Pros and Cons of Lane House Living
So, you’re thinking of moving into a lane house. Smart move. Lane house are beautiful and lovely and great fun and a great way to experience Chinese culture etc. But they can also be a bit of a nightmare… Trust me. I have lived in two and you can ask just about anyone... Here is a list of pros and cons to lane house living, along some things to keep in mind when you’re checking them out.
Photo source: flickr user- Schav
Pro – The Neighbors
You will get to know your neighbors really fast, they will be lounging around in their undies all summer and lounging around in their thermals with ear muffs on (if they’re anything like my neighbors) all winter. You will probably have to walk through their kitchen to get to your apartment and they will waylay you to ask about every package, every shopping bag and will just generally want to know what you’re doing. It’s a great sense of community.
Con – The Neighbors
… until you’re coming home drunk at 5am and you’re met with burning eyes of judgment in the hall. Or you walk around your apartment too loudly late (8pm onwards) at night. Or you want to play music. Or socialize… or do anything that makes any noise. Yet please expect your neighbors to do construction work at 7am on a Sunday every week for the duration of their lives.
Photo source: flickr user- Evan Chakroff
Pro- Charming
Lane houses are charming. Fact. They are historic and quirky and generally lovely.
Con – Roaches
You will have cockroaches, it’s a fact. Put traps down, go heavy on the raid and get an oil burner to diffuse essential oils (mint and citronella are the best to keep away roaches) it helps… but it’s still bad.
Photo source: flickr user- Davidzlu
Pro – Beautiful
Lane houses are beautiful. Fact. When renovated, you can expect high ceilings and big windows and acres of charm.
Con – Dodgy plumbing
The plumbing will be wacked. Be prepared to never ever be able to flush toilet paper or face the wrath of your entire building because for some unknown reason all the plumbing is connected and if you’re the one to block it all up you will never, ever, be forgiven.
Photo source: flickr user – Rob Lee
Pro – Quirky
Lanes houses are quirky. Fact. This can be a con and a pro, depending on how you look at it. I love the weirdness of it, like the uneven steps that trip you, the fact that the floor is slanted a bit and the miscellaneous cupboard you find after living there for a year.
Con – Bad electricity
The fuses will blow ALL the time. So first thing when you move in make sure you know where the fuse box is and how to change a fuse. Make sure all the plugs that are hanging off of the walls are fixed and just be careful. Make sure you don’t have wet hands etc when you’re plugging anything in.
Photo source: flickr user – Jeff & Erin
Pro –
I’ve run out of pros.
Con – poor insulation
You will be cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Two out of my three windows don’t actually shut.
Con – poor waterproofing
There will be leaks due to windows not shutting, sky lights being poorly fitted… There will only be half a roof and a bit of tarp covering the rest.
Con – no elevator
There is never an elevator. Ever. But this is also a pro because there is never a queue for the elevator and you get really toned legs/butt.
BUT….
Photo source: flickr user – DDay209
Despite all of the cons, and there are many, I love living in a lane house. I am currently living in my second one and have no plans to move into a high rise. I love the character and the quirks and the feel of old Shanghai you get every time you walk in your door. I love my nosey neighbors always in their underwear. And whilst the constant miscellaneous drilling drives me a bit bonkers, I have really good ear plugs for that. And yeah it’s cold, but I got some sexy fleece jammies. And yeah in the summer its boiling, but I have AC and a fan.
If you’re considering moving into a lane house then these are the things you should check out before you move in.
My lane house checklist:
Don't live in a new conversion. Not worth the risk. (You want tenets who have tried and tested it)
Ask for references from previous tenants. If you can’t do that then talk to neighbors.
Test all the taps and showers, check for leaks. Look for mold in the bathroom around the bathroom or anything that could hint at leaks.
Run all the electricity in the house. Seriously. If the fuses blow you’re in trouble.
Visit once during the day and once during the evening to check noise levels at both times.
Check behind all surfaces and installations for mold. Mold can make you really sick and once you have it it’s hard to get rid of it.
Do you have a bike? Where is it going to go?
Do you have a scooter, where can you charge it?
Talk to neighbors and find out if any one has any construction plans. (I moved into my latest lane house and 3 days later the scaffolding went up and there was a worker painting the outside of my bathroom window as I was showering at 8am on a Monday)
Photo source: flickr user – Maggie’s World
So there you have it, my guide to all the pros and cons of living in a lane house. Basically you need to decide if the potential loveliness of it is worth the potential annoyance of it. That’s a personal consideration my friend, but I would say roll the dice and give it a whirl.
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