Bo2SS

Hello everyone, this is Bo2SS～

It's almost rental season again! So this time, I'm bringing back the rental article I wrote before, reviewing it for myself and also sharing it with friends who are looking to rent in the near future.

Introduction#

Before we start with the main content, let me first share some of my insights on renting that I have gained over the past year:

1. Start looking for houses early, otherwise, even with a good strategy, if there are no available houses, you won't be able to find a good one. As the saying goes, "It's difficult to find a rental without a source" (I feel like after July, there won't be many good houses left 🤔).

2. Commute time. Speaking for myself, I prefer a commute time of within half an hour. Currently, my commute takes more than 40 minutes every day, so I'm considering renting a place closer to work to have better control over my time (actually, the other aspects of where I currently live are quite suitable, but I always want to find a reason to change the environment 👀).

3. Convenience in daily life is very important: Sometimes, it feels great to be able to buy something you want with just a few steps outside. This is even more important if you like to cook for yourself 🍚.

The main content is divided into three parts: 1) 🏠 Factors to Consider when Renting, 2) ➡️ Rental Process, and 3) 💼 Home Decoration.

01 🏠 Factors to Consider when Renting#

I once read a report on rental happiness published on Xianyu 🐟, which showed that the factors that contribute to rental happiness are: rent accounts for 20% of income, living in a relatively prosperous area, having a private bathroom, and moving less than once a year. These are the results of big data analysis, and I think they make sense, but the specific factors to consider for a house may vary from person to person.

Below are the factors I considered when renting, listed in order of priority, for your reference:

1. ⏰ Commute time: Within half an hour.

2. 💰 Rent: Around 20% of income.

3. 💰 Utilities: Some apartments or urban villages have very high utility costs, which are commercial rates. So when considering rent, you can include the expensive utility costs in the overall evaluation. Pay attention to the power consumption of major appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, water heaters, and induction cookers when viewing the house.

4. 🎭 Layout: It's best to have a separate space for the kitchen. If it's in the bedroom, friends who like to cook should pay attention to the ventilation. If the bedroom is close to the outside corridor, pay attention to sound insulation.

5. 🍵 Area: Depends on personal preferences and budget.

6. 🌞 Lighting: For the floor, higher floors have better lighting and views. As for the orientation, south-facing is more suitable, but in hot cities, east-facing might be more comfortable to avoid the afternoon sun 🌞.

7. 🔊 Sound insulation: Pay attention to the thickness of the walls and whether there are any strange noises from the pipes.

8. 🥩 Surrounding environment: Is the transportation convenient? Is it easy to buy meat, vegetables, and groceries?

9. 💰 Other expenses: Property management fees, internet fees, etc.

10. ➕ Other factors: If the house is newly renovated, there might be fewer pests 🤔; the impression of the landlord or agent in terms of trustworthiness; if it's a shared rental, other factors such as roommates need to be considered.

02 ➡️ Rental Process#

Three steps: Online screening 👉 On-site visits 👉 Signing the contract. The entire process revolves around the factors to consider mentioned above.

① Online Screening 🎲#

Keep these in mind:

• 📷 Houses in photos or VR are usually enlarged, as the photographers often use wide-angle lenses.

• 📶 Houses that look exceptionally good online are usually used for attracting attention. You need to contact the responsible person for more details.

• ⏰ In Shenzhen, during the graduation season, house listings are updated very quickly. Good houses are usually taken within one or two weeks. So it's best to start screening online a week in advance and contact the responsible person. Alternatively, you can contact a few agents even earlier and ask them to help you keep an eye out.

I mainly use two platforms: Beike and Ziroom:

1. 🐚 Beike is usually used by agents. They will recommend real-time listings based on your workplace and budget. You need to pay half a month's rent as an agency fee. The decoration and furnishings of the house mainly depend on the landlord, and the rent can usually be negotiated.

2. 🌃 Ziroom has a person in charge called a "housekeeper" instead of an agent. There is no agency fee, but there is a certain percentage of service fees every month, which includes property management fees, internet fees, cleaning fees, and maintenance fees. The decoration and furnishings of the house are updated and maintained by Ziroom, and the rent is managed by the platform without negotiation. For fresh graduates, Ziroom offers a deposit-free option, but you need to pay quarterly. If your company has a cooperation agreement with Ziroom, you can usually get a discount on the service fees and have the opportunity to change rooms for free within three months.

② On-site Visits 🔍#

The purpose is to verify your expectations and consider factors that cannot be experienced online.

Generally, the house you rent won't be perfect, after all, you have a budget, so choose the best option is the best choice.

③ Signing the Contract 📄#

• If you are using a platform like Ziroom, you can sign the electronic contract on the app. Check the details of the fees, special circumstances, etc. There shouldn't be any major issues.

• If you are signing the contract through an agent, pay attention to some details. There are many reference articles online, such as: A Must-Read Guide to Signing a Rental Contract for Renting a House for Beginners: Nine Things to Pay Attention to in a Rental Contract - Zhihu. Pay attention to the details of the fees, payment methods, housing ownership, housing usage, subletting and termination procedures, etc.

❗️I almost forgot, ask your colleagues at work where they usually live. There are usually cost-effective options in those areas 😄.

03 💼 Home Decoration#

🤭On the first day of moving in, all you need to buy are bedding and toiletries.

Below are checklists for the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, and bathroom, including essential items and interesting products. Most of them consider space utilization and are for your reference.

🥣 Kitchen#

• Rice, oil, onions, ginger, garlic, seasonings, with rice storage container and seasoning jars

• Rice cooker / pressure cooker

• Pots, spatulas

• Knives, cutting boards: Recommend using wall-mounted knife racks and cutting board racks to save space

• Tableware: Bowls, chopsticks, spoons 🥢

• Dishwashing, table wiping, pot scrubbing cloths, with hooks 🪝

• Apron

• Ziplock bags, plastic wrap

• Broom, mop

• Hanging trash can: Hanging type to save space

• Storage rack: Utilize vertical space

• Double-layer draining basket: For washing vegetables and fruits

• Air fryer: Can be used as an oven; raises the lower limit of cooking

• Kitchen door curtain: If there is no door

• Foldable draining rack: Foldable, saves space

• Other utensils: Grater, bag sealer, power strip, kitchen paper, heat-resistant gloves, garlic press, colander

🍵 Dining Room#

• Folding dining table: If there isn't one

• Tablecloth, placemats, bone china plates: Prevent dirt, heat insulation, add a sense of ceremony

• Electric kettle, cold water kettle: One for boiling, one for storing

• Magnetic fridge stickers: List some meal plans and reminders about diet ⏰

• Fridge hanging rack: For storing ziplock bags, kitchen paper, etc., fully utilize the wall space of the fridge

😴 Bedroom#

• Bedding: Essential for moving in

• Electric fan: Recommend tower fans, space-saving

• Clothes hangers

• Quilt clip (for drying quilts, useful in humid areas)

• Garment steamer: Enhances the overall appearance of clothing

🛀 Bathroom#

• Toiletries: Essential for moving in (can be paired with a magnetic toothbrush cup to save space)

• Hairdryer, hairdryer holder: Saves space

• Shower products

• Fragrance

Now you should be all set for your daily life 🎉.

Conclusion#

One year of working, everything is going well~

Finally, I hope this article can provide you with some help before renting~

Also, if you want to learn some simple dishes, you can visit my video account, "Challenge: 100 Dishes Your Girlfriend Wants to Eat". I'm waiting for you to join the challenge ✋. See you next time!