adjoining wall as possible.
4 months before move-in date –
if you are away
1. Have daily follow-ups with your
contractors. You are obviously not
their only client, so if they can get
away without prioritizing you, they
will do so.
2. Ask them to email or send you
photos of progress via digital media.
3. Discuss the work sequence with
your si fu should you need to move
in earlier, so that you have a place to
sleep. (Read: Fix a bedroom first!)
3 months before move-in date
1. Start thinking about your furniture.
Don’t forget, Ikea is always there.
2. Consider a trip (or two) to
Shenzhen, an amazing alternative.
Plenty of furniture malls just across
the border offer ‘designer’ pieces at
the same prices as Ikea, and are able
to customize bigger items such as
sofas, beds and curtains. As well as
the essentials, there are also plenty
of home decor stores selling cool
lighting and ceiling fans, Persian
rugs (fakes, but you can’t beat a small
Persianesque rug for RMB100!),
and Chinese wooden furniture, such
as beautiful room dividers which
normally cost an arm and a leg!
Most shopkeepers speak at least a
little English.
3. Complete your furniture shopping
within one trip, if possible. The stores
within the same mall work together
to gather all your purchases before
delivering in one batch – that means,
your delivery will arrive when the
last piece you purchase is available
(usually something tailor-made). Try
to schedule your furniture to arrive
before your completion date, but
after most of the construction work is
completed.
4. Shops usually require a 50 per
cent deposit, with the balance paid
on delivery. Delivery guys frequent
furniture malls and they will be able
to give you a delivery quotation.
5. Measure all your windows before
going to the curtain shops.
1-2 months before move-in date
1. Monitor your si fu's work. The
wiring and pipework should all be
completed at this stage and your si fu
should start to repair and repaint the
walls.
2. Ask your si fu to explain the
technical details of all the work he has
carried out. We take so many things
for granted from salt water/fresh
water going to the right places to walls
being flat.
3. Check everything works properly. If
safe to do so, check electrical sockets,
air-conditioning units, taps, showers,
flushes, door and window locks and
light switches. Ask your si fu to hang
light fittings and ceiling fans.
On completion
1. Hire a cleaner for a day or two to
scour every inch of the apartment
before moving your family back in – it
will be extremely dusty, no matter
how many times you vacuum it from
front to back.
2. Be prepared to eat take-out and
sushi until the gas is connected. A
microwave and toaster may come in
handy!
3. Let your management know about
your completion and get your deposit
back.
4. Enjoy your new home!
March 2015
59
