House hunting - Day 2

Hot day to walk around Shanghai; I was hoping to dip into a pool after 4 hours of sweat dripping, sun baking tour of city.

First place, it was in a protected building on Huaihai Road. It's a busy shopping street. But this place is two rolls back in a back lane; quite quiet. The apartment was located in a 100-year building. From the outside, nothing was done to the outside. I noticed the paster has been falling off. The walls were cracked and with gapping holes. A mixed of old drainage pipe mixed with new PVC type. And on the ground floor, the tradition type of outdoor sinks were on each unit. Stepping inside to climb the stairs, the wood on each step has been worn out by 100 years of use. At least, we know the building quality was good! Otherwise, the stairs would have had holes. Stepping into the unit, wow. Someone went to great length to renovate. Two bathrooms, one huge master bedroom, one small spare bedroom, one nice huge kitchen. The place was square so the layout of the unit had a very nice flow. The inside was as modern as any North American condo unit. Of course, the bathrooms was still the "not so up to par" area in any Chinese place. Darn it. So if we were to purchase this place, we have to gut and redo. This place is guaranteed not be sold to developers as it is a designated historical building. Right, for how long in a Commie country with everything go. This place was 103 sq meters and listed for RMB3.8M.

The second place was a newly renovated one-bedroom ground floor apartment settling back in a xiao qu (小区）. It was kinda like a serious of low rise apartment block with a huge common area where neighbour could play Majohn or talk. This place measured 90 sq meters. Last month, it asked for RMB2.5M; this month, the owner asked for RMB5.0. Right. One cute thing is this place has a wood burning fireplace. But it has only one bedroom. There was a "basement". But one thing in Shanghai, you never want to have a ground floor. Shanghai is below sea-level; with old area, one never knows the drainage. The real estate agent recommended we dig the basement so we double our space. Right. The guy that was renovating the place showed us the hole leading to the basement. He pull the yard stick up and show us the water level. I could hear the water. And the wetness clearly marked half of the stick (half the height of Audrey)! No thanks.

Then the 3rd place. It was close to us. The main floor of a 3-story high building in yet another xiao qu. It has a 100 sq meters garden. All enclosed with a guava tree. We could see guavas hanging on branches. Problem. The place was only 78 sq meters of living area. Plus the tenant refused to let us in to see the entire place. It was actually a very nice place. But lawnmower again? I might have to import my ex-neighbour to do that. Ha ha. This place is asking for RMB5.0M. I don't think so even if I could expand to get more space. Just outside the entrance to this xiao qu, a new complex is just being constructed. So we will we see? And to the left of the entrance, there are five Western bars. No thanks. People were puking and lying around in early mornings. Darn it; that place was nice but asked too much.

Fourth place. This was a 3-year old huge apartment complex called One Park Avenue. There were 8 buildings, each with about 30+ floors; security to the nth degree. It had its own gym, swimming pool, snooker room, squash court, tennis court, golf driving range. Interesting. This place was 128 sq meters. As I entered the unit, looked good initially. But as we walked thru, I noticed the construction. Rough. The kitchen, the counter was installed too low as well as the hood fan. I looked almost eye level with the hood fan. The bathrooms, dark with "fake" granite. Two bedrooms with a "den". Actually a very small rectangular storage room type space. Walking down to the community hall where all the recreational things were, I noticed the overhead paint already pealing in big chunk just like our current lobby. Yikes. Only 3 years old and pealing like that. From the real estate agent, most people rent in the buildings. The owner wants to sell quickly because he needs cash quickly. Ugh. If most people are renting, this means they don't care about the place is in good upkeeping or not. Then, the state of real estate market is slowly coming true? A downturn. The owner is asking for RMB$4.6M. Place like this I was expecting to be a bit more.

Last house for the day (Where is that pool and beer?). It was another old house nestled in a lane. 4-story high. As the main door opened, a very small enclosed courtyard was reviewed. Stepping thru that area, we entered into the main room. Long narrow. The two doors and the stairs leading upstairs are all aligned. This reminded me instantaneously of old buddist temple with a funeral parlor look and feel. The long and narrow main room and all the doorways and stairs symmetrical layout. The kitchen entrance was thru this low hanging door frame. Anyone over 5' 7" need to be careful. The kitchen was huge but with the square white tiles from floor to ceiling. Sorry, another funeral feel with dead body resting feel. On the other door opposite to the kitchen entrance, it was a midget height bathroom. It had a shower. Yuck, was all I could say. Climbing up the stairs, each floor had a bedroom. Ok la. But the stairwell was circular with very small step width. Dangerous. And as we climb up, the hotter we got. Windows opened to a common "dumping" ground. Reminded me of some shady Hong Kong area in Monkog. The common wall with neighbour, water problem on each floor. I could see calcified water damage. Lots of cobwebs so I assume this place had not been lived in for a long time. The area was 107 sq meters asking for RMB$560. This might be a good place to be completely gutted and start from scratch; but doing so will cost a lot. And you have to oblige to 'compensate' your neighbours.

And if they know there is a foreigner doing the renovation, there will be great complains and compensations after compensations to no end. Welcome to Shanghai, or to China. Pricing between a foreigner and a local is quite different. Friend we just had supper with told us, he was looking for a new rental apartment. The owner told him, for you RMB3,800 per month; there was a Westerner just looked at the place, I quoted him RMB$5,600. So there you go.

We are pretty much decided on buying an old place - like a house-type that have been renovated. Or one easily renovated. The reason being, apartment prices fluctuates quite a bit; down more likely right now. The old house type, there is a demand and retains value better. Of course, there is a concern for break-in because we travel out of town lots. O well, more places to look at tomorrow. A friend of ours just bought her place and she saw over 80+ places.