Nutty Professor's Beijing illegal structure tops them all

[virago]

I saw this and thought for a second that it's just another weird Chinese dude with money but wait...it's above my old apartment in Beijing! I live on the 26th floor but sold the apartment in 2006!

Thank god we sold that place!! Doubled our money in three years actually.



Amazing what you can get away with in China. The funny thing is it's right next to a really nice park with a lake.

http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate...813-2rtmm.html

[shri]

I read the story and thought it was one of those "only in china" stories. Pretty amazing what you can get away with if you're a "Professor" - not sure if that is a colloquialism for triad-boss.

[virago]

I read the story and thought it was one of those "only in china" stories. Pretty amazing what you can get away with if you're a "Professor" - not sure if that is a colloquialism for triad-boss.

As you buy a 'shell' (if you buy a new apartment) you can renovate to your hearts delight.

People knock down walls, add extensions even buy two apartments next to eachother and build out. Even build up (or down!). Knock out a ceiling, add a staircase and you have a two level apartment!

[Proplus]

Thats awesome!!! Its like an illegal Chinese version of Grand Design.

[Proplus]

As you buy a 'shell' (if you buy a new apartment) you can renovate to your hearts delight.

People knock down walls, add extensions even buy two apartments next to eachother and build out. Even build up (or down!). Knock out a ceiling, add a staircase and you have a two level apartment!

A friend of mine owns a flat up in China somewhere, didn't pay attention to the city/town. He and his family uses it as a sort of retreat, so only lives there a month or so a year. While its vacant, he doesn't rent it out. One year, he and his family went to stay there again. On entering the flat he thought it was somewhat different but couldn't figure out what it was that was different. After about a week whilst watching TV in the living room, he thought to himself "how come the TV screen looks larger, has the sofa moved forwards?"

Whilst he and his family was away, the neighbours in the apartment next door had actually knocked the adjoining wall down and rebuilt it about 2ft into my friend's apartment.......

[Raccon]

As you buy a 'shell' (if you buy a new apartment) you can renovate to your hearts delight.

People knock down walls, add extensions even buy two apartments next to eachother and build out. Even build up (or down!). Knock out a ceiling, add a staircase and you have a two level apartment!

Pretty much the same here in HK, though there might not be that many buildings that support knocking out the ceiling structurally but joining two apartments isn't unusual even in your average high-rise.

As to extensions I think some of our local politicians are experts on these.

From the article:

"Famous people come to my place and sing, how can you stop them?"

???