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moving in august

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stg

Newbie

Joined: June 05, 2009
Posts: 6

Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 05:16 AM
Post subject: moving in august

Im moving to shanghai in august and would be grateful for some info

I will working near the guilin road xuhui district and i would be looking to rent nearby but also have good transport links around so i can get around the city and enjoy the night life
Im looking for a 1 bedroom apartment or maybe sharing a 2 bedroom with someone.
Im not fussy about serviced, modern apartments. Im looking to maybe pay up to 3500-4000 yuan a month.

Is this a reasonable expectation?

MrPuxi

Raver

Joined: Jan 30, 2008
Posts: 466

Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 09:38 AM

generally, yes - either sharing or by yourself, you should be fine if you are not that fussy or demanding.

leidelaohu

Board Lord

Joined: June 11, 2007
Posts: 5732

Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 10:58 AM
Post subject: Re: moving in august

stg wrote:

Im moving to shanghai in august and would be grateful for some info

Best info you're going to get : don't be an idiot. Shanghai in August is unbearable. Wait until mid-September.

Unless you have lived in the steambath portion of Hell you have *no* idea how miserable it is here in August. Imagine Galveston. Now multiply by three.

Shangstar

Fire-eater

Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2765
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 11:06 AM

You can get a decent one bedroom place for cheaper than that in Xuhui.....but you need a local agent to source them for you i.e. apartments rented out by local Chinese folk expecting other local folk as tenants, as opposed to locals intending to rent out to expats. If you are lucky you'll get one who speaks some English. I rent a traditional style two bedroom duplex place about 15 mins walk from Nanjing Xi Lu station for less than your budget range. I can give you the number of an agent once you arrive if that will help. He speaks English and is a jolly good chap. Living nr Xujiahui station is good to get around the city or somewhere like Shanghai Indoor Stadium. There are many apartment blocks and shops around there.

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monalisalee

Veejay

Joined: May 10, 2005
Posts: 2014
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 11:16 AM

Will p.m. you dude. Can give you info' on an agent for ALL areas who can weave majic for expats, but at local prices.

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johnboy88

fly_mandarin

Newbie

Joined: May 04, 2009
Posts: 8

Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 11:23 AM

I was living in Guilin rd, The location closed to IKEA and Xuhui center.
the nearest metro is Caobao rd, line 1.

I must agreed with shangstar that you need a local agent to source your flat.
Try to looking for a place which close to metro and bus station ( bus no. 43 is convenient if you are going to xuhui center and even taikang rd)

Adrienne

SuperStar

Joined: Mar 01, 2003
Posts: 1433
Location: Shanghai, China
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Posted: June 05, 2009 - 05:06 PM

Just a word about working with local agents in the little street offices here.

Most local agents get their income from sales rather than leasing. They usually know little about the rental properties that are on their books as they haven’t actually been inside and seen them. They won’t know if what they show you will match your needs, apart from being the right budget, size, number of beds and correct location so try to get as much detail as possible about each property offered including pictures. Unfortunately, some landlords won’t allow agents to take photos so agents need to drill the landlord on the interior style.

As a prospective tenant you actually need to be really proactive about it all and not expect a high level of service from local agents, expect of course the ones that have been recommended by people on the forum.

Unfortunately, some agents will only tell you what they think you want to hear which is usually all positive!!! Also, they tend to show you everything on their books irrespective of whether it suits what you briefed them on. They always have a fear that another agent will show you these other places and they will miss the deal. This can be rather frustrating habit here.

There is very little sole agency properties here so if you use a recommended agent they pretty much have access to the same properties as the "unknown" local ones so you aren't going to limit your supply of properties. They should understand expat needs and you won't be dragged around places that may be a hit with your grandmother or a Saudi Prince but may not be quite your style. Of course they're always a great conversation piece!

Have a look at our Advice on Leasing to give you some heads up on the whole process here.

Good luck!

Adrienne

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mimina100

Seeker

Joined: Apr 17, 2009
Posts: 46
Location: Shanghai,Pudong
Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 09:54 PM

On the contrary. Most local agent know house situation well much much more than foreigner . What they short is hard to speak English.
Along with the development of shanghai and the coming 2010 expo. Most local agent can speak English

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shanghailuv

Reacher

Joined: Feb 23, 2009
Posts: 228

Status: Offline

Posted: June 05, 2009 - 11:05 PM
Post subject: Re: moving in august

stg wrote:

Im moving to shanghai in august

Tell you...Do not make that blunder mistake..never ever..Seriously !!

edbreejen

Ranter

Joined: Apr 24, 2003
Posts: 544
Location: Shanghai, Zhongshan park area
Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 12:04 AM

Quote:

Dear mimina100,

Of course you know that this is pretty close to nonsense. Problem with many local agents is that they THINK they know the housing situation well, but in reality they cannot distinguish between a well-built and stylishy decorated property and a fake Louis XIV rip-off with single paned windows. There are SOME good ones of course, but i would like to stress that it's a very tiny share.

Everyone's needs and desires are different, also for ' foreigners' (a very homogeneous group by the way). However, in general there is a demand for quality. Quality is not easily available in Shanghai housing, as government, builders, developers and agents are all specialised in producing vast amounts of quickly built crap and don't even have the slightest idea what quality means. This is one of the real issues for many expats in Shanghai, finding a house that has QUALITY.

Besides physical QUALITY (i.e. the intrinsic characteristics of the house), many expats demand process quality, meaning a smoothless rental process resulting in a fair price for a quality property. Looking at both the general understanding of quality at local agents and their total lack of any form of process-oriented thinking, it's no wonder foreign agencies are doing quite well in Shanghai.

Just my 2 cents: next time a foreigner walks in to rent a property, start by asking questions. Smart questions that provide you with valuable info, so you can make a tailor-made selection of attractive properties. Capisce?

edbreejen

Ranter

Joined: Apr 24, 2003
Posts: 544
Location: Shanghai, Zhongshan park area
Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 12:11 AM

Oh yes, and just like all others said here before: don't move in August (we did, got off the plane, walked out Pudong airport and then found out the lowest temperature in the area was our own body temperature).

MarkDow

Ranter

Joined: Mar 05, 2008
Posts: 544
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 03:05 AM

mimina100 wrote:

I agree but also agree with Adrienne on commission/knowledge based of individual apartments. Most agents have not seen the inside but look at basic requirements. The good english speaking locals are good agents but be wary on negotiating, bring a chinese friend!

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MarkDow

Ranter

Joined: Mar 05, 2008
Posts: 544
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 03:12 AM

edbreejen wrote:

Quote:

Just my 2 cents: next time a foreigner walks in to rent a property, start by asking questions. Smart questions that provide you with valuable info, so you can make a tailor-made selection of attractive properties. Capisce?

I agree, be picky and look at many options.

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PNWer

Barker

Joined: Oct 18, 2007
Posts: 149

Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 06:51 AM

I would very much like to see a list of apt complexes in Shanghai that have construction quality.

I know zero entries for this. Although can suggest a few for the opposite list.

CoffeeHawk_0
Board Deity

Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 17930

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 07:10 AM

1000 rmb/month or 30,000rmb/month, all built the same way by the same people.

LoveBoxStorage

Reacher

Joined: Sep 25, 2008
Posts: 364
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 12:08 PM

Totally agree with Adrienne on how you'll need to be a decent bit proactive from your end when looking for apartments (especially when working with local agents). I had to find our apartment when my husband and I moved here in 2005 and immediately became extremely frustrated with the process. Even though I kept telling the agent our general requirements (that we were not willing to budge on), they kept taking us to apartments that didn't meet the checklist. The agents generally make their salaries from the commission that they earn on renting the apartment so they will oftentimes forgo the value of the long term customer relationship for a fast buck. You will be doing yourself a favor by doing some of the legwork yourself. Best to get a Chinese friend or trustworthy colleague to help with the initial discussions with the agents (in order to emphasize your specific requirements) and then bring them along with you when you go to view the apartments.

We've written a helpful guide on Renting Shanghai Apartments that you can find on our website at - http://www.loveboxstorage.com/shanghai-guides/11-renting-a-shanghai-ap artment-without-bs.html.

Also, if you do share an apartment, you may be interested to know that self storage is available. In you want some more space to store your things, come by and visit our facility, located close to downtown. We also offer rental terms as short as one week.

Hope that helps and best of luck with your apartment search!

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Shangstar

Fire-eater

Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2765
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 12:49 PM

For construction quality I always check the following in newish compound type apartments:

IGNORE the furnishings. These are the landlord's decoy.

Knock the walls and see if the sound is hollow or more like a thud. This may give an indication of the soundproofing. Get a mate to make a racket out in the corridor and see if you can hear it.

Always check underneath the sinks i.e. inside any cupboards where water pipes go through. If it smells musty, or you find bits of damp paper, then there's a problem.

Check for mould or rust around shower heads and taps.

Flush the toilet a few times. Also, turn on all the taps and check water temp and pressure. Also check to see how fast water drains.

From the outside check the distance between the floors. If the windows look quite close together between the floors, that indicates space saving techniques by the developer and the chances are you'll hear everything going on in the apartment above.

Check the location and fittings of switches and plug sockets. If they're wonky, loose, upside down or with gaps around the outside then that could indicate poor electrics.

Put all the electrics on at once like air cons, washing machine, heater, and see if the fusebox can cope with it.

Try opening and closing all windows and doors. Sometimes shrinkage can cause frames to contract causing problems with the door/window.

Obviously, check the boiler for dirt, grime, yellow colouration, pressure etc.

If however, you're moving into something local and your paying little, then no need for all the above - as there probably will be problems. But in a typical expat compound where youre paying top dollar, the above indicate poor construction quality. I know, i was in the UK business myself.

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stg

Newbie

Joined: June 05, 2009
Posts: 6

Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2009 - 11:14 PM

thanks for all your advice

Unfortunately mu contract starts in mid august so i have to move in that month. Ive spent a year in the sweat pit that is hong kong so im sure i can handle shanghai.

my job will set me up with some local agents when i arrive but i want to have a heads up before then and have a seamless transition as possible.

A chinese complex in xuihui seems to be my best option, near a underground stop, some bars/restaurants, and no more than a 25min walk to work

monalisalee

Veejay

Joined: May 10, 2005
Posts: 2014
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: June 07, 2009 - 01:24 AM

Yeah, Most people do not have the choice of WHEN to come, so is really stupid for some dipsticks to advise otherwise.
It aint so bad here in August. Actually, we DO have A/C's here!.
Not a problem.

John.

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johnboy88