Safety and convenience were two important criteria that prompted property owner Anwar Jumabhoy to move to Duta Nusantara in Sri Hartamas six years ago with his wife and four children.
“We lived in Bukit Damansara and were in the process of rebuilding a new house on our property,” said Anwar, who is the director of operations for Tune Hotels.
“We wanted to have a ready-built house with some facilities. A gated property, we thought, would be very safe and convenient.”
Located down the road from Plaza Damas in Sri Hartamas, Duta Nusantara is right across from the new Home Affairs Ministry Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory (KL FT) Complex on Jalan Duta. The complex also houses the KL FT Immigration office.
Extensive renovations
This freehold, gated and guarded development was built on a site of 14ha (34.5 acres). It comprises 42 detached houses and 136 semi-detached houses designed by a local architect. The homes feature a tropical theme characterised by terraces, mini-courtyards (void areas), patios and skylights. However, many property owners have embarked on extensive renovations to cover up the exposed areas to ensure greater privacy, security and more usable space.
Anwar and his family live in a double-storey, semi-detached unit with 390sq m (4,200sq ft) of built-up space on a 418sq m (4,500sq ft) plot.
“Most parts of the house have been renovated,” pointed out Anwar, who is in his 50s, “Starting with the outside space. We tiled and covered the back porch, added a pergola and koi pond at the side of the house, outside the dining room.”
The ground floor comprises a guest bedroom, living room, dining room, piano area as well as a dry kitchen, a separate wet kitchen and a room for the maids. The first floor includes a television lounge, study area, master bedroom and three secondary bedrooms. In total, there are four bedrooms on the first floor and one on ground floor.
Spacious
The spacious car porch can accommodate a total of four cars and can double up as party space during festivals like Hari Raya Puasa when the family entertain friends and relatives.
“We expanded the maids’ room. Most significantly, we removed the void area, installed a glass roof and expanded the floor space on the upper floor, which is now the study area. The houses were sold as a bare shell, so we put in all the built-in cabinets, lighting fixtures, electrical appliances and so on.”
Added Anwar: “With the renovations, although a semi-detached unit, the house feels like a bungalow.”
The monthly maintenance cost for a property like this in Duta Nusantara is RM880, inclusive of sinking fund contribution.
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