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Village Rentals - What to look out for?

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  1. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    Finished kitchens with dishwasher and oven, non-chinese kitchen. We personally prefer an induction stove, but that's personal as many also prefer gas. Prefer fast heating hot water. Lots of built in wardrobes that are practical so the tenant doesn't have to mess around with bringing their own. Fridge and washing machine included is also handy.

    More personal furniture like beds and sofas is not necessary.

    Light fixtures, ceiling fans, towel racks and curtain rails or blinds all useful. Window screens essential.

    Luxury would be some sound proofing.

    The thing with village houses is they come bare, but they are isolated, so it's a real pain to get things carried up and installed. So if you can put in those essentials but leave more personal things up to the tenant, that would be good.


    When we moved into a village house flat that was new many years ago we had to install everything by ourselves. It was really tedious and expensive, but it's not like we could resell the things later (eg ceiling fan). We also wasted money buying the wrong things, too, like too large towel rack.
    Window screens as in net curtains or insect repellent nets? Or frosted glass?

  2. #22

    Join Date
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    Expats like open kitchens as they still cook themselves before they become localised

    life in hk and Elegiaque like this.

  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by life in hk:
    Thank you for the information. I suppose different villages have different ways and a mixture of people. Illegal parking is a no, no. I think assigned parking is a must in a village.

    I understand about heating, i would want heating.

    Does it get cold in HK?
    This seems a bizarre question. Where are you coming from? Are you looking to buy a village house flat as an investment?

    Pull-down window screens, properly installed to protect from insects coming inside (or pets going out).

    I don't feel inclined to help someone who doesn't seem to even know anything about HK.
    shri and Crankshaft like this.

  4. #24

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    Jan 2018
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    Two words: Barking dogs.

    Come at different times and listen for said dogs. If no barking dogs, OK. I love dogs (and cats) but some people lock them out on a rooftop or balcony and they bark all night long...

    emx likes this.

  5. #25

    Join Date
    Nov 2021
    Location
    Sai Kung, Hong Kong
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    > Does it get cold in HK?
    Ha! I'm not laughing at you, rather at us. We didn't think so once until we moved here - a village house in Sai Kung. It was BL**DY FREEZING last winter, we couldn't believe it! Ordered a nice warm fleece/throw from jd.com - we used to live in China so are used to ordering from that platform - and it saved us. How foolish we were to think it didn't get cold here :-)

    Top-floor village house is best for absence of noise, no dogs tap-dancing on your ceiling say, but single glazing and wall design means you absolutely bake in summer and freeze in winter. Air con, I love you.

    We check the make of aircon and that it functions. Panasonic aircon has been very reliable. Also as someone said the water heater. We're a new build so have a 3-phase supply, said our agent, capable of delivering high power to our water heater for the shower. It's superb.

    We're always nice to our local neighbours, say hi or "Jo San" in the mornings, wave to the old folks etc.

    Lastly, we checked door seals. Do internal doors have rubber seals? Our village house does so closing is super-quiet. Our last new-build apartment did not and was literal hell (psycho door slamming neighbour 24/7).

    Lastly lastly ... :-) ... the lease. Ours was very western - building things like water pipes
    are landlord responsibility, not leaseholders. That's super important.

    D.
    (Oh and get good mosquito repellent, we opt for Picaridin over DEET now where possible.)


    life in hk likes this.

  6. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    This seems a bizarre question. Where are you coming from? Are you looking to buy a village house flat as an investment?

    Pull-down window screens, properly installed to protect from insects coming inside (or pets going out).

    I don't feel inclined to help someone who doesn't seem to even know anything about HK.
    When i mean't cold not like 5 degree celsius. I suppose that depends on where the village is located. Anyway, this forum is suppose to help future expats arriving in HK or expats in HK who want to relocate maybe to a different scenery like a village house.

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by life in hk:
    Anyway, this forum is suppose to help future expats arriving in HK or expats in HK who want to relocate maybe to a different scenery like a village house.

    It is not a bespoke concierge service .. its a community. You get what you give ... sometimes things are worth googling .. the same Qs have been asked over the last 20 years and despite global warming, the weather is not all that different.
    Elegiaque and Crankshaft like this.

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    6,714
    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    Two words: Barking dogs.

    Come at different times and listen for said dogs. If no barking dogs, OK. I love dogs (and cats) but some people lock them out on a rooftop or balcony and they bark all night long...
    I have TEN dogs in the village house next to me, yes 10!

    When they all bark in unison, every other dog in the surrounds barks too, this goes on for hours...

  9. #29

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Just read three pages of this, and am no closer to figuring out what the point of it is!

    Crankshaft and VillanElle like this.

  10. #30

    Join Date
    Nov 2021
    Location
    Sai Kung, Hong Kong
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    31

    In Sai Kung - during Spring - when the dogs stop, the koels start.
    ALL. NIGHT, :-(

    And then ... when the sun rises, the koels ... (somebody shoot me, or them, it doesn't matter which I don't care!!)
    ;-)

    Cornmeal and emx like this.