Downsizing & moving out of Hong Kong😍
As most of us living in Hong Kong would know, SIZE matters! Flats in Hong Kong can vary from sizes, shapes and not forgetting their heights as well, depending on where you are living and what we fit in it makes all the difference. We at Team Localhood looked into how we can downsize and if you are moving out of Hong Kong, what are your options. Localhood members Pavitra and Saravanan looked at what are the choices to both downsize and moving out of or into Hong Kong.
From all these years living in Hong Kong, I have moved around multiple times. The sizes of the flat ranged from as big 800sqft to a sizeable 300sqft, varying from location to location. Having moved about both locally and globally, I find it useful to be in Hong Kong as it offers a multitude of choices when it comes to selling your used furniture and products, storage facilities that comes in all sizes and not forgetting international movers to those who require assistance to move out of the country.
Websites and apps like Carousell, Facebook marketplace and Hong Kong Asia Expat are useful in more ways than one. Not only do these websites/apps allow you to list your products to be sold to give it a new home, it also allows you to negotiate and bookmark the page of the product you are interested in, to notify you when the prices are slashed. What I also like about it is that you can go and view the item before purchasing it, unlike when you buy stuff online. You can use one of the transport services like GoGo Van to bring the items you purchase to your home.
Buying plants on platforms like Facebook Marketplace can help you save some money and give a home to beautiful plants nurtured by their previous owners!
Happy Shop is another option to sell used furniture. Their motto is to encourage sustainability so they would retain parts of your furniture/pre-loved items that are useable and give you electronic coupons that you could use for future spending at one of their branded shops.
2nd Chance is a great way to sell quality second-hand furniture. Contact them on whatsapp and send them pictures of furniture you want to sell and they will let you know if they will accept it.
If you want to do a good deed before you leave Hong Kong, you could check out GreendotHome or Crossroads Foundation. Green dot Home donates or sells the items collected with the proceeds going to charity. They offer collection services for a basic transportation fee, or you can drop off your items at their warehouses.
Another option of downsizing in Hong Kong is the self-storage space that is offered on a rental basis. The sizes of these self-storage units come in varying sizes, self-accessible, 24 hours CCTV, stable storage environment that allows you to store your valuables and documents, vehicles and some even offer door to door service. Most of the self-storage companies now offer a great deal that tends to be cheaper if rented for a longer period of time. The most commonly used self-storage companies in Hong Kong are REDBOX, The Store House and Cube Self Storage. You can always google their closest location and use their website to get a quotation for the best pricing and they will be more than happy to contact you with further details.
LocalHood tips for a smooth move in or out: Measure your space before you purchase furniture, so you don’t end up having something too large or small for your space.