LittleMissDizzyGiggles

Dear all,

I was just wondering if some of you lovely people would be able to help me. My boyfriend and I are moving to Penang on 3rd September to start jobs teaching English. Our contracts are for 2.5 years so we will be there for a while. I have never been to Asia before so it is a bit of a jump for me, although I'm thoroughly looking forward too it. But I do have a few questions!

Firstly, many helpful (!) friends have told me that I won't be able to by clothes to fit me whilst I am there and that I will have to take everything I need with me. I'm 5'10" and a UK size 10. Also apparently anything bigger than a size 3 shoe is difficult to find! Is this true? It would really help me, and save my boyfriend fretting about my overweight suitcase, if I know whether I can get clothes and shoes my size out there.

Secondly, we have been looking into getting long term, backpacker style travel insurance from the UK to cover us through most of our stay, but it is looking like being over £1000 each for 2 years. Malaysian Health Insurance is included in our contract but it doesn't kick in until a month after we get there. Is getting travel insurance from the UK a good idea? We do hope to travel to most of the countries in South East Asia whilst we are there, does anyone know if we could get insured for these trips with Malaysian insurers?

Finally, would anyone be able to recommend websites which advertise flats to rent in Penang? Are there any where individual landlords can advertise? Do you always have to rent through an agent? Having been stung by this when moving to Spain a few years ago it would be good to be prepared in advance this time.

Thank you all for any help you can give me . I'm sorry if I have included too much in one post. It is the first time I have ever written on a forum and I'm not sure of the normal etiquette .

Best wishes

Little Miss Dizzy Giggles

mikemike

for rentals try www.mudah.my.

No substitute for local knowledge and am sure some of the expats residing in Penang can assist with this and other items you raised

Not sure if you have credit cards as you may have medical coverage under them. You may wish to check this out as it can be limited cover or extended if agreed upon etc

JC3

Hi,
My wife and I live on Penang Island – here’s some answers for you:

Firstly, many helpful (!) friends have told me that I won't be able to by clothes to fit me whilst I am there and that I will have to take everything I need with me. I'm 5'10" and a UK size 10. Also apparently anything bigger than a size 3 shoe is difficult to find! Is this true?
No, it’s not true. There are plenty of stores here with larger sizes. And Debenhams and H&M are opening in Penang very soon too. There’s even a Clarks shoe shop, and a Tesco with F&F clothes, and an M&S in KL. But frankly you should have no problems with the local brands.
Secondly, we have been looking into getting long term, backpacker style travel insurance from the UK to cover us through most of our stay, but it is looking like being over £1000 each for 2 years.
Malaysian Health Insurance is included in our contract but it doesn't kick in until a month after we get there. Is getting travel insurance from the UK a good idea?
That will be difficult. The small print will probably require you to have a return ticket. I suggest buying UK Travel Insurance from the Post Office (it will allow one way travel) for your first 15 days. On arrival buy Medical Insurance (for Malaysia only) from one of the companies here like AXA, AIA, Kurnia etc. Then buy annual travel insurance from here from AXA.

Finally, would anyone be able to recommend websites which advertise flats to rent in Penang? Are there any where individual landlords can advertise? Do you always have to rent through an agent?
Try iproperty.com.
No you don’t always have to rent through an agent, but it’s very common for landlords to use one. Remember that agent works for the landlord not for you.

It may also be a good idea to engage your own agent, who for a small fee will set up lots of viewings, and represent your interests and drive you about.

Here’s some tips on getting a better rental deal (that I’ve posted here before).
When it comes to a tenancy agreement, almost everything is negotiable. You may of course come across a landlord that won’t negotiate. He’ll be the one with the empty property sticking it out for a higher rent, who hasn’t worked out that continued vacancies can be a lot more costly than a rent reduction.
Before negotiating on price:

1. Assess the market.
If you know what else is out there, comparable to the place you want and what the competition offers that your target doesn’t, you’re almost ready to negotiate. If you can tell the agent / landlord that you like their place, but have seen something similar or ideally better for around the same price or less, you’re in a great position. They don’t want to lose you!

2. Try and find out how long the place you’re interested in has been empty. If it’s listed on a website, when was it listed? If it’s been vacant for more than a month or two that tells you something.

3. Review the draft Tenancy Agreement, decide what you want changed, deleted or added, and do a thorough inspection of the house / apartment.
Do you want the landlord to upgrade old appliances, and/or buy any new ones that don’t exist? Is there a washing machine, dishwasher, microwave? Is there an aircon unit in every room, and a ceiling or wall fan? Astro? Do you want the landlord to remove any furniture? Does the kitchen and bathroom sink have hot and cold running water? Is there a filtered water supply? Does anything need repairing before you move in (check all the door and windows, all the electrics and all the plumbing!)
What maintenance contracts do you want the landlord to pay for – aircon servicing, pest control, gardening….

4. Look at it from the landlord’s perspective.
What it is about you that makes you an attractive tenant? Remember the landlord wants a tenant - and to start earning rent - as soon as possible, for as long as possible. He wants to avoid rental voids, he wants to keep his wear & tear costs to a minimum, and he wants a responsible tenant that will look after the place, so he does not have to check on it every week for plumbing and roof leaks, burglary or whatever.

5. Talk to your prospective landlord and explain what’s in it for him. You may well find that in fact you are the perfect tenant. For example:
• You’re ready to move in next month. Brilliant! That means the rental income starts flowing very soon, ending his current void sooner rather than later.
• You’re willing to commit for a year. Good. That’s much better than 6 months.
• At the end of Year 1 you might want to extend for a second year. Wow! That’s excellent. Maybe he won’t have to find another tenant for two years. No voids = maximum rent. Remember the biggest hassle for a landlord is finding a new tenant, having a rental void in between tenants, and the clean-up after a tenant moves out. If you really like the place and are convinced that you won’t want to move out after a year, then you may be able to lock in to a two-year rate now eliminating the second year increase. Or, if you’re very good at negotiating, get a reduction on Year 1’s rent, and agree a further reduction now for the second year term.
• You’re creditworthy. Re-assure your landlord they’ll be no problems getting the rent every month, it’ll help.
• You don’t have any kids. Good. Kids draw on the walls, spill things on sofas and so on.
• You don’t have any pets. Good. Dogs and cats can damage furniture….
• You’re a Westerner. Good. Westerners tend to look after the homes that they rent in Malaysia, so are often preferred by landlords.
• You’re willing to pay the rent by monthly standing order direct into his bank account, in exchange for a reduction. Good. No chasing you for the rent.
• You’d be happy to give the tired purple bedroom a repaint in a neutral colour at your own cost. Or if it’s a landed property with a garden, that you’ll do the gardening and smarten the place up.
• And so on…

6. Think about what else you could offer. For example:
Can you offer to pay money upfront? If you offer to pay six months rent in advance in return for lower rent, most landlords will say yes.
Can you offer to pay a deductible on repairs? It’s a hassle for the landlord to arrange for small repairs. If you offer to pay, say, the first RM500 of any repair, then the landlord may be willing to drop the rent in exchange. Make sure the property is in good condition first!

With all of this, the point is that the whole tenancy agreement is negotiable. It’s not only about the rent.

To negotiate well, you should trade something for something. What can you give (exchange) in order to get what you want? If you’re not used to negotiating, read up a little about it before you start. Avoid giving concessions without getting something you want in return.

Lastly remember the ‘Asking Price’ is the landlord’s dream price. Unless he’s a fool, he will be expecting to get less.

Good luck

JC3

JC3

Hi,

Sorry. On reading your post again I see you will get Medical Insurance in Malaysia as part of your employment contract, so no need to buy it.

So really as I see it, all you need to do is to top it up with some travel insurance for your trips out of Malaysia.
Here for your reference is a link to the AXA annual travel insurance brochure, with prices:

http://www.axa.com.my/124/en/persona...aveller-annual

AXA have a walk-in office in Georgetown and this is one of the best policies for the price we could find.

JC3

bakedbean

Hi there and welcome to the forum. Crikey, if you're 5 foot 10 and size 10 UK then I would seriously consider taking up modelling and forget about teaching

As JC said, you won't have problems with shoe sizes at all. As you're quite tall, you may need to hunt around a bit but there are quite a few stores in Penang and, as JC has pointed out, a M and S in KL. So hope you'll be lucky there.

I know a few teachers working here in Penang. I think it'll be an enjoyable experience for you both. Have fun.

roystevenung

Hi, welcome to Penang. Which part of Penang will you be working at? It would be advisable to get a place to stay nearby otherwise transport would need to be added to the lists of expenses.

Most expats are living at Tanjung Bunga or Batu Feringghi area.

Taxis can be rather costly if you need to use it for long distance in the long run.

For clothings and shoes, its not true. You can easily find clothes here that will fit you. The heat here can be unbearable at times, especially during the noon till sunset.

As for insurance, malaysian class insurance policy only covers you while you are in malaysia. If you travel outside of malaysia, then its best to buy travel insurance for that short period of time.

If your stay is going to be rather permanent or prolonged (more than 10 years or retiring) here, then it is advisable to get health insurance that is guaranteed to be renewed instead of yearly renewed.

Guaranteed to be renewed here means that no matter how much we had claimed, the policy will be renewed without fail until the limits have been exhausted.

Dental (unless necessitated by an accident) is not covered in a Malaysian class policy. Apart from the 30 days waiting period you had mentioned, there is a 120 days waiting period for specified illness. Do read the exclusions in the brochure on what is not covered.

<snip>

bakedbean

I wouldn't worry too much about dental costs. They are a fraction of UK prices and very good dentists here.

LittleMissDizzyGiggles

Wow, thank you everyone for being so kind and helpful . I really appreciate all your help and advice. I had no idea there would be a M & S or Tesco there.

JC3 I can't thank you enough for all the advice about negotiating with landlords etc, I would never have thought of all those things. It's reassuring to know these things now rather than heading out into the unknown having done nothing to prepare.

Best wishes,

A very grateful Little Miss Dizzy Giggles

JC3

Hi LMDG,

Just a few thoughts and tips on your ‘overweight’ suitcase.

Check the website of the airline you are flying with. Some have more generous baggage limits than others. For example, Malaysia Airlines recently increased its checked baggage allowance to 30kg and I believe Emirates is equally generous.

Don’t forget that in addition to your hand baggage (limit usually 7kg), most airlines will allow you to also carry the following:
• A handbag, pocket book or purse
• A briefcase
• An overcoat, wrap or blanket
• Laptop, iPad and camera
• Reading material for the flight

Put any heavy stuff (books, magazines etc) in a strong plastic bag in the front pocket of your suitcase. If the check-in staff say your suitcase is overweight, you can say “Sorry, I forgot to take out my reading material…” and whip it out and add it to your hand luggage.

Wear your heaviest pair of shoes and coat/jacket onto the plane.

Only bring one or two jumpers or a fleece. It’s hot here. You’ll only wear them very occasionally in the cinema, theatre, airport (all chilly with aircon) or in the Highlands.

It’s rare to see anyone wearing a jacket in Penang.

Don’t bring more than a couple of pairs of long trousers – you won’t wear them.

High heels are not very practical in Penang. If there’s a pavement it’s got holes in it. Just bring your favourites.

And, if your suitcase still weighs a ton and a half, don’t forget that you and your boyfriend can buy toiletries here – so only bring enough shampoo etc. for the first day or two. And, if he leaves his shaving foam behind and uses your hair conditioner as a temporary substitute, that'll give you extra space in his suitcase for another shoe!

Do keep a change of clothes in your hand luggage just in case your suitcase is delayed on arrival. It happens occasionally, especially when you have to change planes, so do label your bags carefully with your address here and a phone number.

Finally, there’s no problem getting cosmetics here.

JC3

bakedbean

Hair conditioner substitute for shaving foam? Serious?

JC3

Yes. Makes the hair soft, and the blade simply glides.
Good quality conditioner preferred of course.

JC3

LittleMissDizzyGiggles

JC3 I'm sorry it has taken me so long to reply and thank you for your very useful tips on how to save weight. I managed to make it over here without paying for extra weight and only leaving a few things behind to be posted on.

My boyfriend and I have been here in Penang for a week now and are getting used to our new jobs and have hopefully found a flat to rent in Tanjung Bungah. I/He was wondering if any of you ever so helpful people would be able to help us a little more.

Firstly, on behalf of my boyfriend he would like to know if there are any kickboxing or martial arts gyms near to Tanjung Bungah or in that area. He has found one in Prima Tanjung called K1 Kickboxing Studio but unfortunately the classes aren't suitable for his working timetable. Any help on this would make him very happy.

Secondly, on my behalf I was wondering if there are any places to do Pilates near Tanjung Bungah?

Finally, we are both really keen to try and learn some Bahasa Malay whilst we are here. Would anyone be able to recommend a good language school or private teacher?

Thank you in advance for any help you can give us with this

Little Miss Dizzy Giggles

roystevenung

Hi LMDG,

You can use google maps and key in gyms in penang at the search button. You could also find food or restaurants the same.

Most condos comes with gym facilities too, you may want to check that out...

As for kick boxing, I am not sure small sized Asians stand a chance vs your bf

bakedbean

You could try the place top of Island Plaza....that's across the road from Prima Tanjung.

I don't use it myself as I am a lazy layabout but I know someone who used to do Pilates there at Fitness First. I think it's changed hands and possibly called something else now. But you could check it out.

I think there might be a place at Straits Quay also.
Both these places not far from Tg Bungah.

JC3

Hi LMDG,

Welcome to Penang!

I know very little about Pilates, but I expect someone listed here (such as Elaine Stewart-Ng – who is a very nice lady) can advise you:
http://www.penangspirit.com/health-a...ses-in-penang/

Your boyfriend might like the Bodycombat classes at the Xtreme Fitness gym at Straits Quay:
www.xtremefitness.com.my/classes.html
The gym has yoga classes too.

JC3