Tips on Flat-Hunting in Hong Kong

Week 5 in Hong Kong and we were no closer to finding a home. We hadn’t found what we were looking for and I was starting to fear that we never will and that we may just out of desperation pick something just for the sake of having a roof over our heads and regret it. Being a person who loves creating homes of any apartment we choose, I needed a place that I can sink my roots into and bloom. Living out of boxes and suitcases for the last 2 months (now entering the 3^rd) is really doing my head in. And the thought of having to repack and unpack again gives me a panic attacks (yes I am dramatic).

The good news is that we weren’t so pressed for time to find an apartment now, the bad?

Where do I begin?

I feel like apartment hunting in Hong Kong is like a real life version of the Hunger Games except that this time people are snapping up good apartments like there’s no tomorrow. We have been searching for a place to call home for the last 3 weeks and we are no closer to finding or choosing anything. We have had numerous near misses (apartments that we were supposed to view only to get a call 1 HOUR before the view saying it had been taken, WTF!), many epic fails (like what were the owners thinking), many nearly there but not quite (perfect apartment but the kitchen/toilet/something just didn’t feel right) and only 2 possibilities and that’s with exception.

Our agents have been very patient with us after we finally found some that understand exactly what we want. Most seem to think that we have given them the task of the century. Hence the reason why I have decided to write this post as these are the things that I wish someone had told me before I moved here.

1) Finding an agent

There are SO many agents here in Hong Kong and if your Company doesn’t provide you with an agent or you don’t have friends who can recommend you an agent, you’re pretty much left to figure things out for yourself. Most agents can speak English but for some, language can be a bit of an issue.

 

Also, because of the abundance of agents here, agents usually focus on their own areas of expertise. One way to ensure that the agent specializes in the area in which you would like to live in, you could chance walking into one of the travel agents in that particular area or contact a mainstream agency.

If you are looking in the Sai Ying Pun/ Sheung Wan area, I have left (at the end of this post) the contacts of 2 agents who really understood what we were looking for.

2) Have an idea of where you want to stay

This is where Google becomes your best friend. I truly wish I had done more research. A lot of times the places we choose depends on venue of workplace, social activities and convenience. While Hong Kong is broken down to 4 main areas- Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories and the outlying islands, there are so many suburbs in these different areas. This website does a great job of listing the different areas and what they have to offer. It can be really mind boggling and it is so important to decide what you and your spouse/family need. 

3) Budget, budget, budget!

Wow, this was a real pain in the butt. Everything that we saw and liked, was beyond our budget (we have high expectations and expensive taste apparently) and while it was a viable option, I wasn’t comfortable with spending so much on a place that didn’t even belong to us!

So we had to really sit down with a pen and paper and decide what we want. 

A few questions that could help you narrow down your choices are:

a) Are facilities important? Do you have kids that require the facilities? Are you both highly active individuals who need the facilities and will use them?

We decided to forego the facilities as we had ready gym memberships and would prefer to do our activities outside for the social aspect.

b) How many rooms do you NEED?

Based on Singapore, I really wanted to have a second room for guests/visitors and my junk is general. But when we did the math, it just wasn’t worth paying nearly 5K-10K HKD/month just to accommodate visitors who came twice a year.

c) Is a terrace/balcony/roof area important?

This was a huge factor in the difficulties in finding a place…most expats are also looking for a balcony so these apartments get snapped up really fast.

d) Will you be owning a car?

Because Hong Kong is so populated, not every apartment comes with car park facilities. If they do, you are looking to pay an extra 2-4K HKD/month just for the car park.

e) Will you be getting a helper?

We decided to get a helper that stayed outside because space constraints were a big issue.

f) Do you have pets and does your apartment allow pets?

Some apartments are not pet friendly so be very honest when telling your agent what you want as this will save a lot of time and effort.

So all these factors address, that leaves you with the rest of the criteria's you may want to fulfill: renovated, supermarket close by and close to the office. We wanted the ideal home but so did everybody else.

You can download the Squarefoot App or visit www.squarefoot.com.hk to check out whats on the market in the areas that you want.

Another things that helps is if you know exactly where your workplace will be and you intend to live nearby, open google maps and zoom in till you see the names of the apartments and check them on Squarefoot as well. It is extremely painstaking but I found that it helped me get a better idea of the areas I wanted to look into and more specifically the developments I wanted to consider. It also helped me to check off those that were beyond budget. 

4) Take note:

When you go for viewings, you will be the one paying for the transportation fee to/from the place even if you go with your agent. Most times, it is better to arrange viewings in one location and do a sort of walking tour.

5) If you like it, grab it! 

If you see a place you really like, don’t hesitate for even one second to tell your agent you’re interested. The agents will tell you to your face that good apartments get snapped up fast so if you “need time to consider” there is no guarantee that the apartments will be available when you want it. So it is cautious to ask how long the apartment has been on the market for, if it has been on the market for a while then you have nothing to be worried about if it has just come on the market and you are one of the first to view it and really like it. Jump on it!

Thankfully our search came to an end this mid-week, it has been tedious, tiring and frustrating and I am just so glad that this portion is over and done with so everyone can just get on with their lives. We found exactly what we were looking for in an apartment with the exception of the lack of second room and the fact that the distance from the bedroom to the toilet is about 10 meters AWAY! But with everything else being so perfect...we jumped!

I hope that this post is useful to others out there who may be facing the same predicament. If so, leave a comment below and your 2 cents worth! I'm sure there there are many others who will be facing the same issues down the line and would be thankful for some advice.

Property Agents in Hong Kong

Wendy Go – Land & Fortune Realty Ltd

Mobile: (852) 6939 9275

Henry Chui – Grand Pacific Property Limited

Mobile: (852) 94936574