Moving to a New Home in Malaysia: A Journey Through Furniture Shopping and Relocation
As I sit with a cup of tea, reflecting on this process, I realize it has been quite an adventure. Changing homes is never a small task, no matter where you are, and moving to a new house in Malaysia is no exception. After living in the same house since 2020, my husband @PavelSarwar and I decided it was time to change since a new building has risen right behind our current place. We explored a beautiful new house on the 16th floor and decided to make it our new home.
Our new home is unfurnished, so we’ve been shopping for furniture. The first step was creating a list of stores to visit; luckily, Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, offers many options. Our go-to store is IKEA, with the Cheras IKEA showroom nearby. Still, we’ve also added SSF Home Malaysia, which has multiple branches we love, including MY Town SSF, VIVA Mall SSF, and their brand-new headquarters at Glenmarie. We also visited Harvey Norman’s MidValley and Nu Sentral branches, Maju Homes Concept in Setapak, and even Aeon for some electronics. Another great place we discovered is NITORI, a Japanese furniture store offering modern and affordable options for every home; I love their furniture and household things.
While IKEA is known for its durable and strong furniture, SSF and Harvey Norman offer more stylish pieces that suit our tastes. IKEA’s designs weren’t as new and fresh, but they had sturdy cabinets and smaller items that worked well for us. On the other hand, SSF’s headquarters offered a wide range of items we couldn’t find on their website, and the physical browsing experience was genuinely worth it. We also found Maju Homes to have great mattresses with various options, which made choosing easy.
One important thing to note is that all three stores— IKEA, SSF, and Harvey Norman—offer accessibility features, making it easier for everyone to shop comfortably.
What stood out was the convenience of delivery services offered by these stores. IKEA and SSF provide a service charge to have your furniture delivered directly to your home, with IKEA charging a 10% service fee and SSF charging 5%. The delivery time is usually around 5 days for IKEA and SSF, while Harvey Norman takes up to 20 days. Their efficient service made the process easier.
As someone who values simplicity and style, I’ve chosen a simple yet elegant combination of white, navy, and wooden tones for our new place. These colors create a calming, fashionable atmosphere that I love.
Whenever I visit places like IKEA, SSF, Harvey Norman, Nitori, Maju Homes, and others, I love capturing videos and photos to contribute to Google Maps. I enjoy sharing my experiences with others, even if sometimes I can’t post on Connect. Regardless of my schedule, I always contribute to Maps wherever I go.
In terms of the moving process, Malaysia offers excellent support through movers. Some companies can take care of everything if you want help with packaging and transportation. I’ve been exploring options like- Movers and Lalamove, which help move furniture from one house to another. For the best experience, booking movers at least 10 days in advance is recommended, and you’ll need to obtain permission from the management of both your old and new homes for the move. Many buildings have specific moving hours—Monday to Friday until 5 PM, Saturdays until 1 PM, and Sundays are typically non-moving days—so careful planning is essential.
Moving from one house to another is always challenging, but it becomes a lot easier with proper planning and the right resources. I hope sharing my furniture shopping and moving experiences helps others in Malaysia who are looking to make their home transition smoother.
