China Romance
Expats in Asia => Housing and Food in Asia => Topic started by: Willy The Londoner on October 01, 2014, 03:37:09 am
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Yesterday we received the keys to our 2nd property here in Zhongshan. As a I am living here on a residents permit I now get both homes registered in our joint names.
As you can see there is plenty of work to be carried out now to make the place habitable so I will bore you all with occasional updates.
Maybe ready for Christmas.
Willy
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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
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Willy, how much was the total cost of the shell after you got finished with all the paperwork?
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Willy, how much was the total cost of the shell after you got finished with all the paperwork?
The total in the end came to 700,000 rmb after purchase price and tax was paid. We paid cash so that was the total cost. We have already turned down 850,000 for the place as it is now as it is such a nice location with a huge balcony that we want to live there ourselves.
Willy
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It looks very nice, I look forward to seeing photos after it is finished.
Linda talks about living in china later, but I am not sure about me. Maybe spend part of the winter there but it is so cold in Shenyang.
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It does look nice. I like the pool. It is clean ! Most of the pools in GZ turn green not long after they fill them. Sound like you found the good life. Inside living room looks large. How big is your new place?
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It does look nice. I like the pool. It is clean ! Most of the pools in GZ turn green not long after they fill them. Sound like you found the good life. Inside living room looks large. How big is your new place?
Gerry - This one is 135 square metres which is about 1450 square feet. It is twice the size of our original one.
Kenny - we are over 1250 Miles from Shenyang so our winters are mild. Very, very mild compared to up North. Some winters I do not put any heating on and I still do not sit at home in my outdoor clothes! ;D
It looks as if it is going to be Christmas before it it finished, hopefully sooner.
Willy
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Just on one months since we took over the keys for the new home. As well as registering the purchase with the local council authorities,(and paying the tax to them) there were lots of other paperwork in that time.
It was our responsibility to ensure that the the electric, gas, telephone and water companies were contacted and contracts signed for them to arrange service to the place. We have paid the deposit to the building company doing the interior work and go through and approved the plans we spent days compiling together.
The developer of the property has turned down our application to make a major change to the kitchen by knocking down a wall and doorway but the builders are preparing a new way of achieving the bigger kitchen
Yesterday we spent four hours there with the builder sorting where we wanted sockets for electric etc and where we wanted water to flow. The builder marked out the places for each and the channels that will have to be cut into the concrete to take these services.
As for the work, there was a huge pile of sand that had appeared in the living area but maybe it will not be long before real work gets under way.
In the meantime I am beginning to wish that I had bought a place that was pre-lived in and already fitted out! :'(
Willy
PS. The railings protecting the windows in the living area are definately going.
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Just to add to the woes my wife is now going through the menopause.
Having read all about it then we could be in for a trying time over the next year or two although several symptoms are now well into being.
Its probably one of those things that men do not talk about. :-X A bit like death I suppose. :'(
Willy
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Just to add to the woes my wife is now going through the menopause.
Having read all about it then we could be in for a trying time over the next year or two although several symptoms are now well into being.
Its probably one of those things that men do not talk about. :-X A bit like death I suppose. :'(
Willy
Haha Willy...you have my deepest sympathy...although I expect that particular monster to rear its ugly head sometime in the next couple of years.
From my past life, the Menopause experience is a bit like walking around all day holding a stick of dynamite with the fuse lit...you never can quite know when the bang will happen...but the bloody thing is stuck firmly to your hand and you cant let go ;D ;D ;D
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Or it is like your foot is stuck to the railroad track and you can't dislodge it. You see the train coming and you know it's going to happen. The only option you have is to bend over and kiss your butt goodbye because she's going to blow no matter what happens. ;D
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Just to add to the woes my wife is now going through the menopause.
Having read all about it then we could be in for a trying time over the next year or two although several symptoms are now well into being.
Its probably one of those things that men do not talk about. :-X A bit like death I suppose. :'(
Willy
Haha Willy...you have my deepest sympathy...although I expect that particular monster to rear its ugly head sometime in the next couple of years.
From my past life, the Menopause experience is a bit like walking around all day holding a stick of dynamite with the fuse lit...you never can quite know when the bang will happen...but the bloody thing is stuck firmly to your hand and you cant let go ;D ;D ;D
That is the problem David because yes '' the bloody thing is stuck firmly to your hand'' ;D :D :) :'(
Still at my age things do not come that easy anyway. :-[
Willy
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Willy...
Nil desperandum.....
Dont forget that Charlie Chaplin fathered a child at 79 years old...and Picasso was said to be a super stud into his 80's....
As for us mere mortals....hope springs eternal in the human breast ;D ;D ;D
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This is the state of decoration as of 11 - 11 -2014. Looks like I was optimistic about them being finished by Christmas.
I have pushed the move in date to around Chinese New Year now! :-\
Willy
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Well, looks like you have to take a couple steps dackward!
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Well I am certainly married to a Chinese woman. ;D
Having already spent a million rmb on the new home, decoration and fitting it out then last night I found my wife going through all the paperwork, hour upon hour with pen and calculator in hand.
The result of which was that she found a discrepancy of 300 rmb in the cost of items to be used!!! :-[
Today she spent an hour or two on the phone and in visiting the contractors at the new place.
The result was she had the 300 rmb removed from the final bill (whether they got it wrong or they just did not want to battle against her remains a mystery ::) but I have one very happy wife today). ???
Willy
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As long as she is happy Willie, as long as she is happy.
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Looks good Willy, you will be surprised how quickly things go together. We are building a new house here and they started in July/August and we will be moving in before Christmas! At least you had the shell to start with, and they just have to complete it. Xia does the same thing, double check every bill and find some discrepancy and get a refund or an upgrade!
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Willy, Your lucky. She could have found more buried in the bill and your lucky she didnt. You cant trust the contractors.
When I built my house in Yiyang i hired a construction company to do all the work. after going over some bills I discover that I was double billed for the marble tile for the entire house. They put it on two separate invoices to try to hide it but I found it anyway. That raised a red flag so further investigation discovered that material was being ordered that was in excess of what was needed. The extra material would disappear over night. I appointed my mother-in-law general contractor. From that point on nothing entered or left the property without being check and approved by her. That put a stop to the overcharges. But I think a few thousand dollars was embezzled before I got wise to them.
Your wife is Chinese and knows the games that can be played there. She is a good and thorough wife. I once had an old Chinese man tell me " don't be trusting people, especially Chinese"
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Your wife is Chinese and knows the games that can be played there. She is a good and thorough wife. I once had an old Chinese man tell me " don't be trusting people, especially Chinese"
In my travels I have heard that from nearly every country I have been to. Probably the worst place for attempted rip offs was Nigeria.
Willy
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6 Weeks after my last post on this and they tell me that the builders will be finished by 2nd January.
Not sure if I believe them at the moment but at least all floor tiles are now laid! ???
Willy
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A bit after the 2nd January but almost there now. My second love has finally been installed in the kitchen.
My roasting list is getting longer. My patience shorter. Maybe a week or two now. ;D
Willy
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I finished watching the mini series Marco Polo, that show is a bit risqué with the amount of nudity, but I can pretend that your exploits are as a modern day Marco Polo. I hope to see some pictures of Breasts - that is roasted chicken breast.
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(http://intradayfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/funny-chicken-1.jpg)
(http://funpictures.dk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/17_new_funpictures.dk_.jpg)
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Well the good news is that all the new furniture will be delivered in the next three days. ;D ;D ;D
The bad news is that this week when we applied for a telephone line and internet we was told that although every apartment is wired up for these services the complex will not be connected to the system for another 4 - 6 weeks. :'( :'( :'(
So I will have to go back to the old apartment every working day to work on internet and received business phone calls from UK.
The good things is that it is only five minutes away on my trike.
Willy
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The good things is that it is only five minutes away on my trike.
Willy
And that's just keeping it in first gear!
Looks good with the TV in place.
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And that's just keeping it in first gear!
Looks good with the TV in place.
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Apart from me and you, youre the only one on here that saw it in its semi 'raw' state. :'(
We now have a room that is always available when you come back this way. :D
Willy
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Seeing the lighting in the living room made me remember my house in YiYang. I had a big light like that but a bit bigger. Luckily that it was in the center of the room over the coffee table. One day the thing came loose and came crashing down. It crushed the table and sent shrapnel all over the living room. scared the pee out of everyone.
. I like new stuff. All in all your place looks very nice
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As cable tv is connected to the new place I found that they do a Wi Fi system but when I tested it I found that it I found it hardly went as far as the table that is in front of the TV.
I then found a on the back of the box two places for a plug in cable such as you used before Wi Fi became the range. I then obtained a 60 foot cable and that now connects the TV Box across the living room floor down the hall to my new office. Its going to be untidy for a few weeks until China Telecom connect our complex to their system but it stopped the travelling back and forth from the old place.
We have a tenant for that one so will be renting it out as the rent money will give us the equivalent of a 6% interest rate, whereas the banks are giving less than 3%.
Willy