9. Go with a friend or stranger-friend
Going apartment hunting alone is a daunting task. If possible, ask a friend to go with you. In my case, I didn’t know anyone in Beijing, so I made friends with a stranger at the hotel I was staying in. Don’t worry. It’s really not as scary as it sounds. We happened to be in the same elevator as each other and started talking. He’s currently an NYU law school student and is studying abroad at Peking University for a semester. We joined forces in our quest for a place to call home, and this made apartment hunting a lot less overwhelming.
8. Wear comfortable shoes
This isn’t the time to be chic in Beijing. Bryan (my stranger-friend) and I spent our day zipping around the city on the back of our real estate agent’s moped. Wear shoes conducive to climbing stairs, walking, riding electric bikes etc.
7. Don’t expect the picture to match the place
If you respond to an online advertisement, don’t expect to visit the place that you saw in the picture. Agencies post hundreds of ads on websites, and the pictures don’t always match up with the actual apartment. The places they do show you are pretty similar in style though.
6. Prepare to speak Chinese
Even though many of the advertisements are in English, the real estate agents typically only speak Chinese.
5. Expect a commute
Beijing is not a concentrated city like New York. Don’t be put off by an apartment if it’s ten or fifteen minutes away from the closest subway. This is fairly typical in a sprawling city like Beijing. You can always buy a bike or an electric moped to shorten the commute!
4. Don’t sign the dotted line until you fully understand
This might sound fairly obvious, but leasing information can be somewhat confusing – especially when the transaction is all being done in Chinese. Know EXACTLY what you’re agreeing to before you sign your name on the dotted line.
3. Negotiate
My landlord originally asked that I pay a full six months of rent upfront. Absurd! Always remember that everything is negotiable.
2. Have easy access to cash
When you’re apartment shopping in Beijing, cash is king. Whoever presents the money first is the person who gets the apartment. Saying that you want the apartment is not enough. While I was sitting in my agent’s office, a couple went to the bank to get money and another person came in with money for the deposit. Guess who got the apartment?
1. Make a decision and don’t look back!
Once you’ve decided on your place, don’t look back. Don’t think about the “what ifs.” What if there’s a better apartment? What if there’s an apartment closer to my school/work? Enjoy your new home and your time in Beijing.
9. 找个朋友，或陌生朋友
自己一个人找公寓不容易。如果可以的话，找个朋友陪你比较好。我呢，在北京一个人都不认识，所以我和酒店的一位陌生人交了朋友。别担心，没那么危险。当时我们俩正在电梯里，所以开始聊天。他是个纽约大学法学院的学生，正在北大上一个学期。我们决定联合一起寻找我的未来公寓；两个人比较容易。
8. 穿舒服的鞋子
现在不是时髦的时间。北严（我的陌生朋友）和我整天乘着房地产经纪人的电单车；鞋子不舒服的话你一定后悔得很。要记得，你得爬楼梯，走路，搭电单车和类似。
7. 照片不一定和事实一样
如果你是回答一个网上的广告的话，别以为地方会和照片一模一样。广告网上很多，房地产公司也很多。照片不一定是你会见到的地方。可是它们会相似。
6. 最好讲中文
广告会是英语。房地产经纪人通常只讲中文。
5. 远距离很正常
北京不像纽约一样集中。就算地方离开最接进的地铁十到十五分钟，也别担心。在北京那么大的城市，这是很正常的事。最多买个自行车，或电单车。
4. 不了解和约之前不要签！
这听起来很明显，可是合约都很复杂，外国语言的合约更复杂。签合约之前你得保证你了解所有的条件。
3. 讨价
房东开始时是要我先付六个月的房租。莫明奇妙！记得：凡事都可以商量。
2. 现金最好
在北京，现金最有力。谁先付钱谁就先签合约。仅仅说你要了它还不够。我坐在房产经纪人的办公室的时候，另外一对夫妇去银行拿了现金，回来付了存款。猜猜谁得到了公寓？
1. 君子动手后最好不后悔
决定了过后别返回，别后悔，别再想了。有更好的公寓吗？有比较近的公寓吗？别想了。享受你在北京的新家吧。