Bonkers second law of compromise - apartment living

If you think that transplanting your quarter acre block home and garden lifestyle to Hong Kong is easy, think again. In Hong Kong apartments are called houses and they exist only in high rise complexes with back yards known as balconies and club houses. Apartments are hideously expensive, small and bedroom sizes are a joke. Some places have maids rooms too. I could not actually lie down in the space allowed for the maid, consequently it is a good idea to check the height of your domestic helper before moving in to save on any embarrassment.

Some people able to live outside the city area or on the peak in free standing houses, but there are so few and these make up a tiny fraction of total housing in HK.

Time and time again you will be staggered by the high price and low quality housing options available.

The flip side of course is shown above, a fully open sea view, from a high floor apartment with no neighbours peering in. If you can do it, afford the premium price, it's definately worth the extra bucks. The harbour is so busy that the view is never completely the same, with all kinds of ships cruisers, barges, marine police, sampans, junks and funny little deep hulled bucket like ships that refuel the container vessels in the middle of the harbour.

For those living on the lower floors with the street noise, a clear view of the chinese neighbours grand father roaming around in his white singlet and shorts all day, the bonkers factor can get a little extreme.