Penang expat group

[mumuthomas]

Hi everyone, I am Muriel, I am moving to Penang at the end of this week with my family, we will stay for the moment in a service appartment we are looking for a apartment 2 t 3 bedrooms in Beyan Lapas, and we also looking for a nany. If someone can direct me it will be great. Is there any Expat Club as in Bangkok for sport, coffee, visiting and new experience. Mumu

[rjnpenang]

Originally Posted by mumuthomas

Hi everyone, I am Muriel, I am moving to Penang at the end of this week with my family, we will stay for the moment in a service appartment we are looking for a apartment 2 t 3 bedrooms in Beyan Lapas, and we also looking for a nany. If someone can direct me it will be great. Is there any Expat Club as in Bangkok for sport, coffee, visiting and new experience. Mumu

Hi Muriel,
My wife and I bought a 3 bed near Queensbay which I think is Bayan Lepas, correct?. Anyway, we are in Spain at the moment, back on Penang begining of Oct.
I don´t think there is such a place as an expats club, everybody seems to keep to themselves, lots working down in the duty free zone near the airport, however, It would be nice to meet other expats, have a drink etc.
Maids, our neighbour hired an Indonesian girl from an agency, paid her air fare/the agency, gave her a new mobile phone when she arrived, the result?, she disappears 3 days later, I presume into the black economy. But, then again we see plenty of families with maids so it may be a matter of bad luck.
Where are you now?. Regards Rob

[mumuthomas]

Originally Posted by rjnpenang

Hi Muriel,
My wife and I bought a 3 bed near Queensbay which I think is Bayan Lepas, correct?. Anyway, we are in Spain at the moment, back on Penang begining of Oct.
I don´t think there is such a place as an expats club, everybody seems to keep to themselves, lots working down in the duty free zone near the airport, however, It would be nice to meet other expats, have a drink etc.
Maids, our neighbour hired an Indonesian girl from an agency, paid her air fare/the agency, gave her a new mobile phone when she arrived, the result?, she disappears 3 days later, I presume into the black economy. But, then again we see plenty of families with maids so it may be a matter of bad luck.
Where are you now?. Regards Rob

Hello Rob, thank you to answer so quickly. We still in Bangkok for the moment, we lived here for 2 years. We are arriving in Penang saturday afternoon, we are staying in Century bay service appartement. For the apartment we are looking for a long stay, can you tell me wich condominium is it because it is the area we are looking for. I will be please to met you and your wife some times.

[rjnpenang]

Hi Muriel, Not a good time to be in Bangkok yes!. Will there be another overthrow by the army?.
My wife and I bought in a condo called Putra Marine, just opposite Jereka Island and a few minutes walk from the Queensbay shopping mall.
The block has all the usual amenities, squash & tennis court, gym, sauna, big pool, nice gardens. The smallest apartments are 2080 sq. ft. (3 beds), going up to 2700 sq. ft., the smaller ones are being rented out at 5,000 RM a month, there is another condo beside us called the Gold Coast, also apartments to rent, slightly cheaper I think.
The Star newspaper one or two days a week have sections on properties to rent & buy, not sure which days.
We will be arriving Penang end of Sept., we normally fly to BKK, over to Pattaya for a week then Air Asia down to Penang. See you then. Rob

[mumuthomas]

Originally Posted by rjnpenang

Hi Muriel, Not a good time to be in Bangkok yes!. Will there be another overthrow by the army?.
My wife and I bought in a condo called Putra Marine, just opposite Jereka Island and a few minutes walk from the Queensbay shopping mall.
The block has all the usual amenities, squash & tennis court, gym, sauna, big pool, nice gardens. The smallest apartments are 2080 sq. ft. (3 beds), going up to 2700 sq. ft., the smaller ones are being rented out at 5,000 RM a month, there is another condo beside us called the Gold Coast, also apartments to rent, slightly cheaper I think.
The Star newspaper one or two days a week have sections on properties to rent & buy, not sure which days.
We will be arriving Penang end of Sept., we normally fly to BKK, over to Pattaya for a week then Air Asia down to Penang. See you then. Rob

Good Morning Rob,

No it's not really the good time to be in Bangkok, but everything is happening in an other district than mine. We don't know really what's gonna happen the ambassy didn't contact us yet so nothing to worry I just hope they will not close the airport as we are living for Penang on Saturday. Anyway, I missed understand what you said I thougt you were renting your apartement but thank anyway for the advise. We were looking for in this area, and we contact Penang propreties. On their web site it looks very nice. Keep in touch and you come back from Spain we can maybe meet. Take care. Muriel

[blannie]

Hi Guys

We have bought in Seri Tanjung (E&O) do you guys that have made the move already have links to any good renovation contractors, electricians, air con installers, utilitiy companies etc....we are 3 months away but trying to pre plan.

Any traps on the MM2H program?

Thanks very much in advance - Blannie

[rjnpenang]

[QUOTE=blannie;64131]Hi Guys

Hi, My wife & I bought an apartment last year and used all the usual suspects!, we also did the MM2H programme ourselves. We will be in Penang until the end of Feb. 2009 so I can help when you arrive. If you need an electrician etc. now let me know. Regards Rob

[sandielenton]

The International Women's Association is very strong and has a good variety of activities to appeal to all sorts. Also Food Friends (sounds what it is) is a good group; There is also a German Association; Alliance Francais and and Irish Association. Georgetown is probably the smallest city to be in - big enough for the advantages of a city and small enough to bump into people that you know!
Great place to live - I have been here for just over a year and living in Tanjung Bungah.

Regards
Sandie

[Rusty 747]

Hello everyone. How nice to see a refreshingly polite and genuinely helpful site. I am a Brit, married to a Malaysian and living and working in Singapore. There should be no need for me to go through the MM2H process but we are keen to evaluate the property market in Penang. We have already been there once but that was more of a holiday and all subsequent research has been via the internet. Questions we would like answers to include:

1. Is the market falling in line with the global economy? We haven't noticed any downward trend on advertised property prices yet.

2. Does anyone have any experience of/opinions on ALILA Horizons? we are visiting Penang again in may and have arranged a viewing there and at The Silverton.

3. We have no children, my wife is fairly 'low maintenance' and our lifestyle requirements are fairly basic - though we would need a car. Assuming that the condo was purchased outright would someone be prepared to advise how much RM would be needed for us to survive with a bit to spare each month. Maybe include one meal for two at a mid range restaurant each week, utilities, food, health insurance, car expenses, etc. We are trying to do the proverbial lifestyle versus money calculation and are considering early retirement in Penang.

Any other comments gratefully received.

[sandielenton]

Hi Rusty,

We live at The Cove and have done so for over a year now so I can give you monthly running costs. We have been renting a car which costs us RM1,500 per month and includes everything but the fuel and might be a better option than buying, at least at the start. We run one air con every night in our bedroom and two in the sitting room from about 7-11pm but otherwise normally use ceiling fans most of the time; we also run the washing machine most days and our oven is electric but the hob is gas, so electricity based on this usage. Water is very cheap at about 10RM per month - I pay them a cheque in advance for 100RM as it is cheaper and more convenient than paying such a small amount monthly. Gas bottles are also very cheap and seem to last for ages:

Fuel: 400
Electricity: 420
Internet & Phone: 300
Cable TV: 100 (we have a package including films but not sports which is more)
Digi Mobile Phone: 200 - (we have a family package which means that calls between our phones are free)
House Insurance: 480 - based on contents valued at RM1 million - MUI Insurance
Cleaning: 700 - a local girl who comes in from 9.30-1pm 5 days a week ie. 10 RM p/hr
Food, wine & restaurants: 2000 - based on one meal out per week

There are a lot of functions via the International Womens Assoc. (membership is 150 p.a)If you go to one of the balls, expect to pay about 200 per ticket; other things (wine tasting, food demos etc.) run at about 35-50 per person. There are also lots of things which are free - book clubs, bridge etc. Membership of the IWA is very worthwhile as it is good networking. Food Friends is free membership.

If you play golf it is about 75-95 per round.

I still have an AXA PPP international health policy which is very expensive, but I am told that local is not available after 60 so I have to look into this one.

So it works out to about RM4300 per month and if you reduce the contents insurance you are down to about RM4000 per month which I would reckon to be about spot on. Bear in mind that The Cove is about 6000 square ft. so some of the running costs will reduce slightly for smaller area.

As for Alilia - there are some problems currently with the formation of the JMB (Joint Management Board) which is when the owners take over the running of the complex from the developer. I understand that the developer has run up some substantial debts and has yet to provide an audited account. This means that the estimated maintenance charge will almost certainly go up from whatever is published at the moment. It might be better to wait until this is sorted out so that you know the true position, or reckon on having to pay out more monthly or even a lump sum later.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions.

Regards
Sandie