Korean Job Discussion Forums

[itiswhatitis]

I live in a basement suite and I wonder about sewer backup/water
getting in my home.

Anyone else who has lived in a basement suite have any feedback???
Is it a common problem???

I lived in a basement suite in Canada (for 3 years) in a building that was 100 years old and never had any problems. My buddy lived in a basement suite in a new building and had some water here and there and it sucked. I guess they built better sewers 100 years ago.

Rainy season is coming.......

Thanks!!!

[Stan Rogers]

Rainy season is coming. Water flows downhill and you are on the bottom floor.

But hey, it's free.

[GoldMember]

A basement "Suite". When I think of a "Suite", I think of a penthouse. Its the big apartment on the top of the building. The basement. That's the dark place where you store old clothes, junk and where grandma keeps her jams and conserves.

[Weigookin74]

In the west, a basement suite can be ok if it's built properly with insulation and is sealed properly. But, you may need a dehumidifier. There are machines that suck the water out of the air. Don't know about here in Korea. But, any basement place I have ever seen here has been moldy and crappy. I'd be very very reluctant to accept a basement apartment here unless it's under a new modern high rise apartment complex. You should insist on seeing it before accepting. Otherwise, your boss is trying to pinch a penny by giving you a crappy place. If it's an older building, there will be no sealing or insulation. So, take the damp mildew you would get potentially and multiply it by 10 here. I would really stress to you to view the place first before accepting. If it's non negotiatble, walk away and don't take the contract. Your health isn't worth it.

[ampersandman]

I actually saw a friend's one-bedroom in Anyang that was clean and comfortable and located in the basement. Not in a modern highrise building either, just one of those old four-storey houses. I think the rent was 200+ monthly. It's all about maintenance. The problem is you won't know how free of mildew and leaking it'll be until you've lived there for a while.

[Yaya]

I agree that the OP misused the term "suite."

As for living in a "ban jiha (half basement)," I once considered it because of price, but the risk of mildew and flooding turned me off, not to mention the difficulty of finding another tenant if you want to move out.