Moving of any kind can be stressful. If it’s moving to a new town, city, or even a country. Finding an apartment in China can be a very different process probably one of the most different experiences. The intention of this article is to not only help you find an apartment but to ease some of the strenuous processes of moving to China with knowledge from my personal success and failures.
Step 1 | Have your ideal requirements
A few things you should consider in your search are…
Budget
Location
Style of Apartment
Subway accessible
First things first figure out what is most important to you and what you are willing to spend. When I moved to Hangzhou China in 2019 I moved to work as an English teacher. Because of this, I wanted to make sure I was close enough to my job but also close to the nightlife and the various attractions Hangzhou has to offer. I also wasn’t fond of the older apartments in the city’s center which forced me to search a little outside the city where development was still taking place.
In my case, I was able to check off two of the three on my checklist. The price of the apartment was under what I originally wanted to spend on an apartment it was close enough to the nightlife via subway or DiDi Taxi. But it was quite a distance from work which caused me to prepare extra time before leaving each day for work.
Step 2| Search
There multiple ways of starting the search for your new apartment. Before coming to china you can research some of the areas of interest to your personal needs. A. helpful website that will help you land the perfect apartment is 58.com the best way to use this site is by using google chrome it can translate the page from Chinese to English or any other language you may need. Another way you can begin your search is by connecting with real estate agents on WeChat you many need an employer or college to send you a reputable referral. .Finally, You can search for a local agency if you are already in china The only catch with using an agency is the fee that you will pay for the service, which is dependent on where you want to live and other circumstances (e.g. how soon you need an apartment, season, etc.).In many cases, they are known to have a fee of half of one month’s rent, so if you’re renting an apartment that is 5,000 RMB, the fee for an agent would be 2,500 RMB. To find an agency in your area, search online for “zufang zhongjie 租房中介”, or ask a local colleague or friend if they know of any reputable agencies in your area. The most important thing is to be clear on the agent’s fee before using them.
Step 3| Negotiate and Sign contracts
Congratulations! You have found the place for you! The hard part is now done! But there are a few more things you will have to do. Knowing how to negotiate in China is a big plus. You can negotiate your rent depending on the terms of your leasing agreement with your landlord. You can usually negotiate payment terms of 3 months, 6 months, and 1-year terms. I decided to pay every 3 months.
Once you agree you will receive a contract for the housing. Most time they will present the contract to you in Chinese. Unless you fluently can read or write in Chinese I would not sign any documents in a language you cannot understand. There are a few ways that you can get around this type of issue. The first is to use a translator service such as Goole translate. But wait! isn’t google banned in china? Yes it is But you can use a Virtual Private network Such as NordVPN or Express VPN which will easily let you use all the sites you need even in china. Another method os to spend a few dollars purchasing an English/Chinese Bilingual Rental contract this can save you a lot of stress in the future. Finally, If you have a Chinese colleague or employer that is willing to help you then use them. Have them review the lines of each term and make sure it is clear and that you understand what you are signing before you put then pen on the paper.
Conclusion
China isn’t the easiest country to navigate and it can be a pain to most people to settle down in such a country especially if you can’t speak the language. Hopefully, this guide can get you started and you were able to find some useful information on making your move a little easier.
Have you lived or moved to China? I would love to hear about your experience and what challenged you faced. If I missed anything that you feel is important please comment below!