Korean Job Discussion Forums

[watergirl]

Hi everyone
I've been offered a job but I have to find my own housing. The school only provides 5 million for key money and 500 for rent. How possible is it to find a non-dumpy apt/villa etc. with this? Anyone know.
The school hasn't told me the location of the school yet but just wondering ahead of time.
cheers,

[Harpeau]

For Seoul, that'll mostly buy you dumpy diggs, unless you live in a really dumpy neighborhood. You will likely have to pay more to get something nice. This is only my opinion and others may dissagree with it, and that's fine by me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbnxN6E3wg

[dharma bum]

it's possible, but it will be difficult and will depend greatly on the area of seoul in which you will be living.

[Forever]

You can find many, many one-rooms for 5million key deposit and 300,000~500,000won rent per week.

However, they are not that nice, and NOT in Central Seoul, usually 25~30 minutes subway-commute to the middle of Seoul.

Choose one next to a market - then you not only live in a cheap one-room but can get cheap groceries, food, haircuts etc etc.

These type of places are usually in old neighborhoods and the one-rooms are only about 8~10 pyeong and they usually have old windows, cheap vinyl flooring and ugly bathrooms.

If you want something nicer, then you can find a nicer, newer one-room (12~13 pyeong) or officetel closer to downtown Seoul with the 5 million key deposit, however the rent will be 700,000won+ per month.

(so although the school is only providing 500K for housing allowance you use more money out of your salary to pay the extra).

First - have the school tell you the location of the school.

Second - choose an area close to the school that you would like to live in.

Third - have a Korean friend accompany you to the local Real-estate agents around that area.

[saram_]

Hiya... Well contrary to what a few people here said that was exactly what I paid for the place I am in now- 500k per month and 5 mill key money..
I moved in here about 4 months ago and it is located in Haebancheong which is about as central as you can be in Seoul....
It was fully furnished too with a large Queen size bed and all the main utilities. Make sure these are in the apt you choose!


I was quite lucky tho as the place was just put up on the website a few hours earlier and I was first to reply! Anyway there are such places to be found. Scouring the internet sites that update new accomm is possibly the best way..

http://seoul.craigslist.co.kr/hhh/

You could always do the sharing option too.. There are usually more options there but maybe with some patience/ time if you have it you could hold for single place..
Google "accom in seoul etc" and you will find some more sites...

Go visit a few Real Estate agencies in areas you are interested in and let them know exactly what you need. Most of them speak enough English (if thats an issue) to get the info across. I know when I visited them, they showed me some places that were completely unfurnished- Not so great!!
But not useless. You can give them you number and they may call with some offers..

It appears the whole HBC area is quite popular and people are always move in and out so there are good deals to be had I'm sure..

Alright then.. Best of luck..

Finding a place is not the easiest thing to do but hope you find what you looking for..

D

PS: My apt and my work are about an hour from each other altogether..BUT i think its better to be living here as it gives more options on my time off... If your working hours are not too long..you dont NEED to be too close to your place of work... Maybe just my view..but anyway............

[mc_jc]

There are places in that price range in and around Itaewon, to include Hannam, Haebangchon, Itaewon-il and -i dong, and Bogwang Dong.

Go see a realtor (BuDongSan) and see what they have to offer.

However, in many other places in Seoul, housing could be small or crappy.

[jiberish]

Jamsil ftw!

Get a place on the green line!

[CPT]

What's a reasonable real estate agent fee for finding an apartment for you?

[Gibberish]

Personally I am 100% for taking all that and just ponying up the extra 250-500 a month yourself for a nice place in Seoul. It's worth.

[calicoe]

OK, I just went through this process and I'm still not sure of what is possible or not possible. I had a serious time constraint, and had to search while travelling in from a province that was 2 hours away from Seoul while I was also teaching. So, I was a bit stressed out. And, I knew I didn't want to live in Itaewon or the neighborhoods surrounding it.

After looking at about 8-10 places with a Korean friend and a realtor on the 7 line near my new job in the Sangdo/Boramae area, I couldn't find anything for lower except tiny one-rooms in brand new villas. If you don't mind showering directly over the toliet and sink, and are alright with a new but small one room that essentially has no room for anything but a armoire and a Korean fold up mat for a bed and a couple of chairs, then you can get something for 5 million and under 500,000. They are not bad, but way too tiny for me. Also, I didn't feel comfortable with new and untested management, and there are loads of new villas going up all over the place there ..... read - noise!

After a bit, the realtor took me to a very, very nice officetel one-room on line 1, but the key money was 10 million and the rent 650, which didn't include building and utility fees, and almost no neighborhood amenities around it apart from a parking space and an expressway. I declined.

I ended up with a nice one-room in Jongno, with space for a few pieces of furniture and enough left over to walk around in, within a medium-sized officetel, with landlords who seem to know what they are doing and are very professional, a gym downstairs that will only cost 10,000 to sign up, and neighborhood amenities all around: in-sadong, the Palace, parks, restaurants, multiple transportation links.

The compromise: I have to commute to work for about 30 to 40 minutes, and it is small. The price: 10 million key money and 580,000 per month.

Did I do well? I'm not sure, but I don't think I did too badly. You can probably find a better deal if you are in Seoul and have more time.

[calicoe]

Oh, yeah - and I have to buy all of my own furniture, except for a washing machine, fridge, one armoire and small toaster oven.

But, I am trying to make the best of it by buying all new and multi-functional furniture from G-Market. It will be kind of fun to have a living space decorated in a style of my own design for a change.

[Ruthdes]

I pay 5m and 700,000 in Gangnam (Daechi-dong). This is a really expensive area of Seoul, and unfortunately my stipend is only 400,000. It was also unfurnished. However, I have a very irregular schedule with gaps during the day, so being able to walk 10 minutes home in my breaks is a necessity for me. It is reasonable-sized studio, and has a separate shower and a/c. It's also newish and clean.

If the first real estate agent you go to doesn't speak English, just try the next. In residential areas they are literally everywhere. You'll find one eventually who speaks enough English for you to get by. Get a Korean speaker to write everything important down in Korean for you. If you can bring a Korean friend with you, all the better, but be careful to double-check everything that the agent promises. In a pinch you can call the English info line (02 1330) to help you out.

I would definitely insist on an apartment with a/c (if you don't like being hot and sticky in summer). I had to put one into my first place then remove it when I moved out. It was expensive and one big hassle. In hindsight I would've put up with not having a/c for one season, but then I don't use it very much even when I've got it.

Good luck

[calicoe]

5M key money and 700,000 in Gangnam sounds very good. When did you rent it at this price? I'm hearing that recent rentals are higher with key money because of the recent dip in the economy.

[Ruthdes]

I rented it just over 12 months ago. It is on the low end of the prices you find. It's a villa, and is on the 1st floor (but one of the ones you walk up half a flight of steps to get to instead of down). It's not big, but I had 15 people squashed in here on Christmas Eve which was fun . Before that I was in a two bedroom for 1.2 million a month and 10 million key money. It was round the corner from my current place.

[abigolblackman]

I'm repeating what mc_jc said: Hannam, Haebangchon, Itaewon-il and -i dong, and Bogwang Dong.

5 million key money and 500 ~ 700 thousand won rent. It's central and the apartments are usually furnished.

The central location really gets me. Pretty much a taxi from anywhere can be the same price and I always know when they are trying to screw me or take the scenic route. Also, you're not stuck with the choice to only eat Korean food everyday. I like Korean food, I hate limited options.

At my current place, I split a 5 million key money deposit (so 2.5 each) and we split the rent (1 million total, 500 each). We each have our own rooms/bathrooms, a living room, a real kitchen, a spare bedroom, and a torture chamber up stairs with a patio for BBQing in the summer. And a garage. Fully furnished [yeah, everything, each room]. Utilities are included in the rent as well.

I do live in Itaewon, and for those that think that Itaewon is the pinnacle of shadiness/ghettoness that Seoul has to offer, I invite you to live at Seoul Station or in Janghanpeyong. Itaewon is actually a pretty decent area.

abigolblackman