Korean Job Discussion Forums

[robot]

I'm not sure why Koreans are so obsessed with shoehorning themselves into high-rise milk carton-looking apartments. Especially when much better housing is easily found...

My wife and I spent the day sleuthing out new digs, and her mom came along to lend a discerning adjumma eye. My mom-in-law was insisting on some boring Korean-style apatuh with the typical barbeque party-thwarting closed balcony, no bathtub to speak of, etc.

But for the same price, we found a whole whack of awesome villas. Why is this type of housing looked down upon -- even houses in nice areas? The specs were amazing -- 40+ pyeong, three or four bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, full oven, bathtub, some with great mountain views, others with killer decks or private rooftops, all clean and very orginal-looking.

My mom-in-law stuck her tongue out at these places, but couldn't really give an answer as to why we should shell out the same amount of dough for a cramped apartment. Maybe it's the peace of mind of having a security adjeosshi sleeping downstairs in his little box. Whatever it is, I don't get it.

[PeteJB]

As a whole, I think apartments are much safer but I can't think of any good reasons to turn down a villa. Perhaps high maintenance?

[Alyssa]

APATU.......Well, the good news is you are never alone, and never get lonely with all the neighbors above you, under you, next to you, even the speaker is your friend as the daily news is blasted at different times of the day!
How can you knock that?????

[Confused Canadian]

IF you own a car, parking is a HUGE concern with villas. The LAST thing I want to do at the end of a long work day is to come home and drive around for hours looking for a parking spot.

Otherwise, go for it!

[eamo]

Villa's are great for single people..........they suck if you have kids.....

High-rise apartments have parking.

An ajeossi to take your deliveries when you're not home.....

A bad neighbor in a high-rise can be sorted out by the guards. In a villa, you're on your own.

..... most important for young families, a playground for the kids. Koreans don't have yards, so they need somewhere safe for their kids to play. Villa's don't provide that.

Garbage and food waste disposal is pretty random around villa neighborhoods. It's much more organized in high-rises.

Villa's don't have elevators. Living on the 4th floor of a villa sucks if you have small children or elderly relatives.

It's generally believed by Koreans that poor quality materials are used in building villa's. The opposite for high-rises.

High-rise's just have better status.

[meangradin]

From what I read, you seem to be buying, and that is the problem with villas; they are simply more difficult to sell. Brand name apartments like Pruggio and Everville are much easier to resell, as they are perceived in a much more favourable way than most villas. I don't know about you, but if I were to lay down 200,000,000 won, I am going to want to make a profit out of the investment. However, if you are only renting, then bombs away!

There have been other threads in which others, like myself, have marveled at the oddity of the Korean housing market.

[weatherman]

A better mind than me wrote about small crmped apartments in Hong Kong as:

[PeteJB]

I think Eamo got it down perfectly. Also you can keep insects out easier in high-rises.

[Easter Clark]

Villas are ghetto like using mayonnaise jars for glasses.

[PigeonFart]

I know that Officetels are called 오피스텔, and highrise appartments are called 아파트

So what is the korean word for Villa?

[PeteJB]

빌라. Not to be confused with traditional Korean houses which are 한옥.