This house is a very unique set up in a quiet,safe,friendly street and we have been SUPER happy here. The landlord and neighbors are great, the power never goes out, the breeze blows, the dogs don’t howl and the street does not flood.

- The house is only 2 years old and is clean and nicely finished with very nice 600x600m tiles.
- Plenty of light from many windows and huge front tri-fold doors.
- Terracotta tiled front and rear courtyards with no tin roof or jail-like boundary walls.

- 3 bedrooms ( 2 with AC )- 3 bathrooms with built ins.

- Large kitchen with gas cooker.

- Will come UNfurnished though this might be negotiable- 1x Car parking with extra space for several motos
- Power is @ Khmer rates
- Water is @ Khmer rates
- TV is $5 a month
- Rent is only $400 per month and is 2 months in advance / 2 months deposit ( 4 months in total ).
- Available 21st March.

Imposing style

This fantastic sub-divided villa is just off Monivong in the Bang Trabek area. With a huge paved courtyard that is perfect for those bike riding kids and a separate quarters for a nanny or driver, this is sure to be polpular with a family . Freshly painted throughout in a tasteful neutral colour, there is enough nice furniture to get you started including a clothes washing machine. There is a large living and dining area downstairs, one bathroom with good sized en-suite and then a seperate bathroom. Up the well spaced staircase ( no mountain climbing  ) to 3 more bedrooms with en-suites and another living area with polished floorboards and seperate bathroom. With a wrap around balcony upstairs, plenty of light and breeze, this will not last long. First in best dressed.

Rent is $800pcm ( 1 month rent/ 2 month deposit up front )

Rates are 1000r / kw to be confirmed ( possibly cheaper)

TV is $10

Water is cheap !

Contact us now for a viewing.

Corner spot

Front Entry

This very private,shady classic 3 bedroom Khmer villa with Van Moly Vann styling sits right in the heart of BKK1 a mere stones throw from the Independence Monument. Furnished with tasteful wood, it features authentic timber ceiling panelling, terrazzo floors and a spaceish kitchen that is almost Santa Fe in style. There is a single large  bathroom which ensuites to the main bedroom. The garden will keep you extremely cool in the hot season and there is a nice  courtyard area begging for an outside dining table.

Rent is $900pcm,power is 1000r/kw,water is negotiable and TV is $10.

This house has been available for a few months. Why not make them an offer of $800 and get a bargain ?

If you are interested please contact me ASAP and quote Psar Kap Ko Villa.

More photos here…….

Terrazzo floors throughout

Santa Fe Style Kitchen

Incredibly lush garden on 4 sides

All bedrooms have terrazzo floors and timber feature windows

Beautiful timber ceiling

The general news is very good. The ball is mostly in your court as rents have come down , vacant rental properties have gone up and the light has gone on for many Khmer Landlords…finally !

Villas – This is probably the one area that is the most difficult for us to operate in yet it accounts for 80%-90% of our placements. Rents are  negotiable for many properties but actually finding them is very hard ! As you can see by our website, we try to list only the very best Villas around as we do not like to simply show our customers anything that comes up. We have a good idea of what an expat wants and many of the villas we find are going so quickly they do not even make it to our website because either we are making a quick phone call to a customer OR the landlord is being approached independently . At this time of year, contracts are expiring so some people are leaving and newcomers are coming in looking for villas. We say it again – you have to be FLEXIBLE. Sorry..but that classic French villa does not exist. Our advice is to carry a deposit with you because a khmer owner will most likely not hold the property for you.

Shophouses- There is now a huge amount of shop houses on the market and they have tumbled in price. Example ; A while ago we looked at a great one in Russian Market and they were asking $550 but it was a bit grubby so we recommended they paint it and then we could rent it for them. They sat on the property for 4 months ( losing $2000 or so in rent ! ) and have finally done a complete refurb on it and now are asking $450 !  There are about 6 shop houses within a stone’s throw from our front door for rent and they have all been for rent for months. If this is what you are after, we can certainly help you.

Top End apartments -The Big Green Fence is now down on the river front and so apartments with a river view are back in demand. Snap them up while you can. Rents start from about $500 for a lower level 1 bed to $2000 for a luxurious 3-4br number but again, they are scarce and go quick.

Low End budget apartments – Not our forte but many signs out on balconies are saying there are plenty to choose from. Feel free to approach the owner yourself and bargain hard. Our friend recently got a one bedroom on the third level just behind Lucky Lucky Supermarket on Golden St for $170 a month !

Regards,

Perfect Places

Behind the gates awaits...........

This is without a doubt the most impressive spread we have seen in 3 years looking at properties. In a quiet corner of Toul Tom Pong ( Russian Market ), this expansive retreat is more Country Estate than Phnom Penh villa. Designed by an expatriated Khmer and built only 1.5 years ago, the house is completely western in style and offers the family of 4-6 a fantastic opportunity to live somewhere special. With a huge wall hiding what lies inside and an end of a cul-de-sac location eradicating any through traffic, it is in a great location.

Main House

After taking in the huge park like gardens with plenty of green lawn for the kids and a driveway just made for biking, you will notice the BBQ / chill out cabana, the pond, the large open garage and the second residence which has 2 bedrooms,a storeroom and a bathroom. This would be perfect for either teenagers,staff or a separated office and guest bedroom.

Second Residence

BBQ Cabana

The main house features a galley kitchen with ensuite bathroom and then 3 bedrooms and a huge open plan living area with plenty of large windows looking out into the gardens. The master bedroom is a retreat on its own with huge walk in clothes area and attached en-suite with bath tub. Though smaller,the other 2 bedrooms both have their own en-suites as well.

Main Bedroom

Living Area

Outside the front doors into the garden...

You will need furniture as most of it is going home with the current expat lessee and you might want to consider a Guard/ Gardener/ etc to keep it ticking over. Rates are 720r/kw for electricity,1000r/kl for water and $10 for TV. Power apparently runs to about $250 a month AC in all bedrooms is used, $150 a month if just the Master bedroom AC is run. Water is about $15 a month with heavy domestic usage and garden watering etc.

This property is available January 1st 2010 with a 2 month deposit/1 month advance rental payment required. It need to be seen to be appreciated so please contact us for an inspection.

Cricket anyone ?

The Hamptons comes to Phnom Penh

Lush gardens...

Perfect River Views

This river front apartment has loads of character, is very light and is surprisingly quiet. It features nice terracotta floors and two bedrooms; one  with huge walk in closet and en-suite bathroom with tub and one smaller bedroom with loft storage. It has a second smaller bathroom and a smallish kitchen. With a large,curved glassed in balcony, the apartment can be kept cool with AC all year round. This would be ideal for a couple or single professional. The French owners can provide some furniture and you can make some requests depending on your needs.

Rent is $700pcm with 3 months payable in advance ( two months rent and one month deposit )

Power is 800r / kw

TV is $10

Please contact Perfect Places ASAP if you wish to view.

Living Room

Main Bedroom

Main Bedroom - walk in closet

Second loft bedroom

Small but functional kitchen

Tri-fold doors out to large balcony

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.

Park Avenue address !

This 2 bedroom E1 apartment faces the park and is near the Night Market on the riverfront. It is unique in that it is not your typical cigar tube 4mx20m apartment and it has a t-shape to it. The two bedrooms are large and there are two bathrooms and a loft that has a low ceiling. It has a fantastic view out over the park and needs some colour changes to the wall but with some attention this could be a great place for a single or a couple. It would also make a good office for a small business with several employees.

Rent is $700pcm ( though this is high so definitely neg’,power is 720r/kw,water is 2000r/kl and TV is free. There is secure parking for two motos downstairs.

Please call me and quote Night Market if you are interested.

More photos here…………

High Ceilings and t-shaped

Lofty and colourful

Open Kitchen

River Panorama

This fantastic fully furnished one bedroom, one bathroom ( bathtub )apartment is situated right on the river front and had uninterrupted views of the Tonle Bassac. The apartment is light and airy and has an open feeling to it due the bedroom being separated off by a front shuttered wall but no corridor wall. This makes the space feel very open and the furnishings are very nice.

Rent is $550 pcm ( previously $800 ),power is 1000r/kx,water is $10, tv is $10 and internet can be organised easily.

Please contact me if you are interested but this will not last long.Move in now and be ready for the spectacle of the Water Festival in November !

Western Galley Kitchen

Open plan bedroom - a great feature !

Rub a dub dub

Living room