The Lavande Residences is a midrange apartment complex that consists of two contiguous towers The Lavande Suites (29 floors) and Purple Tower (22 floors). Completed in 2011, they combine a total of 810 units.

It was developed by PT Intersatria Budi Karya Pratama, a subsidiary of PT Agung Podomoro Group, the largest property developer in Indonesia.

I slept for a couple of nights in this property and this is my full review of it:

Location:

Neighborhood and Transportation

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is The Lavande Residences located?

Location of Lavande Residences

The Lavande Residences is located along Jalan Prof. Dr. Soepomo, in the district of Tebet. It is a typical middle-class neighborhood of Jakarta, with mostly low-rise houses and shops.

It isn’t a very central area, yet it remains popular with mid-level executives. It is affordable, and you can reach many office buildings within 25-45 minutes (especially those on Jalan Gatot Subroto and Jalan Rasuna Said). Also, the proximity of The Lavande Residences with the Jakarta Inner Ring Road makes it a strategic location for those who often need to go to East Jakarta or Bekasi.

How does it look like around the apartment?

The Lavande Residences has two different exits.

The main one is on Jalan Prof. Dr. Soepomo, a rather busy street crossing the district of Tebet from Jalan MT Haryono to Jalan Casablanca:

Surroundings of The Lavande Residences

Outside of The Lavande Residence on Jalan Prof. Dr. Soepomo

The second exit is on a small back street, Jalan Masjid An Nur. It has several warungs and tokos that can be quite useful for residents:

Street behind The Lavande Residences

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is it from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 60 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 40 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 25 minutes
– Kota Tua: 60 minutes
– Kemang: 30 minutes

Public transportation and access to highways:
– Nearest Transjakarta halt: Universitas Sahid (100 meters away, to go to Tebet Station) or Pancoran Barat (1.2 km away, where you can take buses to the Sudirman area).
– Nearest MRT station: None nearby
– Nearest train station: Tebet Station (2 km) or Manggarai (4 km)
– Nearest toll road: Jakarta Inner Ring Road (1 km)

In the future, there will be an LRT station near Pancoran, on Jalan MT Haryono, about 1 km from The Lavande Residence. Similar to the MRT, this will allow you to reach the business center more quickly (or to go to Bekasi). More info: Greater Jakarta LRT.

Landmarks Nearby

What are the important landmarks nearby?
Nearby, there are a few landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
The nearest important mall is Kota Kasablanka, about 4 kilometers away. It is very busy, especially on weekends. It targets the middle to upper-class, with a good selection of shops, restaurants and services. The anchor tenants are Sogo, Carrefour, XXI, H&M, Informa, Ace Hardware and Electronic Solution.

You can also check Epicentrum Walk (4.5 km away), which is smaller.

Supermarkets:
The nearest supermarkets are about 10-15 minutes away on Jalan MT. Haryono: Super Indo Pancoran, Gelael, or All Fresh (for fruits and vegetables).

Restaurants and Nightlife:
There is a small café within The Lavande Residence, and a few warungs/rumah makan walking distance from the property (Padang, Mie Aceh, Mie Ayam, Rawon, etc). You also have a McDonald’s about 500 meters away.

By car, you can also try TIS Square near Pancoran, a food mall with several eateries like Pho 24, Citrus Café, Tiga Nyonya, Sushi-Ya, KFC, Starbucks, etc.

Education:
– Universities: Sahid University (Soepomo Campus), Paramadina University, Sampoerna University
– Schools: Sampoerna Academy
– Preschool: Bambino International Preschool

Hospitals:
RS Tebet or RS Medistra for small issues (15 minutes away)
SOS Medika Kuningan for bigger problems.

Offices:
The Lavande Residences is not exactly in a business area, but you can reach several office buildings quickly. In particular, those on Jalan Gatot Subroto and Jalan Rasuna Said are less than 25 minutes away by car.

Parks:
Taman Hutan Tebet (Honda Park) is 1.5 kilometers away.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
The Lavande Residences was built by PT Intersatria Budi Karya Pratama, a company owned at 80% by Agung Podomoro Land, the largest apartment developer in Jakarta. The remaining 20% belong to Synthesis Development. The two companies have worked together on several other projects, for instance Bassura City and Kalibata City.

Overall, those two companies have a fairly good reputation. That said, each property is managed differently: Some are very well-maintained, while others are in poor condition.

Who is the architect?
Airmas Asri was the architectural consultant. This firm has often worked with Agung Podomoro Land, in particular on their high-end properties like Pakubuwono View and Pakubuwono Signature.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Pulau Intan, a large Indonesian group that has finished dozens of similar projects such as L’Avenue, Taman Anggrek Apartments, Royale Springhill Residence, City Home Gading River View, French Walk Apartments, Signature Park Grande, etc.

What is the situation with the land certificate?
The developer has a Hak Guna Bangunan Murni, which means the property was built on its own land. As an apartment owner, you get a “Strata Title di atas HGB Murni”.

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From Outside (Facade):

The design of The Lavande Residences is not really beautiful. The two towers, The Lavande Suites and The Purple Tower are connected to each other into a massive L-shaped building that just looks like a huge concrete block.

Surroundings of The Lavande Residences – Back street

Architecture of The Lavande Residences

Facade of The Lavande Residences

Entrance and Lobby:

Main entrance to The Lavande Residences from Jalan Soepomo

Entrance gate to The Lavande Residences

Car drop off The Lavande

Reception desk in lobby of The Lavande Residences

Coffee shop in the lobby of The Lavande Residences

Garden and landscaping:

Panorama of pool and garden in The Lavande Residences-noresize

Garden area of The Lavande Residences

Pool in The Lavande Residences

Corridors and lifts:

Lift area in The Lavande Residences

Corridors in The Lavande Residences

Corridors in The Lavande Residences

Apartment door in The Lavande Residences

Size and Types of Apartments

The apartments’ size is approximately the following:

Studio units (1 bathroom): 30-36 m2
1-bedroom units (1 bathroom): 40-45 m2
2-bedroom units (1 bathroom, maid room in the larger units): 40-65m2
3-bedroom units (2 bathrooms, maid room in the larger units): 75-83m2

Materials and Equipment

What is the quality of the materials, furniture, and equipment used in the construction?
This is an evaluation of the quality I observed (ranked from 1 – worst – to 10 – best):

In common areas:
Tiles lobby: 6.5
Painting (wall, ceiling): 6.5
Lighting fixtures: 6
Doors: 6.5
Windows: 6
Ceiling: 6.5
Elevator: 6.5
Gym equipment: 6
Pool equipment: 6
Furniture: 6
Artwork: 5.5

In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 6.5
Bathroom equipment: 6.5
Kitchen equipment: 6.5

Overall Quality: 6.3/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: There is an average-sized adult pool and a kids’ pool.

Swimming pool in The Lavande Residences

Swimming pool of The Lavande Residences

Kids pool in The Lavande Residences

– Gym: The room is quite small, with only a few machines. It’s enough just to stay in shape, but that’s it. The AC was not working when I was there, so it was quite hot inside.

Gym in The Lavande Residences

Fitness equipment in The Lavande Residences

Gym The Lavande Residences

– Other facilities:

Play room for kids in The Lavande Residences

Squash and ping pong table in The Lavande Residences

Basketball court in The Lavande Residences

What are the services available within the property?
Several services are available, including a mini market, a laundry, a café (see picture above), and ATM machines

Circle K in The Lavande Residences

ATM center in The Lavande Residences

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None that I know about.

Are there issues with parking?
The parking seemed to be very crowded. I could see some cars desperately looking for empty spots in the evening. Make sure you get a dedicated parking space when renting/buying in The Lavande Residences.

Crowded parking in The Lavande Residences

Are there enough lifts?
Yes.

Atmosphere

Is the property busy?
Yes, it’s a popular property with a high occupancy rate.

Is it noisy?
There are two mosques on the eastern side of the property, about 200 meters away. You can hear them, but it is still bearable.

What is the background of residents?
The residents are almost 100% Indonesians.

Management

Maintenance

Are there visible damages?
The maintenance of The Lavande Residences is average, considering the property is still relatively new (handover in 2011). The corridors, for instance, would need to be repainted. I also saw a few broken tiles in the pool.

Overall maintenance rating: 6.5/10

Cleanliness

The cleanliness was satisfactory.

Overall cleanliness rating: 7/10

Gardening

The garden was properly maintained.

Overall gardening rating: 7/10

Security

– Guards: There are 24/7 guards at both gates of the property.
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby.
– Access: You need an access card to reach the lift area:

Entrance door to lift area in The Lavande Residences

Overall security rating: 8/10

Hospitality

The staff is friendly and professional.

Overall hospitality rating: 8.5/10

Rooms and Prices

Prices at The Lavande Residences may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings.

Be aware that you may also need to pay for additional fees: Service charge (IPL), parking fee, electricity and water bills, etc.

Here are a few examples of prices and ratios for this property:

3-Bedroom (83m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 144 million (or IDR 12 million per month)
• Buy: Approximately IDR 1,700,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 11.8 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 20.5 million/m2

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
→ The area does not have many apartment buildings
→ High occupancy rate
→ Good ratio rental price/buying price

Reasons NOT to buy:
→ Some issues with the developer regarding unjustified increases in the service charge fee (read this article for more information: Bisnis APL)
→ With the new LRT, I think the demand in this area will shift for apartments that are located near a station (for instance Signature Park Grande)
→ Maintenance is average

Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ):
5/10.