Where to stay if office is in ShaTin

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    61

    Where to stay if office is in ShaTin

    Hi all, I will move to my new job in end of Jan/early feb

    the office will be in ShaTin, so I want to some recommendations on where to stay.
    Here are some details:
    - single, so living close to where can meet people/have fun is a plus
    - budget <10K HKD a month
    - prefer to live alone, but if can get nicer apartment then willing to share (are 2 bed 2 baths apartment in HK very rare?)
    - I probably dont want to stay in HK island, since commute would be too long. Probably prefer to be in new territory or kowloon. I am open to suggestions

    Some other questions:
    - is it the norm to use an agent for finding apartments in HK? what is the normal commission rate?
    - what are the typical fees for electricity, water, internet per month? less than 1K a month?

    Thanks for any input!


  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by henryhg:
    Hi all, I will move to my new job in end of Jan/early feb

    the office will be in ShaTin, so I want to some recommendations on where to stay.
    Here are some details:
    - single, so living close to where can meet people/have fun is a plus
    - budget <10K HKD a month
    - prefer to live alone, but if can get nicer apartment then willing to share (are 2 bed 2 baths apartment in HK very rare? )
    - I probably dont want to stay in HK island, since commute would be too long. Probably prefer to be in new territory or kowloon. I am open to suggestions

    Some other questions:
    - is it the norm to use an agent for finding apartments in HK? what is the normal commission rate?
    - what are the typical fees for electricity, water, internet per month? less than 1K a month?

    Thanks for any input!

    - is it the norm to use an agent for finding apartments in HK? what is the normal commission rate?---> yes. Agent is a good choice even for Hongkongers. If you want to live in Shatin, New Town Plaza could be a good choice.
    - what are the typical fees for electricity, water, internet per month? less than 1K a month? --->It depends...For one person, I guess 1k should be enough if you're not 24hrs at home.....ccc

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    43

    I don't know a thing about convenient and nice properties in that area, but I can answer some of your other questions.

    You can get a decent apartment in KLN or the NTs for less than 10k. You can get a decent place on HK island for that amount. Just make sure that you look around for the best deal. I really discourage sharing a flat unless you're really good friends with someone.

    Not everyone goes through an agent, but it seems to be common. You have big agencies and small agencies that seems to focus on property in that particular area. It might be better to find some small agencies in that particular area. I think that the normal commision rate is 50% of one month's rent.

    You probably need less than HKD1k/month for utilities. Electricity charges vary from place to place. Yours could be a few hundred, perhaps no more than HKD500/month, depending on your consumption. Water is normally a set charge, probably HKD50 or less/month. Internet would depend on which providers are available for your apartment. Decent connections start at around HKD 250/month, this usually includes some additional benefits (TV channels) in the package.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    1,896

    Have a look at the area around Tai Wai station. Tai Wai has grown from a village, so it is sort of a real urban area (unlike Sha Tin proper which is a random mixture of super high rises and shopping malls) with plenty of nice restaurants. Transport there is as good as it gets. 10K will get you something nice. You should be well below 1K for utilities. I pay less than 100$ for water & gas, nothing for electricity (my bill is 150 per month and the gahmen subsides 300, accruable, till next August) and you can get a full 3G flatrate for 500.

    Keep in mind that if you wanna go further south you either have to pay a lot more (Kowloon Tong) or stay in a not-so-accessible area for your commute to work (Ho Man Tin, To Kwa Wan, Wong Tai Sin) or you have to like Mongkok.... which I do, but not everyone does. I'd suggest stay in Tai Wai and take a taxi if you'll spend your weekend nights in LKF.