Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

which are better for couples? i think i remember reading somewhere that villas can be offered in 2 bedrooms and more "floor space." how does that compare to the officetel?

[jinju]

Ive lived 2 years in an officetel, and I had enough. So I put down money for a villa. Big differences for me were

1. Space. An officetel is a shoebox. Its a fancy one room where you will develop claustrophobia from being in such a small place. A villa is much bigger. Instead of a small kitchen and one room and a small bathroom I have a large livingroom, 3 other rooms, a much larger kictchen and a bathroom. Its older and not as shiny as an officetel but now I have a real livingroom, an office, a real bedroom and a room for all my clothes.

2. neighborhood. My officetel was in a business oriented downtown neighborhood at Gangnam station. Now I live in a residential neighborhood with a very large par, tennis courts, swimming pool. Much less traffic, its quieter, less hookers and massage places.

Villas are better.

[kat2]

Officetels TEND to be smaller and newer. Villas older and bigger. It really depends. I recently moved from an officetel to a villa. I like it so much better. But some villas can be really old and crappy. So, I would ask for pics or to talk to the teacher currently in the apt.

[MollyBloom]

thanks a lot! i have pictures of both, and they both look nice. i guess I'll go for the villa...

[MollyBloom]

what about the officetels vs. the villas near Hanti station in Gangnam.....anyone lived in either/both of these apts. here?

[seoulsucker]

I live in a great officetel right down the street from Sinchon station. It's cheap, clean, efficient, and close to just about everything I could ever want to do.

There's a frickin' movie theater next door, for cryin' out loud.

Of course, it is noisier and busier, but high up above the street it doesn't really bother me that much.

I don't think I could ever share it with another person though. I had a friend in town for a week and I was happy to see him go. Villas give you the seperate space you need to maintain a healthy relationship.

[Paji eh Wong]

I've lived in both and I'll take the villa eight days a week.

[Gamecock]

Be careful with generalizations about housing...not all officetels are created equal, nor are all villas wonderful. I have lived in both as well, and a hogwan can stick you in an efficiency apartment in a villa that is smaller than any officetel you'll find. I got stuck in a one-room basement shoe-box villa my first year in Korea. Not only was it small and nearly windowless, but also old, dingy and without hot-water-on-demand (the ol' turn on the water heater 20 minutes before you want hot water). I then lived in a spacious officetel with a loft for a bedroom and a great bathroom. It seemed like paradise. Investigate!!!

[JongnoGuru]

It's really no good generalising about it, you'll have to see the places, and ideally in person. Though it's not the norm, there are small (one-room) villas and there are large officetels, just as there are posh styling villas and stanky, aging officetels. And photos can be deceiving, too, so I wouldn't base your decision entirely on those.

Posters here recommending a shiny new officetel, that's fine for one person, but consider that the OP is asking about housing for _a couple_. And I'll assume that's a couple of ex-pats used to homes built according to Western design (esp. spacial) notions, and not a couple of pint-sized Asian girls accustomed to living at (what often feel to us are) uncomfortably close quarters.

And it's not just a matter of two occupants as opposed to one. In the interest of a happy couple, a second room for hobbies (or to go and have a good sulk! ) could be a real relationship-saver. Most villas are small apartments with funky floorplans by Western standards, but an officetel = life in a hotel room that's been fitted with a kitchenette.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

JG nails it again.

Officetels if you're single and don't want to spend much time at home.

Otherwise, you'll need some space.

[Novernae]

As half of a couple who's lived in two different places in Korea, all I can say is that it depends on you. We were in a one room, fairly large officetel box last year and were quite happy. This year we have an appatu (or officetel according to some) with a loft, high ceilinged living area, and a tiny bedroom. We weren't unhappy at the other place, but it is nice to have the space. We have the bedroom set off as a studio, which means we can actually shut ourselves off when we want to be creative, and that is helpful. Despite this, we spend almost as much time together in the big living area as we spent together in the one room officetel. But again, as a couple it all depends on your relationship and how you deal with each other's space, or lack of space.