Expats get taste of authentic courtyard life

Luca Parigi, marketing manager of Real Life Community, shares with METRO her view of the project.

What is Hegezhuang village like?

Hegezhuang is conveniently located near Jingcheng expressway, the Beijing Capital International Airport expressway. It also boasts the luxurious Green T. House Living, the emerging No 1 art base and artists' village with its attendant cafes and bars. Nearby are the luxury villa residence compounds of Cathay View, Beijing Rivera, Quanfa Gardens, Lane Bridge and Grand Hills.

A growing number of specialty shops and restaurants catering to expats can be found surrounding these gated communities.

How much does rent cost?

The basic rental fee is 50-55 yuan per sq m every month, including the entire courtyard and basic attached facilities in each room. The rent does not include water, electricity, gas, telephone, Wi-Fi and satellite TV fees.

Where do the villagers live after they rent out their houses?

The villagers move to other courtyard houses in the village, or rent apartments nearby or use the money to put a down payment on an apartment.

How much do villagers earn from the project?

The rent the villagers receive is based on the original size of the house, and it ranges from 60,000-80,000 yuan per year. Some of the bigger houses bring in about 100,000 yuan per year.

What happens after the 10-year lease expires?

After 10 years, the villagers have the right to take back their properties.

Villagers are most likely not interested in taking back their properties because they can make money without having to find tenants or manage the courtyard houses.

Real Life Community Hegezhuang village Chaoyang district, Beijing

Tel: 64312108

E-mail: contact@reallifebeijing.com

www.reallifebeijing.com

(China Daily 11/17/2009 page28)