Status: 2 individuals after 3 days in another time-zone.

Time: Saturday… hello the weekend!

Main goal: just turn around and lie for another 5 minutes

Secondary goal: MA WAN’s flats, here we come!!!

e managed to survive until Saturday, sleeping better with each day (we heard that it is 1 day of getting accustomed/for one time-zone that was crossed). We were ready to go to Ma Wan. We didn’t consider it at first, but some people from work were living there, o why not.

The problem of transport, that scared us, disappeared almost instantly. The island has great communication with boats and busses. Only a hurricane prevents people from going to work. Another bubble of a problem was gone. The MTR in HK can transport you almost everywhere, buses are fast, boats are a bonus and tourist attraction.

Ma Wan turned out to be a green oasis in a concrete city. It had towers – with number 33 in the elevator – yes. But everywhere you went it was green, lush, with places to sit, have a walk. There was an abandoned fishing village there and… Noa’s Arch?! It was love from the first sight.

Agent X was not here with us. We went directly to an agency that took care of Park Island and Village Houses (local housings’ names).

We were shown a few flats with no diamond layout. Price was lover (long way to work) – but it made a little difference all things considered – everything gained on the apartment went to public transport. But those things turned out to be nothing compared to the parks, trees, and benches. Paradise! Especially for us… living in a hotel in Kwai Hing district, having a concrete wall behind our window.

The new agent spoke English. He also told us to decide fast, because after the weekend the flats can be taken. We were surprised again and asked for an explanation. This is how all our data came together and we understood the picture. With another confirmation of the state of the affairs in Hong Kong – we learned something new again. What can I say – we did find something we liked. The next day we were signing the agreement and giving money needed – a crazy sum of three monthly payments. We told agent X that we had fount the flat ourselves and he wasn’t happy, as you imagine. We were sorry for him, but only until another talk with a friendly Hong Konger. We were just another commission for him – he will forget about in a moment. Conscience – in this country you can throw it into the bin when it comes to money.

So how can we sum up the story of flat-searching? What are the precious conclusions that we have after these 5 days? I know that this story is completely subjective, as are the conclusions, but maybe it will come in handy to someone. Just remember – each of us has a different opinion. WE were looking for “space to breathe”. YOU may be looking for proximity to a specific place, like your job.

Sum of all thoughts:

• You can search for your flat in HK via the Internet, but you must see it with your own eyes!
• Find a district that you like, the housing that looks interesting and an office that takes care of it. There surely is something that rents apartments close by. A helpful agent X is an asset, but you can reach the same effect going directly to the right office. Your only problem can be a person that doesn’t speak English
• Do not fall for “this flat is beautiful”, “the price is good”, “I will negotiate, I will try”, “I will find you something amazing”. We think that going down 500$ is great and we are so grateful, but you can get more – believe me. Maybe we were lucky. Maybe our agent was a good and honest Cantonese, that sincerely wanted to help us. But do not fall for the puppy eyes. The price of the apartment depends on the localization and access to public transport. The second factor – the age of the building ergo how often will the AC break down (old buildings have old and small AC). Third – the price depends on the number of rooms/square meters. And – the owner’s wishes, as usual.
• You may want your square feet but remember about the specifics of the country you are in. In HK you use the room to sleep (you don’t even need the closet there). It is a private sanctuary of a human being. If you think about it a bed Is mostly this place! You are in a country of box-rooms. Who needs more with such a big space like in a flat! A room is made to fit a bed… maybe a cupboard or a small closet. Nothing else is necessary. The same is goes for the living room, kitchen, and bathroom – the space is used to the maximum. You do not exercise in your home – you go outside. You want an office table – go to the cafeteria to work, etc.
• The minimum time to rent a flat is for one year, usually 2 years (ours was for 9 months – maybe this is why we got such a good price)
• When you sign an agreement you need to pay the rent for the first month. Plus the deposit, which is an amount of two months rent. Be prepared and gather enough money.
• Because you probably won’t have a bank account at first, have cash. Be prepared that everything in point 6 would have to be paid in cash, or that you will need a few days for an international bank transfer to go through
• Try to talk to your agent to know how fast you need to decide. We came in August and this is a bad time. There is a lot of students returning to HK. The best months are March and April – this is what we were told
• Breathe and relax – finding a flat Is just the beginning of your problems and/or journey
• read in the next part…

to be continued… in the next part… in our own flat