OK oh wise ones, we looked at apts this week and here's what we have. Please share your thoughts, experiences. We are basically a chinese/european couple with young baby, looking for 3 BR, unfurnished (key!). We have offers for the following, before negotiations:

1. The Summit: 167 sqm, good condition, western kitchen, high floor, asking 18K, family clubhouse included
2. Yanlord: 175 sqm, decent condition, western kitchen, high floor (23rd), asking 18K, family clubhouse included
3. Mandarin de Gubei (NOT the old-ish Mandarin City): 171 sqm, good condition, ground floor with garden, full underfloor heating, asking 15K, without clubhouse

We are also considering Xijiao Perfect Garden for 18K, 240 sqm but compound has no clubhouse and the condition of apt is so-so.

Any thoughts on the above options? Thanks for your help.

1. The Summit: This is located in FC so access to more local supermarkets and more budget orientated goods will be harder to get. But, the surrounds are devine and you have plenty of good areas to walk and great bars/restaurants. Very good management as they are from Hong Kong. These are investment properties so better quality landlords. All those we have dealt with are great!

2. Yanlord: Great compoound with fab facils and good managment. It is more of a local compound so landlords are a bit of hit and miss when it comes to getting things done. BUT, you do have good local supermarkets and the huge Carrefour that caters well for both locals and expats. You also have the bar/restaurant street which again caters for locals/expats so is quite well priced.

3. Mandarin de Gubei: Oh, you mean Mandarin Garden? (I love it when they add "de" to jazz up the places). Located in the new Gubei Phase 2 which is a new housing estate catering for mainly locals so you will get local everything. BUT, like Yanlord you have access to Carrefour etc, etc. Mainly owned by wealthy Chinese so a bit of hit and miss in terms of landlords. Not as family friendly as Yanlord.

Well, that's my two bob's worth. Hope it helps.

Have a look at our Advice on Leasing as it has what to include in the offer as well as the contract.

Adrienne

Thanks Adrienne. Good advice.

Any thoughts on the suggested prices for the above? That would be really helpful where we are in the process. All apts are investor-owned. Ballpark, gut feel, etc, it's all helpful. Is it the time of year, the way the market is now, the post-GFC or so, that landlords/management companies/agents are used to low ball offers or is it picking up?

Also, the Mandarin de Gubei is the 名都古北, the one with the high buildings around a large grassy courtyard, not the gawdy, sprawling Mandarin City with the white walls and awful statues (shocking!). I think we're talking about the same Mandarin but just in case. Thanks again.

Yanlord is quite ok especially with baby/kids. Go as high as possible, less mosquitoes. The prices seem to be fair but I'm not the expert. Maybe you get them down 1k by negotiation, but I wouldn't bank on it. If it's company budget for the rent only, rather try to get as much utilities included as possible (clubhouse, cable TV, telephone, DSL, power, gas, water, parking

Thanks everyone. We agreed on an apt in the Yanlord. For reference for those still looking:

Phase 1, 11th floor, 181 sqm, 3 BR + 1 small office/ayi room, 2 full baths, 2 balconies, main rooms facing towards the outdoor pool and basketball court areas, covered 2nd balcony off the kitchen, wood flooring, underfloor heating in the bathrooms. Price 16.500 RMB, excluding gym and utilities.

welcome to yanlord, my wife and I have lived here for 2.5 years, here's some info you might find useful that I posted on another topic about yanlord riverside gardens.

1. there is no ATM in the complex, but Oasis Riveria across the road has one.
2. you can order water in the big bottles like you get in offices around the world from the management office, and they will bring to your door
3. the compound shop has just been extended.
4. when you join the gym, every month 100rmb will be deducted from your gym card
5. if you join the gym, you will get a member card which is the same as a door access card, they are identical so why need two cards, if you ask at the gym, they will give you a form to complete so that you only need one card for everything.
6. the gym is OK, but they don't do classes like Body Combat or anything like that. My advice is join the gym because then you can use all the other facilites, and then join Wills Gym, they have 5 gyms all within a 15 min bike ride from Yanlord.
7. the outdoor pool is only open from June to Sept, that's it, and it costs 18rmb per person every time, and people with long hair have to wear caps, they are very strict.
8. our floor heating stops about once a month, but I think this is probably more to do with our landlord than Yanlord.
9. you can pay all your household bills at the management office which is handy
10. they also have a dry cleaning service
11. not every tower has power points in the underground car park, a real pain for those of us with electric scooters.
12. make sure you check that the appliance under the gas hob is really an oven, and not a dish steriliser.

your price seems good to me, we are paying over 20K for same size, but in phase 3 (tower 23)

cheers, badger