Moving to HK with 2 children from Australia

Hi, my husband has been offered a job over in HK for 45000 HKD per month for the 1st 6 months & than will receive a guaranteed payrise. He also recives a $10000 HKD living allowance. Just wondering if this will get 2 children (4yr old & 1yr old), my husband & I by with the cost of living? We've been looking at Discovery Bay as he will be working at the airport, preferably a 3 bedroom place (at least) that is safe for children. I wouldn't require Domestic Help for the 1st year & for the 1st 6 months I wouldn't send my eldest son to Kindergarten/childcare, they'd both stay home with me (to save costs & get used to another country).


My biggest concern is the safety of my children in a high rise building as my eldest son is a climber. Are they all child friendly? I noticed some apartments are located on ground floor or have a fenced grassed area.


I need as much information as possible - all the pro's & con's I can possibly get to better prepare my family before we make definite decisions. So if you have anything else to add, it would definitely be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.

My family moved from Sydney to HK last Oct. So far rental you can expect $20K for a decent sized apartment in average areas, certainly not any of the popular expat areas. Bit higher for 3 bedders depending on area. Tung Chung is relatively cheap but it's away from all the main shopping centres. Living standard is quite low if you stick to local style food. Groceries are cheap if you are not spending on imported food, say less than $10K/m on food in total. Education is a major concern, if you want to sent your kids to English schools, expect fees from $6K/m onwards. Local international class costs about $4K. And it will only get more expensive as they grow up. Transport are relatively cheap (all comparing to AU) but if you live in Tung Chung, it can be very expensive travelling to main areas such as Central, Causeway Bay etc.


Utilities, internet access, pay TV are cheaper compare to AU too.


The big expenses are RENT and EDUCATION. All others are controlled by your living style.


$55K is enough if you are not looking to save any money for the first half year I'd say.

Thanks so much for your reply, it's greatly appreciated!


Thankfully we don't have to worry about education right away & when we do, my husbands job covers 90% of school fees so education is not to much of a worry except for enrolment. My concern is trying to get our son enrolled into a school, I've heard there's a large waiting list on English Schools?


My husband will be working at the airport so what area would you suggest for living (even if only temporary for a while) with children? We've looked into Discovery Bay, Tung Shung, Silvermoon Bay & Park Island.

Actually you really do have to worry about education right away. There are waiting lists for the schools that are years long. If you list for DBIS (Discovery Bay International School) you will probably not get in. There are several smaller playgroups and education facilities in DB, but primary school will be not far away for your elder child. At the age of four years old, your child will be in Reception kindergarten (the second year of DBIS) and there is a Hefty deposit and fees. My child is in grade one and the monthly fee is $8250 per month as at June this year. I believe prices are set to rise for the new school year starting in August. They have a web-site so google the school name and you will find it. There are many people who are leaving all areas of HK as they cannot get their children into schooling and many families are separated as the mothers and children return to their home countries. It is a huge problem here. (you can google that too) There are other schools around, but and friends of mine have their five year old commuting for more than an hour a day each way. If you are looking at Discovery Bay, I don't think that you will be able to afford a three bedroom with a garden. Some average prices START from $50K per month going much higher, we were paying $42 K per month for a three bedroom over ten years ago. Check out some of the real estate agents web-sites to get an idea.-

Savills - Midland - Headland Homes - Landmaster - Square Foot - EPS (google these names and then add Hong Kong and Discovery Bay to the search)

I have a four bedroom apartment that I rent out in DB that is on the first floor of a low-rise. It is rented for $48K per month. I think your best option for three bedrooms is a high rise village called the 'Greens'. Even then you'd be looking at 700 - 900 sq ft for higher than the $10k living allowance you mentioned. Most of the high rise apartments have safety grills installed across the windows to prevent little ones from falls, and if they don't you can always have these included in your housing/rental contract. The cost of living is quite high as it is a mixed culture district (targeted as foreign wages by shops), and the basic shopping bill for the week is high for us. Sassycherrie is quite right about Tung Chung, and it is a more cost effective district to live, and closer for your husband to travel to work. There is also a lot of lovely people living in Tung Chung and DB from all corners of the globe. We are Australian have been here for 15 years and have enjoyed the lifestyle and friendships we have made. My children are all born here and the experience of living here will only enrich and educate them for their futures. I wish you all the best and don't mean to give you too many 'cons', but all these points need to be looked at. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to send me a personal message. Best of luck.

Hi "Coffee Queen" thanks for your response, really appreciate it.

We've already started applying for schools. We're not fussed if our boys get into a local school or private school, as long as they can start somewhere. We will arrive at the start of 2013. Our eldest son, won't be starting primary school until 2014 as he was born in 2008 & our youngest was born this year 2012. School is our first priority.


We're pretty set on Tung Chung for the first couple of years & than everntually will move elsewhere to Discovery Bay, etc as my husbands pay increases every year we're in HK.

The $10,000HKD living allowance isn't our cut off, we plan to spend a maximum of $20,000HKD per month on rent. We've scrapped the idea of a garden. We'll ask about child restraints on the windows when we rent & let them know we don't want a balcony.


We will be visiting HK at the end of the month. So we have 4 days to check everything out without the children. If the children are needed for interviews at the schools, etc I'll have to bring them over seperately.


I'm looking at joining a mothers group or church to meet some new people & build up my friendships. I think I will need a good support network of friends, just for my sanity.


If there's anything else I should know, please let me know. I'd love to hear all the pro's & con's to help better prepare us. I understand that I won't fully know until we get there though.

Thanks again!

Hi all


My husband and I are moving to Hong Kong (from London) in a couple of months. We are looking into DB as a start.


We currently have no kids but we are planning to have one in a year if we can. Do you think that we will have problems in securing places for schools for our kid by then if we ask and list our names once I get pregnant?


Also, we are thinking to rent an apartment around 800 sq feet (net), how much would the monthly rental be? anyone has any idea?


My husband and I both grew up in HK. However he came here for boarding school and spent more than half of his life here. I came here for master then have been working here in London for 8 years. Guess, it will take us time to adjust to our lifes back in the fast pace HK.


Lameloise

Sent you a pm.

Confirm the kids schooling first as this will affect your decision.