Moving family to HK from UK - any info gratefully received

[gseth2006]

ha ha.. no..no.. i did not mean bring my furniture..as in bring from India..anyways thanks for the quick response..would you be able to give me an idea that if i was to ask for a apartment with all furniture etc..how much would that cost?

[carang]

honestly, i don't know why you'd want to do that! even if they "only" asked for an extra $2K/month, over a 2 year contract, that's $24k.... you could buy everything you'd need in IKEA for a lot less....you can then either throw it out or sell it on cheaply.

also, what a l/l would charge depends on each individual landlord. the furniture you would get would be pretty ick, too.

there is an option to rent furniture which may be good for you...
check out this link:
Packages - Home Essentials, Hong Kong Furniture Rental company, Home Furnishings

they have a package for 1, 2 or 3 bedroom full-furniture....

[dipper]

We earn more than you but probably spend less than you will on rent as we are also paying off our mortgage at home.

Just a suggestion, but there's no need to be paying off your mortgage at home while you're living in Hong Kong. Just rent it out, the rent will cover your mortgage payment and most likely give you a substantial profit on top. Unless you have an extremely unusual mortgage arrangement, having a property in your home country should mean you have more income, not less.

Works for me, anyway.

[fth]

My alternative suggestion would be to look at Sheung Wan / Mid Levels west. You should be able to get 3 bedroom flat in the 25-35k range (c. 1,000-1,500 sq ft+). I know a few young couples with small children in the area. The benefit vs DB is that you are far closer to town and a variety of bars and restaurants but further from the airport, but not horribly so with the airport express and the beaches. I also notice that there are a few small kindergartens in the area as well.

On the package, here are a few other items. Whether the amount is "fair" etc, depends on your experience, department and position. If were a graduate analyst I would be jumping for joy, if I was an ECM MD however I wouldn't be so overjoyed.

- Temp accommodation is a taxable benefit
- Most cases I have heard of there is a taxable one off allowance to cover "friction costs" eg breaking contracts etc (It also helps you with the shopping trip to IKEA)
- School fees will be a major future outgoing, so you are right to get back to them on this
- Health insurance may be one to look at, if you can get it, ask for expat coverage, as the local insurers are far from great
- Flights home may be the other item given that there are four of you