Apartment Search in Hong Kong…
It may not be as helpful these days but I’m posting my apartment search experience anyway for future reference of those looking for a place in Hong Kong. Apartment search in Hong Kong for non-locals like me is easy yet difficult. Whatever the situation might be, there will always be people wanting to move. You can factor it to things like the space, the rent, the environment, and even the type of living arrangement. It’s not a secret that Hong Kong apartments are expensive if you’ll account for dollars per space. The location and age of the building also add up to the rental fee.
In general, you will need 2 months deposit and one month advance to start with your lease. Throw in an additional 50% of the rent for agency fee and few more hundreds for stamp duties. You’ll also need to change the name for water, gas, and electricity which require additional cash out for deposits
Considerations…
There are a few things to consider when searching for an apartment in Hong Kong.
Budget – Hong Kong apartment rentals are no joke, with one month rent in here, you can already rent a full house in another country with multiple rooms, gate, and garage. This being said, in searching for an apartment, you must first know your limit i.e., the amount you are willing and able to spend for your apartment. In line with the budget and upon signing the lease contract, you will be required to pay 2 months deposit and 1-month advance. Also, depending on the contract, all your lease payments may be advanced payments. This is also an important factor to consider in your search.
Location – Do you want to live close to your office or are you okay with a little commute? Do you want to be close to all the big restaurants and shopping areas or are you good with a quiet neighborhood? Do you want to live in a more “westernized” community or local vibe is good? These are some of the questions that may help in your search.
Size – Size is also important to consider in searching for an apartment in Hong Kong. If you have a family with you, 250 sq. ft. won’t cut it. If you’re alone though the size may not be as bad.
Duration – The common practice in Hong Kong is a 2-year lease, 1 year of it is fixed. If you feel like you’re not going to stay long or don’t want to stay longer, you may opt to try serviced apartments. It’s more of a “hotel-like” apartment where it’s fully furnished and made up every day. It’s a lot more expensive though. Around 400 sq. ft. on the Hong Kong Island side will cost from ~30,000.00 HKD.
Reality…
Budget notwithstanding, the apartment search in Hong Kong is easy because there are a lot of options. There are a lot of agencies and websites specializing in bringing together potential lessors and lessees.
Expats usually gravitate more towards the Hong Kong Island side because it’s more “Westernized”. Most of the financial offices and establishments are also on the Hong Kong island side making it more convenient. Generally, low and mid-range apartments on this side tend to be smaller and older and could range from 10,000.00 HKD to the heavens. The nicer and bigger ones always tend to be way too expensive, starting at around 20,000.00 HKD. If you don’t want expensive rents, you will probably find yourself in an apartment split into smaller units. There are also apartments turned into bed spacer types where you share with somebody else. Apartment rents for these small spaces usually start at around 7,000.00 HKD.
Kowloon side apartments are cheaper and bigger but have more of a local vibe to it. New Territories apartments are also newer, bigger, and cheaper (if you compare the rent to space) but are mostly residential. For around 15,000.00 HKD, you can have a ~500 sq. ft., 2 to 3 bedroom apartment. Kowloon and New Territories are still abundant with malls and establishments if you’re worried. I lived on the Hong Kong Island side in my first year and moved to the other side after. I prefer it more now, it’s bigger but less expensive, less busy and less crowded.
I’ve put together the things I did and my thought process in finding and moving to a new apartment. I’ve used a handful of apps that helped me in the process, I don’t, in any way, endorse these apps. I don’t guarantee these are 100% safe. My thoughts are my personal opinion based on my experience which is, fortunately, pleasant.
Search…
In Hong Kong, you usually need an agent to rent an apartment. Agencies are all over, you can see their offices on malls and MTR Stations where you can just walk in. I’ve never really tried but it looks like it :). Since I didn’t have time to personally go and query, I used mobile apps in my apartment search in Hong Kong. These apps like Spacious, 28Hse, and Squarefoot list down available apartments for rent.
Using apartment search apps is easy, if you find a place you like, you can send a message of your interest. As always, proceed with caution, make sure the listings and the agency look legit. Do not pay anything unless there’s a contract and search the location and building first. I’ve browsed and contacted a bunch during my search. I checked every day, filtering out the location, area, and rental preferences I have. I saved those that I like and messaged listings I consider. During the weekends, I would visit the apartments to check personally, ocular checks are important to gauge the comfort level in regards to the size and environment. Sometimes pictures are taken using a wide-angle lens, making it appear bigger than it actually is.
The agents are usually very quick to reply, even late at night. They will also have you consider other listings under their company. It’s beneficial especially if the apartments are not yet out for listings – either due to it being renovated or the current tenant is still in there. If you also offer before renovation finishes, there’s a chance you can still negotiate for the old rate. If you have a moving schedule in mind, I suggest you stick to that, agents will usually tell you that the place is a good catch and that it may be leased out quickly. The thing is unless you like the place, there will be a lot more similar, maybe even better. Landlords also usually prefer move-in 2 weeks after the offer, so you may want to bear that in mind.
Move…
If you don’t have a lot of things, moving won’t be a problem for you – especially if your apartment is close to the station, cabs are also everywhere. If you have heavy and big stuff, however, you may want to find a bigger transport.
There are apps like GoGoVan and Lalamove that are convenient if you have big stuff to move. It works as a car service that drives you from point to point. You can personalize your order by adding carts, asking for English speaking driver, and even requesting assistance from the driver in moving your stuff – this comes with an additional price to be quoted by the driver. I brought my drawers and study table to my new apartment and had to request assistance to the driver/mover. Payment can either be cash or credit card.
Clean…
Apartments are usually turned over clean, but if you’re sensitive or just want to move into something you’re sure has been cleaned, then you can either clean yourself or hire someone to clean for you.
If you know someone already who can clean then it’s good. If you don’t and you’re looking for someone who can clean for you, I stumbled upon an app called “Lazy“. Lazy offers cleaning services, laundry, and all other help you may need in cleaning your apartment. It requires a minimum of 3 hours of cleaning time and for a one-time cleaning, you’ll get charged 120 HKD per hour. You may get a discount if you want to subscribe to a regular cleaning schedule. The app also lets you customize your need, you can request for deep cleaning, have the cleaner bring cleaning material and others – you have to pay extra though.
Furnish…
Apartments can either be full, semi, and even unfurnished. Regardless, there are a couple of stores in Hong Kong where you can buy your essentials and whatever you need. IKEA, for one, is a great stop for buying affordable furniture like a bed, sofa, table, and many others. The store also has mattresses, sheets, appliances, and everything you may need in the household. They offer delivery and assembly for a premium. If you have old furniture in your new apartment that you want to dispose of, IKEA can also arrange if you buy furniture as a replacement. There’s also Pricerite, similar to IKEA, but I’ve never tried buying heavy furniture here, just a clothes rack and few small pieces. JHC is my favorite for cleaning materials, mats, and all other miscellaneous items – it’s cheap :).
Home appliances like refrigerator, stove, air-con, and washer are usually included but you have to clean them very carefully. You don’t know who used it before :). If there are no fridge and washer, you can always go to the nearest mall and buy in the appliance shops like Fortress and Broadway and have it delivered, this is of course if you have a budget for those. Stove and air-con is a must for me though, if there’s no air-con, I don’t. lol
Dispose…
One of the things I had to think about when I was moving was the disposal of my furniture in my old apartment. In my first apartment, I bought a couple of furniture that I couldn’t bring so I decided to leave them. I was told you can ask your landlord to pay for them if they think it’s worth keeping but I didn’t know about it. He let me leave though.
My second apartment, I was sharing it with a friend and I had to clear out the room since they will be needing the space for when her husband moves in. I searched for a few ones online that can dispose of my bed. There are a few online that lets you drop it off for resell or charity. None of the ones I found though were including the dismantling. I even posted it in a Facebook group for buying and selling used furniture in HK. You have to be accepted and comply with the selling requirements before you can post though.
Pushed for time, I decided to just book for dismantling and disposal. I stumbled upon Clutter to Cash, which can sell your old furniture. I only booked for disposal. You can contact them via Whatsapp and they will quote a price for you or you can haggle. Proceed with caution though, their site is not secure but my experience with them is okay. In just a few minutes, my bed and mattress were dismantled and brought out for disposal. You also pay cash when they are done.
Thoughts…
Generally speaking, moving apartments is not an easy thing to do when you’re in a foreign land. This blog is to share some tips and experiences for someone who may be in the same situation I was back then. It may not be significantly helpful at the moment but in the future, I hope this is useful enough. 😀
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