Changing flat
As I renewed my contract and Anna got a job, we have decided to stay some more time in Taipei. Our flat rental was for one year and we decided to look around for cheaper options.
We like the area of Taipei where we have been living so far (close to Shida night market and Danshui/Xindian MRT line), so with this premise and a price range in mind we started checking the market mostly using this web.
Renting is becoming a very popular option, specially in Taipei city, as the price of the households is Taiwan is really high with a lot of articles and newspapers editorials alerting about a real-state bubble. The recent record high price was set at NT$2.06 million per ping (3.3m2), around 15.000€ per m2. The situation looks very much the same as in Spain before the bubble exploded with absurdly expensive flats and very cheap loans (around 1%-2% interest only). The government is trying to stop speculation but with little success so far.
I have always favored renting over buying and I am happy with my personal choice. I recommend to read this interesting interview to Jesus Encinar (founder of Idealista.com) when he recently decided to buy a flat.
Back to the topic :). We visited 3 small flats but our choice was the 4th one. It is very similar to the flat we Anna and I rented at Ventalló street. A very large space sharing kitchen, living room and (in the case of Taipei) bedroom. It also has a medium sized terrace and a small balcony. It is a 4th floor (5th floor according the Taiwanese way of counting floors) with no elevator. Check it out!
Spacious and with a lot of natural light27-Nov-2010 13:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 4.0, 18.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 720
Bed"room" (actually not a real room)27-Nov-2010 13:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 900
Little terrace. Not cozy but we will use it anyway27-Nov-2010 13:21, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 7.1, 18.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
View from the terrace. A public library in front.27-Nov-2010 13:21, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 9.0, 18.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
We can still see Taipei 10127-Nov-2010 13:23, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 9.0, 36.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
This is my 6th house in 10 years (1 at Mataró, 3 at Barcelona and 2 at Taipei) and the 8th house for Anna (2 at Barcelona, 1 at La Reunión, 1 at Amiens and 2 at Clermont-Ferrand and 2 at Taipei). We are still far from Marta Cabot record :) but it living in various flats helps to find out what bits are more important for you.
We have actually moved in to the new flat on December 5th, exactly one year since we moved out from the flat at Ventalló street. Although we try not to accumulate too much stuff we still spent the whole day to change flat. The funny bit is that we used taxis (couple of them) to carry the stuff between the old and the new flat.
We need couple of taxis…04-Dec-2010 12:22, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 1600
Anna explaining our intentions04-Dec-2010 13:06, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 7.1, 18.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
Taxi with big trunk! (but little help from taxi driver)04-Dec-2010 15:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 8.0, 18.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 560
Unloading04-Dec-2010 13:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 8.0, 24.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200
Up! Up!04-Dec-2010 13:23, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 1600
Unpacking luggages and boxes04-Dec-2010 16:16, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
Lunch break. Dumplings! :)04-Dec-2010 13:58, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 4.0, 20.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 640
For those who managed to read the post until here, a little secret, we have a projector in the flat! :)
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Golden Axe a 80″ !!!! Quins pixelots! XDDDD
Sabia que us agradaria :)
Escolta, i d’on projecteu, que no tapa la Tv? I perquè em sortiria més cara la salsa que el peix venir a provar-lo, que si nó ja em tindrieu a la porta! N’hauré de mirar un per casa… :-D
Bé, ja hi sou. Ara a gaudir-ne (després d’odenar-lo una miqueta. Molt bonic el projector.
M’encanta el pis en general però sobretot per dues coses: el projector i el llit!!!!