Job Discussion Forums

[johnny_russian]

Greetings legends!

I'm currently teaching in South Korea, and thinking of moving to China next year.

There's one job in particular I'm interested in, but the problem is that they only provide shared housing, which I'm not really that into. The salary is 15-18,000RMB depending on qualifications. There is an option to take a 1,000RMB per month housing allowance in lieu of the provided housing, which I'd take should I get offered and accept the job.

So, I was hoping someone could please shed some light on how the housing situation in China works. Here in Korea you usually pay a large deposit (key money) of around 5-10 million KRW (about 30-55,000RMB) which is refunded at the end of your housing contract. On top of that you pay rent each month. The more 'key money' you put down, the lower your rent.

Is it something similar in China, or something different completely? Also, based on what I've read a salary of 15-18,000RMB with a 1,000RMB housing allowance should be enough to get a decent place and still save a bit each month, provided I don't spend excessively, right?

The job I'm looking at is specifically in the Changping area/district of Beijing. Thanks for any help!

[RW8677]

[BleedingBlue]

China and Korea are different countries, you do realize that, right? You've indicated salary, but mention little about a city. Thus, it's impossible to shed light on housing prices. Renting a place is simple - you rent it. There is no law or whatever to dictate how things go - in other words, the spectrum of possibilities is endless. Let's use the correct phrase... deposit, not key money. You simply rent it, few owners will ask for a deposit.

You are really making an issue out of nothing. You rent a place. You seem to be asking simple questions that raises a red flag on your suitability to live overseas - you are asking someone to tell you how to save money or not spend excessively. Interesting. China is not Korea. Cost of living is different and so on. You seem overly worried about money - suggesting that China is not the place for you.

I live in the capital of a province and I have a 160 square meter place and I pay only 1000 RMB per month.

You're really internally exaggerating the issue mentally. Renting is simple enough.

[RW8677]

[jm21]

[BleedingBlue]

Fact is, Dave's ESL IS filled, nearly to capacity with crazy people. I am glad you also see it. Crazy, ranting, blaming everyone but themselves for decisions and acts, inappropriate demand that China change for them, codependency dominated (which is a bad sign for someone up-and-leaving their native land to come here, alone, language impaired, etc.) and unable to make decisions - expecting others to make it for them. It takes a specific personalty type to drop your life in the west and come to China and expect to survive mentally and so on. Look at the alcohol and "tobacco" dependence - it is a coping mechanism for those unable to cope. So, yes, I agree with your inference, the board IS full of crazy people that shouldn't be here, let alone China. Seems only I am willing to be blunt. So, there is where my assessment is PROVEN with all the negative comments and PERSONAL attacks that are forthcoming. It will only reinforce and support (prove) my evaluation. We all know it.

[talentedcrayon]

[johnny_russian]

seems i should make some clarifications here.

i do of course realize China and Korea are two different countries. the comparison to Korea was because the 'key money' you have to put down here in Korea requires a very large financial outlay at the beginning - more than 10 times what your rent for the whole year would be, at least - and i just wanted to know if it was the same or similar in China so I could do a rough budget of what it would cost me to move to China and find housing there. in comparison, paying 3 months deposit is really not that bad.

i'm not entirely interested in money, in fact the main reason i want the job i'm looking at is because it would allow me to potentially teach in my subject area - which is not ESL - so it would be a good career move for me. i do of course need to make some savings every month so that i have something in the bank when i eventually move on, so money is of course somewhat important.

as for my suitability to live in China, nothing is ever certain in life, but I think i'll survive. when i was 20 i moved out of my parents place to do a postgraduate degree in a completely different city on the other side of the country, not knowing a single person in that city and never having even been there before. i managed to get through that ok.

Seven years later i packed up my life again and moved to Korea not knowing a word of Korean and never having even been out of my home country before. i then spent my first year living in a village in the middle of nowhere in Gangwon-do where quite literally no-one spoke a word of English. and i managed to get through that ok.

i'm trying to research as much as i can about living and teaching in China at the moment, and asking about housing is just one part of my research. so thanks to everyone who offered helpful advice, and thanks in particular to jm21 for the PM.

keep it E.Z. dames and fellas

[creeper1]

I live far from the city center and pay 3000 a month for my own apartment.

Start up costs are the following.

3 months rent upfront + deposit (one month) + agent fee (one month)

So it is a total of 5 months rent you pay to get started.

The one that really bites is the agent fee since coming from Korea you will never heard of that.

Honestly just stay in Korea.

[talentedcrayon]

OP -

Don't listen to the naysayers. Come to China.

You seem to have the right attitude and clearly you have survived Korea in the boonies. I think you will do fine.

[litterascriptor]

This thread delivers.

[True Blue]

Work for a university and you will always be provided a free furnished apartment.

[El Macho]

Don't listen to BleedingBlue, he's just a troll.

No key money in China. Expect to pay at least three months rent at a time, 1-3 months rent as deposit, as well as having to pay the real estate person as much as one month's rent as a finder's fee.

Rent in Changping should be less than rent in the rest of BJ because it's well outside of the city. Depending on access to the metro, I would think that you'd be able to find something decent for under 5,000.

If you do choose to get the 1,000, find out whether or not it is taxed. Money for rent can/should be exempted from income tax.

[Shanghai Noon]

[BleedingBlue]