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Relocate to HK with family - where to stay

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  1. #61

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    Quote Originally Posted by helenstoHK:
    For my budget scenarios, I’ve fanatically looked for rental property information near Hang Hau station (clear water Bay Area). My objective is not to live in high rise.
    Short of fear of heights, I would remain open to high rises until you arrive in HK and see them for yourself. The quality of housing stock here is poor compared to Australia, and "village house" sounds like one thing and looks like another. Low rises can be extremely noisy and closer to ground level issues like flooding in rainy season.

    I echo previous comments that the actual location of the office will determine where the best place to narrow in on is. ICC vs Quarry Bay, very different recommendations.
    chingleutsch and z754103 like this.

  2. #62
    Quote Originally Posted by merchantms:
    Short of fear of heights, I would remain open to high rises until you arrive in HK and see them for yourself. The quality of housing stock here is poor compared to Australia, and "village house" sounds like one thing and looks like another. Low rises can be extremely noisy and closer to ground level issues like flooding in rainy season.

    I echo previous comments that the actual location of the office will determine where the best place to narrow in on is. ICC vs Quarry Bay, very different recommendations.
    Thanks no vertigo just a little claustrophobic myself so a rooftop and greenery definitely are must haves.

  3. #63

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    Quote Originally Posted by helenstoHK:
    Thanks no vertigo just a little claustrophobic myself so a rooftop and greenery definitely are must haves.
    I would let go of them as "must haves." Honestly. HK is a city. On some level better to accept that.

    Many apartment complexes have communal roof terraces, gardens, etc.

    Also are you planning to get a car? If you want a village house with rooftop etc and no car you'd better be prepared to take your child in taxis and minibuses on a daily basis.

  4. #64

    Yes will get a car.

    Quote Originally Posted by merchantms:
    I would let go of them as "must haves." Honestly. HK is a city. On some level better to accept that.

    Many apartment complexes have communal roof terraces, gardens, etc.

    Also are you planning to get a car? If you want a village house with rooftop etc and no car you'd better be prepared to take your child in taxis and minibuses on a daily basis.

  5. #65

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    Quote Originally Posted by helenstoHK:
    Yes will get a car.
    I think you would be much better off in a better location - even if a higher rise - and no car. Cars are more of a inconvenience in HK (except if you live in a village house with a kid... which seems to be what you are aiming for). You really need to come to HK and look around and experience life here for a few weeks. Many of the things which are "obvious" or "automatic" just don't apply here. Living in villages and having cars is one of them.

  6. #66
    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    You really need to come to HK and look around and experience life here for a few weeks. Many of the things which are "obvious" or "automatic" just don't apply here. Living in villages and having cars is one of them.
    Totally agree.. prior to living in Asia I always lived in detached houses with large plots of land. Living here you may need to recalibrate your wish list. Villages and high rises alike are not comparable with similar concepts in Australia/US/Europe. Like mentioned by other posters some high rises have fantastic landscaped gardens, parks and parking whereas some villages have barking dogs, no parking and no gardens. The only way to find out is spend a couple of weeks here. As for owning a car: I decided against it in HK, I did have a car in China
    helenstoHK likes this.

  7. #67

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    Just wanted to add. there is a middle gound too. There are high rise (70 floors and the likes) and there are medium/low rise (4-20 floors).I live in a medium rise, if that's called like that, we have kids and we like it as it's got all the benefits of the high-rise (security, playroom, pool, tennis....) without the inconvenience (high density...) and the benefits of a house (we have BBQ - western style -), we have friendly neighbor (Japanese. HKese and American in our case). We are 1mn walk to the trail and the beach and 2mn walk to the bus stop. And a covered car park.There are hundreds of options. Come and see. BE OPEN.


  8. #68

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    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    I think you would be much better off in a better location - even if a higher rise - and no car. Cars are more of a inconvenience in HK (except if you live in a village house with a kid... which seems to be what you are aiming for). You really need to come to HK and look around and experience life here for a few weeks. Many of the things which are "obvious" or "automatic" just don't apply here. Living in villages and having cars is one of them.
    owning a car and living new territories is very convenient, yes, driving to Mong Kok or Causeway Bay is not convenient, but driving most other place is very convenient, example, I live in fanling, going to yuen long takes 50 mins by public transport, but only 12 minutes by car, going gold coast takes 1.25 mins ( i sold my old car to someone from harrow and returned home) but only 32 by car, but the difference driving to kowloon is less, home to hung hom, 41 mins, by car around 33 mins
    helenstoHK likes this.

  9. #69

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    Quote Originally Posted by imparanoic:
    owning a car and living new territories is very convenient, yes, driving to Mong Kok or Causeway Bay is not convenient, but driving most other place is very convenient, example, I live in fanling, going to yuen long takes 50 mins by public transport, but only 12 minutes by car, going gold coast takes 1.25 mins ( i sold my old car to someone from harrow and returned home) but only 32 by car, but the difference driving to kowloon is less, home to hung hom, 41 mins, by car around 33 mins
    We go to Fanling all the time for hiking meet ups. From Gold Coast Plaza it's about 40-50 mins usually. Never taken over an hour. (43 green minibus connecting to 44 green minibus plus 1 stop on the MTR.) But I think you make a wider point - people who drive most places are less familiar with the 'right' bus routes (and there are absolutely right and wrong ways to move around HK by bus!). The more time you spend on buses, the easier it is to find the best routes.

    But I'm not going to argue that someone in NT with a kid doesn't need a car. Even though the buses do appear to be full of parents with young kids - I would be delighted if they would all get cars and leave the buses to me
    helenstoHK likes this.

  10. #70

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    Quote Originally Posted by helenstoHK:
    Thanks no vertigo just a little claustrophobic myself so a rooftop and greenery definitely are must haves.
    In this case, you need to be aware that many village houses here are in effect semi-detacheds - you only have windows on front and rear. You can often get a lot more light and sense of space in a well-situated mid- or high- rise. And as others have mentioned, many mid/ high rise developments have a podium level which is in effect a private park for residents.
    Here is an example where a mid-rise development sits right next to a village area. If you zoom in with the satellite view, the houses to the left of Pak Lam Road are the village houses; the modern development is on the right:
    https://www.google.com.hk/maps/searc...!3m1!1e3?dcr=0

    I'm not saying, "Don't get a village house," but the same as many others here you really need to see the local reality rather than the imaginations from past experiences.

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