Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poet13]

I am currently in a one room/efficiency. In the fall, after I renew my contract, my family will move here. I work through EPIK. I have been told that my apartment budget for this contract (single adult) was 3 million won. Thats 250K a month. I am in a very small city. I mentioned to my co-teacher that I would have to start sorting out housing for in the fall. He came back a couple of days later with a sheet of ads. There were a few for apartments. A two bedroom, 17 pyeong (about 604 square feet) for 300,000 won/month was the standard.

No, I have no interest in paying key money, nor do I want a housing allowance.

My questions are these...

How much space do other people out there with families have? ( I have a wife and 2 1/2 year old son) Pyeong, meters, feet, I can figure it out.

and...

Does anybody know what the REAL EPIK budget is for foreigner housing?
I have heard some wild numbers, few of which seem reasonable.

And just as a matter of opinion, would I be out of line to try and get 22-25 pyeong? I don't really want to live in a closet.

Thanks.

[lowpo]

[poet13]

I have measured out 17 pyeong here at school. It's about 7.5 meters X 7.5 meters.

Is your 17 pyeong a two bedroom place? If so, how does it feel? Are the bedrooms as tiny as I imagine, what with a kitchen, bathroom, and living area figuring into all that?

[Jasobang]

It doesn't really matter whta organization you are with be it EPIK or GEPIK. Your school gets a budget and does what it pleases with it. They have 'rented' your current apartment and have probably spent the rest on something else already.

There doesn't seem to be a standard budget for housing as housing prices vary considerably depending on where you are. Where I live, my school would have to put down about 50,000,000 plus a good 400,000 a month for a nice neighborhood 26 pyeong apartment. This is obviously way beyond their budget so I opted for the housing allowance.

If you want the school to find a place, look for an older apartment or maybe a villa. They tend to be cheaper but also located in less than desirable location.

Again, it's all a matter of where you are. Good luck

[poet13]

Well, you must live in a nice are indeed. I am way out and gone in the middle of the country. Nearest big-gish city is Daegu, about an hour by bus. My city is about 85,000 people. Definitely not a high rent city.

I was also thinking of trying to find a house to rent. As an older Korean friend told me once, a lot of people have gone to the city, and there is no one to look after their houses. He said that some people would be glad to receive a small rent in exchange for the security an occupied house provides. I know the heating bill in the winter would be much higher, but I think it would be cool in the summer with windows on all sides. Also, with a young son who loves to be outside, he could have a dog as he does at home now. We could have our own small garden too. I am not an apartment person. I like dirt under my feet.

I am curious what the provinces' actual lump sum stipend is for a foreigner teacher....

[lowpo]

[Thunndarr]

[poet13]

Yeah, I'm thinking 24 pyeong is also a minimum. I didn't know about the difference between pyeong and sil-pyeong. Thanks for that.
I will keep doing the research on it. I konw a lot of this country (and any other) works on who you know, and while I don't expect much if any discounts on rent, I expect the people I konw will point me in the direction of better places, and point me away from known bad.

[eamo]

For a family of three, if you don't have tons of furniture and assorted stuff, I would say 23-24 pyeong is a minimum.

[poet13]

We will have a minimum of furniture, but will need a larger space somewhere for 2 computers w/ flat screens, printer, scanner, and laminating machine.

Ideally we will have a separate room for the computer stuff that we can lock. At 2 and a half, my son is already able to start the computer, open yahoo messenger, login, open a window to me, and initiate a computer call. He doesn't have to type letters or numbers, but he's watched his mom do it enough. The first time he did it was a shock for all of us. Now that he knows that clicking on stuff is cool and interesting, I can see him deleting years of photos, and jacking the entire system.....kind of like how I did so many times when I first started learning about 'puters.

I wonder if there are any English language websites that list real estate? Might be useful to see what standards are around the country...

[SuperHero]

[Jasobang]

We've got two little guys, 5 and 3 korean standard. Three bedroom is just enough- mom/dad, sleeping room for the two boys and a play room. If it wasn't for the high ceilings, top floor benefit, we would feel quite cramped. Ours is listed at 26평.

BTW, check out yahoo.co.kr and click 부동산. You'll have to be able to spot a few key Korean words, but not many. You can search anywhere in Korea and under any system- 매매/임대(buying), 전세(one-time deposit) or 월세(rent with smaller deposit).

Be aware that the prices are usually set just to get you to call or visit. The actual prices are usually a bit higher.

[mrsquirrel]

I ended up in a 10 Pyeong place. It is small but it will do for the time being. I have asked around about housing in town and it's extorionate. Proximity to Seoul and Everland puts prices right up.

I thought about the option of getting the housing allowance but what happens if I can't find somewhere better to live? What if it costs me another 300k a month out of my own pocket to rent a two bedroomed place.

If all goes well this year and the school is sensible and wants a second year out of me one of my conditions will be a larger place, for now I will put up with it.

[poet13]

"I thought about the option of getting the housing allowance but what happens if I can't find somewhere better to live? What if it costs me another 300k a month out of my own pocket to rent a two bedroomed place."

Yeah, I hear ya. No way will I go out of pocket unless there is something really extraordinary. Say, getting a three bedroom house with garden for an extra 200. It's possible I think, considering where I am, but it would take some real luck to find it.

[bixlerscott]

My neighbors, a young couple with a crying baby, live in a small one room studio identical to mine. 2 adults and a baby are living in a place with room for one bed and a baby crib or something. Things are very cramped for them as I have seen the inside when I walk by and thier door is open. (airing the place out?) I do not understand the peyong measurment system, but it looks to be about 350 square foot, about 17ft X 19ft in size.