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Worst Part of Finding HK Apartment?

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  1. #11

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    Aug 2010
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    Despite being told repeatedly that your budget is limited to xxxxx HKD rent per month, the agent persists in wasting your time ( and theirs) by showing you accomodation FOR SALE or for rent that is completely out of your budget. Also, that yes, pets are allowed, you can put up curtain rails, then after signing the contract the agent tells you that these NOT allowed! This happened to us when we first rented in HK. Since it was my husband's company paying the rent, I told the agent that either the lease be voided ( we had our cat at the time and no way would we give him up) or they will have to take on the case with a large multinational. This agent was a liar and I told him this. in the end, our landlord didn't mind and he was much easier to deal with than the property agent. After that, we moved to Lantau and rented directly from our landlords who are still friendly with us today. They are also pet friendly and were prompt with repairs. Just do not trust agents in HKG and get everything in writing. Anything that needs repairing, have it done before you sign or just walk away. Test all appliances in the house.

    MerMer and Rob2020 like this.

  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by henkka:
    the rent, next.
    More specifically, THREE month's rent to move in. That's a big fat lump of cash to cough up.

  3. #13

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    May 2006
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    Pampanga, Philippines
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    Finding the perfect place then discovering the kid upstairs likes to practice on the piano at 10pm and It sounds like the mother likes to do Irish dancing in her high heels.


  4. #14

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    Feb 2005
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    you find a great apartment and then when you sign up for internet the fastest speed available is 6mbps but in reality you only get 2-3 mbps LOL


  5. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by chuckster007:
    you find a great apartment and then when you sign up for internet the fastest speed available is 6mbps but in reality you only get 2-3 mbps LOL
    Haha my last HK experience indeed. Found the perfect flat, very large top floor flat with roof terrace in the heart of Sai Ying Pun. No neighbours, sea and mountain views, “western” type of layout. Agent told me the entire building had super fast fibre optic internet. Once I moved in I realised my flat was the only one not connected to the fibre and had to rely instead on a good-old ADSL line... Happy days!
    chuckster007 and Rob2020 like this.

  6. #16

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    Oct 2012
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    We had an agent not be honest (or at least willingly remain ignorant) about a new property being built right on top of ours. A few days after signing our contract, there were concrete mixers and a huge mess -- what a welcome.

    I guess what's most maddening though is what DeletedUser said -- just how shitty these apartments are for the awful price tags. I remember seeing apartments in The Belchers, and I was so incredulous about the asking price for such a dinky, mouldy shithole.

    I'll never get over it in Hong Kong. If you're profiting so much, at least use some half-decent paint and fittings. There IS this thing called double glazed windows and you can bloody afford them!

    Anytime something breaks in our relatively new flat I just sigh and say "$4 f***ing million....". It just epitomizes what's wrong with Hong Kong -- greed at the top. Screwing everyone else if you can get away with it and pocket more money for yourself.

    Jerome HK, TheBrit, MerMer and 6 others like this.

  7. #17

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    Neighbour on top floor of a brand new building moved after just 6 months. Later we found out the reason as another neighbour on top floor complained of water leakages of the roof. They have been trying to repair the roof for several years but still leaking. And they found empty beer cans and plastic bottles in the concrete walls. That's how the developer saves in building materials.

    shri likes this.

  8. #18

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    Jan 2016
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    732

    finding the quietest place possible and then the very next day after you've moved in your next-door neighbour initiates a 3-month long renovation work.

    In my case, I had to stay with my 1-year old in the estate playground or other places from 9 to 6pm monday to saturday. Surprisingly, almost every local I've met has accepted all this drilling sound as background noise to thieir miserable lives and make no fuss about it!

    MerMer likes this.

  9. #19

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    The thread title is a bit confusing. It implies that there's some part to finding an apartment in HK that isn't a shitty experience.


  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    The thread title is a bit confusing. It implies that there's some part to finding an apartment in HK that isn't a shitty experience.
    Well for some of us lucky souls, the view sure isn't shitty! THAT can't be said for most apartments in Europe in comparison... After rainy days, we get to see waterfalls coming down the mountainside -- it's stunning.