Hit The Road Jack! Moving House In Beijing

Recently, I decided to move house. And before you ask, or just in case you have forgotten what moving house is really like, let me reassure you that it is still a hellish experience. Beijingkids has covered quite a few topics related to moving, with our 2020 relocation issue exploring everything from renting horror stories to maintaining a healthy relationship with your landlord and more. Thankfully, I have not had any horrible experiences with my now-former landlord, and my neighbors were very friendly but we stayed out of each others’ way. But seeing as my contract was running out, I decided not to renew at the same place and find something elsewhere. And thus my adventure began! Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

From agents to catfishing

Ever watch that show Catfish? If you haven’t then allow me to walk you through the simple concept. A team of investigators and a film crew track down online tricksters catfishing people online, that is, “the process of luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona” according to the Oxford Dictionary. That will come in handy for this little anecdote. I relied on my friends’ network to try and find just the right housing agent. The right agent could mean the difference between a perfect abode, and a hellish renting experience. I got a few contacts who showed me countless atrocious hovels. So I decided to take the route traveled by most renters in Beijing by downloading renting apps.

You would think this is a foolproof way of getting a perfect house. But as I discovered on my first outing with an agent from one of the popular renting apps, catfishing isn’t just restricted to dating sites. We agreed to meet so that he could show me an apartment I’d set my heart on, only to be taken to a different apartment entirely. Had it been as good as the one I’d seen, I wouldn’t have had a reason to complain. But it was worlds away from my requirements. For starters, it was smaller, above my price range, and in an area, I had explicitly said I did not prefer. My charming agent then proceeded to inform me that some of the so-called houses available for rent on the site are just staged apartments, and are most likely rented or weren’t up for rent in the first place. This is not to say that all apps do this, or that this is true. My guess is that my enterprising agent saw an opportunity to make a few extra RMB without the company’s knowledge. I did have a great experience with other agents from other renting apps who showed me the exact same apartments in which I’d expressed interest.

Show me the money!

Renting in a city like Beijing isn’t a cheap affair. You might be one of the lucky few who are in a "pay monthly" arrangement. But for the vast majority of renters in Beijing, the 1+1+3 rule applies, especially when you are looking to move in. That means a month’s deposit, a month’s rent as commission to the housing agent, and three months’ rent. This amount of money is likely to leave you and your account positively winded at the thought! But never fear! If you are able to rent directly from the landlord, you are more likely to just pay the three months’ rent plus a month’s deposit upfront. Also, many landlords who directly rent their apartments are open to negotiating and changing terms as you go. You could initially pay monthly then switch to quarterly, or vice versa. Apps like Ziroom also offer a "pay monthly" option. Obviously, this comes at a premium. But it is better than nothing.

Sign on the dotted line, but...

There are a few steps you must follow to the letter to make you a legal foreign resident in Beijing. One, you must have a valid residency permit, then you must have a registered residence as per your housing contract. This involves bringing along your passport, valid contract, and the details of the landlord to your local police station’s domicile registration section. Beware of sub-letting schemes. In my search for a new apartment, I’ve gotten a few offers to sublet, with promises that all will be well, and the common refrain "many foreigners do it." One rather shrewd lady took me to two of her three rented apartments in the city, promising to explain my living in any of the properties as "a foreign friend living there while I am away" to the respective landlords should they have inquired. I declined, of course.

Marie Kondo and Taobao don’t mix

I will unashamedly admit I am a Taobao addict. I will even wake up in the middle of the night when I remember an item I’d bookmarked to buy on payday. But all of my midnight and ill-advised purchases have been coming back to haunt me during the move. It has been box after box of "why on earth did I buy this?" and "I have only worn this once," plus the all-important question – to toss or to keep. It’s made for a wonderful exercise in decluttering my closet, with most of the never-worn and too-small clothes intended for donation to Roundabout, once they are laundered of course. But aside from Taobao being a paradise for hoarders, it is also great for moving resources. You can get fantastic deals on moving boxes, large plastic tubs for things like shoes, and even lifting belts for shifting heavier items and lugging them up and downstairs.

If you are considering the big move, please keep in mind that with COVID-19 cases on the rise again in the city, communities might not be as open to allowing friends or movers in to help you shift your stuff. Talk to your current community’s management office to inform them of your impending move, and find out whether movers or moving vans will be allowed into your community. Happy moving!

This article originally appeared on our sister site, beijingkids

READ: We Tried All These 2021 Planners So You Don’t Have To

Images: blackgracecowley.com, Ziroom, Unsplash, Taobao

Comments

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Hi, I take the opportunity of this article to warn the community about a service called Fred-Mover.

I highly recommend to STAY AWAY from Fred Mover. He stole 1000RMB without giving any service, Fred completely ghosted us after multiple lies and insults. Fred is very nice and convincing at first, but all the good manners disappear and the attitude changes immediately once the bill is paid. DO NOT TRUST him with your goods, if something goes wrong you can be sure that he will disappear, lie and insult you.

Here is the full story:

The company was supposed to pickup my belongings, and without notice they hired a third party service to handle the job (Huolala) and used my phone number as the contact person.

Even we had given clear information to Fred, nothing was passed on to the Huolala driver. The driver called me and had no idea about where he was supposed to come and what things needed to be picked up.

As my phone number was the only contact info he got, I had to deal with it in Chinese all by myself. Once he finally reached my place, the guards of the residence asked for an exit certificate. Facing these troubles, we reached out to Fred. Instead of answering, Fred simply cancelled the driver on the Huolala app without letting anyone know. The driver was left without payment even though he had driven to the residence and gone through so many troubles already. I had no idea why Fred canceled, I wasn't informed, Fred wasn't answering, yet I had to deal with the understandably angry driver, and he only had my contact info...

After leaving us to deal with such crisis, Fred ghosted us, he didn't answer messages and calls for more than 6 hours. He later explained without apology that he was "busy loading a container", he offered to reschedule another pickup. We had lost trust in his professionalism, so naturally we asked for the refund of our deposit (1000RMB) - as we knew the driver didn't get paid. Fred then disappeared for another 3 days. The next time, we insisted again on a refund, to date he is still filtering our calls and not answering any message. Needless to say we didn't get any refund.

Stay away from such people. They care very little about the trouble they can cause to others. When they themselves face trouble, they run away or hide. They have no sense of shame.

Your deposit is worth more than their dignity and reputation together, so they won't hesitate taking it from you. For them, scamming 1000RMB now is far better than hoping that honesty will bring more clients in the future.