Varying budget.
The places you list above (extract from my list) are expensive, the others are less expensive....hence why I listed with the disclamer it was for any kind of budget. the rich go to Repulse Bay, the less rich to Ma wan (for example...)
As for hit and miss, I will consider myself lucky but in 8 years in HK not once have we been inconveienced by our neighboors (renovation etc etc) or the area (construction).
And we have lived in Central area, Gold Coast area, Hung Homg and where we are now somewhere in the NT.
I read horror stories on here but so far so good. Hope it continues that way.
DB has reasonably priced places. Certainly places which meet the OP's requirements and budgets. But of course DB also has huge houses with pools etc that the "other half" live in.
I got lucky with my flat there. When I get up in the morning at weekends, there's silence apart from birds singing. It's lovely. Until the neighbourhood kids get dragged out by their helpers and the screaming begins. :-( Actually, it's pretty good. No neighbours playing the piano (badly) or elderly Chinese ladies trying to break the sound barrier with their TV volume. And no traffic noise at all!!!
Last edited by bibbju; 05-03-2014 at 04:10 PM.
Double glazing is unheard of in HK, but it can do miracles. I installed windows from Germany with special noise reduction glass (10 and 9 mm glass) and it turned my place in the middle of TST into a quiet place. That is the main reason why I wouldn't want to live in a rent place. Unfortunately you don't have the choice.
The OP was looking to spend under 15k a month I believe. While I don't doubt there are a few people paying under 15k in DB..I certainly would not refer someone to DB who is looking to spend that amount. Not only do most flats cost more than 15k there but the overall cost of living including transportation can be higher.
I have double glazing in the master bedroom and it makes a huge difference. Highly recommend. If you can live on the top floor ( no neighbors above you ) that is a huge bonus too.
Most flats in Hong Kong lack " air space " between floors. Thus sound vibrates right through the building.
This chap has NO job. Possibly even NO HKID. So flat shopping with attendant contract, upfront money, etc. seems a bit premature.
It's for real - and yes, they get rented pretty quickly. Mate of mine secured one such apartment 6 months ago, said he was told by the then existing tenant that the flat had only just been placed on the market.
I live in Stanley as well, and love it!
I saw one flat in Stanley that is currently listed on the other expat site for $14000 and it even comes fully furnished.