Finding an apartment in Taipei

For the past few days I've been fully occupied with the task of finding an apartment.

Before I left Victoria I searched for apartment rental web sites in Taiwan. I found the usual suspects - Craigslist, Tealit, Sublet.com - and even the Chinese-only web site 591. I was impressed by the number and variety of listings and felt confident that I could find a place to live very easily.

As soon as I arrived I started emailing people who posted ads for apartments. I waited a couple of days for replies. And I waited another couple of days for replies. Around that time I started to realize that emails were ineffective. People who posted ads were expecting phone calls. So, I contacted five different real estate agents to see if they could help me find an apartment. Only one responded.

I went to see a couple of apartments with the agent. They were in my preferred area and in my budget - barely! - but they were small, dirty, and lacked amenities. They just didn't feel like "home." I started to get seriously worried.

I kept contacting people who posted ads to the apartment rental web sites. One of the people I contacted, Mr. Yang, replied by email and suggested a time when he could show me the apartment. Actually, he had two apartments to rent in the same building. His aunt bought the entire second floor of a building and renovated it to create six apartments of varying sizes. One small and one large apartment were available.

The building was located near Dazhi station on the Wenhu MRT line. The Trend Micro office is near the Liuzhongli station, which is also on the Wenhu MRT line. "Brilliant!" I thought.

I met Mr. Yang at 7pm the next day to view the apartments. He showed me the smaller one first, which was approximately the size of a hotel room. It clearly wouldn't work for a long-term rental. He then showed me the larger apartment. It was bigger than any apartment I'd seen before, and it had the Western-style bathroom I wanted. What it didn't have was a small kitchen. I was about to dismiss the apartment when Mr. Yang showed me the balcony. It was large and covered. As you find with many apartments in Taipei, the washing machine was located at one end of the balcony. I realized that I could add a metal pantry cart to the balcony and set it up with an induction hot plate, pots, pans, and so on. That sold me on the apartment.

I liked the look of the neighbourhood at night, but I wanted to see it in the daytime as well. I asked Mr. Yang if he would hold the apartment until the next day so I could explore the neighbourhood further. He said that was fine.

I went back the next day and spent 2 hours walking around. I went into the Dazhi branch of the Taipei Public Library and read a couple of English magazines. There was a grocery store less than a block from the building. I walked past numerous fruit and vegetable shops. I noticed hair salons, pharmacies, dentists' offices, doctors' offices, and lots of restaurants and coffee shops. I found a traditional market where you can buy meat, fish, fruit, veggies, bread, and homemade noodles (imagine the Asian version of Granville Island Market). I also walked down to the riverside to check out the park and cycling/walking paths. I was sold.

I started emailing back and forth with Mr. Yang to negotiate on price and confirm contract conditions. I settled on $17,500/mo. for rent. I'm sure that's a lot for Dazhi. However, the apartment is newly renovated, modern, large, conveniently located by the MRT, and near all of the amenities I need.

On Tuesday I met Mr. Yang and the property owner, Mrs. Ling. She doesn't speak any English so Mr. Yang translated. She seemed like a lovely woman - she asked that I treat the apartment like "my baby." I replied that I understood what she meant - that's how I want people to treat my apartment in Victoria. After we signed the contract and I gave them the $35,000 security deposit, Mr. Yang reviewed the security features of the building, where to take the garbage, and how to use the washing machine (the buttons are only labelled in Chinese). Then he gave me the keys! According to the rental contract my move-in date is Saturday (Dec. 1) but Mr. Yang explained that in Taiwan it is common for landlords to give new renters access to the apartment for a few days so they can move in. How civilized!

So, today I went to Ikea and bought bedding, pillows, a duvet, towels, and wash cloths. It was a heavy load but I managed to get it to the apartment. I rearranged the furniture to optimize space, then set up the bed and bathroom. I discovered that the bed sheet is too large so I will have to return it. Everything else is good. After that I went to the Wellcome grocery store down the street to buy toilet paper, hand soap, water, and some juice to put in the newly hooked-up and chilling fridge.

On Thursday I will need to buy one or two waste bins, cups, cutlery, knives, a cutting board, and other food-prep basics. I'm not sure when I will set up the "kitchen" on the balcony. But, I do want to have some means of prepping fruit, veggies, and drinks. And to have somewhere to put garbage.

I'm very relieved to have a decent place to live, and I'm pleased that can move in before I start work on Monday (Dec. 3). The World Scholar House hostel is nice, but my room is small, has no windows, and lacks air flow. Also, the shared Asian-style wet bathrooms are narsty, no matter how often they get cleaned. You're always standing in someone else's wet, and it's not uncommon to find balls of hair around the drain.

I will post pictures of my apartment and neighbourhood soon. I have a good feeling about both. Home is where the Hart is!