hello everyone! I will be moving from a school dormitory to a private room in February, so I recently signed a contract for a private room! For the first time in Korea, it was not easy to find a place to stay and sign a contract. So today, I would like to share with you the stories and tips I experienced while looking for a place to stay.

Jeonse or monthly rent

The first thing to consider when looking for a house is whether to rent it on a jeonse or monthly basis. You all are familiar with monthly rent, but the problem is “rental”! To put it simply, a jeonse system is a system in which new residents pay a deposit to use a house for a certain period of time and do not have to pay monthly rent during that period. Please note that for both monthly rent and jeonse, the “management fee” must be borne by the person living there each month. Recently, a lot of fraud called “jeonse fraud” has occurred in Korea and has become a social issue. Be sure to keep this in mind when signing a contract! be careful!

Find a real estate app

Even if you don't go to the property in person, you can check what properties are for sale in the area you want. When I was looking for a house this time, I used “Dabang” and “Jigbang.” When looking for a house for monthly rent, for example, it is often written something like "Monthly rent 400/40! The number in front is the deposit, and the number in the back is the monthly rent amount to be paid each month. For reference, when you move out of the room later, This deposit comes back to you!

Go to real estate

After finding a house you like through the app, the next step is to actually visit the property. I think you will be able to find a house more smoothly if you make a reservation by phone before visiting and tell them the price range and location you want. In fact, I signed a contract at the second property I visited. And when visiting real estate, I think it would be better to visit with a Korean friend.

Calculate your monthly payment

When you live on your own, you need to pay a “management fee” in addition to the monthly rent. Management fees vary depending on the property. Some properties include water and gas costs, while others include only internet and TV cable costs. When looking for a home, you need to check and ask what maintenance fees are included.

Create a stay-at-home checklist

I think it's important to think about the conditions you need when looking for a house and your own priorities in advance. Also, I think it's a good idea to create a "checklist" of things you need to check when actually looking at a house and use it. For example, 1) Does sunlight come in well? 2) Does water flow well from the toilet, shower, and sink? 3) Is there good ventilation? 4) Nearby facilities? 5) Management fees included (water, gas)? 6) Are cockroach repellent installed? 7) Shared facilities? Entrance password and CCTV 8) Whether there will be any smell from the drain, etc.

Please keep this in mind when looking for a place to stay! Thank you for reading today.