Like Tree32Likes

Moving to HK - thinking about DB

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    10

    Moving to HK - thinking about DB

    We are considering the moving to HK for my husband's career and considering DB. We are at the negotiating stage re. contract and salary. We will have to pay rental and school fees for 2 children. We would need a 3/4 bed with live in help quarters. Could anyone advise re. the salary net. PCM that we would need to live comfortably (meaning, not splashing cash around but not having to look at the price of everything and worrying whether we can afford it). Any advice most gratefully received.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    14,414

    How longs a piece of string?

    What sort of lifestyle do you currently lead and where is your home country for comparison.

    Schooling will be the biggest issue so you need to look at that first, how old are the kids?


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    4,188

    DB is tough for schools. Unless you apply pretty much at birth for some of the schools there, you can end up with little kids riding the ferry to HK Island then getting on a school bus. If you're paying your own rent/school fees and you need 3-4 bedrooms, there are better and cheaper areas. Where would your husband's work be?


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    135

    DB is relatively expensive compared with say Tung Chung or Tuen Mun but not at Mid-Levels or South Island levels & I expect the prices will seem like daylight robbery - because they are but this is HK.

    As merchantms says schooling will be the biggest problem depending on the timing unless you or your husbands' employer are prepared to shell out for the (I think HK$ 500k per child) queue jump fee plus the annual school fees then the DB International School is not gonna fly. Depending upon you / your childrens nationality you may be able to jump some places at the relavent international school (if you r looking at UK or US then the queues are long).

    As Jimbo says the lifestyle will be very different from your current place & most likely much less space - do a websearch for property in DB and check. I would hazard a wild guess (yes I am a masochist & hundreds of posters will say i am wrong) that depending on which phase of DB & proximity to pier you are looking at HK$ 50,000 per month absolute minimum and anything upwards. And if you think that is expensive then hold your breath for the school fees - as foreigners who are often used to free education we see these as expenses whereas many local families would probably consider it an investment.

    I estimate that excluding the school fees (because I simply don't know what they would be) then around HK$ 100,000 per month would be the minimum & that you would live an ordinary lifestyle with no frills (forget the Country Club) & not much opportunity for savings. The days of expat heaven are generally gone unless you are in banking or insurance.

    shri and campervan like this.

  5. #5

    Tuen Mun is much cheaper. You can get a 4 bedroom luxurious flat for 25K. Same in Tung Chung. DB is quite expensive.

    I agree with @jimbo though, figure out schooling first. Schools usually have shuttle busses to different areas all over Hong Kong. So, once you find a school, you'll have a choice of areas to live in that should suit your taste/budget. It doesn't work the other way around. If you move to an area, there may be schools servicing that area, but your children may not get in.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323

    If you are looking at DB then don't forget to check out the marina. You can rent boats in there and the quality of living and space on a live-a-board is significantly better than most land-based accommodation. This is one of those "you have to see it to see what I mean" kind of things though. DB has the largest marina in HK - when I was looking I found flyers with the agents who covered boat rental around the ferry pier.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    10

    We are coming from the UK.

    We have a 3 year old who is looked after by a nanny here and a 6 year old in private school so we are used to the children costing a fortune. We are v. Worried about schools thoough and getting a place in a ESF one. I am also fretting about uprooting the children and especially my older girl who is very sensitive and so want her to be in a school where she will feel as much at home as possible and make friends. A community feel is important wherever we live and school friends close by for playdates etc, so would like to live not too far from the school.

    I would like to be able to do things like enrol the kids in classes, have days and meals out, go to the theatre etc without having to worry about money, As well as meeting bills. We will be going from a two to a one income family so I fear I may be wanting too much...


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    4,188
    Quote Originally Posted by LAD2674:
    We are coming from the UK.

    We have a 3 year old who is looked after by a nanny here and a 6 year old in private school so we are used to the children costing a fortune. We are v. Worried about schools thoough and getting a place in a ESF one. I am also fretting about uprooting the children and especially my older girl who is very sensitive and so want her to be in a school where she will feel as much at home as possible and make friends. A community feel is important wherever we live and school friends close by for playdates etc, so would like to live not too far from the school.

    I would like to be able to do things like enrol the kids in classes, have days and meals out, go to the theatre etc without having to worry about money, As well as meeting bills. We will be going from a two to a one income family so I fear I may be wanting too much...
    The ESF primary school for DB is on Hong Kong Island, so that's the long commute I was mentioning by ferry and public transport or school bus. School is not nearby where you'd be living at all. I think there's a private ESF in DB but anyone can apply to that, it's hard to get into similar to DB International School. As your oldest is 6 my understanding is very difficult to get into a DB school at this point. So based on what you've said about your preferences I'm not sure DB is the right choice for you.

    What about Sai Kung/Clearwater Bay area? There's a very nice community in that area and quite a few schools including an ESF. But again depends where your husband is working.

    As for cost of kids, a nanny if you go for a domestic helper is way cheaper here than in the UK, so that will be good. However she will need to live in so requires an apartment with a good set up (i.e. helper's room).

    And also depending how long you are here, don't rule out finding a job. I came as a trailing spouse and found a job, as have quite a few others I know here. That might reduce some of the financial stress as you mentioned dropping to one income.
    shri likes this.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    6,317

    Are any of you sensitive to allergies? The air and pollution here in horrible!!

    Sounds like you are setting your expectations a bit high. For DB, there are presently no cars. If you are looking for a townhouse with 3-4 bedrooms plus helpers room, they run 60-70k per month and up. Not huge but about 1500 sq ft plus. If you want a helper, those are 4k each, you might need two. A golf cart is 10k per month rental. Food is very expensive in DB, some friends of mine with one child spend 10k per month at the supermarket. To give you an idea of costs. Dont forget club fees, tutor fees, transport. Ferry is not cheap, easily HK$75-80 for one person round trip.

    Yes you can have a cheaper flat in the boondocks for 25k but why do that? You said you want the lifestyle. You are not getting a lifestyle in Tung Chung or Tuen Mun. Yes those places are OK but DB has a nice flair to it and feels not like Hong Kong. But TM and TC are very HK.

    If your husband does come, I would make sure housing is written as a benefit for tax purposes. You save something like 5-7% and negotiate your children's school places first. Your employer can arrange otherwise you might consider whether or not to take this opportunity or not.

    For better opinions, we need to know more about your income, budgets, size of apartment expected, etc. Otherwise no one can answer you. There is something here for everyone but each category comes with its own lifestyle.

    Good luck and welcome to HK!

    shri and campervan like this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    10

    Thank you to all who are helpfully posting. I think we will probably end up living wherever we can get a school place! Does anyone have experience of Discovery Mind?


Closed Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 LastLast