Types of properties to buy or invest in Penang
by Anders Ong
We always think about shops and condominiums whenever we are buying or investing property in Penang. But what are all the types of property which are not always mentioned or not so popular? What is the best type of property for you to buy in the Pearl of The Orient and what is the most unique?
Residential
| FLATS / APARTMENTS | Flats and apartment in Penang are refers to basic residential units within a multi-story building. Technically flats are mostly comprised of Low Cost and Low Medium Cost low rise and have smaller size of less than 700 square feet and have basic facility like security, parking spaces and community areas.
Meanwhile, apartments tend to be bigger layout which is less than 900 square feet compared to flats with more facilities such as swimming pool, gym playgrounds, security and multipurpose hall which is upgrade of flats and priced below RM400,000.00. |
| CONDOMINIUM | Condominium is another type of high-rise residential units with full range of facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, playgrounds, gardens, function rooms, security services and etc.
Normally, condominium sizes range above 800 square feet with nice building façade and higher material quality provided and priced higher compared to flats and apartment which will be RM400,000.00 and above. |
| TOWNHOUSE | Townhouse is a hybrid of landed house and low-rise condominium stacked as multilevel design normally two or three stories with shared common areas like high rise property.
Some townhouse may provide amenities such as swimming pools, playgrounds, or community halls but not as much facilities as condominium. Upper floors unit may be accessible by staircase and sometimes lift is provided as well, and units are separated by level. |
| TERRACE / LINK | Terrace or link house are property which linked or connected with a sharing wall in a row, which can be single storey or up to five storey.
In the golden days most, landed terraces are without gated and guarded facilities. But nowadays most landed terrace is gated with 24 hours guard services and come with clubhouse to cater to market demand and modernizations. |
| SEMI D / SEMI DETACHED | Semi Detach is a property that shares a common wall with its neighbor on one side, while the other side is open with extra land area.
Normally the extra land can be use for gardening, storage or extension of the property to enlarge and expand the house built up area. |
| BUNGALOW / DETACHED | Bungalows or detach property is standalone house that do not share any walls with neighboring properties which provides a higher degree of privacy.
Detach house normally have huge land area and bigger built up which is considered as a more exclusive luxury property compared to other categories. |
Commercial
| RETAIL LOT | Retail lot are commercial property or spaces within a shopping malls or retail centers that can be leased or sale for business activities.
Retail lot business success depends on location, foot traffic, popularity and the right business mixture of the buildings. |
| OFFICE | Office is a commercial space used for most indoor business operations and administrations. It serves as a place for businesses to do their day-to-day back-end activities.
Office typically consists of working areas, meeting rooms, a reception area, and common spaces like pantry and restrooms. |
| SERVICE SUITES | Service suites or serviced apartments are accommodations that provide hotel-like stays and amenities for short terms durations.
These suites are mostly rented fully furnished and equipped with kitchen facilities, making them a popular choice for families for short stay instead of hotel. |
| SHOP LOT | Shop Lot are commercial property that are primarily designed for carrying out business activities such as restaurant, cafes, retails and offices. Mostly found in commercial hub areas, shopping districts, and city center as the areas will have more foot traffic to sustains businesses. |
| SHOP HOUSE | Shop house is a traditional style blend of commercial and residential property mostly found in urban or historic city center like Georgetown UNESCO Historic Site.
The ground floor will be used for commercial usage like shops, restaurant, café and other type of businesses. Then the upper floor can be used as living spaces. |
| HOTEL | Hotel is a short-term establishment that provides accommodation, meals, and various guest services to travelers and tourists.
All hotels offer rooms with basic amenities like beds, private bathrooms, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi. Hotel also provide services such as housekeeping, concierge, room service, laundry, and 24-hour front desk assistance. Additional facilities like swimming pools, fitness centers, spa services, and conference rooms may also be available depending on the Hotel sizes. |
Industrial
| WAREHOUSE / STORAGE | Warehouse is a building which is designed to store goods and material for businesses or products before they are distributed, sale or produce.
It can also be used as a place for businesses packing, sorting, and labeling of goods. Normally warehouse is specially designed to withstand heavy load of products storage. |
| FACTORY / MANUFACTURING | Factory is a building designed as a manufacturing facility or industrial plant where goods are produced, processed, or assembled.
Many manufacturing industries may be located in industrial zones and require certain guideline or factory compliances for operations such as electronics, automotive, textiles, food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and recycling’s. |
Land
| AGRICULTURE | Agriculture land are land that can be used for farming vegetations, cultivation of large-scale crops, and raising livestock for foods which are usually located in remote areas.
Example of the produce through agriculture land includes commercial plants and fruits cultivations, livestock farming for meats, and aquaculture with fish pond for fish breeding. |
| BUILDING | Building land are land for building development such as residential, commercial, retail, office, and sometimes even recreational or industrial.
Building land can be developed into mixed development land to create a self-sustaining township with commercial, residential, leisure and educations facilities cohesively. |
| INDUSTRIAL | Industrial land is land to build factories and warehouses for industrial activities, such as manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, processing plants, research and development, and other industrial-related functions.
There are two types of industrial land which are heavy industry where pollution is likely to be high, and light industry which may include smaller, cleaner industries. Industrial land must be strategically located to facilitate efficient transportation, access to infrastructure, and proximity to their industrial chains for business efficiency. |
Anders Ong – PEA, Property Investor, Writer & Author of Back to Property Investment to Create Wealth.
