The Apartment Search
Just like the one you see above, there are “For Rent” notices all over Nanjing. You just need to call up these people and negotiate with them on the rental. And of course pay up the money. But for most foreigners whose mother tongue is not Mandarin, taking out the middleman is certainly not worth the while.That’s why the next best thing we can do is to look for a reliable property agent.
Go to rent.nanjingnow.com for listings.
How does it work?
1. Viewing fees: You may be asked to pay a small fee (e.g. 50rmb) for the property agent to bring you to view a selection of properties. Some agents don’t charge this, but await the commission that comes later.
2. Commission: Usually the agent collects 1/2-month rent from the buyer and another 1/2-month rent from the seller.
3. Contract duration: Usually you pay at least 6 months in advance. Note that you have to prepare this amount of money before you meet him/her to sign the agreement.
4. Other costs: An addition 1-month deposit is the norm.
The apartment search!
It’s not easy, and it’s not too difficult, but let’s first lay out what you need to look out for when you see your next apartment:
1. Direction facing: facing north means a colder winter. Facing a lake also means all the cold air is for you to take.
2. Maximum wattage: remember that you heater/airconditioner already takes up at least 2000W. In the winter, you might need electrical capacity for other appliances e.g. the electric kettle or the electric water heater. Ask about how many electrical lines and the maximum wattage.
3. The bathroom: Is the water heated using natural gas or electricity. Natural gas means almost-immediate hot water. Electrical heating means you heat the water at least an hour before. Also check the capacity of heated water, because if you’re living with other people, that might mean waiting for hot water to heat up. Does the bathroom have heat lamps 浴霸 [yu4ba4]? This is a very important fixture to ensure you don’t shower in the cold.
4. Is there a washing machine? Where’s the place where you can hang clothes? If there isn’t a washing machine, then you need to figure out where to put it. The location of the washing machine must be close by a water source. You must also find out where the dirty water can flow out.
Hello,everybody,Homecaught is a Real Estate Agency which is Profession in looking for apartment and villa for foreign friends. Hope we can help you to find a cozy home in Nanjing.
Our hotline:84800918
Web site:www.homecaught.com
Alice:13913305639
If you can speak chinese. Or can hire/ borrow a friend to help you. You could try this website that has a good amount of listings for Nanjing.
Paying a local to help could be the same or cheaper than hiring an agency if they are not finding what you want. Try one of the bars that has alot of expats to find someone local who speaks good english if in need.
http://www.ttfy.com
Try contacting a few of the places on the list. Some of them are more likely to help you more or less depending on your budget. Looking for something within say the 1,800 monthly range, some places wont even want to help you. (Student/ english teacher budget) So dont bother wasting all your time with just one company. Find out which one is actually motivated to find the right places for you.
Secondly, some agencies can find you a room to rent in an already shared flat. Just be carefull about how many roommates you are signing on for. Excellent way to meet people though.
Thirdly, give yourself some time. Let them know that you want to move sooner rather than later, but do in fact give yourself enough time to find a place. They might just show you 1 to 3 places a day. In my short experience, never more than 3 in one day. It took me about a week to find a decent place that I liked. They can be pretty swamped down at the office.
Lastly, never say yes the first place you are shown. Stick to your budget and let them know that. They might play the game, and show the most expensive ones first, or the place that they are under pressure to rent. Alot of places are likely to tell you… “Oh, that is too old for laowai to live in. You are going to need something newer, etc etc”. In my short experience, new is newer, but a heck of a alot smaller for the same price or more than a little older and big. Just cause we are laowai, doesn’t mean you can turn us upside down and shake, and money will come out.
Good luck.
If you are still having trouble after this. Give me an email at tcmeric at gmail dot com and I will direct you towards my agent who was great. Probably the hardest working person I have met yet in China. Great english, knew the city, and was happy to help.
Sunhome Real Estate Agency provides a wide range of consultancy services to foriengers, including: Orientation Programs, Home Search Service and Settle-in Programs. We have more than 5 years’ service experience and have helped more than 200 foreign families living in Nanjing.
http://www.shre.com.cn
Contact: 025-5186 0590 5186 0592
Email: sunhome@shre.com.cn
Juee is one of senior property in Nanjing. It was found in 2002 with a professional service team. Our clients are very satisfied with abundantly available property and high quality service. Choosing Juee Real Estate Agency,any of your needs will be cared with our best effort
Contact Us
Website: http://www.juee.cn
Tel: 86-25-84642822,84649106
E-mail: rent@juee.com
Address: Room716,Jinjiang Lishe Mansion,No.188, Daguang Road, Nanjing, China
[...] The Apartment Search [...]
[...] apartment search is not so easy an affair. Someone we know recently had to move because his landlord sold the place [...]
It is surprise to see our company’s name in this article,welcome to contact us for apartment searching,we never charge fees for searching (RMB50),only take the commission(half month rental, if the contract price is below RMB7000,USD1000,above the price will be no commission from client’s side)
Ciao et a bientot~~~
Hey Nanjing now team !
thx for the good advice. I’m looking for a flat right now, so your tips are gonna be more than useful to me !!