Hi
I empathize so much. Iโve been traveling for almost a year, worked in one country for some month (Hong Kong) and now Iโm staying in Singapore with a regular paycheck.
In each place, every time people / expats where talking about long term and pricy rental, big leap with financial impact. Coming from a free lifestyle Iโฆ just couldnโt.
So thank you for the words โcommitment phobicโ, now I can name my state of mind.
But obviously I should go for long term rental now (because peace of mind and lower rental fees)
Now I realized every city / country seem to have different rules and market so knowing the options need some learning. Hong Kong is easy for short term, lot of choice but big financial commitment if you want long term ; Singapore very regulated, almost no short term apartment except pricy condominium.
So I adapted a friendโs technique (heโs a life long traveler).
I go incremental to know the options around and how I feel about it while keeping prices shy
- First I try different neighborhood with hostel, airbnb rooms/small studio, eventually hotel, so I get an idea of the surrounding vibe, commuting time, shops and groceries options.
In Singapore I made it an experiment to have a nomad lifestyle for 4 month while having a regular job. Interesting but socially limiting (not girlfriend compliant, awkward in casual conversations with co-workers, et)
- step 2 I get an apartment in a surrounding I like for a month. m
Mostly I could only find condominium in Singapore, but I do last minute booking in booking.com so I have โnormalโ or fancy apartment with an ok fee even for short term. Usually itโs a top grade apartment which is presented as lower category since none did rent it (after booking the owner present it as a friendly upgrade). Since itโs short term Iโm not really concerned if itโs not up to my expectations.
But if I feel good in the place, can see myself there, next step
- Iโm going to the owner and ask for a possibility of extending to several months with a lower fee. (itโs a garanted rental for the host, hassle free, etc)
- Eventually I will have more stable time to look for a better option around, learn tips from locals or get super plans from relations, or just talk about a real contract with the host in the same apartment.
I realized in Hong Kong if I love a place I donโt have a problem with commitment. I have a problem with blind committing to an apartment, taking too much time visiting stuff without experiencing them, and, well, I need a readaption time to remember what a stable life offers as opportunities :).
Hope it helps!
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