- Kenneth Tan bought a three-bedroom house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for 920,000 ringgit, or about $192,000.
- He spent six months transforming the old building into a sleek modern home with Japandi influences.
- "Sometimes if I go out, I kind of feel like I want to come home," Tan said.
When the pandemic hit Malaysia in 2020, Kenneth Tan realized he needed his own space.
When his father and stepmom started working from home, their house began to feel crowded. "I felt like I had to hide in my room," Tan, who works in the food and beverage industry, told Business Insider.
He started scrolling real-estate platforms half-seriously, but as time passed, he became more invested in the idea of having his own house.
Although high property prices in major cities have made it difficult for many young Malaysians to buy their own homes, it's unclear what percentage of millennials still live with their parents in Malaysia. The Malaysia Population Research Hub didn't respond to multiple requests for comment from BI.
In the US, based on the latest 2023 Census data, 19.7% of men and 12.3% of women between 25 and 34 years old still live with their parents.
"I thought, maybe I just need my own condo. A smaller space or even a studio would be fine," Tan, 32, said.
Before making any purchases, Tan decided to rent a condo on Airbnb for a couple of weeks to see what it would feel like.
While Tan enjoyed the freedom that came with living alone, he realized he wasn't a fan of high-rise living.
In 2022, he ended up buying a corner terrace in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, for 920,000 Malaysian ringgit, or about $192,000.
"I wanted a swimming pool in my place, so I needed a house that had some land. But I also didn't want too much space — which was how I ended up with a single-story corner terrace," Tan said.
A quiet neighborhood
Tan's house is about 1,650 square feet and has three bedrooms. It's in the township of Happy Garden and about a 15-minute drive from both his parents' place and his workplace.
Tan estimates the house was built sometime in the 1960s or 70s.
What drew him to the property was its original condition — the previous owners had barely renovated the house in the decades that they lived there.
"You can clearly tell that the floors were original, the walls were original, the roof was original, everything was basically untouched in some way, and there was no renovation that was done anywhere in between," Tan said.
He also ended up liking the neighborhood a lot more than he expected to.
"It's very near to this neighboring commercial area called Kuchai Lama," Tan said. "So it's quite a busy place, not the kind of area that I thought I would like, but somehow the property sits in a pocket of houses that doesn't feel like it's congested at all."
The location made it convenient for him to get around while still allowing him to enjoy the peace and quiet.
"I could just walk to all these commercial areas," Tan said. "And going to the KL city center is like 15 minutes by car."
Tan's house is less than 8 miles away from the Petronas Twin Towers.
A six-month transformation
Tan started renovating his home in January 2023 and completed it half a year later in June. He now lives in it with his girlfriend.
He describes the interior design of his home as having Japandi influences, thanks to the textures of the materials and the warm, earthy tones used in the house.
Tan said he worked with an interior designer to bring his vision to life.
"The designer just had to give their input and discuss whether it made sense," he said.
While he had some internal walls broken down to open up the space, Tan said he kept the original structure and layout of the home — including the open air well.
"It's a very big part of the house, although it doesn't carry too much function per se other than allowing some light in the center of the house as well as some cross ventilation," Tan said. "It's a space that's not really used, but I like it because it makes the house unique."
He estimates that he spent about 1.3 million Malaysian ringgit, or about $271,000, on the renovation.
"There were compromises, but there were also things that I didn't need but ended up spending on because I wanted something nicer," Tan said.
For instance, he said he could have gotten cheaper floor tiles that were 20 ringgit a piece, but he chose the ones that cost 140 ringgit each because he liked them better.
"It's completely emotional because I know very well that the one that's cheaper could be equally as nice, but spending that extra money made it slightly better. I'm just happier because I picked the one that I wanted," Tan said.
Tan's favorite part of the house is his bedroom, which faces the swimming pool. Waking up to the view of the water every morning gives him a sense of peace and calm.
He also likes the arched doorways, which he included as a nod to the original design of the home.
"I actually added quite a lot of arches to it because the original house had them. The house that I used to live in also had them as well," Tan said.
Part of the reason Tan chose to renovate an old home was because he wanted to preserve the original structure — even though he was told it would probably cost just as much, if not more, than demolishing and building a new home.
"Obviously the construction methods back in the day versus today, it's very different," Tan said. "So I think buying the old house and redoing it, it definitely has more character."
Having a home of his own has given him a sense of comfort and security.
"This is something that I only realized after I'm living here, and it's that I'm so much more at ease. I have my own place to go back to," Tan said.
He even spends more time at home than he used to.
"Sometimes, if I go out, I kind of feel like I want to come home. Even on holidays sometimes, it's like I miss home. I don't mind being home as much," Tan said.
Have you recently built or renovated your dream home in Asia? If you've got a story to share, get in touch with me at agoh@businessinsider.com.
