Editorial Note: Summarised from Sean Tan's full episode. The quoted answer is in his own words; the rest is our paraphrase. Figures reflect the recording date, so check current rates and rules before acting on them.
From JC, a viewer who wrote in by email
JC, 32, and his wife are expecting their first child in May 2027. They take home about RM15,000 a month, have more than six months of emergency funds and around RM100,000 invested. In 2023 they bought a River Park unit in Bangsar South for about RM700,000, roughly RM900 per sq ft, at RM3,000 a month, as their first home. Handover has slipped into 2027, and they live with his parents in Kepong.
With a baby coming, should they stay with his parents, rent the unit out and live elsewhere, or move in as planned despite the renovation noise from 1,300 new neighbours?
“Just keep it as an investment unit.”
Stay with family for the first year or two and rent River Park out from handover. Treat it as an investment, and move somewhere that suits the baby later, renting if you need to.
Why
A newborn needs hands more than space
The first six months mean broken sleep. Grandparents nearby give parents a few hours' break and can step in for daycare pickups. Sean moved out of his in-laws' home only when his son was about a year old.
The unit works better as a rental
To Sean, River Park looks more like an investment property than a family home. With the entry price on the high side, it needs rent of about RM3,300 (the RM3,000 instalment plus about RM300 maintenance) to break even, and the coming MRT3 station could lift rents.
1,300 new units is less of a threat than it looks
Some 8,000 to 10,000 units are coming to the surrounding areas over five years. The way to compete is to be the best unit: Sean estimates only about 5% of owners spend RM50,000 to RM60,000 furnishing a rental properly.
Moving in now means a year of drilling
In a new block, most owners renovate in the first year, so the corridor noise is constant. That is a hard start for a newborn.
What to do
- Count the completion date from your sale agreement, not the agent's promises; delay compensation runs from your own signing date.
- Furnish the unit well enough to stand out and attract the best-paying tenant.
- Keep about six months of instalments in reserve for this unit.
- Sort out life insurance and mortgage insurance now; Sean finds MRTA the simplest if you might lose track of separate policies.
- Do not rush the next purchase; Sean would not buy again in the first three years of parenthood.
ASKING SEAN #322 | NEW BABY CHANGED INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Sources & Verification Data
Summarised from Sean's full English captions for Asking Sean #322. The quoted answer is verbatim; everything else is paraphrased. Figures are as stated in September 2026.
