How to find a perfect House or Apartment in Beijing?

Finding a new house to live in a big city as Beijing can seem scary to new expats and even to a foreign person who has lived in Beijing for a while.  

I take the help of my Chinese friends or colleagues to find a house in the big city of Beijing. But everyone does not have local connections in a foreign country. 

Fortunately, in Beijing, there are many companies specialize in assisting expats to find their house. You can find a real estate expert and work with him to find an apartment in Beijing. Many people in Beijing are offering their services to expats for many years. 

Getting started

Most foreigners often consider the internet as a starting point of research. However, the internet should be used with inspection when looking for a home in Beijing. 

Only a small number of rental apartments in Beijing are posted on the internet. And the one that is available online often outdated, contain misleading photographs or misinformation.

Though comparing areas and rents on the internet is efficient. It is good to check out the services and transport links, find the compound and their surroundings and hit the streets.  

Determine what you want

Before start searching for an apartment, you should clear and decide your budget. You have to consider which area and facilities are reliable and highlighted your requirements. It may be valuable for living close to your working place or a subway station, and also check the transportation and western amenities close. 

The Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts in Eastern and Northern areas are famous for expats. The foreign embassies, shopping centers, restaurants, offices, and luxury apartments are found in these areas. Shunyi district is also famous for expat families. This area is well-known for international schools and away from the rush of the city. 

Then, you need to decide on a list of highlighted requirements, for example, the number of bedrooms, the size of the kitchen, the number of bathrooms, etc. All the requirements should be decided fairly by the budget. I recommend looking for newer buildings as they need less maintenance and upkeep. 

Expat housing complexes are commonly classified as a high-standard apartment, serviced apartment with higher quality, high-end security, and design than local China apartments. 

Finding and moving furniture is generally unrealistic, therefore most apartments are furnished. Expat apartments usually come up with more advantages of private space and privacy. They also help with cleaning and other maintenance services. While looking for the apartment let the agent know your requirements as early as possible so your time will not be wasted. 

Different Types of Apartments:

In Beijing, there are many types of apartments for every need. Most foreigners settle down in the ex-pat apartment blocks where they get all foreign facilities. Here are the different types of apartments you can find in Beijing. 

Regular Apartments: Regular apartments are a common choice of people. They are usually unfurnished and small in size. Though, regular apartments are good for a low budget.

High-end Apartments:  These apartments often provide an advanced living standard and they are usually new and furnished. However, they are more costly than regular China apartments.

Serviced Apartments:  These apartments offer luxury living standards and are perfect for business people. They are large in space and have all the foreign facilities, therefore they are expensive. 

Villa Communities: Housing in villa communities is perfect for families. They have usually located far-off the city hubs and have a well-furnished and spacious house. The housing in villa communities is more expensive and hardly affordable for most foreigners. 

Traditional Chinese Housing: Typical Chinese houses are a common choice of travelers. The traditional housing can be less secure and invaluable. They offer local living standards and are sited at street level.

Seek Professional Advice

There are numerous apartments in Beijing, finding the right apartment could be a little hard for you. Furthermore, searching for a home in a capital city like Beijing is not an easy task. So, for fastest and easy searching you can find an estate agent help.

Always choose a trustworthy real estate company. An expert estate agent will give you more benefits as they have full access to a broad record of apartments. They generally know the ongoing market rates and are capable to deal with rent arbitration and legal problems. 

Foreigners normally have higher prospects and want more facilities compared to locals. Many foreigner agencies in China deal with ex-pats. Their experience and vast knowledge will be beneficial for you to avoid being lied, wasting money and time. 

The searching process can be difficult when you have to communicate in the Chinese language. So you should find an estate agency in Beijing which offers its services in English. 

Make sure that your agent can speak English and understand your requirements. Check all the documents carefully such as the contract. Write the contract in both Chinese and English versions and make sure that there is no dispute.