When a buyer sends me two brochures and asks, ‘Hazel, which one is better?’, my first answer is usually another question: better for what? A home for the next ten years, a rental unit, a place for children studying nearby and a short holding-period investment are four different decisions.
In Kota Kinabalu, projects that appear similar on a listing portal can sit in very different micro-markets. A waterfront proposition, an integrated development in Kepayan, a city-centre condominium and a home in an established Likas or Luyang neighbourhood should not be judged from one headline price-per-square-foot figure. I compare the exact unit, the legal product, the building’s future operating reality and the next buyer or tenant—not the brochure mood.
Start with the product you are legally buying
Two developments can look similar online while carrying different titles, approved uses, management structures or restrictions. Before I compare price per square foot, I establish what the buyer is legally acquiring, how the unit may be used and which documents govern that use.
I ask for the exact unit, tower or component, parcel size, parking entitlement and current document set. A statement made for one phase, hotel-managed component or commercial suite should never be carried across to a different component without written evidence.
- Title, approved use, tenure and any registered restrictions
- Building component, phase, parcel and parking particulars
- Sale and purchase documents that will actually be signed
Compare the complete cost of ownership
The purchase price is only the entry point. I build a cash plan that separates confirmed figures from allowances: financing, legal and valuation costs, maintenance, sinking fund, insurance, furnishing, repairs and the cost of holding an empty unit.
For an investment unit, I will not use the most optimistic advertised rent as the base case. I look for relevant achieved or supportable rental evidence, allow for vacancy and compare gross yield with a more honest net-cash position. A guarantee, rebate or furnishing package also needs its own terms checked; it should not be blended into the property value without explanation.
- Booking and progressive payment timetable
- Maintenance and sinking-fund basis
- Financing, furnishing, vacancy and management allowances
Test daily life, not just distance on a map
A short map distance can behave very differently during school runs, office peaks or weekend activity. I encourage buyers to test the approach roads, parking, drop-off, surrounding uses, evening noise and the route they will actually use—not only the route shown during a quiet viewing.
For own stay, we test your daily routine. For investment, we test the likely tenant’s routine. A medical professional working around Likas, a family prioritising established schools and a corporate tenant wanting city access will each value different things.
- Access at weekday peak hours
- Parking, lifts, security and visitor arrangements
- Sun, noise, view, utilities and the amenities the occupant values
Finish with demand and exit questions
A project can be attractive and still be a poor fit for your holding period. I ask who is realistically expected to rent or buy the unit next, what completed and incoming stock competes with it, and whether the layout, use and price band have a broad or narrow audience.
NAPIC’s official Sabah tables are useful for market context, supply and transaction direction. They do not prove the value or rent of one parcel. I use market data to sharpen the unit-level questions, never as a promise of appreciation or occupancy.
- Likely tenant or resale-buyer profile
- Competing completed and incoming supply
- Comparable transactions, asking-price gaps and a written downside case
Continue from here
Choose the next step that matches the decision you are making.
Sources and verification points
Last reviewed 11 October 2026. Programme, tax, consent, project and market terms can change. Recheck the linked authority and obtain transaction-specific legal, tax or financial advice before paying or signing.