Some Perfect House Hunting Tips
Perfect but not in Phnom Penh
If you are keen to start your own search for that Perfect Place ( and we encourage that ! ) there are some things you should think about when you begin.
a) Most importantly ; BE FLEXIBLE ! You need to revisit preconceptions of living in moderately priced stunning western or French Colonial apartments because the reality is…there are not that many of these in Phnom Penh and those that are left are eagerly awaited and expensive. If you are prepared to live in a nice Khmer style shophouse ( call it a Terrace House if it makes you feel better ! ), your dollar will go alot further and the market will open up.
b) DON’T BE CLAUSTROPHOBIC ! Do you really HAVE to live in BKK1/2/3 with every other expatriate in town or are you willing to take the leap and cross Monivong for the real Phnom Penh flavour of Toul Sleng and Russian Market areas ? These areas are fantastic and have markets,cafes and beer gardens aplenty. There are many foreigners living in these areas and most will tell you they will never go back to BKK area. Your dollar goes alot further in these areas and you are only a short moto ride away from the River.
c) BE WARY OF THE FOLLOWING; Building sites nearby (noise all day/ every day and itinerant workers living on site cooking,drinking and singing karaoke at all hours),flood prone streets ( visit your desired street after a rain and see what it is like), steel fabrication shops (they are everywhere and are VERY noisy), Churches ( no offence but Sunday morning near a church can get VERY noisy indeed), West facing apartments ( these are VERY hot ! )
Its 6.am and its time to start work !!
d) MONKEYS; Do NOT live in Wat Phnom ! Full stop.They were here first and they are not going anywhere soon.
e) LANDLORDS ON-SITE; You may get lucky and have a wonderful,responsive landlord who you actually get along with and ask around for Friday beers ( like we currently do ) OR you may get a nightmare Landlord who hits you up for rent early every month, does not fix anything, owns several yapping dogs and harasses you when you have friends over. It is a lucky draw but my advice is DO NOT live on top , underneath or next to a landlord and if you must, have it written in the contract that they are only to visit for rental collection and repairs.
f) SCHOOLS AND PAGODAS ; As a general comment, schools are fine to live near. They might be a bit noisy during the day but they empty at 5pm . Pagodas on the other hand become overnight camp sites for many homeless petty criminals and drug users so be careful about living with a wall adjoining a Pagoda.
g) NEGOTIATE ! It is expected here in Cambodia an if you go out on your own looking ,do not speak Khmer and are a foreigner, the chances are good that you are going to get asked for more rent than a khmer might. I would recommend going with a Khmer ( like me ! ) or someone you work with etc and getting them to do the talking for you. Be prepared to pay 3 months in advance – one month rent and two months deposit. This is the standard.
h) BE IMAGINATIVE ; Unfortunately,many of the apartments you might look at may be pretty drab, badly furnished, poorly lit and have terrible light fittings etc . Many apartments might need a coat of paint ( ask the landlord if they will do this) and most will have tiles up the walls ( not much you can do here ! ). HOWEVER, you might be surprised what you can do with some silk floor lights, some framed photos on the walls and some plants outside windows. Light fixtures can be swapped for bamboo fish traps, custom made marble topped kitchen benches are not expensive and can turn a plain khmer kitchen into a functional western Kitchen etc.
Use your imagination
i) ROOFTOPS ; For some reason, everyone wants a rooftop to turn into a comfortable relaxing zone. Here is the thing though. In the hot season – it is just too hot to sit on you roof ! Heat will have been stored in the brick walls all day and then it starts rising at night. Then, in the rainy season, it is usually to wet as the wind blows rain in from every angle. Just be careful turning downs places because they do not have usable rooftops. A nice balcony is a far better option.
The chill zone....that we never ever used !
So there are some tips for you.
There is a good thread here about house hunting here
Good luck and remember, if you have any reservations, stick with your gut feeling !
Regards,
Perfect Places.
