BY CAITLYN NG LI YUIN
liyuin@ocision.com

Gone are the days of travelling great distances for the best schools as nowadays, developers are bringing the best institutions to the doorsteps of their residents.

The sprawling campus of the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in Putra Nilai is surrounded by lush greenery.

PARENTS will have a host of matters to worry about when it comes to their first-born child, noticeably the family expenses. With an exponential increase in expenses given an extra person to feed, clothe, raise and care for, parents will still want the best for the apple of their eyes.

So it would make perfect sense for people who are searching for a home to live in an area with everything under one address. Not only will it greatly reduce the costs derived from travelling great distances to get to amenities, but also diminish the headache that is sure to arise from ferrying the family to and fro.

Taylor's College in Subang Jaya is a centre of excellence in pre-university studies, renowned for its academic track record.

In this issue, we take a look at the townships that have education as their main focus. It is an excellent answer to parents who are on the hunt for a home that would offer them peace of mind for many years to come as well as easing the burden of their wallets. Vibrant and bustling with life, yet filled with pockets of greenery for some respite, these type of townships are fast becoming the favoured choice for first-time homebuyers and investors alike.

The main feature that townships under this genre would obviously have are the schools, colleges and universities that one would be able to find in these vicinities. Not surprisingly, homes in these townships would be able to command a higher price due to the demand of living in close proximity to good institutions. One example would be the self-contained Bandar Sunway township.

Monash University in Bandar Sunway consistently ranks among the top one per cent of world universities.

From schools to colleges and renowned international universities, such as Sunway International School, Sunway College and Monash University, parents would indeed be spoiled for education choices at Bandar Sunway. There is even a unique school for those who aspire to master the arts of French cuisine and patisserie: Le Cordon Bleu Institute.

Furthermore, these houses would be able to fetch good rental yields, adding on to its growing appeal. Once the kids have grown up and "flown out of the coop", the owners could easily choose to have the house rented out to a group of college or university students who wouldn't mind staying there in order to reduce the time taken to get to and from classes.

Putra Nilai is chock-a-block with retail shops and supermarkets that cater to the needs of its residents and visitors.

Full facilities and great amenities are usually aplenty in townships, more so when educational institutions are in the neighbourhood since there is a ready catchment population in the form of the families and students (both local and foreign). Over in the town of Nilai, there are many educational townships that host a number of learning institutions. They include Putra Nilai, Nilai Impian and Kota Seriemas, just to name a few.

Some of the institutions that can be found there include Nilai International School and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in Putra Nilai; Inti University College and Nilai University College in Nilai Impian; and the world-class KPJ Healthcare University College in Kota Seriemas.

Residents of Nilai Impian, a township touted as the "Lake Garden Township", are enveloped by the luxuriance and serenity of nature.

Medical centres, sports complexes and retail shops can be found packed into these sprawling developments to service people and provide a range of activities. Taking into consideration that there are people from all walks of life, developers would have ensured a balanced mix of eateries like fast food chains, local Malaysian delights and international cuisines. Leisure and recreation can be done at any one of the beautifully landscaped parks such as the Discovery Park in Nilai Impian, Laman Ilmu in Kota Seriemas and the Nilai Springs Golf and Country Club in Putra Nilai.

The KESAS highway is one of the many major arteries that seamlessly connects UEP Subang Jaya to other parts of Klang Valley.

As for public transportation and infrastrure at these townships, you can be sure that residents and visitors will have the best ease of accessibility. UEP Subang Jaya by Sime Darby is another prime example of a highly successful educational township, with plenty of major highways like the Federal Highway, LDP Highway, New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and KESAS Highway linking to it. In addition, there is the existing Subang Jaya KTM station and the upcoming LRT Putra Line extension which will pass through Subang Jaya and UEP Subang Jaya.

With so much going for these townships, it's no surprise that many developers are now trying to emulate the allure by leveraging on education theme in their developments. Not only will this benefit the residents and their future generations, but bring plenty of visitors to the development (commercially advantageous) as they drop their kids off at the premises.