[quote=“MJB”]Come on guys,
It’s the same community that this guy is looking for a roommate in…
forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=30980
It would the the perfect location for this guy, and have housing within the parameters he’s looking for.[/quote]
Sorry MJB, but that doesn’t fit my definition of a house and I bet also not in ceevee369’s definition either. Wonderful apartment though.
[quote=“Yellow Cartman”][quote=“MJB”]Come on guys,
It’s the same community that this guy is looking for a roommate in…
forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=30980
It would the the perfect location for this guy, and have housing within the parameters he’s looking for.[/quote]
Sorry MJB, but that doesn’t fit my definition of a house and I bet also not in ceevee369’s definition either. Wonderful apartment though.[/quote]
Obviously you’ve never been up there… 
[quote=“MJB”][quote=“Yellow Cartman”][quote=“MJB”]Come on guys,
It’s the same community that this guy is looking for a roommate in…
forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=30980
It would the the perfect location for this guy, and have housing within the parameters he’s looking for.[/quote]
Sorry MJB, but that doesn’t fit my definition of a house and I bet also not in ceevee369’s definition either. Wonderful apartment though.[/quote]
Obviously you’ve never been up there… [/quote]
I think you’re assuming you know what his definition of a house is.
My point was simply that there are freestanding homes in this community, and that the apartment I used as an example is just in the complex, not representative of what I think a house is…
FYI, I live in one of the only true suburban envrions on the island, and have been doing so for nearly a decade. I’m fairly sure I know what a house entails…In fact I’m typing from inside one.
Can we agree that a “house” is a free standing structure with a decent yard and parking?
Take a pill city dweller… 
[quote=“The Gumper”]lmao…I just told the DNS about your erm, budget.
The Gumper: “There’s this guy who has this company who’s gonna like pay his rent to the tune of 70,000NT.”
DNS: “That’s too much!”
She has a way of cutting to the point. But it got us talking about your “dilemma”.
You’ll pretty much have to let go of that house idea, we think (ymmv), so if you accept that apartment living is the option, I’d suggest across Song Ren Lu from Mitsukoshi, the ones with the globes on it. I’d live there. Walk to work, shopping, every damn thing.
But I recommend this only because he’s a family man and a :newbie: .
If I had my druthers, I’d be living on Discovery Hill in Mucha (Muzha). Not for the faint of heart tho, or so claims the DNS. Although taxis make everywhere easy.
We will try and get some pics and links for ya.[/quote]
I’m pretty sure Song Ren Lu starts at 160,000 for 3 bedrooms and goes up. the “Jasper Villa” has places for 370,000 
These places have pools, gyms, Widescreen TV rooms and hot and cold running security persons. Up the hill near the Country Club will be half that price. Wellington Heights is isolated and overpriced IMHO.
i dont think Taiwan has houses…but I did see some really nice townhomes in Hsinchu, but I think they have been bought already. They may have ben custom built for the execs living in Hsinchu.
What made these townhomes special is that they were of American/european architecture, so they actually looked like a typical american house, with the roof in the shape of a triangle and tiled, the outside walls made out of brick, the inside walls having drywall and wall to wall carpeting, like a typical normal North American house.
Not these weird concrete establishments with flat roofs and barren floors with nasty bathrooms. Good luck finding anything like a normal house in Taipei, I have never seen it. There are some really nice apartments/condos behind taipei101 but they are 90 million NT a piece.
You should try to get 75,000NT from your company, as than can get a great place on zhiongxiao and dunhua rd. Had a friend living there and her company paid for it (75k/month) but it was really nice inside, completely furnished but nevertheless she still had da roach problem 
even with a maid coming in to clean the apartment every week.
I’ll snap some pictures of some free standing houses with gardens later today and post them.
This is just a rough idea about some information from acquaintances I’ve made over the years:
Wellington Heights does, indeed have free-standing houses, and very nice at that. Usually, two to three floors, 3+ bedrooms, a small yard and/or swimming pool. Rents start around the low $200k’s and, well, the sky is the limit.
Elephant mountain, the area some have mentioned at the top of Song Ren Lu, also has some free-standers. Don’t know about places like the Jasper Villas and such, but I had an acquaintance renting a free-standing house up there for $50k. Obviously, the place was really old and hardly what the OP, coming from the West, would deem fit for a child.
My suggestion: Look up the website for the Taipei Times or get your hands on a recent copy and check the classified listings under housing. There’s a realtor named Donald that advertises there that seems to specialize in higher-end housing for expats on company packages. Don’t know about a free-standing house in your price range, but he might be able to point you in the right direction to a 50+ ping apartment that has ameneties like playgrounds, etc. that are good for families with children.
Good luck.
Yes, there are some real houses (not townhouses). I was invited several times to parties in one in the hills north of Tianmu, for example, the size of normal upper middle class homes in the US, with walled yards, and some with built in swimming pools. The rent on one was about 200,000, I remember. Suitable for the Taiwan head of a prestigious US corporation, for example. Nice inside, too. I was in two more up on Yangmingshan, similar, sans pool; also for expat bosses. So they’re out there, but above this budget.
Maoman mentioned “the road off of Kangning Road in Donghu, past the Public TV station.” Most locals I know call it the “Public TV hill”. I ride that road every day on the way to my 5th floor pad in Donghu. They’re townhouses, but look very nice on the outside, with cut stonework on many, and 1st-floor garages with doors. I disagree about those places not being any better than apartments.
Their advantages, besides not looking like aging bathrooms on the outside, and having private garages, are several. First, you don’t have another family above you moving furniture at 5:20 am and waking you up, or kids running about and dropping things. So you have better control over neighbor noise. Second, it’s a nicer neighborhood, so fewer neighbors having very public fights. Third, it’s an added layer of privacy, since you don’t share an entrance and stairwells. Fourth, it’s considered more prestigious. Fifth, it’s a quick jump to Minquan Rd, then into town, without any really bad traffic jam points, so the commute is really quick. Finally, you get to pass bunches of cute nursing students en route 
But of course, for those of us from spacious N. America, it’s hard to give up the yard, trees and fresh air!
Those houses up in Paitou Wellington Heights now rent for around NT$80,000
To the OP,
Found this on asiaxpat.com, might be a source of some information and ideas, if nothing else:
Good luck.
[quote=“ceevee369”]I posted already some relevant topics around housing, but now that I know what I am able to spend each month for renting a place to live with wife and son , maybe some of you could tell us what we will find.
Will it be enough to rent or a house on “Lotus Hill” or “Wellington heights”, or a place in Tianmu?
[color=blue]We think of 3 bedrooms,not furnished , at least a 250 SQM and a garden.[/color]Those tiny swimmingpools upfront the living room are not a must, as I guess they do not fit in thus budget …?
[/quote]
$2,200 a MONTH?
You will have no problem finding the most amazing places to rent in Taipei. Hell, you might as well BUY.
If the company pays for housing buying usually is not an option, often they will only pay directly to the landlord, and if you happen to be below the budget the company will just keep the difference.
As well if you buy a house you usually also need to buy funiture, appliances etc. and you have to take care of any problem yourself - a rented place, fully furnished, is much more convenient and also financially safer if you have no intention to stay for a long period of time (often expat contracts are limited to one or two years and they can usually be terminated in advance, e.g. for a transfer).
As well moving out, in particular to another country, is easier and cheaper if you don’t own much yourself.
Dunno about (free standing) houses but with the given buget it should be possible to find some nice apartments.
So, I am glad that the topic created a lot of replies, and even some important information and recommendations.
The definition of a “house” for us, probably spoiled Belgians:
A place of privacy where our kid can play between walls on a small part of green grass. And where my wife could be in a bikini set without heaving tons of eyes on here
No neighbors shouting or no Television set playing at 12PM making it impossible to sleep
A place you can call “home” and perceived as a small “island” to escape from each day upcoming frustrations & stress.
Not the palaces we talk about, neither the cozy apartments.
Yes, it’ll probably take an hour to get at the office, but that is also the price to pay in most of big Western cities due to heavy traffic.
I found some examples of “houses” ,probably way out of budget , on:
nar.com.tw/e/about.htm
Thanks again for the tips!
Easy solution - renegotiate your package 
Wellington Heights used to be a very expensive place to live, like hundreds of thousands a month, but frankly, it’s a bit like a glorified housing estate.
I am not confident you will get a house for that anywhere in town. Most places in town are apartments - getting a balcony is hell here. At that price you should be able to get a large rooftop with a huge balcony, bug enough to play in. Likely to be in the suburbs, though. Best bet is to get your company to put you up in a hotel for a month or so while you look. You will probably have to go through an agent if your company is paying direct.
[quote=":newbie:"]A TIP from my IA officer:
“The day Taiwan declares itself independent be sure to know where your embassy is located…”[/quote]
Your IA officer is the last guy I am taking a tip from. And,erm, good luck finding your “embassy”. Probably easier to find a house. In fact, definately easier.
You know I love ya, OP. It’s just that you leave yourself soooooooooooooooo wide open. A Gumper has always got to take the shot. If you don’t shoot, you don’t score.
An example of what can be had in my neighborhood for around 20k per month…
Yard:
Parking and view:
Living room:
Front door:
Drive time would be aprox 1:30 minutes to the 101 during the morning crush hour. There are well over 100 freestanding houses in my complex, most of them are over 2,500sq feet. For 60k you could rent one hell of a nice house here…But, we are in the boonies. 