The Asteriaz Kebun Teh Review: From RM 474,900

Quick answer: who is The Asteriaz for?

The Asteriaz suits two kinds of buyers: a single person or couple who want a 560 sq ft 1 + 1 bedroom close to the Holiday Plaza and KSL City Mall shopping strip, and a small family who want a 915 sq ft three-bedroom with two car parks. It is less suited to buyers who insist on freehold, who want to walk to the RTS Link, or who dislike busy corridors: the land is leasehold, the Bukit Chagar station is about 2.4 km away in a straight line, and most floors carry 27 homes. For the latest price list and available units, WhatsApp +60 17-279 8932.

My view

In one line: This is leasehold city living beside Johor Bahru's shopping strip, in just two sizes: a 1 + 1 (from RM 474,900) and a three-bedder. The plus is malls and supermarkets within a walk; the minus is up to 27 units per floor and an RTS Link station that is a drive away.

Living there: Holiday Plaza is about 520 m in a straight line, KSL City Mall about 770 m, and a Parkson and a 99 Speedmart are within about 430 m, so daily errands are easy. Typical floors carry 27 units sharing 8 passenger lifts and 1 service lift, so there may be a wait at peak hours; I'd suggest seeing it in person. If you work in Singapore, Bukit Chagar station is about 2.4 km away, so you would drive, take a bus or ride-hail; walking it daily is not realistic. The RM 0.51 psf fee already includes the sinking fund, so a 915 sq ft unit pays about RM 467 a month (RM 0.51 × 915 sq ft).

Who it suits, who it doesn't: It suits first-time buyers who want a 1 + 1 in the city, and small families who want three bedrooms with two car parks. It doesn't suit buyers set on freehold, people who want to walk to the RTS Link or the CIQ, or anyone who prefers few units per floor: 848 homes sit on 2.43 acres, about 349 homes per acre.

How long to hold: I'd treat Type A as a few-years home for a single buyer or a couple; the "+1" is a study, not a second bedroom, so it may feel small once children arrive. The three-bedders come with two car parks, so a small family could stay longer. The data points to completion around 2029, so you can't move in before then.

Check for yourself at the viewing: Before paying a booking fee, ask the sales team for the APDL number and check the expected handover date in the draft sale and purchase agreement (52 months from the APDL); B1 and B2 are the same size and differ only by the balcony, so put the two floor plans side by side; and ask how many units are on your floor. Foreign buyers should first check Johor's minimum purchase price.

• Suits: first-time buyers who want a 1 + 1 in the city; small families who want three bedrooms with two car parks; buyers who want a fee that already includes the sinking fund.
• Think twice if: you want freehold, you want to walk to the RTS Link or the CIQ, or you prefer a building with few units per floor.

Project facts (checked, updated October 2026)

Who is the developer?

The Asteriaz is built by Exsim through its project company EXSIM KEBUN TEH SDN. BHD. The developer describes itself as eco-responsible and states the project carries GreenRE certification. The same company is behind Celestz @ Kebun Teh, about 100 m away, and Exsim is also building the Axis, Brixton and Dover towers at Causewayz Square near JB Sentral, so buyers comparing Johor Bahru launches will see the name more than once. The construction period is written as 52 months after the APDL is obtained. Before you pay a booking fee, ask the sales team to show you the APDL number and the expected delivery date in the draft sale and purchase agreement.

What is near The Asteriaz?

Distances are straight-line distances from the project site; the actual walk or drive is longer.

Further afield, the project list of nearby places also names Putra Specialist Hospital, KPJ Puteri Specialist Hospital, Columbia Asia Hospital Tebrau and Maria Hospital for healthcare; Plaza Pelangi, Johor Bahru City Square and Mid Valley Southkey for shopping; and Sri Utama Schools, SJK (C) Foon Yew 1, City University Malaysia's Johor Bahru campus and Monash University for education.

How I read the location. The strength here is the shopping and errands circle: two malls and two grocers within about 800 m in a straight line, and three schools within about 750 m. The RTS Link is the obvious question for anyone who works in Singapore. At that distance, Bukit Chagar is close enough for a short drive or a feeder ride, but not a daily walk with a laptop bag in the heat. Hutan Bandar MBJB, the city forest park, at about 1.1 km is a real plus for joggers.

Which Asteriaz layout suits you?

What I would pick. Type A is the entry into the building at the bottom of the price range. The "+1" is a study, not a second bedroom, so treat it as a work-from-home nook or a store room; a guest will not sleep there comfortably. The jump from Type A to Type B is large, from 560 to 915 sq ft, and with it you get a second bathroom and a second car park, which matters in Johor Bahru, where many households run two cars.

Between B1 and B2 the floor area is the same. The choice is a balcony against more indoor space. A balcony is useful for drying clothes and for letting air into the living room; a unit without one gives you the full floor area for furniture. If you plan to live there yourself, I lean towards B1. If you care most about a bigger living and dining area, ask the sales team to show you both plans side by side and see which one fits your furniture.

What does it cost to hold each month?

The maintenance fee is RM 0.51 per sq ft a month, and it already includes the sinking fund:

Quit rent and assessment tax come on top. To compare across projects, think in terms of a 1,000 sq ft home: here that is about RM 510 a month, the same as Celestz next door, against about RM 360 at Amberwood Resort Residences, whose figure is also quoted with the sinking fund included. A higher fee is not automatically bad, since it pays for the facilities and the lifts, but it is a fixed monthly cost you carry whether you live there or not. Our guide on maintenance fees and sinking funds explains what the money covers.

If you take a housing loan, the loan agreement carries stamp duty of 0.5% of your loan. On a generic example of a RM 500,000 loan, that is RM 2,500. The stamp duty guide sets out the transfer side as well.

Price per square foot against its neighbours

Price per square foot below is the starting price divided by the smallest unit size, except for The Asteriaz, where the developer's gross figure is shown.

How I read it. The fair comparison is Celestz, by the same developer on the same road, with the same fee and the same 915 sq ft top size. The Asteriaz starts lower, both in ringgit and per square foot, mainly because its smallest unit is 560 sq ft against 581 sq ft and the entry price is lower. Amberwood is cheaper per square foot and has a lower fee, while M Grand Minori in Taman Pelangi starts much lower in ringgit because its smallest unit is a 403 sq ft studio, and it is freehold. Arden is in a different price band altogether. None of these figures are recorded sales; they are launch prices, and every one of these buildings is still to be completed.

Facilities

The facilities follow a celestial theme, since "Asteria" means star: the developer describes lunar-themed landscaping and a star-gazing lawn. The facility plan lists a swimming pool, a wading pool and a jacuzzi, the developer's description refers to infinity pools, and there is a playground and a half basketball court. Indoors there is a gymnasium, a games room, a karaoke room, a reading room, a multipurpose hall, a co-working space, an outdoor lounge and a lobby lounge. At the top there is a sky BBQ area and a herb garden. Practical provisions include a car wash bay, a management office, a control room, a surau, a kindergarten space and retail lots.

Buying as a foreigner or from overseas

Foreigners can buy in Johor, but each purchase needs approval from the state authority, and the state sets its own minimum purchase price for foreign buyers. That threshold changes from time to time and differs between property types, so check it against the exact unit and price you are looking at before you book. Our overview of minimum prices for foreign buyers by state is a starting point; confirm the figure with your lawyer before signing anything.

Pros and cons (my view)

How to view The Asteriaz

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 Asteriaz project page.