Things to look for in an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh is in the process of rapidly developing new, modern housing. Without discussing (yet) the potential landlord issues, here are some things to think about when looking for an apartment in Ho Chi Minh.
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Street noise
Ho Chi Minh cities are notorious for their loudness, from the puttering of ancient scooters to the grating rrreerrrrrrr! of rusted bike brakes to traditional religious festivals to fireworks and so on. Living on a major street in Ho Chi Minh will almost definitely be loud, so take note of how much you can take and what the apartment in Ho Chi Minh offers.
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Air-conditioning
Summers will be crushingly hot and humid, and unless you were raised in the Amazon you will become best friends with your air-conditioner. When looking at an apartment in Ho Chi Minh, make sure you know where the A/C units are and whether or not they work. Commonly, A/C is available in rooms but not in communal areas, though exceptions can be found.
Proximity to public transit or Grab taxi
Even if you have a scooter in Ho Chi Minh, you will most likely want to use public transit from time to time. Ho Chi Minh’s bus systems are famously difficult for foreigners to use, but when understood will be highly useful.
Neighborhood
Picking the right neighborhood will depend heavily on your preferences, but it will possibly be the most important part of your Ho Chi Minh apartment decision. Checking out the area at night will be helpful depending on whether you prefer your nighttime to be lively or peaceful and quiet. Also be on the lookout for places you will want to frequent often, for example parks, gyms or libraries.
Bathrooms
Most likely your bathroom in apartment in Ho Chi Minh will have a western-style toilet and a non-western style shower. Most showers are simply showerheads attached in the corner of the bathroom and there will be a couple drains on the floor throughout the room.
If you find this detestable you can search a bit harder (or pay a bit more) and find places with tubs or enclosed showers. Also be on the lookout for reliability of hot water, which can be spotty.
