I’ve been warned that I should expect whatever apartment I find in Taipei to be, well, not luxurious, to put it mildly. But no one really goes into specifics about what exactly is so bad about them. Can someone give me an idea of what to expect?
I mean, I’m not expecting anything luxurious, but how bad can it get, really? What’s the worst case scenario for someone living on a teachers’ salary?
I’d suggest looking at about 10 apartments and then going back to the area of apartments you like at different times to make sure they are quiet neighborhoods. I failed to do this with place #3 and was stuck by a very active morning traditional market. Place #4 is great; 1st floor, 51 ping, roomy 3 bedroom in a quiet neighborhood 5 minutes from the MRT. My biggest problems are water damage and being home to toss the trash away. I found it through www.tmm.org.tw and did look at 7+ apartments and some were real disasters, but I’ve been very happy with this one. It’ll take time, homework and possibly some connections.
CYA,
Okami
Main road (so road or street without lane or alley in the address):
Friday 10pm : street repair starting or building of subway. Makes you jump in bed (like earthquake).
Weekend nightimes is ideal for street repairs!
Pizza Boy wrote [quote]and then going back to the area of apartments you like at different times to make sure they are quiet neighborhoods.[/quote]
Very good advice. Noise is a killer.
Something strange about apartment hunting here is that many landlords don’t bother to clean up their places before showing them to prospective tenants. 
Many have no bath tub, which I dislike.
A kitchen here is usually a hallway with some cabintes below the sink and a two burner stove, as most of the younger generation do not cook.
Most construction here is completely concrete, so concrete walls painted white are cold and very difficult to hang pictures or whatever.
Windows are all single pane, many sliding glass doors that do not fit properly and let in mosquitos in the summer and cold drafts in the winter, and do nothing to filter noise.
Flooring is always tile of some sort.
So, cold and dank is what you’re going to get. It is possible to find better places, but not easy. I think that’s what people mean when they tell you about appartments.
Furnashing here is also strange to me. You can go to up-scale places and pay a kings ransome for something that looks great, or go where most Taiwanese go and pay a good price for fake leather covered boxy furnature with no charm, or more exensive, more beautiful, but way less comfortable bamboo furnature.
And the beds that most Taiwanese sleep on are almost no better than a box spring. Very hard and painful until you get used to them. Your sheets from home will not fit. You’ll need local bedding which, again, is gawdy and lacks charm unless it’s imported.
Hope that helps.
If you look at apartments that other foreigners are moving out of you’ll most likely find that they’ve done a bit of work on it, like painting or cooler furniture. There is an IKEA for reasonably priced tables, bed frames, sofas, kitchen stuff and B and Q for painting supplies. I painted my place and although the floor is tiled, it feels a lot less cold and dank. I had the same window problem and bought a foam filler and sealed them all shut. when it dried, i sliced down the middle with a jack-knife so now when they close, there is no draft and no mosquitos can come in.
Noise is HUGE factor. I live in a nice neighborhood directly behind United daily news on chongxiao east rd. sec. 4 but there are restaurants on the first floors of each neighboring building which leads to a lot of people standing outside smoking and holloring in taiwanese late at night when the restaurants close (and inconsiderate assholes with never-ending car alarms that don’t get shut off unless i call the cops).
Also, included in my rent is a cleaning fee. once a week a bunch of women in rubber boots come and hose down the stairwells and scrub the walls since closing the windows in the stairwell doesn’t seem like a viable option for the other tenants. :loco:
There is also a place for everyone to dump their trash so i never have to take it out myself.
Hanging pictures is hell, like housecat mentioned. you have to drill a hole and then hammer one of those plugs in. More often than not, a huge chunk of wall falls out and I have to caulk it and repaint. It’s definately a nuissance.
I bought an excellent space heater this year and have a dehumidifier as well so that help with the inside temperature.
No matter what though, the run of the mill apt. that most teachers can afford is horrible compared to western apartments. you might want to look into getting a studio (I did and it’s a nice size for one person. no kitchen though).
When i first came to Taiwan i lived outside taipei in ShiJr which has a lot of newer highrises and more modern apartments at a much lower price than taipei city. However, 4 days after I arrived there was a huge typhoon and the entire city flooded pretty bad. and being on the 17th floor during an earthquake isn’t how i like to get my shits and giggles.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the cockroaches… 
Thanks all. I won’t have any connections seeing as I’m new in town. I’m planning on going through an agent, since I don’t speak Chinese.
I guess I can handle ugly walls and a dinky kitchen. I’m coming from a closet-sized place in Japan anyway. I get gigantic centipedes here an plenty of mosquitos too. So it’s not like I’m moving to Taipei from a luxury apt. anyway.
Since someone mentioned garbage, how much of a pain in the rear is it? Do your neighbors complain if your garbage isn’t sorted correctly like they do here?
Basically, I just want to know what I’m in for. The advice about checking out lots of apartments is good, I’ll make sure I do that. I didn’t knwo about the noise, though. How do I find out which places are noisier than others?
I guess there’s always earplugs. :s
Well, if your budget is up for it, try my place for rent. Link is in the signature. You won’t have issues with the excessive noise, minimized pollution in arguably the best part of Taipei - for sure, the best air in the city - and “luxurious” by international standards.
Wilson
Thanks, racingmix, but I’m coming in April. Thank you, though. It sounds like a nice place, even if i only need one bedroom.
You bring up another good question, though. Actually, I’m not sure what my budget is up for. I’m an English teacher, so I’ll be making typical English teacher pay.
Can someone tell me what the average English teacher pays, anyway? What’s reasonable?
you should earn anywhere between 60-70,000NT a month, in which case you won’t be able to afford Wilson’s apartment (70,000/month)
You have to be really careful about cockroaches, because sometimes an infestation will occur some time after you move in. Check for places where they can get in from the walls or from outside, and where they can hide, filth, dirty kitchen etc. When you find these things, think about whether you can solve the problem, for instance by taping up insect screens or by putting pantihose over drains, which they crawl up and thus get into your living space.
If you’re worried about earthquakes, the main support beams should be overbuilt for the size of the building, and there shouldn’t be a row of carparks on the ground floor - there should be plenty of walls there to hold the place up. Also, wide buildings are more stable than long narrow ones, and while you’re at it, check that the buildings next door don’'t look like they’d fall on yours.
I didn’t think so. 
What does the average teacher pay, if I may ask?
[quote=“Europa”]You have to be really careful about cockroaches, because sometimes an infestation will occur some time after you move in. Check for places where they can get in from the walls or from outside, and where they can hide, filth, dirty kitchen etc. When you find these things, think about whether you can solve the problem, for instance by taping up insect screens or by putting pantihose over drains, which they crawl up and thus get into your living space.
If you’re worried about earthquakes, the main support beams should be overbuilt for the size of the building, and there shouldn’t be a row of carparks on the ground floor - there should be plenty of walls there to hold the place up. Also, wide buildings are more stable than long narrow ones, and while you’re at it, check that the buildings next door don’'t look like they’d fall on yours.[/quote]
Thanks. Cockroaches are less threatening to me than the centipedes I see here, so I’m not so worried. Thanks for the earthquake info. I’m an earthquake virgin, so I need it.
Are there any lizards or geckos you can buy that will live in your apartment and eat the cockroaches for you? It seems like there would be in Taiwan, but I don’t really know. I hope so. I love lizards.
It really depends, like anywhere in the world, on how much of your income you want to use towards rent and what you’re willing to compromise etc…
A lot of teachers in Taipei have flatmates. I think rent in this situation could be anywhere between 5500-13000NT, on average, depending on the location,size of the apartment, number of rooms, A/C or not, etc… but then you have to factor in your water bill (pretty low in taipei i find), electricity (high in summer if you run the a/c a lot and you probably will), ADSL…
I found after living with flatmates for two years and the normal headaches that can arise (who’s turn is it to take out the trash, clean, collect money for bills etc…) I decided to live on my own and found a cool little studio. I pay 12,000NT/month but included in that are my cable bill, water, electricity, garbage service, elevator fee, maintenance fee. I have a washer and dryer too and never have to pay for the use of either nor the high electricity bill the dryer creates.
Some people might balk at paying that amount for a studio, but if you rent a decent room in a decent apt in a decent part of Taipei, once you’ve added in all your bills it pretty much comes to the same amount. I don’t have a kitchen but I don’t cook either. www.tealit.com has an “apartments for rent” category as does this forum. They should give you a pretty good idea at what’s out there and what it includes and how much it costs.
If i were going out and partying as much as I did when I first got here, I probably couldn’t afford my rent. But i’m also earning quite a bit more than I did 3.5 years ago and my lifestyle has changed. I have a scooter and don’t need to pay for transportation, eating out is cheaper than trying to track down my favorite western food at the various western supermarkets, and to me, what I pay is worth what I get in return.
Good advice above.
Also, read through the listings in the housing classifieds both on Forumosa and on Tealit. You’ll read descriptions of all kinds of apartments. Sometimes there are pictures to give you a better idea.
Yes, the average apartment is a soulless place, with hospital white walls, tiled floors, and no decorative trim at all. But there are places with hardwood floors and some trim, or just a cozy feel and they are not necessarily more expensive than others.
For the best value live in Xindian, Mucha, Neihu or Xizhi. Xindian and Mucha are on the MRT line so you don’t feel like you are out in the sticks. They’re also close to the mountains (as are Neihu and Xizhi) and full of hiking trails and fresh air. People are also moving toward Danshui (also on the MRT line) as rent is cheaper here too, the air is better and you’re also close to the beaches on the north coast.
Some advice on hanging things: use those 3M hangers with sticky tape on the back on then hide the hanger (if it is visible) with dried flowers. Looks nice and is much easier than drilling holes.
If you’re looking for something that’s likely to be of better quality and have less problems, check out apartments in taller buildings. Over the last 5-10 years, quite a number of hi-rises have been built. The wiring is better, as is security (many of these buildings have security guards). Plus noise is less of a problem than in older apartments which are on the 1st-4th floor. Hi-rises may also have other facilities such as squash courts, weight rooms, coin operated washing machines, etc. And they have elevators, which is a huge plus when you’re moving in and out.
Most apartment buildings in Taipei are still of the 4 floor variety. Quite a number of them have (usually illegally built) 5th floors. While not always bad, these flats often have inferior wiring, insulation, and construction.
The older buildings are comfortable enough, though don’t expect the furniture (if it comes with any) to be nice. There won’t be heating, and you may even have to provide an air conditioner. But they are fairly well built, having survived quite a few earthquakes over the last 30-40 years (the average age for apartments in the city). And of course the older buildings are cheaper than hi-rises.
We used www.tmm.org.tw also, and found a great furnished apartment across in a quiet alley across from the Breeze Center, 8 minute walk from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT. It had something I was looking for: a large kitchen. It has a big master bedroom and a nice spare room, and more cabinets and storage space than I’d ever dreamed possible in Taiwan. The location is amazing: Liaoning St. Night Market closeby, RT-mart around the corner. 2 movie theaters a few minutes away. Drawback: tiny bathroom with no tub, but I can live with that.
The landlord even took the time to clean the place up before showing it to potential renters! Yes, it’s odd - I’ve seen plenty of apartments that might be presentable if the landlords had taken the time to clean them up. I don’t get it! What’s with these people trying to rent out a grotty, dusty apartment?
[quote=“Jefferson”]
The older buildings are comfortable enough, though don’t expect the furniture (if it comes with any) to be nice. There won’t be heating…[/quote]
Do new apartments come with heating?
Not typically.
[quote=“Mucha (Muzha) Man”]Good advice above.
Also, read through the listings in the housing classifieds both on Forumosa and on Tealit. You’ll read descriptions of all kinds of apartments. Sometimes there are pictures to give you a better idea.
For the best value live in Xindian, Mucha (Muzha), Neihu or Xizhi. Xindian and Mucha (Muzha) are on the MRT line so you don’t feel like you are out in the sticks. They’re also close to the mountains (as are Neihu and Xizhi) and full of hiking trails and fresh air. People are also moving toward Danshui (also on the MRT line) as rent is cheaper here too, the air is better and you’re also close to the beaches on the north coast.
.[/quote]
Thank you, that is good advice.
I live in the sticks now. I don’t “feel like” I am in the sticks, I AM in the sticks. Being close to the MRT is probably my highest priority, so thanks for telling me about Xindian and Mucha. 