Property Search and Orientation
We appreciate that relocating to a new country is more complex than just finding a property. A property search entails discovering a new living environment and adjusting to a new lifestyle. Moving to a new country is an emotional experience; however we hope to make it a rewarding one.
At Dwellworks, we are committed to sourcing the right property based on your lifestyle, while providing the highest level of customer service. Whether you are looking for temporary or long term accommodation, as Hong Kong's largest corporate residential leasing firm, we are well positioned to be of good assistance and guide you through this entire process. Our residential leasing team works closely with both individual landlords and the city's largest developers to ensure that we have the latest properties at your finger tips.
At Dwellworks, we assist clients to source available rental properties, negotiate favorable lease terms, and walk you through settling into your new home and neighborhood. We strive to find the right properties based on our clients' individual needs.
New Buildings and Old Buildings
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 good value in space, generally speaking higher ceilings, and more space for inbuilt cupboards. However, unless the property has been renovated, the bathrooms and kitchens can be outdated Some older buildings do provide facilities as well; conditions may vary.
Measurements You will notice that the unit of measurement in Hong Kong is generally square feet. The following chart is a rough guide to help you convert from square meters to square footage.
Conversion| Square Meters | Square Feet |
| 0.093 | 1 |
| 92.90 | 1,000 |
| 139.35 | 1,500 |
| 185.80 | 2,000 |
| 232.26 | 2,500 |
| 46452 | 5,000 |
Commuting Times One of the great benefits of moving to Hong Kong is the commute to work is generally much shorter than what you currently have.
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.
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 painting the walls, sanding and polishing the hardwood, waxing the floors, cleaning the exhaust fans, professional cleaning among others.