Posted by
nickwebber
17 yrs ago
Hi everyone,
I'm moving to Hong Kong for 2 years from Brighton, UK, on 10 November. Unfortunately, I don't know a single soul in the city, and I'm finding the prospect slightly daunting (as well as exciting, obviously!)
The company I'm working for are going to be putting me up in a hotel for 2 weeks upon arrival, during which time I've got to find an apartment to live in and basically work out what I'm going to do...(?!)
From your collective experience(s), will it be relatively straightforward to find a place to live within this time (on not an enormous budget, but not too scanty) or am I up against it? Ideally, I'd love to find some kind of informal flatshare and avoid going through an agency (this has always suited me in the UK), so hopefully that will also be available all those many miles away...
Well, that's it for now, but I'm sure there'll be more to come!
It'd certainly be good to meet up with some fellow expats over there, given that I've never visited the city before. HK here I come (shortly)...
Cheers,
Nick
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You'll met tons of people dont worry about that, and whether you find a place within a relatively short period of time is entirely up to how picky you are, you will find a place within whatever budget you have, no question, whether you want to live in it is a whole other question. Expats a re very friendly you will meet loads and may even make some lifelong friends
good luck
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Ed
17 yrs ago
You can find share flats and serviced apartments here http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/property/
Try joining a sports or leisure activity - it's the best way to meet people in Hong Kong
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/directory/expat-fitness-leisure/
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"Everybody in HK is busy, always. Unless they are unemployed. Friendships are shallow because friends come and go at a high rate."
Not necessarily true.
"The company I'm working for are going to be putting me up in a hotel for 2 weeks upon arrival, during which time I've got to find an apartment to live in and basically work out what I'm going to do...(?!)"
You'll have time to find a place in 2 weeks no problem. However you won't be able to move in until after 4-6 weeks typically.
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It's possible to find a place in 2 weeks (viewing a couple of places almost everyday) but if you can give yourself more time you'll find a better place. Let me know if you're interested in a short term flatshare (from a couple of weeks to a couple of months) which offers more flexibility than a serviced appartment and is even cheaper.
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Thanks for all your advice - really helpful!
'bed in hkg', there's every chance I'll be looking for a short term flatshare when I arrive, so that sounds like a good idea... Obviously I'll not know for sure until I arrive and get myself sorted, but I'll only have 1 (big) bag of stuff, so I can be relatively nomadic until I get settled properly...
I'll send you a message when I arrive so we can meet up and chat about it?
Thanks again everyone...
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I just wanted to reply to 'bed in hkg' as well. I am very interested in the scenario you listed above and would like to know more. (Ill need a place for at least 3 months)
Also, Nick I will be moving in December and will be in a similar situation, so once you get there, let me know how you do it!
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Two weeks is enough time to find a place, but I would try to see if your company can extend it to at least one month. Depending on which hotel they were planning to put you up at, it could still work out cheaper for them to put you up in a small serviced apartment.
The property market is slowing here. It will only get softer in the coming months, so if you are patient, I am confident you will find better deals than if you signed something within 2 weeks of your arrival.
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Lehman Wong, I've seen that price advertised in the papers for more than a year now...do you know if it is actually available for short term lease at that price today?
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Hmmm... that might be an avenue to explore, certainly. If I can get someone else in on that deal then it definitely seems to represent good value! Sounds like it might be a good time to be heading over to HK then, if the market is starting to slow down. I'd be surprised if I can extend the 2 week hotel deal though, so I'm hoping I can hit the ground running when I arrive. It all seems doable though, which is encouraging!
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