Hong Kong Orientation Guide

Viewing Properties

New Buildings and Old Buildings

Square Meters

Square Feet

0.093

1

Newer buildings, defined as less than ten fifteen years old, often provide less square footage than other older buildings. The ‘gross’ square footage in the newer buildings, is calculated by dividing the communal areas by the number of flats in the complex, exterior walls and so forth; and adding it to the actual square footage of the flat. Often this results in an overstatement of up to 20-30% of the advertised space in terms of actual living space. The Government has more recently require the developers to state the ‘saleable area’ which is closer to the net internal space. Older buildings described as ‘colonial’ (usually no older than 50 years) or with ‘character’ provide goodvalue inspace,generallyspeakinghigherceilings,andmore spaceforinbuiltcupboards. However, unless the property has been renovated the bathrooms and kitchens can be outdated. Some older buildings do provide facilities as well; conditions may vary.

92.90

1,000

139.35

1,500

185.80

2,000

232.26

2,500

464.52

5,000

Measurements

You will notice that the unit of measurement in Hong Kong is generally square feet. The following chartisa roughguide tohelpyouconvertfromsquaremeters tosquarefootage.

Property Condition

Our dedicated team of Destination Consultants will accompany you in your search for a home. You will find during the course of property viewing that many of the properties will still be in the condition left by the previous tenant. As Landlords are not obliged to renovate the apartment before the terms and conditions with a new tenant are officially agreed, it is common that apartments are looking tired. Fixtures will have been moved, showing marks and faded walls, and debris from previous tenants may still be strewn about. You will often find that the electricity has been turned off; therefore, air conditioning units will not be working, resulting in mold on the walls. At first it can be a depressing experience, though a bit of imagination is required to see past this. Your Destination Consultant can advise you about standard decoration requests you can ask a landlord to fix, prior to signing a lease. Depending on the negotiation this most often includes could range from painting the walls, sanding and polishing the hardwood waxing the floors, cleaning the exhaust fans, professional cleaning among others.

Commuting Times

OneofthegreatbenefitsofmovingtoHongKong isthecommute toworkisgenerallymuch shorter than what you currentlyhave.

Rush hour (when traffic is worst) is generally 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. in the mornings and 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at night. So, if you plan to work hours that begin earlier and end earlier (or vice-versa), your commuting time can be significantly reduced.

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