Perak is the second largest state in Malaysia with an area of 21,000 sq km and its state capital is Ipoh which has been conferred city status by the Malaysian Government. Other major towns in Perak include Taiping, Teluk Intan, Kuala Kangsar, Batu Gajah, Tapah, Kampar and Tanjung Malim.

Perak is fast developing and presently, it is involved in many industries such as manufacturing, agri-aquaculture, tourism, construction, mining, etc. Despite this, life and the standard of living in Perak are not as stressful and high compared to other cities like Kuala Lumpur, Johore and Penang.

If you are presently considering to invest in a second home or residential property, you should seriously consider Perak as a choice location. This is because Perak has many positive attributes that are unique and cannot be found in other states such as :

1. The land here is considerably cheap compared to other states as half of the state is still covered with forests and undeveloped yet. This means the supply of land is more than the demand and this affects the price of residential properties making them much more affordable than those in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang.
2. Due to the above reason, the cost of living in Perak is also low and most suitable for retirees to settle down here as their retired fund will have more purchasing power. A good example would be food. The food in Perak is not only cheap but also famous for its mouth-watering quality or deliciousness which is difficult to be found in other states.
3. Perak has an ideal location with Penang in the north and Kuala Lumpur in the south at 165 km and 205 km respectively by the North-South Highway.
4. Perak is easily accessible from other states with a well-established network of roads and highways. For example the North-South trunk road that runs through the state connects it with most of the major towns in Peninsular Malaysia. There is also the North-South Highway that cuts short traveling time and connects it with the seaports of Penang in the north, Klang in the south and Lumut in the south. Meanwhile the East Coast can be reached by the East-Coast Highway which has shortened the journey between Ipoh and the East Coast by approximately 1,000 km compared to using the old trunk road.
5. Life in Perak is slow unlike other cities like Kuala Lumpur. Traffic jams are practically unheard of therefore one can enjoy life at a more easy going rate, much more peaceful and with minimum stress. Furthermore, the people here are friendly while most important, the crime rate here is one of the lowest in the country.
6. Perak is  fast becoming a location for many institutes of higher learning such as Universiti Teknologi Petronas, The Workers Institute of Technology, Perak College of Medicine, Politeknik Ungku Omar and the latest project, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. Because of such development, investing in a second home here is bound to be a profitable venture as future demand for residential properties is predicted to rise which in turn will push up the present value of such properties. Also there will not be any shortage of potential tenants for those who intent to rent out their properties with the presence of the student population.
7. As for recreation, Perak has many such establishments especially for golf enthusiasts such as the Royal Perak Golf Club, Meru Valley Golf and Country Club, Pangkor Island Country Club and Taiping Bukit Jana Golf Club. It is also near the seaside with Teluk Batik about only an hour drive from Ipoh allowing for temporary respite from work related stress. Similar to other bigger and older cities, Perak particularly Ipoh has a few famous shopping complexes such as Jaya Jusco, Ipoh Parade, Makro and Super Kinta. Merchandise sold in these establishments are much more affordable and cheaper due to Ipoh’s lower standard of living. Shoppers would soon have another new shopping venue as Telsco would be opening its branch in Ipoh in the very near future.

8. Most important of all, the environment in Perak is clean with fresh air and clean water.
9. The climate in Perak is stable and not too hot in the range of 23.7 to 33.2 degrees Celsius i.e. the presence of sunshine throughout the year while annually receiving over 3,000 millimeters of rain.

Investing in a second home or residential property in Perak would be one of the best decisions of your life. As the state is still developing, your investment is guaranteed to be profitable as ultimately the value of such property will increase as more and more job opportunities become available thus encouraging more people to migrate here. With its lower standard of living, investing for a second home in Perak and retiring to this state at reaching the retirement age is a good and secure future investment. In other words, you are investing for a quiet and peaceful life during your golden age as city life at this time would be deemed too stressful and no longer appropriate to live out your retirement.