|
3.
Housing
 In
Taiwan, as anywhere else, finding the right living environment
is the key to a happy long-term stay.
In populous Taiwan, high-rise apartment buildings dominate the
landscape, while free-standing houses are the privilege of the
extremely well-off. The average Taipei home measures 1,240 square
feet.
Real estate prices, particularly in Taipei, can be hefty - the
average apartment costs US$267,000, or an average of US$215 per
square foot. With a savings rate of about US$9000 a year, a family
in Taipei often takes as much as 30 years to pay for their home.
Although about three quarters of the Taipei population live in
their own homes, many families are forced to rent their apartment.
While the average Taipei household brings in around US$3000 a
month, they pay nearly US$600, or about a fifth of their income,
in rent.
For Westerners, the process of finding the right place to live
may seem more complicated and time-consuming than they are used
to, as business is done in Chinese. But a little advanced planning
and some extra patience are all that you will need.
Newspaper classified sections and neighborhood bulletin boards
have plenty of information on apartments to rent or buy. However,
a whole industry of real estate agents is available, and many
of the best places can only be found through one. If you would
like to rent an executive-quality free-standing house, an agent
is a given. Generally speaking, an agent's fee will be one-half
of a month's rent (the landlord will also be asked to pay half).
When you sign your contract, a damage deposit is standard, and
it should range between two and four month's rent. In addition,
a penalty will be stipulated for early departure; be sure to find
out how much. Contracts are almost always signed in Chinese, so
bring along a friend who can read Chinese, and make sure you understand
what you're agreeing to!
[Domestic Postage Rates]
| Category |
Weight
Step |
Rate
(NT$) |
| Letters |
Up
to 20g |
5.00 |
| Postcards |
Per
Item |
2.50 |
| Printed
Matter |
Up
to 50g |
3.50 |
|
[Special
Charges]
| Category |
Unit
to which the charges apply |
Charges |
| Registration
Charge |
For
printed papers in special bags (M tags), in addition
to surface and airmail postage per bag. |
100.00 |
|
For Items of all other categories, in addition to surface
or airmail postage, per item. |
24.00 |
| Express
Charge |
In
addition to surface or airmail postage, per item. |
30.00 |
| Advice
on Delivery Charge |
Per
item. |
18.00 |
|
[International
Postage Rates]
| Category |
Weight
Step |
Hong
Kong & Macau |
Asia
& Oceania |
Africa,
Europe & Sth.Am. |
USA
& Canada |
| Letters |
Up
to 20g |
9.00
|
|
|
|
| Per
additional 20g |
6.00
|
|
|
|
| Up
to 10g |
|
13.00
|
17.00
|
15.00
|
|
Per additional 10g |
|
9.00
|
14.00
|
13.00
|
| Postcards |
Per
item |
6.00
|
10.00
|
12.00
|
11.00
|
| Aerogrammes |
Per
item |
8.00
|
11.00
|
14.00
|
12.00
|
| Printed
Matter(Books and pamphlets) |
Up
to 20g |
7.00
|
10.00
|
13.00
|
13.00
|
| Per
additional 20g |
5.00
|
7.00
|
10.00
|
10.00
|
| Printed
Paper(M tags) |
Per
1000g |
124.00
|
195.00
|
358.00
|
358.00
|
| Newspapers |
Up
to 20g |
5.00
|
7.00
|
8.00
|
8.00
|
| Per
additional 20g |
4.00
|
5.00
|
6.00
|
6.00
|
| Small
Packets(Weight limit 2kg) |
Up
to 20g |
7.00
|
10.00
|
13.00
|
13.00
|
| Per
additional 20g |
5.00
|
7.00
|
10.00
|
10.00
|
|
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