Anyone who has been involved in the purchase of a new home in China will already be aware of what I am at present experiencing. For others it may encourage or discourage them!
Having paid for the new home in April and having received the keys two weeks ago we have had several meetings with various representatives of companies who specialise in preparing the 'shells' into livable units.
We eventually signed a contract with one company that is probably the largest in this field in Zhongshan. Within the contract there was a huge list of the items they would be supplying in order to fulfill the contract. It covers everything from door handles to complete fitted kitchen units.
We then spent a full day at the company's showrooms yesterday to select each item that we required to be fitted in the home. To say that I was amazed at the choice would be a understatement. The showroom covers an area the size of a football field and was on two floors. There was such an array of choices. Lines of different hand basins and stands, toilet pans (including squats if we wanted them), hundreds of floor tiles, lines of doors, kitchen units, wall's filled with shower units. There was everything displayed that could be be ever considered to adorn a new home. Even the designs for the ceilings of each room. And 90% of all we saw was available within the amount that we contracted to pay. There was some items that I selected that were priced in excess of the allowed contract price but these were still low priced and good value as far as I was concerned.
Having arrived there at 9am and left at 5.15pm I was dead beat on my feet and in my head at the end of the selection process but was quite pleased that in the end we did not have to travel from store to store looking for all these items.
The total contracted cost was 88,800 rmb with the extra priced items we ordered the cost will in the end will rise to 92,300 rmb to add to this we have also spent 12,000 rmb on a complete whole house a/c system that produces cold air in summer and warm air in winter. So total cost will be about 105,000 rmb about 10,500 GB Pounds (16,800 US Dollars). This price includes all the items and the builders cost to fit them all.
Having travelled to various offices to arrange for the electric, water, gas, telephone/internet to be connected now I can relax for a couple of months whilst the buildings do their work.
Willy
