aybe this subject is unnecessary because you can buy everywhere, but hey… why not. Those who are not in HK yet will be calmer. Those who just arrived will have some clarification because at the first moment there is too much information to overcome.

So what do we need in our new flat? Is it empty?

If you have the same phobias as I do, your first steps will lead you to a shop with cleaning supplies. For those, you can go to the first place you find. Even better if you can collect some points there and for this place to be close home. As for the prices – they are very close to each other, no matter where you buy. Ma Wan is slightly more expensive. But this is only a few dollars. I was buying thigs everywhere but then I had to carry them (from Kwai Fong at the beginning). I quickly realized there is no point to do so and everything I save would go to the pain in my back.

The local supermarket lines are Wellcome, Fusion, ParknShop, JHC – you can look for the locations online. Slightly cheaper are the “dispensaries” – small shops with chemicals, toilet paper, and some drugs. They are everywhere, it is like your local friendly shop – but there is no point to force yourself to look for them. I found the cheapest handkerchiefs there but… the closest shop was in Tsuen Wan district – and this is a trip for me from Ma Wan.

Main cleaning materials can be found in a few places. Starting with the most expensive (but easiest) – the supermarket lines that I gave you above. A lot of “handy and useful stuff” can be found in JHC – it is neither cheap nor expensive. But the quality is ok and all you need is there. The cheapest option is the numerous local, “Chinese” shops. Every district has something like that – a shop with all the small things you will want to have – some useful, some are junk. Some will last you until you finish your work, some will break apart after 5 minutes. They have one characteristic in common – they are cheap and we do not sweat over buying them. In that kind of shop, you sometimes have a card or Octopus terminal, but it is best to have some cash on you. “The Chinese” (as we say in Poland. Poundshop in the UK) has no name, so you cannot google it. Check here for a description of some districts in HK – I wrote there mostly the interesting, practical things you can find there.

As for Ma Wan, I can tell you one thing instantly. I mostly went to Tsuen Wan (West) district. Then to Tsing Yi and Mong Kok or anything on the way. Our transport lines are boats and busses, so I limited my search areas. It is simple as that.

The basic electronics

They appeared in our home fast as well. We had a saying in Poland once that kitchen can wait but a kettle is a must!
We didn’t want to buy it at first, we just stumbled over it. We wanted to use a pot to boil water. But making a Chinese instant soup became so much easier, and this is what we ate in our first week of living in the new flat. And sushi! – I cannot forget about this crazy cheap, yummy, fresh sushi that you can buy everywhere in HK!!!

Now that I think about it there are not that many things you need… I wanted a respirator… it is my second month with a broom. A microwave idea died because there is no place for it in our kitchen. The blender that was indispensable in Poland – what for?! since I do not make soups to blend.

Aaa! I forgot to tell you that we do not have a standard oven in the kitchen! In HK they have the steam ones! On the one hand, it is even better, because it is healthier. On the other – 50% of my favorite recipes can be thrown into a dustbin. The same goes for cakes. Apocalypse!

So please, understand – my basic electronics were a printer, kettle, iron and a fan. Maybe I will buy this respirator… someday (I did! A hand one. I am sooo happy. But I still use my broom). I do not count the rice machine because it was taken with points. I wouldn’t buy one because I am careful with my money (according to Damian – cheap as Scrooge). But the reality is that in this rice country a machine like that is useful. Especially if you like rice.

If you want to be certain that you have a receipt at least… – look for Fortress or JHC. There are other shops, like Broadway, but the prices are slightly higher, so I do not include them here. But if you have time – go and check. We found our electric kettle in Panasonic – it had a 50% discount (and is still working perfectly fine). We only found it because I took a wrong turn. I wanted to return, but Damian loves those shops and had to enter.

Murphy’s law you know… stop with shop discrimination on my part… luck… call it as you want.

“No-names” or local, small shops around HK. With equally “no-name” products (for us) as Imarflex or others (local brand, but we heard that it is quite good). They are everywhere, on your way to the metro station or in small shopping centers. They do need a lock and AC so they cannot be just on the street. This is what shows in the Price app when you are looking for something.

While searching for my iron the price difference was 150 HK$… so first – the app works, second – the shops are different (be prepared). Look for discounts – they usually have something.

And if you are just looking for these shops, not a product, I recommend the Sham Shui Po district. Also – the northern parts when you leave the MTR on Lai Chi Kok and Cheung Sha Wan stations. There is also something in Tuen Mun, but I haven’t had the pleasure yet.

So now you have your flat cleaned up and you can make yourself an instant soup – maybe you would want to buy a mug? I know that drinking from plastic is doable and paper plates are easy to clean but… It would be nice to sit on something, right? What do you think?

You already know plenty so we will finish this quickly. I am certain that wandering around HK you saw some places of interest. I will tell you here what and where happened to us.

Furniture

We went to IKEA of course!!! Not some Chinese IKEA, but ours – European. They have it here. Prices normal as everywhere. It has everything you will need. This is how the sofa, office desk, table, and chairs arrived in our place. This is where forks were bought – I wanted to buy something nice but Ikea was just cheaper.

Knives – I could do with cutlery from Ikea, but a good kitchen knife is a must. I wanted to have my favorite murder tools as usual, on a magnetic bar which I already bought… Just take it and use it! I ended up buying in one of those “Chinese” poundsavers in Tsuen Wan. The kitchen is too small and I have to survive with only 4 of them.

The rest of the kitchen was bought in poundsavers, Ikea and HKTV.

Bedroom

We had the furniture there already, so no need for anything. Small stuff was bought in JHC and HKTV including the mattress.

Bathroom

Just some shelves in the pound saver

Other rooms

Like plugs and some stuff for our office was bought everywhere on the way. This is needed, that would be useful… In HKTV we bought an “armchair” for the windowsill (it is 70cm wide in HK! Maybe this is the reason for the lack of the balcony in most places). In Pricerite there was a fur carped made from foam puzzles. A small dustbin was bought in a no-name in some wet market. And so on…

Now you can do something different, experiment, live like locals.

You never know, maybe you will like it.