Moving a Few Blocks Down the Street

Today's weather:  High = 22 Low = 13

Sunny

 

After a couple weeks of house-hunting and tons of research, I decided to make a move:   down the street and around the corner.   One of the shortest moves I've ever done, yet also taking advantage of a good deal that couldn't be resisted. 

 

To make a long story short, I got the neighborhood spot on when I moved over here last May, but the house itself I'm in now was a fail.   Where I'm moving to now I should have just gone for in the first place, but there was much to learn -- I didn't get 'get it' at the time.  Anyhow it's no big deal as I'll be able to move out of the current lease without any penalties, get my full deposit back, and move into a new place.  This took a considerable amount of negotiation, speaking Chinese, and a very helpful local contact (Yang Pu) to pull this off.  Never underestimate the power of local contacts.

 

The new place is 4500 RMB a month (negotiated), 2 bedrooms, 116 square meters, it is quiet -- close to the same subway station but a little further away so as not to be bombarded by that racket at my present place.  I put down 1 month deposit, 3 months rent up front, and the landord was present at all the meetings, negotiations, and signings.  For a place like that, locals said it was a deal not to be missed.  My current place is 3800 RMB a month (negotiated), so it's only a tiny bit more cash each month for a WAY better deal at the new place.  In light of this, I negotiated a 2-year lease contract.  The landlord was reluctant to go for this at first, since it meant he couldn't raise the rent after a year.  In the current context of Shanghainese landlords raising the rent rampantly each year, I had to somehow 'lock in at a lower rate'.  The landlord knew this, of course, hence the reluctance.  So in exchange I offered to pay his agent fee.  A nice short-term boost for him which still makes me come out ahead in the long-term.    

 

The details of how this came about are all too complicated to put in this blog right now but will tell the story eventually over here.  It's now time to get cracking on another house move.  This may be excessive, but then again my situation is nothing compared to colleagues.  Maybe I've lived in 15 houses since coming to China, but one particular colleague has lived in 35, so it makes me feel better.