MANILA, Philippines - Jefferson Pagsisihan, 33, is a doctor who's always on the go due to the nature of his job. However, living in Parañaque and reporting to work at the Medical City in Ortigas could be a bit of a hassle, especially when it comes to traffic.
"The traffic situation in Metro Manila is very terrible... I had experiences before when it took me two hours to travel from my house in Parañaque to Medical City here in Pasig," he says.
Trying to solve this problem, Jefferson looked for a condominium unit to rent near the hospital. Realizing later than renting a space can be more expensive than getting his own house, he did his math and chose the latter.
"If I pay P25,000 a month for my rent, and I accumulate that in a year, I’d have P300,000. And in five years, it’s already P1.5 million. And I won’t be a doctor for only five years, so I decided on looking for a place that’s convenient," he says.
A prudent investment
Jefferson decided to buy a unit at Aspire Tower at Nuvo City in nearby Libis, and he considers it as one of the best decisions he has made.
"I’m very happy with my decision because it’s so convenient. The area is very near commercial establishments, and yet it’s also not as crowded as other developments, so I get both convenience and privacy at the same time," he says.
Jefferson instantly loved his unit, because compared to offers from other developers, his place gave the best price for the amount of space. Aspire Tower allowed Jefferson to personalize his unit, so he asked his carpenter to build a shelf for his travel memorabilia, and he worked with his interior designer and foreman to achieve an efficient design that maximized the space of his executive studio unit.
Bigger, more luxurious cuts
"Here in Nuvo City, the price is very much comparable, but the cuts are bigger so it allows you to put more furniture. Like in my unit, this is an executive studio, so after consulting my interior designer, I was able to devise a plan that would make it look like a one-bedroom unit, just by adding a wall partition for my bedroom," he says.
Other problems present in other condos were basically nonexistent in Jefferson's place, and he had no complaints when it was turned over to him.
"I’m very particular with details and was happy to see that unlike what I’ve been hearing about in other developments, here the walls have no cracks, no floor tiles are going up, no leaks from the ceiling," he says.
Commendable security, first-rate amenities
Aside from his satisfaction from his unit, Jefferson appreciates the building's amenities, which complemented his lifestyle needs.
"I use the gym twice a week. I also swim, usually at night, at the end of a busy day. A dip in the pool is very relaxing. In the gym, there are many equipment that you don’t have to fall in queue and wait for your turn, so time is not wasted. As a doctor, time is very important for me, so I really appreciate it that I can use the gym equipment right away on my free time," he says.
He also lauds the building's security, and the staff's promptness in attending to the needs of tenants.
Overall, Jefferson considers his unit at the Aspire Tower as a convenient refuge where all his needs are met.
"I consider this property of mine as my haven, where I can relax, rest, or meditate whenever I feel like it. With the convenience and privacy my unit here at Aspire Tower affords me, I find this investment very much worth it," he says.