Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PeteJB]

I'm curious what to expect to find in a "fully furnished" apartment. Or maybe, let's make a "definitive" list of things that you should buy when moving into your new pad. So heres some ideas:

* Two changes of bed clothes
* Bowls, Plates
* Cups, Glasses, Spoons
* Chopsticks, Knifes, Forks
* Cleaning products for Bathroom and Kitchen surfaces
* Cleaning products and/or tools for main living space.
* Toaster?
* Rice Cooker?
* Emergency medical supplies (plasters, ointments, painkillers, cold medicine, etc)
* Garbage bags

Anything else? No need to mention things like toothpaste or skin scrubs. Also regarding things you should DO or find out about when moving in:

* Best method to pay rent?
* How to pay maintenance fees?
* Change locks?
* Explore your local area

Will edit more in later..

[huck]

bed, tv, wardrobe

[yingwenlaoshi]

[princess]

hahaha...In Korea? Fully furnished most likely means a bed...And if you are a lucky, a bed plus a TV, washing machine, and a gas range...

Utensils??? hahaha...

one bowl
one spoon
one set of chopsticks
one glass

Open your wallet and go shopping!!!

[maddog]

In my first place, fully furnished meant bed, tv on floor, grotty kitchen area, and crappy bathroom (k-style). No wardrobes.

MD

[sojourner1]

I got a wardrobe, a bed, a table with 2 chairs, a TV, a mini fridge, a 2 burner gas range, a rice cooker, a fan, an electric heater, silver ware, a few bowls, a land line phone already turned on, and a nice, but weird washing machine.


On my first day I had to buy things like laundry soap, food, cloths drying rack, and dish soap and said to my new co-teachers, "Gosh, Korea is very expensive." I got $30 worth of essentials for $100 is what happened. I was always under the impression that Asian countries are cheap, but Korea and Japan are the few exceptions to the rule. Doesn't stop us from saving funds in Korea though.


Some teachers get more than I did and many get less, but count on about $100 apartment start up expense upon arrival for a couple days of food, soap, and basic essentials. More if you're into luxuries or non-essential things or stocking up on meat and fruit.

[bellum99]

A door with the locks on the outside....

You teachee good....no teacheee, no eatee.

[Smee]

When I moved to my 2nd job they bought new furniture: kitchen table, refrigerator, washer, couch, chair, TV, DVD player, and a few kitchen basics. That seems to be the norm in this part of the country for public schools, so much so that everyone has the exact same furniture. In my first hagwon I got a bed, TV, TV stand, chair, fridge, and washer. It was in an officetel, so any more furniture and I don't think it would've fit. For my 2nd job I did also receive a 300,000 won settlement bonus. Right away 70,000 won went for a gas tank in the kitchen, 60,000 went to cable, 40,000 went to internet, 50,000 went to pay my phone bill, and the rest was to tide me over for a month until they reimbursed my airfare. It was an old apartment, so there were a lot of start-up costs, but regardless, don't bank on that 300,000 being used for any luxuries.

[Funky Chunk]

In '02, my apartment came with a bed (with a pillow and linen), a tv with stand, a wardrobe, a phone, a table with chair, a washer and drying rack, a towel, house & shower shoes, high speed internet, a power converter, a range (don't remember how many burners), eating and cooking utensils, a fridge that came up to about my chest, and some bread, OJ and water.

All and all, when I got to Seoul, I didn't have an MTV worthy crib, but I was pretty much set with the basics.

[Natalia]

When I first arrived in Korea I went into an apartment the teachers had been in for years with no maintenance at all from the school - when the place changed hands the director left it up to the teachers to exchange keys.

Most of my (extremely crappy) furniture was rescued off the street from previous teachers. Without that there would have been a bed, small fridge, television and ancient VCR I never touched, washing machine and a small clothes rack on wheels. The teachers added a chair, a desk and a wardrobe and a microwave. The cutlery and crockery was an accumulation of whatever the other teachers had bought, so I had to do a bit of shopping to add some things.

A lot of what you get will depend on how nice the previous occupant was � mine left water, some toiletries and a few edible things.

Oh, and only one set of bedding. Korean bedding is worse than appalling, so I went out and bought something that suited me better.



I would definitely check out the locks � not so much because the previous occupant might make a reappearance, but because mine were so crappy. I had a break in and it appears it took the thieves all of ten seconds to break the entire door handle off. I got my landlady to put in a deadlock and a much stronger doorhandle after that (free of charge).

[PeteJB]

Eh well, I'm not a teacher so I won't be given a shoddy deal. I'll be visiting the places and seeing with my own eyes before moving in.

[GoldMember]

I wouldn't be so worried about what Koreans define as "fully furnished".

You should be more concerned about what some people define as "an apartment".

Years ago when looking for a job in Seoul, I rejected every single job, as the first thing I asked to see was the accommodation.

My reaction at every single inspection, "Ok so this is where my pet maggots and roaches will live, but show me the place where I will live".

What we would call a scummy, filthy, small, dark, mouldy dive. Your friendly Hogwan Owner will refer to as "An Apartment".

You have been warned.

[whatever]

[PeteJB]

Size is not an issue for me. I'm a student, so I'm just looking for a good place (cheap, with the essentials) without the hassle of sharing with someone, staying in dorms, or anyplace associated with usual student living. Just a small place is fine for me, all it needs to be is in fairly clean, working condition. Ah, but I have to deal with those pesky One Room agents so it's going to be an uphill battle finding a good deal.

[PGF]