per month.”

In 2019, the management carried out a building audit that highlighted that the building was structurally stable with minor defects, which have been repaired or rectified. The management continues with regular preventive maintenance and building maintenance activities.

Besides following their schedule, Toh and Quah point out that residents ensure that the management knows when something is amiss around the property by giving “feedback” to the management office. Toh and Quah see complaints as feedback, which helps them serve the residents better.

“We want to build a community, so that the residents are secure and feel comfortable,” says Toh.

In addition, he believes the good working relationship between the management corporation and the property management team has helped in the maintenance of the building. 

“Members of the management corporation play an important role. They are the original owners. They have been staying there for the past 12 years, so they know what they want and what we are looking at. Whatever we propose, it is discussed … And they are very supportive. This has helped sustain property values,” he says.

A unique aspect of this project are the stone and copper sculptures that provide an aesthetically pleasing environment. These items are not easy to maintain, however, and Toh and Quah say careful planning is done to ensure their preservation.

Toh adds, “The challenging part is to maintain stone. It can change colour and it is very heavy. In the past 12 years, there have been some minor issues. We also appointed a good-quality cleaner and landscaper that advised us on how to maintain the stone and copper sculptures.”

Besides the general upkeep and maintenance of the building, Quah believes that going the extra mile is also very important in managing the property. He gives the example of a faulty fridge that caused a minor fire in the property.

“A fridge that dispenses ice cubes caused a small fire. We rectified the problem. This was a corrective move, but what is the preventive way?” says Quah. 

“We worked with the developer to liaise with the fridge supplier to check all units that use the same brand of fridge and the part that needed to be replaced was replaced. We also negotiated with the brand that, if the fridge is to be replaced, it would be done at a cheaper rate. 

Toh says, “The unit was unoccupied for over a year and, after a couple of months, the [Movement Control Order] was implemented. We had to work with the relatives of the owner, who could not return from overseas. Once we resolved the case, we wanted to know what the main cause was. The Bomba report said it was the ice-cube dispenser. We asked ourselves, how many owners are using the same brand of fridge? We found that there were more than 20 units using the same fridge. We informed the owners of this potential malfunction and helped them accordingly.”

Quah and Toh believe negotiating with the fridge manufacturer helped add goodwill and value to the services provided. These matters and others along the way are put into maintenance standard operating procedures to ensure that a matter can be prevented from going from bad to worse and costing a lot of money to repair or replace. Other ways to help keep costs down include doing as much as possible in-house, using technology such as JaGaApp to help in communicating with residents and booking facilities.

Plans for the property include a mechanical & engineering (M&E) audit to be done at year-end or early next year to check the energy performance and efficiency of the building.

The developer is also looking into installing a charging station because of the growing use of electric vehicles. This is one of the reasons that it has planned for an M&E audit, says Quah. The audit will also look into the installation of solar panels, which will be used for lighting in common areas. Also planned is the upgrading of the lift.

Maintaining an older building is no mean feat, but a long-term view with strong financials definitely helps in sustaining value.