Your first days in your home in Vietnam

Hello everyone,

Do you remember the first time you set foot in Vietnam? One of your main concerns must have been the settling down process in your new home.

I sure do remember! I was quite exhausted when I arrived (27hr travel time from Ottawa, Canada) so a more vivid memory is of waking the next morning in a hotel on a street named D. Pham Ngu Lao, D1, HCMC. Stepping out to the 3rd floor balcony, I remember being surprised at the smell of wood fires burning. I had absolutely no idea that people in a city of ~10 million, in 2017, that people still cooked using wood as a fuel!

Share your experience and tell us what it was like to find your new home in Vietnam and how the moving-in process worked for you. 
How did you find it (with an estate agency, your company, social networks, friends) and how long did it take?

I spent about a week at that hotel, scouring websites for a suitable home. Luckily for me, I befriended a local who was more than happy to help me in my search. As a tip to newly arriving expats, rental ads written in English will easily be twice the cost (at a minimum!)  as those written in VN. By the end of that week, I had found my new home not too far away, in D7 off of a street named Tran Trong Cung.

At that time, what were the most common housing options available in your area ? How did you narrow down your search?

The most common advertised homes were, of course, condominiums and apartments in high-rise bldgs. Not my cup of tea, to say the least. In my life I have only lived in a multi-unit building once, for 4 months, many many years ago in Toronto, Canada. I had my mind set on a house and was determined to find one. I wrote a short description of the unit back then, here.

  Did you opt for a temporary housing solution during your first days in Vietnam?

Yes, the one week stay at the D1 hotel, paid for by the day.

What are the main differences you noticed with your home country when it comes to the type of housing and formalities to settle in, etc.?

In Canada, the majority of single unit homes are made of wood, while here the norm is parged concrete blocks exterior with tile flooring throughout the home. Electricity was billed to the address, not to an individual tenant. Disconnect is swift, as I discovered on more than one occasion after returning from week-long road trips (90k VND reconnect, so no biggie other than the inconvenience). I had a very good relationship with my landlord and her husband, so oft times I paid rent in cash, receipts were not always issued. Garbage collection is daily (thanks be to God!).

What struck you the most when you first moved in?

The home had been vacant for only a couple of months but the amount of dust which had accumulated was, to me at that time, incredible. I've since become acutely aware of just how dusty Vietnam can be. Also, I had no idea what a "hem" was, and being a westerner who lived most of life in large cities I was a bit concerned about living in an alley. In many large western cities alleys are viewed with caution and are often best avoided.

Well, let me tell you, a hem is anything but a western style alley. Hems are little microcosms of Vietnam life. I'd even venture to say that living in a hem with locals is probably the most secure area one could find. All the neighbours watch out for each other, the hem is swept each and every day by (usually) the ladies of the homes therein. These same ladies also act as an informal sort of a "Neighbourhood Watch" brigade. I wanted to leave my newly purchased motorcycle out in the hem at night, but was told by a neighbour that "Maybe tomorrow your bike no look!", meaning it might get wheeled away in the late night hours while all hands were asleep. Message received!

Were there any challenges that you faced? If yes, how did you overcome them?

Biggest of all was (and is) the language barrier. English is not widely spoken among the general population, and outside of some major centres, not spoken at all. Unlike many countries with European-root languages, there is not one single word in VN I have found to be from western sources. What I mean by this is that though I cannot speak Spanish or French, whenever I have found myself in a Spanish or French speaking country I could still get basic messages/meanings across to a local. Things like hungry, hot, cold, police, hospital etc etc. Not so in Vietnam. My knowledge of VN has increased greatly, but certainly not to the point where I would claim any sort of proficiency. And this is after 6 years, having the vast, vast majority of my friends, acquaintances, and contacts being VN. I have had very little daily contact with fellow westerners. One saving grace though, and this is due to French Jesuit missionaries back in the 17th c. introducing (imposing?) the Roman alphabet (sort of, lol), is that at least as westerners we can read the signs posted here, unlike in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos etc.   Incidentally, I just recently discovered that Laos is actually Lao. The people call themselves, Lao, the language is Lao, and the country is Lao. The French gave them the "s".

Is there any piece of advice that you would like to give to future expatriates to make their new place feel like home?

Yes, indeed.

Always remember that you are a guest here.

Show respect for the local people and culture.

Things you may have found wasteful/distasteful/objectionable back home might be just the normal course of affairs here.

Resist any temptation to be critical, at least until you've really gotten your bearings here.

Oh, and those white-stripe crosswalk markings? They're just for aesthetics. LOL. When you want to cross the street, observe and mimic the action of the locals. Make eye contact with oncoming scooters. They do not want to hit you, as we are a bit larger than they and their bike might get damaged LOL.

Never walk in front of larger vehicles (cars/trucks/buses).

Above all, remember that for the majority of expats here, we are here by choice. Learn to go with the flow.

It really is a wonderful country, and despite my feeling many times like a stranger in a strange land, I'd not trade living here for anything.

Hope this is of help to any current or future expats.

Hi Cheryl!

I have created a new topic...

Signing A House Or Apartment Lease On A Tourist Visa

...which might be helpful to those looking into living in Việt Nam long term on a short visa.

Cheers!

O.B.

@Cheryl

First time I settled for a room in Bui Vien, and then Airbnb, until befriended expats turned me to Facebook expats group for housing and gigs etc. My main concern was walking distance to markets and work, plus being furnished, included internet, laundry, aircon.

The health and safety standards were definitely questionable. Mold, leaks, pest control seemed optional for some places. Not every place is up to code.

Facebook and Craigslist adverts in English were at least twice the rent than those advertised in Vietnamese. Took less than a week to find a good place.

Common options were sublet rooms in a flat or villa. Cons of that are most flatmates aren't keen on cleanliness. Best searches were studios or entire flat in Binh Thanh. District 1 and 2 had more flood zones.

Main differences I noticed was how the shower and toilet was not separate areas, so water is everywhere. Mosquitoes are unavoidable. Laundry dryers were extremely rare. Kitchen sinks rarely have sink garbage disposals. Aircon is not centralized, rather a unit in each room. Windows rarely have mesh screens.

Best advice, get a friend who can translate and refrain from flatmates. Pack your patience and be more humble with expectations.

@Cheryl
First time I settled for a room in Bui Vien, and then Airbnb, until befriended expats turned me to Facebook expats group for housing and gigs etc. My main concern was walking distance to markets and work, plus being furnished, included internet, laundry, aircon.
The health and safety standards were definitely questionable. Mold, leaks, pest control seemed optional for some places. Not every place is up to code.

Facebook and Craigslist adverts in English were at least twice the rent than those advertised in Vietnamese. Took less than a week to find a good place.

Common options were sublet rooms in a flat or villa. Cons of that are most flatmates aren't keen on cleanliness. Best searches were studios or entire flat in Binh Thanh. District 1 and 2 had more flood zones.

Main differences I noticed was how the shower and toilet was not separate areas, so water is everywhere. Mosquitoes are unavoidable. Laundry dryers were extremely rare. Kitchen sinks rarely have sink garbage disposals. Aircon is not centralized, rather a unit in each room. Windows rarely have mesh screens.

Best advice, get a friend who can translate and refrain from flatmates. Pack your patience and be more humble with expectations.
-@Rocky Wyn

😎👍👍👍👍👍

@Cheryl

My first experience in VN is probably not relevant for most of you, but for a few of you it may be quite useful.

It was several years ago when i first came to Vietnam, but the unusual thing was that my employer offered as part of my compensation room and board with the family of a permanent staff member. They provided me with a room of my own in  the house and i ate my meals with the family, there was a company car to get me to the office, and also an opportunity to travel with the group.

But the really useful aspects for a newby was that they took care of me. I wasnt going to restauants and wondering what is "bún thịt nướng?"; instead food was put in front of me and i could ask what i was eating. I didn't have to find my way around a super market; for my first attempt to cross a large street on foot, someone took me by the hand.

In short for all of those "how the hell do i..." experiences, Ihad someone to help me.

If you have a chance to live with a vietnamese family, by all means accept the offer.

p.s. yes  i made a lot less money... but I didn't need any.