# April 2013 move to Malaysia



## Toby Tyke

Hello all.
I am moving to Malaysia from Yorkshire England in April 2013 to teach at a school in Kota Damansara.
The school is putting me in a hotel for 2 weeks but after that it is expected I will find my own accomodation. I would be happy to pay in the region of 3K MYR/month and will be joined at the end of April by my wife and 2 cats, so will need some sort of house away from busy roads and close access to roaming area for the felines.
My research is pointing me towards gated communities of Bukit Rahman.

Having not lived or worked abroad before any advive would be greatly appreciated.


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## jul181159

Hi there.
Guess you'll be working at the British School. I would suggest you ask other teachers at the school where they live. We are Brits and have lived in Malaysia for 14 years and our boys have been schooled here. You tend to find many of the teachers tend to live in close proximity to each other and often in condos, but as you have cats this is not the best option if you want them to have an outdoor life. Bukit Rahman, although not a great distance from Kota Damansara is not a popular expat area and you would most definitely need a car as public transport is limited in those parts. If you wish to stay within the budget you mention then your housing option will be a little more limited and if you want roaming areas for your cats away from busy roads then you will probably have to move slightly further away from the Kota Damansara area. Hope this helps a little.
Malaysia is a great place to live and I'm sure you'll enjoy your time.


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## Toby Tyke

Thankyou that is very interesting. Yes we probably will get a small car, although the cars out there look awful.


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## alvintan89

Hi Toby Tyke,

Yes you might probably need a car to commute. Transportation in some areas is still not very ideal and convenient. KL is notoriously known for its horrendous traffic congestion especially at morning and evening peak times ( 7.30 am - 9.30 am & 5 pm - 9 pm probably later than that) thus you need to know this as you don't want to be late at work. During weekend, roads are usually busy in the proximity to shopping mall areas as people like going shopping when they are free (at least one thing they enjoy doing even). 

Getting a small car in Malaysia might not be very expensive. Say, a nationally produced car, the price could be £12,000 (MYR 60,000/5) approximately. There might be some slightly cheaper though. 

Hope you find this useful. 

I am going back to the UK to live wit my partner and start a new life. 

Let me know if you want to know any other things. 

Happy New Year ! 

Alvin


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## MarketingManMalaysia

In relation to a car most 'foreign' cars are very expensive due to high import taxes protecting the local manufacturers.

One 'small' car that I have seen around a lot and looks quite 'cute' is this one: Myvi - Introduction | Perodua

Seems to be very popular here - not sure if that is an indication of quality but it doesn't look too bad, is cheap and servicing/parts would probably be easy to access...

Hope that helps...


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## alvintan89

Yes, I agree with you Marketing Man Malaysia


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## Toby Tyke

Yes the Myvi looks like the sort of car we'd need. Similar to my wife's little Toyota Aygo here in the UK.
Do any of you know much about Bukit Rahman? Will there be much fo my wife to do?
And how long the commute is likely to be to my school in Kota Damansara?

Thanks for all the info so far. It's a daunting move so advice from folk already there is invaluable.


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## fredcheong

From google map it's approx 10km from Bukit Rahman to Kota Damansara.
10 minutes drive if there is not much traffic on the road.
Nothing much around there unless your wife drives to Ikea or 1Utama shopping centre in Bandar Utama.


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## MarketingManMalaysia

You could also consider the Mont Kiara area which is just the other side of Kota Damansara. It's very popular with expats and has 3 malls (Publika, Solaris, Plaza Damas) as well as the slightly less salubrious Sri Hartamas area which has lots of bars, food places, massage parlours and opportunities to buy pirate DVDs...


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## fredcheong

Landed properties rental in Mont Kiara cost a bomb.
As Toby has a budget of 3k and 2 cats in consideration the option is to look around Damansara area.

There are some decent 2 storey house near Kota Damansara within budget such as Bandar Utama, Kayu Ara and Damansara Uptown.

There are numbers of expat staying in Bandar Utama too due to its close proximity to One Utama shopping centre, Ikea and The Curve.


LOL to the pirated DVDs


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## fredcheong

Or maybe Sri Hartamas is an option too? Right next to Mont Kiara and with affordable 2 storey house there.


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## Toby Tyke

OK cheers again I will look at those areas too. Keep the advice coming it's very useful.


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## omores

Toby Tyke said:


> Hello all.
> I am moving to Malaysia from Yorkshire England in April 2013 to teach at a school in Kota Damansara.
> The school is putting me in a hotel for 2 weeks but after that it is expected I will find my own accomodation. I would be happy to pay in the region of 3K MYR/month and will be joined at the end of April by my wife and 2 cats, so will need some sort of house away from busy roads and close access to roaming area for the felines.
> My research is pointing me towards gated communities of Bukit Rahman.
> 
> Having not lived or worked abroad before any advive would be greatly appreciated.


You might want to consider houses in Bandar Utama. I'm renting one at RM2500 p/month now - 2 storey 3-bedroom, front and backyard. Gated community.

Most importantly, make sure security is good at whichever location you decide on.


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## Nemo.

I live in kora Damansara and teach at a school there. DO NOT COMMUTE! Ten mins no traffic equals one hour on a good day! And they are building more and lRT starting soon so traffic hell. MyVis are very unsafe. In a crash they collapse! And very expensive for what they are. Best you hire for a week or two and look around. A vios is far better value.

I wonder what hotel you will get - becareful of "chicken hotels" that some schools use! You will want to move quickly in that case! 3k is enough - prices are going up in new places but 2k to 2.5k typical.


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## Toby Tyke

Thanks for the advice.
Do you teach at Sri KDU?


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## Toby Tyke

Dare I ask what a chicken hotel is?


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## alvintan89

I am uncertain about what a chicken hotel is but I guess it's cheap in value and of poor quality ?


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## sidey

Toby Tyke said:


> Dare I ask what a chicken hotel is?


Hi Toby tyke, 
I work at the same school and can give you information. 
Sidey


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## sidey

Lots of staff live in condos in Casa Indah. You don't need a car, but public transport is complicated- it does not all link together very well. The train link to Kota damansara is not finished till 2015 or so. There are buses, but not for single girls. Some staff cycle in. Roads and traffic are really busy and hectic, depending on the time of day.


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## Toby Tyke

interesting. If I message you my email address can you tell me about the school.


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## sidey

Yes sure
I guess we will meet soon anyway. Are you secondary school?


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## response

Thank you that is very exciting. Yes we probably will get a little car, although the vehicles out there look terrible.


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## Toby Tyke

Yes secondary. Biology. You?


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## sidey

Yes, secondary too. English.


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## Toby Tyke

What's the school like? Kids well behaved etc?


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## sidey

Kids are great. I only started recently, but am enjoying it. Do not get excited about the hotel! I am happy to swap emails.


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## Toby Tyke

Ok sure. My email is alexvarley(at)gmail.com
I'll be I'm hoping to sort a house asap as I'm having my 2 cats sent out.


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## faruq

Hi everybody

If you choose condo to live, I have 1 unit Penthouse at Changkat View Condominium.

These are the details
- Well furnish
- Access card
- 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom
- 2100st
- genting Highland view



Changkat View is located in Changkat Kiara residential ground, and in between Kenny Hills, Mont Kiara and Damansara Heights. 

It is surrounded with the green tranquility and luxurious lifestyle, as this development is in within a drive away from Sri Hartamas. 

Accessibility wise, Changkat View can be reached from major road such as Jalan Duta and Jalan Kuching, and highways such as The North South Expressway, Sprint Highway, and the newly opened Penchala Link. 

These network of highways means it’s easier and more convenient getting to Kuala Lumpur City Centre, which is just a mere 15 minutes away and even closer for Petaling Jaya and Bandar Utama.

Besides that, it seems that Changkat View is also a few kilometers away from major shopping complexes such as Suria KLCC, Mid Valley Mega Mall, Berjaya Times Square, One Utama and The Mall Shopping Centre.

For convenience sake, amenities such as KL Sentral (KLIA Express), Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club, Damansara Specialist Centre, Pantai Hospital and University Hospital are just close by the development.

The condominiums have a comprehensive range of special amenities and facilities to suit a luxurious and affluent lifestyle, including swimming pool, wading pool, badminton court, tennis court, nursery, cafeteria, children’s playground, multi-purpose hall, gym room, 24-hours security, smart card access system and two-way intercom. 

Low density and nice view.


You can contact me through email

Thank you

faruq


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