Wife having culture shock on space

Posted by nj2hk (428 days ago)

Hi Expats,

Can anyone help or share their experiences in moving to HK from the NYC area? We're leaving a 6000 sq ft house in NJ and are now looking at 2500sq ft apt and my wife is losing it. To complete the picture we're in our late 30's with 2 small daughters (5 and 2.5).

many thanks

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Posted by Saikunga (428 days ago)

2500 is a large apartment in HK, and she will probably find that it more than adeqately meets her needs once she is here. The problem will be if you try to stuff 6,000sq ft of furniture into the 2500 one - you may find it is a bit squashed. So if you are bringing your own stuff - downsize to less than half.

I grew up on huge acreage before I can to HK and felt claustrophic for about a month - then I got used to it and my requirement for space has diminished somewhat. She may find that her need for very large and spacious houses after living here is no longer a priority - just think of it as an opportunity to see each other more as there is less space to be alone in.

Posted by nj2hk (428 days ago)

Hi Saikunga,

Thanks for the advice. We're taking about 20% of our stuff and leaving 80% in storage.

I'm hoping once she gets into the groove of things space will seem like less of an issue.

all the best to you!

Posted by Saikunga (428 days ago)

If she is stuck inside all the time it may be a problem but there is so much to do here with kids and socialising that she may find she isn't in the house for too much anyway!

You may want to gently remind her that many of the local families live in 400sqft - 700sqft apartments with their partners, kids and maybe one set of grandparents. So, she may not want to complain too loudly when she is here about how small her apartment is - she will be one of the priviledged few who have a large living space.

Good luck with the move.

Posted by nj2hk (428 days ago)

I appreciate your advice!

Posted by Hoa (428 days ago)

I would agree with what the others wrote. 2500 is very big for Hong Kong. Our family of four moved into 1500 square feet from a huge house in the Philippines with a big garden and a pool. It was a bit of a shock for me too but you just have a different lifestyle here - it is so easy to go out and do stuff, we don't spend a lot of time at home.

Posted by Moppet (428 days ago)

We also moved from a large detached house to a 1200sqft apartment when coming to HK and i'm afraid i hate it still after 2 years and we will not stay in HK because of it. I need a garden and open space, apartment living is just not for me.

I wish you luck

Posted by Saikunga (428 days ago)

Why don't you just move somewhere where you can have that rather than live in an apartment?

I have always lived in a 2100sq foot house, with a garden and even a private pool (for 10 years) here - as apartment living is not for me either. You can get smaller places with a garden as well. There are options in HK - you don't have to live in an apartment.

Posted by Moppet (428 days ago)

Nice idea but i doubt we'd get a decent house for 13.000 with easy access to the Airport.We have looked and prices are much higher and the properties are often run down

Posted by Patrick Yiu (428 days ago)

Space adjustment is varies from people to people. It took me a few years to feel comfortable living in HK after 10 years in Canada. From my relocation job experience, expats from the US have a more difficult time to adapt the changes.

There are some choices and sacrifices you have to make for more room. For example, living in Hong Lok Yuen in Tai Po provide townhouse with 2000'+ 2000' garden at only $35K.

In Moppet budget, he can rent a two levels of village house 1400'+700' garden in NT for $13K. Take E-bus only one hour to the airport. Of course, you have to give up daily LKF night life.

Consider the work opportunity here, situation will improve over the years.

Posted by Moppet (428 days ago)

Hi Patrick

We don't drink and LKF is my idea of hell so that side of things would never be a problem for us, however my hubby having to travel 1 hour on public transport each way i think would get him down. We currently live in TC so it's 5 mins in a Taxi in the morning.

Just out of interest do you have any links to property websites in the area so I could take a look? You never know I might be able to convince him it would be ok if it meant we would be happier.

Posted by Saikunga (428 days ago)

What about Lantau Island proper Moppet? Is that still a too long commute to the airport? Maybe there is something there that might be suitable.

Posted by Moppet (428 days ago)

Thanks Saikunga

We have looked on South Lantau till we are sick to death of it and the prices have risen over the last year so it's not such good value now

Posted by Saikunga (428 days ago)

OK - just a thought...rents are going up pretty fast all over HK right now so not surprising. We did hijack the thread a bit with this advice and suggestion giving! Sorry nj2hk....

Posted by allynz (428 days ago)

Both our apratments have had large windows and a view which makes a huge difference to me. Moppet you could try Sham Tseng where I am now - in your price range, shuttle to airport and we are right on the waters edge looking at the Tsing Ma Bridge - works for us.

Posted by Moppet (427 days ago)

We also have large windows and overlook the airport and water but the noise, lack of space and outdoor area make living in HK an experience i will be happy to put behind me.

Posted by Patrick Yiu (427 days ago)

Sorry Moppet, there is no link for N.T. property, they are not so developed.

Posted by vanilla (426 days ago)

I have also met some couples from NY that had the same senario. To feel more at home, what one lady actually did was decorate her flat to reproduce the same "feel" she had in NY. Since she was also downsizing, during the process, she realised that there were a lot of space/rooms she rarely used in the house in NY. So it was just took the Living/Dining, M. Bedroom, Kid's Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom, Study and reproduced it. To the end, the process assisted her to settle in and feel more content.

Good luck.

Posted by vantastic (426 days ago)

Patrick, whats with the " give up LKF life " comment ?

Most expats who live in the NT ( usually married expat couples), rarely venture to the island lol. Part of the reason why most of us move out this way is to get away from that wasteful experience.

I enjoy our timber decked top floor apartment roof top here in So Kwan Wat, with 180 degree sea/ green mountain views, and enough space to invite people over for a beer and relaxed sunday afternoon BBQ, no need to go to LKF.

I couldnt think of anything more annoying to be honest.

But, to be fair, we don't rent, and chose an apartment that represented the most western of interior design, and I am sure we have the largest loungeroom window in Hong kong :). 4.5 metres high x 3.47 metres wide. Big windows, do make your place a lot brighter, removing that enclosed feeling that most HK apartments suffer.

As to rent, if we rented our place out, it would probably be in the region of 15K per month, inc car space, 502 ft2 roof top and 3 bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen inc gas oven, a large dining and living room. Loads of space and very high ceiling over the living area. Sea view of castle peak bay, a beach right out the front of our complex and only 15 minutes drive to Cathay City.

Moppet, why did you choose Tung Chung in the first place ? Also, Park Island is like a prison to me, needing special permits for visitors is going a bit far and really abuses my view of what freedom means.

Ally recommended Sham Tseng, which is a about 5 minutes drive down the road from us, another location thats worth looking at, also Butterfly beach could be worth putting on the list.

In a nutshell, HK has many areas that suit certain personality types, if you select the wrong area to live, HK will be one long drag. You have to find a location that suits you, not a LKF peer group or anybody for that matter, its whats best for you.

I wouldnt live anywhere else, 100% love our apartment, and the large xpat community it sits within, loads of my fellow Aussies here, it really does feel like home, like no other location in HK.

Like you moppet, we need to be within easy reach of the Airport, so being near Central has absolutely no interest to us at all. Glad to be far far away from that rat race...

Message me moppet lets stay in touch, I can hook you up with a attentive real estate agent, who will find what you are looking for. I can also show you some photos of our place, just to give you an idea of perspective.



There are places like this out there, but it really depends on how "western" your real estate agent thinks, wether they can actually interpet what you mean. You will have to take a cut in space, but there are some very high standard places out there that are less local and more to what you want.

No offence to Patrick btw, just that the areas discussed here, really arent his specialty, so its hard sometimes to offer advice when he doesnt even live in the neighbourhood.

Posted by Patrick Yiu (424 days ago)

Well! There are some people who like to live in the city and some like the countryside. Statistic shows majority of expats still living on HK island, but there are many other places in HK to be explored. Vantastic is such a pioneer in those area, but I think a newbie from New York should live close to the expat community, alternative are Sai Kung and DB if space/budget is not matching his requrement.

Posted by vantastic (424 days ago)

Ha Ha, so we are going to get into statistics and xpat demographics now.

Yes I am pretty sure most of your banker, lawyer types all live on the island, and most of HK's technical, artist, writer types and airline pilots live out in the NT. Most of these people would be married/stable and not single, or atleast coupled with a bf/gf. Most NT xpats also own their own live in properties, and are likely to have a second property, especially true in regard to CX pilots.

Posted by mango2 (424 days ago)

Hey vantastic,

What do you do for a living? And where do you work?
It sounds like you should change the name So Kwan Wat to 'little Australia'

Posted by vantastic (424 days ago)

Funny thing, the Gold Coast developement, was influenced by Queenslands Goldcoast. It even notarises that on the GC website even. So in essence it already is little Australia.

I'd like to answer the second part of your question Mango2, but I do believe it breaches the terms and conditions of this forum.