Snow-Birding in Hong Kong
Thu, 2008-06-19 02:13 — travis
Hello,
I was born in HK and raised in the states at a very young age. When visiting HK I enjoyed the food very much. It is fresh and plenty to choose. In addition, I'm amazed at the forever fast changing landscapes. I can speak the language so therefore adjusting to the lifestyle would not be a problem.
However, I'm now at retirement age and haven't decided on the retirement date. I would like to escape the winter seasons here in the states and live in HK seasonally. Any suggestions on how to set it up (i.e. buying vs. renting)? Would winter in HK be any better than the states? Would my HK birth certificate makes any difference whatsoever in HK?
Thank you in advance.
re: Snow-birding in HK
Sounds like a good idea. I've day-dreamed about splitting the year between the UK (where I was born and grew up), and here. Maybe May - September in the UK to get the long summer evenings (and miss the hottest of the Hong Kong weather), then the rest of the year here to escape the cold UK weather. In fact at one point I was pondering a three-way split, adding in Australia as well.
But having our children at school and a lack of $$$ mean they are just day dreams for us.
Rent or buy? I'd certainly rent for the first year or two - just in case you find it doesn't work out for you. It'll also give you a better idea of how long you'll want to spend in HK each year. Obviously the shorter that is, the more that renting makes sense.
The length of stay you decide on may be different from your first guess. eg my mum, now in her seventies, comes to stay with us from the UK each year, and has done for more than ten years. I've suggested she visits in October, which I think is the nicest weather here. She finds it is too hot for her then, and has a miserable time. She does best here around Dec - March, and even by late March it's getting too warm for her.
We've also asked her to stay longer, but it seems around 5-6 weeks is the max for her. Beyond that she starts missing her friends and her house, and where I'm glad to miss UK winters, she actually enjoys seeing the changing seasons.
So definitely try renting once or twice before making any big commitments.
Search this site for 'weather', 'accomodation', and 'visas' for more info that would be relevant. eg it seems your HK birth certificate will could give you right of abode, so you wouldn't have to worry about applying for visas, or any limits on length of stay here.
Let us know how it goes,
MrB
re: Snowbirding, again
I was just about to reply to this post when MrB's comment came up, but I'll go on and second the motion. Mrs Tall and I have discussed a similar patten as a possibility for the (relatively) distant future. I would aim to arrive in HK on about October 15th, and leave at the middle or end of April (my tolerance for heat is slightly lower than MrB's, I think!).
One thing you'd need to think about is your property in HK. If you rented, you'd need to have a fairly lenient landlord, in the sense of being willing to rent to you for just a part of the year. If you bought a place, you'd need to think about how you'd keep everything from getting moldy and rotten during those summer months, assuming no one would be living there.
But these are details. Let us know what you decide, if you don't mind.
try this, this & this.
try this, this & this.
Thanks!
Thank you for the references. It was very informative.
I would consider renting
I would like to rent a two bedroom, two baths on a short term basis for about 30 - 45 days. Can someone provide suggestions or recommendations as to where would be the best locations and with good accomodations? I read that certain hotels are offering long term rentals with excellent facilities. Hotel or private flats? and where?
Thank you in advance.
Snowbirding
Where? It depends what you want to do while you are here and your budget, but staying on HK Island is a good choice for your first visit. Public transport is good, so location isn't too important, especially if you stay near an MTR station.
Type of accomodation? This thread has a discussion about the options.
A friend is visiting HK for a few months, and is staying in a small serviced apartment. He notes that when you visit the places they usually seem very different from the photos on their websites. So how about starting with preparing a shortlist of places you are interested in before you leave. Book a pair of adjoining hotel rooms for say 10-14 days to get your 2 bed + baths, and spend those first few days visiting the different areas and apartments / hotels on your shortlist, and book the best for the remainder of your stay.
MrB