Like Tree3Likes

Moving to hong kong with small kids

Closed Thread
Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4
  1. #31

    Hi PDLM
    I have a investment visa.
    Can you recomande me some nice places in Hong Kong, we have 2 small kids with us.
    Many thanks


  2. #32
    hi Satay Sue
    I ll will folow your advices, we are thinking to start with going to a serviced apartment for 6 month, then we will have some time to look around.
    We know the harbourfront horizon, but does some one knows some other good ones ?
    Many thanks to all

  3. #33

    Hi Carang,
    Thanks for this list, this is very nice...
    Is there a long waiting list ?


  4. #34

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Tuen Mun
    Posts
    6,191

    This guy has got to be taking the piss.


  5. #35

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Kent, England
    Posts
    6,728

    OP, everyone is trying to help but you need to start doing something yourself. Suggest you look up the schools on the list and start calling or emailing...


  6. #36

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
    Posts
    17,934
    Quote Originally Posted by Satay Sue:
    Just wanted to echo Carang in her advice to not rent until you have seen in person. We had a short list of several places before we arrived and thank goodness we didn't agree before we arrived! None of them was anything like we expected, despite the attractive photos on the websites.
    Seconded. No laws here requiring photos be truthful. My of gold coast where I am are doctored to remove entire buildings from the view, for example.

    Sent from my GT-P1000 using GeoClicks Mobile

  7. #37

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
    Posts
    8,318

    I think the OP was on the right track in the beginning, his/her choice choosing Yau Yat Chuen ie Tat Chee Ave at the Festival Walk end of the road would honestly be quite a good location. I used to live in one of the Villa's when I first arrived in HKG, but unfortunately the OP's budget is a bit thin for the this particular area.

    You'll get a largish 3 bedroom apartment though, ( Beacon Hill just one example of many ) and in all other respects its a convenient area that is very well positioned to a number of good schools, Festival Walk which is a quality mall, and very easy access to the MTR, which is an easy 10 minute level walk away.

    You cant go wrong there, in my opinion, it ticks most of the right boxes. But, if you are determined to get a villa that has a back yard, 4 bedrooms, large living/family/full sized western kitchen etc, then I would recommend that you look a little further afield.

    Clear Water bay at the Hang Hau / TKO end of the round about, say between Silver Strand and Pik Sha Road would be very pleasant, if you plan on purchasing a practical car, then Pak Sha Wan ( Marina Cove ) would be a great family area to live with very enjoyable views/surroundings. $65,000hkd budget will get you something that has been recently renovated to a contemporary level, offering your wife and kids a very nice community that they can normalise within....Basically you can have your cake and eat it too, being close enough to Kowloon Tong ( where most of the schools are located ) without the commute for your children, being an unnecessary chore.

    Also, I absolutely agree that it would be advisable to do a reconnaissance visit, meeting up with a real estate agent and seeing a selection of homes that are available in person, ignore the websites for the reasons mentioned by other seasoned expats as 9/10 aren't true reflections of the environment that surrounds the house, which is as equally important as the quality of the home itself.

    Also make sure that you can park your own personal car where your house is situated, and avoid VILLAGES if you can manage it, stick with privately managed Villa complexes if you can. Much less of a hassle, as most villa complexes also include supervised pools, tennis courts and communal BBQ/REC area's that as a family will be useful during the warmer months.

    Good luck.....

    Last edited by Skyhook; 12-12-2011 at 09:17 AM.
    Satay Sue and Mat like this.

  8. #38

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    8,280

    All schools have bus services, which mean there is no need to live right next to the school. But I still think its the school will drive where you live and you should get it sorted out first and then everything else will fall into place afterwards. My son goes to school in Kowloon Tong, and we live in Olympic. The school bus takes 8 minutes (leave school 3pm, home at 3:08pm).


  9. #39

    Oliver, I actually just rented a townhouse in Kowloon Tong! But our estate is the only one of its type that I know of. Sunderland Estate on the corner of Waterloo Road and Hereford Road is a complex of ~120 3 storey townhouses built in the 80s, most are 2100 sqft or bigger. There were at least 3 for rent when I was looking, although they go quickly. Ours was 63k, but I've seen better renovated ones up to 100k. They have tiny courtyard gardens but you do have the whole roof and there's a communal pool and playground.

    I don't know of any other houses in KT but there are quite a few complexes with large (for HK) 3-4 bedroom apartments. On Broadcast Drive there is a new one called Meridian Hill which has just opened, so you may get a bargain there because every landlord in the building is trying to rent out their flat at once. And there also is Beacon Hill and Mount Beacon which have flats in your price range and very nice facilities.

    As for agents, they will fall over themselves to assist, just call a few and ask them to show you around. I used three agents and Savills in Kowloon Tong were by far the most professional. Remember you are paying them a decent sized commission so they should earn it.

    We did consider Sai Kung - there are some absolutely beautiful houses out there, much nicer than you'd get in Kowloon for the money, you just have to balance the commute against how nice it is once you get home! I have kids and work longish hours so for me the short commute wins every time.


  10. #40

    Skyhook and LionelHutz,
    Thanks for your great comments and ideas.
    This forum is great !
    Thank you all for your time answering to me.


Closed Thread
Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4