Moving to KL - Suggestions appreciated

Bangsar or Bangsar south a very good options,  but you should negotiate the rent well as the market situation isn't like it used to be.

There are a number of places to rent in Bangsar, if you want to be near the LRT then look at areas at the bottom of Jalan Maarof near to Bangsar LRT station. For shopping and entertainment the area around Bangsar village has most things that an ex-pat is looking for, there is a supermarket that has many imported items. Also the night life is good with a wide range of entertainment/eating venues.
Have a look on maps to see the area near to the LRT station and also check out one of the many property websites that will give you an indication of the cost of rental around the area

Hi Ravana

You can have a long term stay at Section 17. Plenty of eating place and facilities
If you drive or take a grab it is not too far from Bangsar.
My brother has an apartment for rent at Tiara Damansara in Section 17 and monthly at RM1500. It has low density and walk up 1 level. Peaceful area to live.

Thank you all for suggestions. Currently waiting for VISA. It sounds like Bangsar is a good option. I am bit flexible with the location. Damansara is another area I am considering but Bangsar may be more practical. Having access to LRT or MRT is great.

Where exactly is your place of work, I mean which specific area? Bangsar South and Sentral Station/Brickfields area would both be good since they have direct access to LRT/MRT.

There are several condos in Bangsar South that are extremely close to the LRT in Bangsar South such as KL Gateway which also has a mall and supermarket, very practical indeed. That would be my recommendation. KL Gateway is the closest condo to the LRT station at Bangsar South.

Alternatively, look at the condos near Sentral Station. There is a mall here too.

As for Bangsar, you need to check carefully because the area is large and the train stations are not very close, so you might have to use Grab or taxi to get to a train station or to work. Damansara is not practical unless you have a car.

Hi Ravana, I can suggest you an 1 bedroom apartment in Bangsar, right besides the mall, you can get dairy grocery or foods easily. Low density and greenery environment.

And you can short walk 10 mins to the nearest transit station which you can travel to Kuala Lumpur city easily.

Pm me if need further discussion. Thanks,

There's a condo called Gaya Bangsar located very close to Bangsar station. It's only a few years old and they have quite a few studios and small apartments. There are a lot of cheap food places in the area since there are some old low end blocks also nearby and Bangsar Village mall is only about a ten minute walk away. I actually considered buying a unit there once and it was with people such as yourself in mind. However, big discounts were given only to Bumiputra so I skipped it. You can check out the rental prices online.

https://www.iproperty.com.my/rent/condo … %20Bangsar

Thanks for all suggestions. Bangsar surely will be a choice. I am still considering surrounding areas, provided easy transportation. My work place is about 4km from Bangsar station. Is there any expatriate groups in KL? What banks are good, specially overseas transactions? what to expect with initial settling activities and expenses. My company may or may not support for that. My initial contract will be 1-2 yrs and potentially extending long term. Thank you in advance.

There are several expat groups about KL and Malaysia and you can find them all on Facebook.

HSBC is the best international bank especially for making overseas transfers. But get an account with a local bank too as local banks are not as strict as HSBC. I suggest Maybank since there are branches everywhere but there are lots of good local banks. If you want to send money from overseas into Malaysia use TransferWise. Last time I checked it wasn't possible to use TransferWise to send money out of Malaysia, but things might have changed.

Thank you.
I am generally ok moving to a country. I was not sure which area I am going to be, but having access to personal needs helps a lot. I might go for a short stay and look around before renting.
My work is related to education and specifically online learning.  In fact I have 2 options for jobs. But I will be confirming one of them soon. Thanks again.

It's a good idea to stay in an airbnb place for a start, so that you will know which place is more convenient to your working place. Bangsar is a good place to stay for expats, rental fees are on the expensive side compared to other areas though. So, if you don't mind commuting, you should explore other condos along the LRT route, because it's quite easy and convenient to travel with LRT if your working place is near to an LRT station i.e you don't have to physically stay near to your office, you can stay a bit farther but save some money on the rental fees.

If Wise (new name for TransferWise) doesn't support currency outflows, you could open a cryptocurrency account in Malaysia and then keep the money there, as long as you are able to withdraw money from it in your home country. Crypto is so much cheaper than bank transfers.

Ravana wrote:

Thanks for all suggestions. Bangsar surely will be a choice. I am still considering surrounding areas, provided easy transportation. My work place is about 4km from Bangsar station. Is there any expatriate groups in KL? What banks are good, specially overseas transactions? what to expect with initial settling activities and expenses. My company may or may not support for that. My initial contract will be 1-2 yrs and potentially extending long term. Thank you in advance.

Hi Ravana!

I work in real estate, and if you're interested in a place in Bangsar South, I have many units at the Era Novum Residences, which are a 5 minute walk from the nearest LRT station, one stop away from Bangsar LRT.

If you'd like, I'm happy to introduce you to the expatriate group at the Novum residences, whom I'm sure would be extremely happy to welcome another person into their ranks (it was formed around a core of friends who are originally from India, and has since expanded to incorporate many other people from many other nationalities).

A good bank might be CIMB bank, though I'd recommend using banks that end up being near your place of residence for ease of transactions - Adding on to some of the previous recommendations from other users that you use TransferWise, I can also recommend using PayPal in order to settle overseas transfers, and you might also use SpeedSend, or Western Union (Maybank2u).

As for initial settling activities or expenses, assuming you end up staying in a fully furnished unit, there shouldn't really be much in the way of furniture expenditure or otherwise. You might consider a car if the distance is too far from the Bangsar station (where is your office based, if I may ask?)

You may want to obtain an internet subscription, set up some bank accounts (as you know), and otherwise - I'm happy to provide you with recommendations and meet for a cup of coffee should you be immediately clear about what you require.

Have a wonderful day ahead, and if you've already gotten to know exactly where you will be, I am often in Bangsar - do simply feel free to hit me up one day!

Yours sincerely,
V.

P.S. I am also in education! My role differs from you in that I help to place students in top universities, though - here's a recent article that I wrote for SchoolAdvisor, for example!

https://schooladvisor.my/school-guide/h … versities-

Thank you all. Currently, it looks like I will be in KL during May/June. I am still exploring online.

***

Hi,
After a long process, I was given the approvals and visa to work in Malaysia. It was surely a long process. Currently, I am planning to move to KL during November. I plan to look for a place in either Damansara heights, Mont Kiara, and Bangsar. I would like to find a place suitable for expats, central location so that I can access to other areas/facilities. I tried to gather information but any further/uptodate information is appreciated.

Can you tell me how you get a job in Malaysia?

Hi,
I think each case can be different. Finding a job in Malaysia can depend on your skills, nationality, and even investments. I got the job in Malaysia based on my skills to teach in a university. There can be many other factors.
Thanks,

Hi All,

I thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I am now in KL and will be out of quarantine by the weekend. So, I am still looking for a place but narrowed down my choices to Damansara height, Sri Hartamas, and Mont Kiara. I will still consider nearby places if they are really good for me. Kota Damansara is one area. I will be going to see a few places during the weekend. I note rental has come done significantly in these areas. Hopefully, I can find a place soon.
I was not sure about banks. I did contact a bank as I wanted to have a foreign currency account. They said I will have to change my currency into MYR and back to my currency to deposit. This sounds very strange is that how it is? 
Any suggestions for expats, to open a foreign currency account or banking services. I am tempted to use a safe box.
Cheers,

One essential to know if you intend to move to Malaysia is how to spot liars and partial liars.
There are casual agents for absolutely everything that will try to convince you they are industry professionals.
The truth is closer to they are con jobs aimed at extracting money from you so they offer the actual price plus their commission. Their commission varies depending upon how stupid and/or green they think you are.