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| Okay, so how am I gonna fit all my stuff in such a small apartment? A lil help plz? |
WARNING: If you are in a similar situation as I was, a foreigner looking for a place to stay in Korea, you might be overcharged for an inferior accommodation. Keep calm. This is not the fault of your coworkers. You have just met an independent contract real estate agent.
Independent contract real estate agents are often hired by the public school system to give you a tour of affordable apartments. They will ask you how much key-money you have, which is a down payment totalling hundreds to thousands of dollars. When you inevitably say, "if I was loaded, I'd probably be upgrading my education rather than teaching here," your agent will smile, nod, and bring you to the cheapest deal in town. Or you have the money, and can front it, but beware, the foreigner in Korea is legally vulnerable.
On my last contract, I received a housing allowance of 400,000 won, which is roughly $400 USD. For a 250,000 won, one-room apartment, I was charged my full housing allowance, plus an additional amount for water. Recently I've received reports that foreign teachers will now pay an extra 100,000 won on top of their housing allowance. Make sure that all of your housing costs are covered by your allowance, not including associated monthly expenses. Your coworkers should understand, and might even help you go above the head of your agent.
You probably won't have this problem if you work at a private English school. Private schools in Korea often offer a paid accommodation. The condition of that accommodation is somewhat negotiable, depending on the responsiveness of your academy director and your personal penchant for persuasion. I recommend avoiding buildings with restaurants in them, and asking if your electricity and heat are personal or shared among building members. The former is to avoid finding cockroaches, and the latter is to avoid picking up the tab for high energy consumers. Once you're in a contract, switching is a pain and all negotiations are null.
Your associated monthly expenses are often non-negotiable. You will pay for electricity, gas, phone and internet. They are payable at the bank, or sometimes through your academy director. Also, you can even pay bills at the convenience store. Unless stated otherwise in your contract, building maintenance fees should be paid by your academy director.
Above all, remember that this is your home for a year or more. You don't have enough time to call it a fixer-upper, but you're there long enough that its condition will affect your quality of life, and thus your daily attitude in the classroom. If it is unacceptable, mention it to your director or coworker and work together to find an acceptable arrangement.
Wondering what a one room apartment looks like? Check out this vlog editor-in-chief Ashley Guerrero did about her first Korean apartment.
~article by Leif Nordholm, video by Ashley Guerrero
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