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Hi Everyone, I have been using this site and following the forum for months now and wanted to say how helpful it has been! Thanks!
I am now in the final stages of making a decision about whether to take the jump and move out to Chengdu. As part of this I am coming out to Chengdu for a ‘go see trip’ through my work and will arrive in the city on the 11th of May. I have found this forum an amazing source of information but was wondering if anyone will be around and fancies meeting up for a drink and to talk about some things first hand?! You never know even as a Scotsman I might get a round in!
Also I have read a few times on here that if you are looking at apartments online the price will be inflated in comparison to what you will pay when you are on the ground and searching through an agent. My work will arrange the agent to take me around apartments once I have decided to move but I’d like an idea of where to stay so I can do some more research on apartment blocks etc. I work for IKEA so it has to be commutable to there and if anyone knows roughly how much I can expect to pay for a nice two bed in a good block that would be handy!
Thanks,
Graeme.
Hi Graeme,
May is a great time to visit Chengdu, the weather should be really nice. On May 11th I’m hosting a party with some friends in Chengdu, I will post information here on the forum. There is another party right next door to us from what I hear as well, so it should be a good night.
Around Ikea there are a lot of options for places to live, and overall Ikea is very accessible, about a 10 minute walk (if I’m not mistaken) from the nearest subway station. I would estimate rent on a 2 bedroom apartment in that area to be around 2,000 rmb.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
Any Place between IKEA and Sichuan Sports Stadium in Chengdu would, in my opinion, be great neighborhoods in which to live.
As far as rent is concerned, one question to ask might be “Does this apartment have 8 or 20MBPS Internet options?” Right now many older buildings are fitted out for 4MBPS, but it doesn’t function anywhere near that level.
I bring this up because recently I subscribed to a US Baseball sports website that streams games. Up to now I have been able to watch very few of them because my internet is either too slow or it is inconsistent and freezes.
If you DO need to know whether the internet in your building can function at higher speeds, it is a great idea to go to China Telecom and ask. They’ll get the address you’re going to live at and tell you whether the option is available. If you ask your agent the answer will almost always be “Yes” regardless of the reality.
But overall, Chengdu is a great city. Good food, nice people, nice expats, a lot of outdoorsy stuff to do, and a decent level of access to western amenities.
If by “nice” you mean a functional, well-designed bathroom and kitchen, consistent hot water and good water pressure in the shower, heaters/air-con that don’t constantly breakdown, decent appliances, clean and well-maintained elevators, etc. (basically anything that would be considered “standard” at home), you might want to go for what’s known in Chengdu, as far as I can tell, as “five-star luxury.”
There’s a nice compound about a five-minute walk from Ikea called Emerald that has fully furnished one-bedrooms for around 4000 to 5500, to give you an idea of prices. But they don’t have two-bedrooms, only one- and then three- or four-bedrooms, as far as I know.
Quote:If by “nice” you mean a functional, well-designed bathroom and kitchen, consistent hot water and good water pressure in the shower, heaters/air-con that don’t constantly breakdown, decent appliances, clean and well-maintained elevators, etc. (basically anything that would be considered “standard” at home), you might want to go for what’s known in Chengdu, as far as I can tell, as “five-star luxury.”There’s a nice compound about a five-minute walk from Ikea called Emerald that has fully furnished one-bedrooms for around 4000 to 5500, to give you an idea of prices. But they don’t have two-bedrooms, only one- and then three- or four-bedrooms, as far as I know.
In a “luxury” apartment in Chengdu you will pay an enormous premium but will be guaranteed none of those things. You have to be diligent checking those things in any apartment that you consider living in, regardless of price range.
Hey,
My place is in the Le Parc complexes very close to IKEA. They are very new, some still being constructed and the rent ranges from 1500-2800 that I’ve seen. I would recommend this area if you are working in or near IKEA. There is also a very nice gym associated with the Le Parc company. Located right across for the number 1 people’s hospital.
Hi Guys,
Thanks very much for the help, it is much appreciated!
Well at the moment I pay London rent so all of the quoted prices sound attractive but of course I’ll take on board what you are saying and go with how the reality is as opposed to how much I will be charged for a name.
It seems as if there is a lot going on around the area of my work in terms of restaurants, bars, shopping, socialising etc……is this about right?
@ Charlie – Sounds great I’ll definitely make my way along to that, would be nice just to meet some people in Chengdu.
@ Ben Brown – Thanks thats good insight, It’s not the be all and end all for me but good internet connection will be important, especially if I want to video call home etc…..I can do that right?
@ Melina – Ha, ha I will check out some 5 star luxury also, the prices quoted online are grossly inflated in comparison to that, nearly London prices in some instances!
@ Valerie – Thank you I will have a look at Le Parc, a good gym and relatively close to nice restaurants and bars is good!
Hey Graeme and welcome!
You’re going to very easily find decent accommodation right beside IKEA & Galleria (mall) for an average of 2-3k rmb furnished. There are a few properties just completing, or set to complete over the coming months, so availability will be high. It’s going to be a good area to be living in when you are just a few minutes walk from the South Railway Station Metro (subway) on line 1, which if you look on a map cuts a line right through between North and South.
What will you be doing for IKEA?
Thanks Brendan,
Wow that is unbelievable, I was looking at ones online and they were being quoted at over 10k rmb. I’ll get a better idea once I am actually there. Not sure but would probably prefer unfurnished but its no problem either way. Although I do notice most are already furnished.
Also as a side note your thread on training and nutrition has actually inspired me to start training again, I have been in the gym very little since moving to London (1.5 years) but trained with a couple of full time Judo players and a natural body builder who came 4th in the worlds when I was in Edinburgh. You never know I might actually end up back in shape when I move to China….
I will be the Store Sales Manager in Chengdu.
Avoid websites like myhomeinchina.com. You’ll find the same places in real estate agents on the street for lower rents. If you’re patient and do the leg work yourself you can get a nice place for 2000-3000, as brendan mentioned. Keep in mind, there are LOTSA empty apartments here…
Quote:Wow that is unbelievable, I was looking at ones online and they were being quoted at over 10k rmb. I’ll get a better idea once I am actually there. Not sure but would probably prefer unfurnished but its no problem either way. Although I do notice most are already furnished.English language apartment listings in Chengdu are dominated by rental agencies that want to capitalize on expats that meet two criteria:
1. They don’t speak Chinese and have a very difficult time finding competing apartments that are listed in Chinese
2. They’re brought here by Western employers, are highly paid, and can afford 6k rmb or more for rent, which is more than 99.99999% of Chengdu’s population is paying
If you want to find the real bargains, you will have to find them in Chinese, most likely with the help of a friend or your employer. I live in a 3 bedroom apartment with a private rooftop garden that’s in the middle of Yulin (an expensive area) and my rent is 2,200 rmb a month. I know a few others in Chengdu who have similar bargains, they all searched for their places in Chinese.
Basically, if you are searching in English there is a 95% chance that you will be ripped off, by my estimation. An increasing number of expats in Chengdu have liberal housing allowances provided by their employer though, and in that case it doesn’t matter if it’s a rip off. Something to be mindful of if you’re responsible for paying your own rent.
Quote:Wow that is unbelievable, I was looking at ones online and they were being quoted at over 10k rmb.Yeah, beware the ever shifty agents and agencies doing good business in the rental market here. They’ve had their pockets well lined by the Blue Chips who don’t have the time or inclination to do any groundwork when locating their staff, and are therefore happy to pay the premiums. Unfortunately that also means there’s a sea of agents looking to achieve the same high rents with no real justification in terms of either market value, or service. I had a good deal of time wasted finding this out, as have many others searching for themselves. This is one area that the forum has been great in over the last while as more users have given info on finding a place.
Quote:Also as a side note your thread on training and nutrition has actually inspired me to start training againThat’s always awesome to hear. I have a tendency to expand those conversations when I can, in the hope that anyone interested might hold on to some of the info and make use of it. Training has been a positive force in my life for many years, and I love seeing it bring change to others. You’ll have no trouble finding a gym, and it’s safe to say we have a few people in Chengdu who are training seriously.
Again thanks guys, all very helpful!
I was pretty certain that the rent prices would be inflated on those sites but not by so much, in all fairness it’s very positive to hear what I should be paying to live. I wouldn’t like myself or the company paying more than we should, regardless of wheteher it is affordable or not. I hate the thought of someone taking advantage in those situations.
@ Ray/Charlie – Thanks for that, there will be no rush I will stay in a hotel when I make the move until I find the right place. The company will provide the agent and I’m sure there will be many people willing to make sure I don’t get taken for a ride.
@ Brendan – Thats good to hear, I will probably use training and sports as a way of meeting people outside of work. Are there any particular gyms where a few people go? I only ask as in London I have found it frustrating to say the least to find a gym where the standard attire is not a mobile phone, beanie hat, shades and three quarter length trousers…..
Quote:I only ask as in London I have found it frustrating to say the least to find a gym where the standard attire is not a mobile phone, beanie hat, shades and three quarter length trousers…..LOL! Tell me about it, London is overrun by the likes of Fitness First & Virgin Active. The corporate gyms just attract that crowd wherever you go.
I was personally training between a number of gyms, including GENESIS GYM, home to the British National Powerlifting Team. A real old school dungeon, and absolutely 100% conducive to hard work. If I wasn’t there I was generally at Flex Fitness in Wood Green, owned by former IFBB Pro JD Dawodu. He had a great forearm machine in there that’s basically a fat rope loop running through a number of pulleys against variable resistance.
I and a good few others are training at MegFit on Chunxi Lu (Top City Building), but that’s a little far from where you’ll be living. I know Charlie is training at a gym that’s much closer to where you’ll be, but I forget the name of it now.
Maybe it would be worth compiling a list of good local Chinese-speaking agents, since it sounds like some of you guys know who they are. We went through quite a few in the Tongzilin area–just walking in off the street–and the places they showed us around the 3000 price range were invariably crap (not that the one English-speaking agent did any better). So I’m guessing it’s all about who you know. Sounds like Graeme is sorted but might be helpful for others…?
It was a Virgin Active I had the particlar joy of experiencing in London. I still chuckle when I think of the things I have seen in there (Ugg boots on the running machine, heavy wool cardigans in the free weights and I’m sure someone was curling their mobile phone once…).
I don’t mind travelling to get to the right gym and to train with the right people but at the minute I’m not really in the shape where it would be massively beneficial. In Edinburgh I used to travel 22miles each way to get to the right gym with the right people but the roads were almost empty at 5:30 in the morning so it wasn’t too bad.
At the moment I have no idea what my chosen mode of transport will be in Chengdu but I have recently fell in love with the Harley Davidson “Forty Eight” model. Not sure if I will go through the hassle of getting a bike license sorted in China at first anyway.
@ Melina – I’m certain any recommendations will be useful to me too, I will be the first to relocate to Chengdu for IKEA so any support for me and the store will be great.
@ Charlie – Are roof terraces/large balconies common in Chengdu?
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