CNY Precautions: The year of the Rat

So turns out there's some mystery virus going through the Mainland. The fear in Hong Kong is real, albeit perhaps unwarranted but it's still too early to say. Masks are a hot commodity, as are anti bacterial wipes, as well as food supplies. 95% of people in Hong Kong are wearing some type of mask, ranging from medical masks, to dust masks.

I managed to procure a box of masks (which I have not been wearing).

Setting up

Water, check. Electricity, check. Gas, check. Internet, check. Wifi, Check. In that order, over the course of 3 days. I'm still waiting for blinds to be installed and my furniture to arrive. New apartment. Here we go.

Farewell Gardenview Gardens

After 8 solid years, it's time to say goodbye. Call it poor timing but I have to hand the keys back on  Friday, which means annual leave. Four days ago, I still had not secured a home. I did have a contingent. It involved packing all my belongings save a suitcase into temporary storage and then moving into a rock bottom hotel. One of my colleagues was living in a "Hotel" near work for 200 HKD a night, that works out to be roughly 6000 HKD/month. Which, assuming fresh towels and daily house keeping is a bargain for Hong Kong. 

Fortunately I managed to view and find an apartment 3 days ago, sign the lease and pay the deposit 2 days ago, receive the keys 1 day ago and finally, move out of my old apartment and into my new apartment today. Couple of points here: I have accumulated a lot of stuff over the last 8 years. Pretty sad to be leaving this neighbourhood. Very excited to be moving into a new area. I pay 2000 HKD to some movers, say farewell to the concierge and leave Grandview Gardens.

Rental

Back in December right before my exams I received a message from Dennis. Dennis is the real estate agent who way back in 2011 helped me find my first apartment in Hong Kong. Since then, I occasionally pass him on the streets of Hong Kong but for the most part he is the person who handles the tenant-landlord relationship.

The message is as follows: "Hope you’re well. The lease will be expired in January, will you renew the contract?". I give a standard holding pattern that I will think about it. As a little bit of background, the dance usually goes as follows. I say that "I'll think about it", Dennis comes back a with a negotiated rental. I wait and then I agree to tenancy extension and life continues for another two years at Grandview Gardens; I've danced this dance 3 times and I have seen my rent increase 18% over 8 years. This time would be different. I politely decline and decide to end the tenancy.

Fast forward one month later. It's January and I have 16 days to find an apartment, and have made no progress. I start the rental viewing process again. The months of protest have not been kind to the rental market. People aren't moving and rental prices are starting to drop. Despite having a larger monthly budget, the problems from last time still exist. Small, over priced apartments. The search continues...

Bali