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Hang Zhou Housing
Information
One of your main
concerns in the whole relocation process
will be "what kind of home can I
expect?" Hang Zhou offers a huge
variety of types, sizes and amenities in
housing, and as in so many aspects of
life, the critical factor that governs
the choice will be budget. Thus the
first thing that needs to be established
is exactly what allowances and
reimbursements are included in the
financial package offered by the
employer for your new position.
In former times, the vast majority of
expats arrived here with a basic salary
plus an abundance of additional items
that were paid for separately by the
company, including rent, school fees,
annual air fares, utility costs, medical
care and all repatriation costs. Senior
personnel would also have a car and
driver provided. Nowadays, many
companies prefer to include all these
allowances in an all-in "umbrella"
package, thus saving administrative
costs and leaving the employees to make
their own arrangements accordingly.
Increasingly, they also ask employees to
take out a personal lease, thus reducing
the workload for the HR department. It
is still accepted practice, however,
that you will receive a one-off
additional "relocation allowance"
to cover the cost of removals, fees,
deposits, fitting-out costs, and so
forth.
Newcomers to Hang Zhou are not advised
to buy property here on arrival - it is
usually assumed that your stay here will
be for a limited number of years and the
financial advantages of purchasing can
take several years to become viable.
Also, it's tough choosing a home here -
the thought that it's only a rental, and
that you can move easily in a couple of
years if you get it wrong, is indeed a
comfort. In due course, if you stay long
enough and market conditions suit, you
may think about buying your own home, or
even a smaller investment property to
let out, but on first arriving, play
safe and rent until you understand Hang
Zhou thoroughly.
One of the prime reasons for the high
cost of property - both sale and rental
- here is a simple matter of supply and
demand. There are a vast number of
people wanting to live on a severely
restricted area of land.
Please click here to visit our
Leasing page for more
information.
Temporary
Accomodation
Take your time
looking for suitable housing (your
belongings can in any case take several
weeks to be shipped), as there are so
many factors to consider. While you
search, the options for temporary
accommodation are:
Hotel accommodation: Asian
hotel standards are very high, and many
hotels offer packages with weekly or
monthly special rates and extras such as
discounted laundry, inclusive breakfasts
and so forth.
Serviced apartments: Families
often prefer to take serviced
accommodation, which usually provides a
separate sitting area and small kitchen
and can be more homely than a hotel for
a period of a month or so. There are
many alternatives and if you or your
company require, we at Hunter Real
Estate can advise you on this. You need
to consider the distance from school,
work and shops, and what amenities or
recreational facilities are offered.
Reservations should be made as far in
advance as possible.
Leave flats/short-term furnished
apartments: Some expatriates are
required to leave Hang Zhou for lengthy
periods, but do not want to pack up
their homes. They may then sublet their
flats (usually not allowed under the
terms of a Tenancy Agreement!) which
provide a more comfortable and spacious
alternative to a hotel or serviced
apartment.
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