Amberwood Larkin JB Review: From RM 390,000 — Worth It?

Quick answer: who is Amberwood for?

Amberwood is for a local household looking for its first or second home in Johor Bahru: a young couple, a small family, or someone moving up from a rented flat who wants a new building at a moderate price. Every layout has a "+1" room, units come with 1 to 3 car parks, and the price runs from RM 390,000 to RM 696,000. It is less suited to a cross-border commuter, since the CIQ is listed about 9.5 km away, or to a buyer who wants freehold or more space than the largest layout. For the latest price list and available units, WhatsApp +60 17-279 8932.

My view

In one line: This is a mid-priced new building in Larkin for families who drive: at about RM 696 per sq ft at entry, the lowest of the four projects compared below. But it is leasehold on a commercial title, and far from the checkpoint.

Living there: This is a car-based address: Jalan Tun Abdul Razak is about 2.2 km, Angsana Mall about 2.6 km and the CIQ about 9.5 km. Each unit gets 1 to 3 car parks, with car park access directly to the unit. The facility list is long, including a creek forest, a pickleball court and a 300 m jogging track. The fee is about RM 0.36 per sq ft including the sinking fund, so a 721 sq ft home pays about RM 260 a month (RM 0.36 × 721 sq ft). Tower A has 19 units a floor on the upper levels, so there may be a wait for the lifts at peak hours; I'd suggest seeing it for yourself.

Who it suits, who it doesn't: It suits first-home buyers and small families who drive, and households that need two or three car parks. It does not suit anyone who crosses the Causeway to work every day, or anyone who wants freehold or needs more room than the largest layout.

How long to hold: The largest home is only 872 sq ft, so there is nothing bigger to move up to inside the building. If you may need three bedrooms within a few years, I'd suggest buying Type C now rather than starting with Type B. For two people, the 721 sq ft Type B may work for several years.

Check for yourself at the viewing: How many car parks your unit comes with; whether it is in Tower A (19 units a floor on the upper levels) or Tower B (13); where the shuttle goes and how often; the completion date written in your agreement (currently 48 months from the SPA, to be confirmed); and how the fee is set and how long it is fixed for.

• Suits: first-home buyers and small families who drive; households who want a new building with a big facility list; buyers who want two or three car parks.
• Think twice if: you want freehold; you need more space than the largest layout; you commute across the Causeway daily.

Project facts (checked, updated October 2026)

Who is the developer?

Amberwood is developed by Affluent Crafts Sdn Bhd. The project is marketed as a resort-style home in the heart of Johor, an everyday escape that is close to the city but calm within. The features it lists go further than many launches at this price: a smart home system, kitchens fitted by Signature, GreenRE certification and a shuttle service for residents. Ask where the shuttle runs and how often, since that is a detail that changes how useful it is.

What is near Amberwood?

The distances below are those listed for the project, and are approximate.

Further out are Perling Mall (about 7.8 km), Maria Hospital (about 8 km), Mid Valley Southkey (about 10 km), R&F Mall (about 10.2 km), AEON Tebrau City and Sultan Ismail Hospital (about 14 km), IKEA Tebrau and Toppen Shopping Centre (about 15 km), Ponderosa Golf & Country Club (about 13 km) and Daiman 18 Golf Club (about 16.5 km).

How I read the location. This is a car-based address. The nearest secondary school, SMK Bandar Baru Uda, is listed at about 0.8 km, and the main roads, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and the Skudai Highway, are about 2 to 3 km away. Malls, hospitals and the bus hub at Larkin Sentral are all a short drive rather than a walk. For a family with two cars, which is why the extra bays matter, that is a normal JB routine. For someone who wants to walk to the border, it is the wrong part of town, with both the CIQ and the RTS station at Bukit Chagar a long drive away (see the table above).

Which Amberwood layout suits you?

What I would pick. The three types step up by about 150 sq ft each, and the jump that matters most is from A to B. Type A at 560 sq ft has one bathroom, so it is really a home for one or two people. Type B at 721 sq ft adds a second bedroom and a second bathroom, and is the layout I would point most young families towards, because it gives you room for a child without the price of the largest unit. Type C at 872 sq ft is the only true three-bedroom, and its +1 room is where many households will put a helper or an elderly parent. Because Type C is the largest home, I would not buy Type B expecting to upgrade within the building later; if you think you will need three bedrooms within a few years, go to Type C now.

What does it cost to hold each month?

The maintenance fee is about RM 0.36 per sq ft a month, with the sinking fund already included:

On a 1,000 sq ft basis that is about RM 360 a month, against about RM 510 at The Asteriaz and Celestz @ Kebun Teh, which both quote RM 0.51 psf including the sinking fund, and about RM 400 at M Grand Minori, which quotes RM 0.40 psf before the sinking fund. With a long facility list and a fee at the lower end of this group, ask how the fee is set and how long it is fixed for. Quit rent, assessment tax and utilities come on top. For more on how these charges work, see my guide to the maintenance fee and sinking fund.

Price per square foot against other Johor Bahru launches

"At entry" is the starting price divided by the smallest unit, so it is only a rough guide. These are other mid-market launches in Johor Bahru in the same data, not immediate neighbours.

How I read it. Amberwood has the lowest entry price per square foot of the four, and the same 560 sq ft entry size as The Asteriaz, at a starting price about RM 85,000 lower. It also has the lowest fee in the group. M Grand Minori starts cheaper in ringgit, at RM 300,000, because its smallest unit is only 403 sq ft, and it is the only freehold project here. If tenure matters to you more than price, that is the comparison to make; if you want a mid-sized home for a family at a moderate entry, Amberwood holds up well on paper.

Buying off-plan at Amberwood: what to check

Amberwood is under construction, so you will pay in stages under the sale and purchase agreement, with the construction period stated as 48 months from the SPA date and still to be confirmed. Before you book, check the completion date written in your own agreement, how many car parks your specific unit comes with, and which tower your unit is in (see the units-per-floor row in the facts table). Budget for legal fees and stamp duty; the loan agreement carries stamp duty of 0.5% of your loan. My guide to the sale and purchase agreement explains the payment stages.

A foreign buyer needs approval from the state authority, and Johor sets its own minimum price for foreign buyers. Check the current figure against the unit before booking. My guide to foreign-buyer minimum prices by state explains how the rules work.

Facilities

The facility list is long. Outdoors there is a creek forest, a garden nook, a garden swing, a herbs garden, a sunken campfire BBQ, a lap pool, a leisure pool, a kids' pool, a jacuzzi, a pool deck and pool shower, a playground, outdoor fitness, a multipurpose court, a pickleball court and a 300 m jogging track. Indoors there is a gym with changing rooms, a games room, a multipurpose hall with a pre-function hall, a gourmet kitchen, a vertical run staircase and a surau for men and women. Practical provisions include a guard house, a drop-off lobby lounge, parcel and mail rooms, a car wash bay, space for EV charging and for childcare, and a management office.

Pros and cons (my view)

How to view Amberwood

WhatsApp Shyan Yee (REN 46305, IQI Realty) at +60 17-279 8932 for the price list, floor plans and a viewing. Full specifications are on the Amberwood project page.