Here's a breakdown of our search for those interested in living here for an extended period of time.
Background
For the few weeks leading up to the trip, we tried not to stress out too much on the details of what we'd do and where we'd live once we landed.
Granted I'm the planner between the two of us and take pride and pleasure in having most, if not all of the details of a trip figured out in advance, I wanted to use this trip as a way for me to get away from that role and see what happens by going with the "it'll figure itself out" mantra.
For as long as we needed, we were provided a temporary room in the residential complex above the OBV clothing retail store. This was a very kind and helpful offer, but it wasn't with out it's inconveniences--primarily incurred by the OBV family of volunteers who also lived in the same complex.
In order to leave the building, we'd have to go down the stairs and through the retail store. The store would close around 9:00 PM and the metal gates would be padlocked from the inside. If we wanted to stay out past 9:00 PM, we would have to call someone to let us in. If we came home late, we would have to wake someone up. Naturally, we couldn't have our own set of keys and lock it from the outside, as everyone inside would be locked in with no way out. Heaven forbid there'd be a fire while we were away.
Unbeknownst to us, poor Kien An was asked to vacate his room for us. He slept on a cot or small bed in one of the empty OBV offices. We felt terrible for the guy!
The inconveniences we placed on the OBV volunteers and the need to have our own space compelled us to find a new place to live ASAP. Thus, we started searching for apartments.
Getting Prepared, Knowing the Landscape
First off, when looking an apartment, be it a studio or multiple-room unit, keep the following things in mind.
Go with an Apartment Agent
If you're new to Vietnam, then there's little chance that 1) you're going to know the street well enough to find places on your own, and 2) you're going to communicate clearly enough to make sure that you're getting the place that you want.
Go with the pros, people who know what they're doing. These people are apartment agents. You can connect with these agents through a basic internet search for the terms "apartment Ho Chi Minh City," or through Craigslist.
Here's an example of a Craigslist posting. We actually wound up finding an apartment through this particular agent, Mr. Dan.
Here's an example of a separate website for finding apartments. We took a look at a few of the places listed on this site.
The cool thing about going with an agent is that you actually get an unintended motorbike tour of some of the districts.
Our search involved looking at listings provided by three different agents. All three of them offered to show me their listings, which meant blocking out a few hours of the day, getting on their bikes, and checking out all of the places on my list. During rush-hours, they took the backroads and shortcuts. I got to explore different areas going from listing to listing. It was awesome.
Understand 'Serviced' versus 'Unserviced'
Know the difference between 'serviced' and 'unserviced,' and use this as a way to describe to your apartment hunting agent what you want.
'Serviced' means that most or all of your utilities are covered, and your living space is mostly if not fully furnished. I use the phrase 'most or all' because there's a range that you need to make clear with your agent. For some places, all of the utilities could be included in the rent except for electricity. You'd have to pay that bill on your own. Likewise, some places come fully furnished except for anything that the current/former tenant bought and took with them (e.g. a fancy countertop, plug-in stove).
Serviced apartments are usually small studio or 1-bedroom units.
'Unserviced' means that you pay all of your bills on your own. Bills come separately from your rent and are delivered to your apartment, usually slipped under your door; you pay your bills at the management office. Your place might come partially furnished with a bed, couch, basic kitchen and washing appliances, air conditioning, and a T.V.. The place comes 'as-is,' so clarify what stays and what goes with the out-going tenant.
Unserviced apartments are usually larger 1- or 2-bedrooms units.
When in doubt, ask a lot of questions.
Explore 3-, 4-Story Buildings with Gated Entry and High-Rise Complexes
Most of the serviced apartments are in 3- or 4-story buildings. They can sit along busy roads or be tucked away in obscure alleys that you wouldn't notice if you weren't a local. These buildings are usually gated and have security guards on-site 24/7. That's great for increased security. What turned us away from these kinds of places was 1) Thuy would have a hard time finding it on her own if it were tucked away in a small, obscure alley, and 2) we didn't like the idea of having to call security down to let us in when we come home late.
You'll find more unserviced apartments in what you might consider the traditional apartment high-rises. It's not gated, so you don't have to worry about getting in and out at late hours, but there is still security patrolling the area in case you need help with something. Such a large complex dictates that it's further away from the dense parts of a district, however, you're probably still close enough to get to all of the fun spots with a quick taxi or xe om ride.
Deciding on a Place, Making the Deal
The agents could only take one of us on their bike, so I decided to go ahead without Thuy. I brought my camera so I could take video walkthroughs and review them with her later.
I took the advice of a friend and fellow expat, Tam Nguyen, and gave ourselves enough time to at multiple places. The market was ripe for us, as there were plenty of options available. After looking at around 25 different units, we decided on an unserviced, 2-bedroom/2-bathroom apartment in the Central Garden apartment complex.
Central Garden about 22 stories tall and has two buildings, A and B. It sits on the edge of District 1 along a river that overlooks District 4, which sits on the other side of the river. There's plenty of small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants on Co Giang street right right around the corner, and taxi cabs sit in the parking lot ready to serve you. There's also a bank right in front of the building in case you need to exchange money.
We had increased confidence in our building once we realized that there were plenty of other expats living here. It meant that the management team was familiar with expat occupants, and it wouldn't be too much of a struggle for me in particular to get things taken care of on my own.
Once we decided on Central Garden, I had Mr. Dan communicate with the landlord on a tentative move-in date, lease duration, and price. We asked for a small discount just to see if he'd give one. He offered to reduce the price by around $15/month. Pays for parking, which is better than nothing.
We agreed on a 6-month lease. We were to pay first and last month's rent along with a refundable security deposit.
After a week of agreeing that we wanted the place, we made the downpayment, signed the contracted, threw our four boxes and luggage in a taxi, took the keys, and officially moved in to our new place!
Adjusting to Our New Place
We've been in our apartment for going on our third week.
Our first week was a bit rocky. We had internet connectivity issues that required repeated calls to the landlord and repeated visits by the IT guy. It's finally working and stable, although we do get the infrequent loss of connectivity. When that happens, it's a sign for us to leave the apartment and head elsewhere in the city.
We also had to deal with the ant issue. Unless you're living in the lap of luxury or are in a hotel, chances are that you're going to share your space with ants, and maybe the occasional cockroach (the size of your thumb...don't freak out). It was a bit unsettling and frustrating, but now we're used to it. It's more of a nuisance than it is disgusting. We bought bug spray from the supermarket, and we've been diligent about not leaving food out overnight.
We bought other necessary household supplies from the Coop Supermarket about five or ten minutes away by taxi. We spent about $100 total on getting everything we need to get fully situated.
It's been great having our own space. Our bed is comfortable as far as beds in Vietnam go, which tend to be about five-inches thick and pretty stiff. We hooked up our T.V. so I can watch Vietnamese programming from time to time. Most of all, it's nice to come in and out as we please and without having to inconvenience anyone. A majority of the taxi drivers I've used to come home know this apartment complex, as it's one of the few this tall along our road and it's located right next to the Russian Market.
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