Posted by
hkjazz
14 yrs ago
Have been tinkering with the idea of buying a village house for a while now but have decided I should start seriously looking. Currently living in a very nice estate but with small children I'm tired of living in cramped quarters and am willing to sacrifice pools etc for the idea of a nice big house with hopefully a garden. Willing to buy a 'do-er upper' as well. Will spend the next few months doing some research and looking at various areas but it would be nice if I could be pointed in the right direction. Am wondering if anyone could help me with ideas on the different areas. Currently considering Sai Kung (country park area), Tai Po or Fanling areas. Our budget is relatively limited at around $5m. Any information on these areas would be much appreciated or if other areas are worth looking at please let me know. I've heard that sometimes the locals can be quite hostile to expats in villages and that there is a triad element. Other people say this is not a concern at all. With small children safety is clearly an issue, so advice on this as well would be also very much appreciated.
Thanks!
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Sai Kung Country Park nice (I lived right out at Wong Shek) but a real life style choice. 20 drive mins out of Sai Kung, depending where, and that gets old quickly. But the 94 bus is regular and a nice ride and taxis only 80$ from Sai Kung. You've got to like monkeys, snakes, etc. And I don't think $5 mio will get you a whole house. More like 9-10 and that won't be up to much. There are some interesting properties around though. Worth a look.
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A village house is normally 3 x 700 square feet. Near Ma On Shan, if it's quite new I think you are looking at about 10 to 13 million HKD for a village house, depending on sea views, etc.
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Thanks for the replies and I'm aware that the prices are usually much more than $5m. Which is why I'm looking at areas further out and as mentioned a 'do-er upper".I'm not after advice on how much I'm going to be paying that can be negotiated when I find the right house. I'm after advice on what people think of the areas I mentioned and whether anyone (like Oly88) has experienced living in them and some feedback. Obviously price is a factor which is why I won't even consider Clearwater Bay & Sai Kung but I know that cheaper houses can be found in these out of the way areas.
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Our experience was Ironically that a garden in hong kong often turns out to be a bit of a waste due insects biting the kids so much that they dont enjoy playing outside .....
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Shirl
14 yrs ago
I live in Pat Heung (or Kam Tin, they are next to each other and I still can't figure out which side I belong). It is a few minutes from Kam Sheung Road Station and Tai Lam Tunnel. A train ride to IFC Central takes less than 25min, driving is about 30min in rush hours. There are a few very decent estates in the area - gated, 24/7 guarded, landscaped, playground for children and some have swimming pool too. I read this blog a year ago and found myself living there a few months later - http://heungharlo.com/harlo/?p=38. We are happy with the environment and the price. Some estates nearby are even better and the prices are higher of coz. Most, if not all, of our neighbours are like us, city people who are tired of city life. I haven't heard about anything like trouble with the locals in the area though. The only downside if I have to list one is the occasional noise from the nearby airfield. They operate in the evening once a week or so.
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Shirl
14 yrs ago
Just thought of another concern since you mentioned kids. There isn't a school for English speaking kids in the area. My teen goes to school in Kowloon. If you have small kids you may want to live somewhere closer to their schools.
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94RS
14 yrs ago
Living in Sek Kong next to Pat Heung, I can concur with Shirl on the quality of life issues, travelling times, convenience for public transport (and the occasional airfield noises, though it is a military airfield so like most armys, they usually finish work at 5pm. Set times during weekends can also have some Biggles wannabes operating out of the attached Aviation Club). However regarding schools, nearby Tai Po and Yuen Long have some excellent English kindergartens, and Hong Lok Yuen International School and HKIS are both superb English primary and secondary schools respectively, and my kids have been through these.
Oly88, a car is certainly an advantage but you can survive without one, public transport is that good. There are now even private coaches operating numerous daily services along the main road from 7am, getting you to Central in 30minutes, and back from 6pm, all for $22 each way.... can't beat that!
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Lamma Island.. if you can find a house there as rare. 20 mins to Central by ferry and a fantastic community for kids!
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Shirl
14 yrs ago
Oly88, let's do some itinerary planning - To Kowloon Tong, take West rail and transfer at Hung Hom just across the platform. Overall travel time 30min. To Kowloon Bay, if it hasn't changed since the last and only time I took it, there is a public bus from outside the Tai Lam Tunnel toll booth going all the way on motorway without a stop until it gets to east Kowloon.
Kam Tin is a small old town. Basic grocery is available from a small Wellcome as well as from the small local shops and small Chinese wet market... everything is comparatively small but not the Jockey Club betting centre which I find very interesting indeed in such a small town. There are also ATMs and post office and local eateries. Restaurants serving western or thai cuisine are available only on the other end of the area.
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