Korean Job Discussion Forums

[myne24]

Just curious as to how officetels are. Do you have your own toilet and shower in your room? Or do you share with other people? How small is it? Do you perfer an officetel or a villa? Thanks.

[cdninkorea]

[jinju]

Officeltels are fancy shoeboxes. Lived in them for two years. Always had doormen, security, nice clean buildings, my last one had a gym..but they are so damn small. No more shoeboxes for me, got my own, 30+ pyeong 2 minutes from a huge park with tennis courts and horseback riding and 4 minutes from a large swimming pool.

[Return Jones]

Officetels in general are a rip off. A real racket. Avoid them. They will screw you and nickel and dime you every month for something or another - like painting white lines on the parking garage floor, re-tiling the bathroom in the lobby, etc., etc. Nice to live in, perhaps, but not a good investment of your hard earned money. I'm sure someone can write in and tell a different story, however every person I have ever known to live in one found that they got blindsided every month by some new and obscure fee tacked onto their bill. Expect to outlay at least 300,000 every month for rental fees, maintenance and utilities. Some employers will pay the deposit and rental fee and leave you to pay for the monthly maintenance and utilities. Not too too bad a deal if your employer will do this. I wouldn't sign up for one on my own, though.

Villas can be new or old. Newer ones, like mine, are just like officetels once you are inside your individual apartment. My hallway and grounds are also pretty much just like any officetel. My monthly maintenance fee for 14 pyeong just increased from 50,000 to 60,000. In addition, my gas is about 10,000 per month in warmer times. Electric fees have varied. My July bill was 38,000 due to my air conditioner, however August was only 11,000 even though my usage was pretty much the same. Whatever. I also pay for water but that is pretty minimal.

One advantage to an officetel is that it is more likely to be owned by a large company and you will likely get your deposit back more easily. Small apartment villas tend to be owned by landlords that like to hold onto your deposit until they find another tenant. Illegal but happens all the time. Search this site for more details.

If you're young and want a convenient life, try an officetel for a year. If you're a bit older and planning on getting married, saving money, etc. consider a villa. Go through all the legal steps, however, to safeguard your deposit money.