Hong Kong Moving 101

 After you have locked down your new flat and the ink is drying on the contract, don’t spend too much time celebrating because you have more work to do. Now you have to actually move! 

The easiest but least cost-effective way is to hire a moving company. If you have the money for it and/or are not in your 20s, it is a great option. Full disclosure: I have only done this once so I don’t have quite as much wisdom in this area. I will say it is nice! MUCH less stress and work than if you are moving yourself. 

I asked friends for moving company recommendations and went with one of those recommendations, but I know you can also google it or ask for suggestions on Reddit or Geoexpat. I happened to move close to Chinese New Year, so the rates were much higher than normal. 

Movers will also charge more if you are moving into a walk-up, but that is reasonable. That is something to consider when looking for places. You may be saving money on rent by living in a walk-up, but you will be paying more when you move and every time you get a delivery! When you hire movers, the cheaper option is if you pack everything yourself and then the movers just move it. They supply the boxes. Or if you just want to get it over with, you can pay them to also pack everything for you. 

I have heard it is expected to tip movers. I’m not entirely sure of the going rate right now, but I know it used to be around $50 to $100 per mover as “tea” money so they can get a snack. One friend told me that when they didn’t give enough of a tip, the movers didn’t leave! They kept talking about how hot it was and how hard moving her stuff was until she gave them more! 

If you are planning to move yourself, I hope that you either don’t have a lot of stuff or you have a lot of fit friends who are willing to help. When I know that a move is imminent, I start collecting boxes. I personally like reducing waste and getting things second hand (reduce, reuse, recycle!), so I generally try to collect my own boxes. That also saves money! You can go to supermarkets late at night when they are restocking and ask if you can get their leftover boxes. You can also see if anyone on Facebook marketplace or your neighborhood Facebook group is getting rid of boxes. If someone just moved, their boxes are usually in very good shape and they will want to get rid of them anyway. If that is just too much work for you, I understand. You can also order them off of Taobao or another box company (google it). 

You might want to get bubble wrap for wrapping your mirrors and breakable items and the big rolls of plastic wrap for wrapping your mattress so it won’t get dirty during the move. I’m sure you can also get those off of Taobao, or they can also be found at most stationery shops. I learned the word for bubble wrap when I was working at a non-profit (we always seemed to be shipping something and I made many stationery runs). I know it is “bo bo zi” and I assume that is “ball ball paper” but I have never seen it written down. Perhaps this is it? 波波紙bo1bo1zi2. Google doesn’t seem to have that one, so please correct me if I got the wrong characters. Anyway, the shopkeepers should know what you mean. 

After you sign the new contract, ask how soon you can get the key and start cleaning. Occasionally you will get a well-cleaned flat, but that is not the norm. Most of my flats’ cleanliness ranged from poor to terrifying. I also clean my flat before moving out (although I admit not a deep clean). It helps to make the flat look its best so your landlord won’t even question whether you should get your deposit back. But back to the actual moving. 

If you don’t have much stuff, you might be able to get away with a van, especially if your new flat is furnished so you aren’t moving large pieces of furniture. I generally use Gogovan to book vans although there is also Lalamove. You don’t have to book vans ahead of time if you are moving in the daytime. You can just get the app and request a van when you are ready. There are generally lots of van drivers waiting for orders, so it’s a lot like Uber except that you can pay cash if you want. 

If you have a lot of stuff, especially furniture, then you probably need to get a truck which will be ten times the price of a van. Those I do suggest booking ahead of time. You can call Gogovan’s customer service and they will help you arrange for a truck. I think you can also order one in the app, but it has been awhile since I have done that, so don’t take my word for it. 

I usually ask my friends to come thirty minutes to an hour before the truck is supposed to arrive so we can get all of the stuff out and onto the curb. This can be challenging if you live in a busy area. The hardest time I have ever had was when I moved from a flat on Hennessy Road in Wan Chai! It’s a good idea to assign someone to watch the stuff on the street so it doesn’t go walking off. On a few occasions I have seen people picking over my stuff before we shooed them away. They said they thought we were throwing it away, but I am skeptical. Be sure that you are ready to go as soon as the truck arrives because they will give you 15 minutes to get everything in, and then you will pay extra for every five minutes you go over. 

After getting everything in the truck (assembly lines are key), I will give my friends money for a taxi to my new place so that we all arrive at the same time as the truck. Usually trucks will allow two people to ride along with them but the others have to find their own way there. Another strategy is to have a second set of friends on the other side waiting for you. That works well if you have a lot of friends and if the places are far apart. If parking could be an issue, I might ask one friend to go to the new place early to save a parking space for the truck. If you can’t find parking close to your building, it adds another level of stress to the move. 

Usually both trucks and vans will have a moving dolly or pushcart you can use, but you might consider bringing another one if your work or a friend has one. After you get to your new place and move everything inside, you are done! Buy drinks and snacks for your friends, and breathe a sigh of relief. 

You can’t quite relax yet, though. As soon as I am moved, I usually go back to the old place to clean it up before my appointment with the old landlord to inspect it and turn over the key. Then there is just unpacking, re-arranging, and getting some sleep! You are in your new home.