Art20t

Hi

We are moving to Hk in Jan, family daughter 9yo and son 3mths old. Along with cat and dog.

Will have allowance around 150,000hkd per month for housing.

Help really wanted on.

Best areas to live, really important to us a house, not apartment. Garden even if small. Very friendly kids neighborhood. Lots expats. We love water sports, outdoor living Thinking possibly Clearwater Bay?

Good international English school.

Any other advice? Should we bring furniture etc or easy and reasonable price to buy locally?

Thank you for your help

HKG3

Are you from the UK?

The English Schools Foundation is the largest English medium international school in Hong Kong. Please see link below for more info -

Home | English Schools Foundation

It is very difficult to get into an international school in Hong Kong. You may need to apply as soon as possible in order to get a place for your children.

More advice on your move to Hong Kong -

1) You may want to get in touch with your local HSBC to see whether you can open a Hong Kong bank account with them. HSBC has one of the largest retail bank network in Hong Kong.

2) Once arrived in Hong Kong, you will need to apply for a Hong Kong ID card and carry some form of ID document with you at all times while in Hong Kong.

Art20t

We are moving from the U.S. But British.

Thanks for the school link, I will look into it.

HKG3

Banking - you can also try Citibank

https://www.citibank.com.hk/portal/h.../hkcb_Home.htm

There is an American International School in Hong Kong.

http://www.ais.edu.hk/

PoolieAbroad

Suggest to check out the following
Marina Cove in the Sai Kung area (and housing beyond Sai kung.)
You can even park up to 20 feet of boat at the bottom of some of the gardens
Water sports go for Hebe haven Yacht Club great food, fun parties good mix of locals and ex-pats. Sailing courses for kids etc etc
They do like power boats too!!
Schools the ESF as has been mentioned already.
School buses viable to most schools nearby.
Sai Kung great for pubs, restaurants, sea food and the like.

Your housing should cover anywhere Sai Kung easily
Yes Clearwater Bay is more expensive but not as much fun as nearer Sai Kung town area.
Suggest 2 cars as well Mums taxi very important

Of course a bit depends on where you work. But personally I would use some of the housing budget to offset toll and tunnel fees.

More questions? ask away

Art20t

Hi

Thank you for your suggestions we will for sure check it out.

Will be working in Taikoo Shing, east HK so I think should be ok?

My daughter love horse riding, not sure if there are any opportunities in HK? Riding schools etc.

Is it easy making friends, especially for my wife?

Any challenges with a 6mth old baby?

Any tips as we have cats and a dog so would like a house with a private garden.

Thank you.

PoolieAbroad

TaiKoo Shing is no problem form SK although a trip through the tunnel required
A short bus journey and train will have you in Tai Koo quite easily
Or drive your own car of course.
Horse riding I think is possible but not something I can personally advise on.
(I am sure a spot of Google time will bring something up)
Friends for wife OHH yeah almost too easy!
Small kids, school runs, after school activities etc. means you will be far from short of friends!!!
I can't think of any problems with a 6 month old in HK, The area has a big selection of doctors from all over the world. Everything you would want is available there

HKG3

Please see link below regarding the importation of dogs and cats into Hong Kong -

AFCD Import of Dogs and Cats

Art20t

Thank you all for taking the time to share you thoughts and experiences. It's really appreciated.

A couple of my latest questions you maybe able to help with.

We are likely going to land on Clearwater Bay or the Sai Kung area.

How is security and crime in the area. I'm thinking when I am away travelling and my wife and kids are home alone?

Any recommendations on very good housing expat communities in these 2 areas, where they have nice detached homes?

We will visit In a couple of weeks, any recommendations on places to visit in these two areas with my family, places that give us a mini feel of the place? Any good family friendly restaurants where we might run into other expats to chat to?

We are thinkkng to visit Hebe Haven Yacht Club, as were Into watersports. Looks very family friendly

Thank you again

GlobalTrekker

I'm currently in Hong Kong atm.

Your housing allowance in VERY generous (It's like 210,000 US Dollars per annum!). You'll be able to get a lot of space, even in very pricey Hong Kong.

I would actually recommend somewhere very different from the above. I think you should definitely live on the island, and Clearwater Bay isn't a bad choice.

For me it would have to be....
The Happy Valley - Expat central on Hong Kong island (Good for your wife and kids, as there are many expat housewives with kids here). Quiet and peaceful (for Hong Kong). Lots of fabulous restaurants and shops. Very close to Tai Koo (Maybe 5-10 minutes by car). Not too many houses, but there are a few available. Quite a few international schools, and every school will run a bus to the HV. You should definitely give this place a look.

The Peak - Very pricey and there will be places out of your price range. However, it is a VERY nice area. A few international schools. Very convenient for the island. Mostly houses, though there are some apartments. Very green, with some stunning views. Quiet. Where Hong Kong's rich and famous live.

Also worth a look is the South of HK Island. Around the Stanley area. Lots of watersports, expats, international schools. Though the Happy Valley is very convenient for here, as the tunnel from the North to the South of the Island is near it.

Sai Kung, while nice, is quite far. And with your budget, not that great.

Also, crime in Hong Kong is incomparable to the US or UK. Essentially there is very little crime, and little to worry about. You can even walk around a public housing estate in HK and have no worries about drugs, muggers; indeed crime of any kind.

Most of the best doctors practice in Central on HK Island, including the vast majority of the expat ones. Though I am sure there are good ones in most parts. HK's best private hospital is on The Peak (Matilda Hospital).

PoolieAbroad

I wont speak for the Island as I only ever lived there for a short time in 1987 but spent 23 recent years in Sai Kung
The centre of SK has dozens of expat restaurants full of expats from breakfast to dinner.
Just as anyone in town where the main 'square' is and they will direct you to it.
Here is a website showing a few houses the SK area just filter 'to lease' and over 90k and you will find a few houses, private swimming pools, sea views the lot.

Homelife Property Consultants Ltd. | 高信置業顧問有限公司

Sai Kung district includes Clearwater Bay so you will find both places.

This one in particular may well blow you away!!

Homelife Property Consultants Ltd. | 高信置業顧問有限公司

Value for money for sure in SK, Expat night life and bars is..... yes more the Island.

Many Island folk are drifting to SK these days especially with the new Academy opening

Hong Kong Academy

Its too new for me to know personally but seems to have a pretty good reputation.

Drive to the airport is about 50 mins
Drive to downtown Kowloon about 35- 40 mins.

Hong Kong is very safe but in any detached house I would suggest an alarm system. Housebreaking is not unusual if you don't have an alarm and or a dog.
Simple to have installed using a wireless system even in rental property and can be connected to the phone and via a central HQ to the local police. If the alarm is triggered and you do not respond to your phone the police usually arrive within 10 mins and not just one or two usually 5 or 6 of them.
BUT HK is very very safe compared with anywhere else I can think of.
As was said you can walk the streets night time with really zero worries.
You will find lots of kids out and about in the evenings chilling or playing football in the park.

Hebe is wonderful for kids for sure. They have a very active youth section sailing Lazers and moving on to bigger boats.

Art20t

Thank you for taking the time to give me some advise. Much appreciated.


We will for sure check out the other locations you suggested, great to get different perspectives and experiences from your guys.


Also thanks for the info on Hebe Yacht Haven, I used to Sail Lasers in the past so that might be a good place to spend time as a family and meet others, my daughter will love the optimist sailing.


We are going in a couple of weeks so should be great, guess it is very hot and humid right now.


Any other suggestions on things we could do as a family young family? We are there for a week, so we will spend maybe 3 days with relocation consultant looking around, schools, houses etc.....


I am thinking to stay in a nice hotel in Repulse bay area for a few days and then maybe Clearwater bay for a few days, then we can spend time easier in the area, walk around, talk to locals.... Any suggestions on really nice hotels, in good locations, with pools etc


Was thinking to take our daughter for a day trip, maybe Zoo, aquarium ? is there any good indoor places to escape the heat?


Thanks again for all your help.

ex reg

Art20t, can you confirm your housing allowance because when I read your first post it didn't seem to me that the allowance you gave could be correct.
Especially when you were considering taking your furniture and saving money.
I may well be wrong though.

Generally when finding a place to live the first thing on the agenda is a suitable school for the kids.
Everything will follow on from that.

Art20t

Housing allowance will be around 120 to 150k HKD

Thanks

PoolieAbroad

Well yes its pretty hot this time of year for sure.

Hotels on the South Side sorry I don't think there are many and for sure none at all in Clearwater Bay.

Down town Kowloon or Island Hotels are as many as you could dream of.
If you have mileage etc use the group hotel of your points.
Cant really go far wrong with the famous brands in HK either Island Side or Kowloon. I rather like the Shangri La in both locations or the JW Marriott on the Island.
Taxis are plentiful in HK and from the hotel it is simple to get wherever you want. The doorman will direct the driver for you and the Hotels all have a card written in Chinese to get you back.
A relocation agent is probably a good plan perhaps your company can set it up for you. They should also have their own corporate hotels all lined up with good rates.

Two big places for kids ( although not all inside) would be HK Disney near the airport or Ocean park on the Island.

https://www.hongkongdisneyland.com/

http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/html/en

Takes me back...........used to have the annual pass for Ocean park!

May be an idea to contact the ESF to see what the deal is regarding places in various schools and as was already suggested the school may end up determining where you live to some extent.

Home | English Schools Foundation

Hong Kong may be small but you will be amazed how he time will pass if your looking at schools, areas and houses.