Monday, July 19, 2010

YES, it is for sale

OUR CONDO UNIT IS NOW FOR SALE It is a 77sqm unit located in a very comfortable area in San Juan, with easy access to everything. The unit has two bedrooms, each one with its own private bath and toilet. There is centralized heating for all water outlets (showers, wash basins, kitchen). The convenience of a hot shower on a cold stormy night is best appreciated by those who routinely have to make do without one while living in a country which hosts around 20 storms per year. Washing greasy dishes is also a cinch as hot water easily reduces the effort substantially. The master's bedroom has a large picture window which actually occupies nearly 2/3 of the exterior wall. The master's bedroom faces the sunrise side so that you always wake up to a nice sunny mood. The building itself is oriented so that the sunrise and sunset cycle hits the units diagonally and not strait on. Our unit faces north east. Direct sunlight at the sala is until 10am, while the fully open balcony has direct sunlight until about 12 noon. So, during mid-afternoons, the unit is already in the “cool side” of the sun.  The guest bedroom has a small window which opens to an airwell. Both the room and the bath are nearly as large as the master's bedroom, with the only trade-off being the large picture window should you choose to make it your main room. Both baths are also equipped with exhaust units. The sala and dining area is located between both rooms, and has its own window and airwell. It is naturally well illuminated because of the white 16inch tiles, white ceilings, and off-grey walls. Breakfasts at 7am will ensure that your carefully plated tocino, sinangag, sunny side up egg, and diced tomatoes are accented by the dramatic rays of the morning sun. The visual effect should be similar to what a late afternoon margarita will look like if you were sipping it at a resort in Ibiza. However, should you wish to tame the light, the four panel glass window and doors of the balcony (occupying 90 percent of the wall area) can be outfitted with thule curtains or even heavier drapery. The dining area already has provisions for a window type aircon unit, as with the two other rooms. The building is located on a street that bears one of Greenhills swankiest addresses, but comfortably away from the commercial center which has been too congested to traffic for over a decade. So, you get the advantage of a prestigious address minus the headaches of traffic. The location is also a mix of several ideal factors. It sits on top of a hill and is therefore virtually flood-proof; it lies at the start of the half-kilometer restaurant belt; and is accessible thru San Juan, Mandaluyong, and Manila. More specifically, the building sits on Wilson street, 20 meters off the intersection with P Guevarra. The building is 800 meters away from Cardinal Santos hospital, and 1,200 meters away from Greenhills Commercial Center. I usually prefer the 15minute brisk walk instead of taking the car and driving over there. There is also an 8-jeep shuttle from Macdonald's to the commercial center in case your pulse races too high from the exercise. The shuttle operates from 6am until 9pm. If you decide to take a stroll, you will be passing by some of the best restaurants in town. As this is predominantly a chinese enclave, you have Gloria Maris, Emperor's Villa, Red Prawn, Mann Hann, Wonton, North Park, House of Crabs, Weng Fei Wee, and Hong Tai Yang Seafood, as well as DECs, Little Store, and 5 other convenience stores selling mostly chinese gourmet stuff such as the rare live shanghai hairy crab (PhP600 a piece) and supersized double yolk eggs. There are also Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Continental, Spanish and a Thai restaurant, as well as an Andok's dine-in, a Mini-Stop, Mercury Drug and Southstar drugstore. There are two steakhouses, one dirt-cheap and the other spankingly expensive. There are internet cafes and coffee shops, one inasal station, a lasagna joint, a pizza joint, a burrito joint, and a handpulled noodle joint. The two branded pugon pan de sal stores are also in the area, as well as at least 5 each of nailspas, body spas, and hair salons. The price range of the salons are also fairly broad, as Vanidoza recently opened a branch next to the upscale Piandre.. There is a David's salon and a Bench Fix. All these within 5 minutes from the lobby. Incidentally, one of the most expensive salons is also 15 minutes away by foot; Shuji Kida Salon, the brand of the protege of Vidal Sassoon, charges up to PhP 6,000 for a haircut, and up to PhP 30,000 for specialized hair services. If you need premium fresh meat, Monterey is 20 steps away; if you are serving up foie gras or angus or wagyu or maybe bacalau or gindara along with your 1996 Chateau Latour, Santi's italian deli is 30 steps away; and for your daily meat and vegetable fix, Gonzales meat mart is 150 steps away. There are certainly huge benefits to the low-commercial zoning formula versus the full-blown serendra thingy.. The building doesn't simply have the benefit of a good location. It is also one of the better-managed condominiums around. Generator sets kick in around 90 seconds from a power outage, and in addition to fully powering all common areas (including the 4 level basement parking, 3 elevators, intercom units) it also powers the refrigerator in the kitchen, the two main lights in the living/dining area, and two electrical outlets where you usually plug the tv and your industrial fan. The building has its swimming pool on half of the roofdeck, while an indoor and outdoor function room occupies the other half. It also has its own helipad just in case you decide to call for a chartered chopper to fetch you. The condo is very upscale, but very low profile. Never loud, never garish. In fact, unless you look for it, you will probably not even realise that the condo is there at all. Our 77 sqm condo is one of only 8 units per floor, which is one of the lowest condo densities in Metro Manila. The condo is also just a moderate rise, consisting of 19 floors. The unit comes with its own basement parking slot. Association dues are in the range of 35pesos per sqm/month and covers virtually everything.  The condo is perfect for the young couple just establishing their mark on the world, or for more established couples who appreciate a more enjoyable and laid back lifestyle. The condo is comfortable. The area is very secure. You've read the lifestyle we've lived here. Now, it's your turn to live it. We are selling the condo unit for PhP 5,000,000.