Preface
A few months ago, I rented my first apartment; part of that experience was documented in [[A099: Beijing Rental Experience (Part I)]] (Click to view).
I terminated the lease for that apartment before my exams. Recently, I’ve rented a second one—and here I share my updated insights.
Main Text, Part I: Skip the Installation Fee and Save ¥200 by Choosing “Cross-Provincial Broadband”
Taking China Mobile as an example: Under normal circumstances—whether visiting a physical service center or calling 10086—the standard broadband subscription is offered only as an annual package.
However, there exists another lesser-known service—even many in-store staff members and broadband installation engineers are unaware of it: cross-provincial broadband (also called inter-provincial broadband). This service was originally designed so users setting up broadband outside their home province wouldn’t need to activate an additional local phone number.
Most readers of this WeChat public account aren’t native Beijingers—and chances are high that either you or your family already holds a China Mobile number registered outside Beijing.
All you need to do is log into your non-Beijing China Mobile account, open the China Mobile app, search for “cross-provincial broadband,” and apply online. The entire process is fully digital and can be completed within 48 hours. After-sales support is handled locally by Beijing-based service teams.
Now comes the key point:
Compared to annual broadband packages, cross-provincial broadband excels both in pricing and flexibility—even for identical bandwidth (300 Mbps download speed, ~20–30 MB/s, perfectly adequate for everyday use):
| Annual Broadband Package | Cross-Provincial Broadband | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Subscription Term | 1 year | 1 month |
| Minimum Monthly/Annual Fee | ¥440/year | ¥30/month |
| On-Site Installation Fee | ¥200 | ¥100 |
| Total Cost — Year 1 | ¥640 | ¥460 |
| Total Cost — Year 2 | ¥1,080 | ¥820 |
Notes:
- The above applies exclusively to Beijing. Pricing in other regions may differ—please compare options carefully before deciding.
- China Telecom also offers cross-provincial broadband, but requires the registered account to meet a minimum monthly spending threshold of ¥39. China Mobile imposes no such requirement. Moreover, at ¥30/month, China Telecom only provides 200 Mbps bandwidth, whereas China Mobile offers 300 Mbps at the same price.
- I don’t hold a China Unicom account and thus haven’t verified whether they offer a similar service. Contributions from readers familiar with China Unicom’s offerings are welcome.
Main Text, Part II: How to Choose an Apartment
I again rented my second apartment through Lianjia (Beike), because my previous experience using them was positive: a professional agent mediated negotiations between me and the landlord, which gave me great peace of mind. Tasks like property viewings, paperwork processing, and negotiating with landlords all consume significant mental energy. Entrusting these to Lianjia costs one month’s rent (the industry standard is: agent fee = one month’s rent). You can either invest time to save money—or spend money to conserve mental energy. Personally, I find the latter more cost-effective: while my material needs are modest and saved money often remains unspent, preserved mental energy enables me to engage in more creative work—which, ironically, may generate even more income. That said, whether or not to hire an agent depends entirely on individual circumstances—so please decide accordingly.
Drawing from last time’s experience, I now deeply appreciate how crucial living environment quality is. This time, when selecting an apartment, I prioritized the following criteria—listed roughly in descending order of importance:
- Natural light: South-facing windows provide vastly superior lighting compared to any other orientation.
- Quietness: Avoid apartments facing busy streets. Ideally, the building should sit nestled between several others—where only pedestrians pass by, and vehicular traffic is virtually nonexistent.
- Vibrancy: Seeing young people jogging daily makes me feel youthful; watching elders basking in sunshine reminds me gently of aging.
- Floor level: Mid-level floors strike the best balance. Top floors tend to be colder and suffer low water pressure—sometimes too weak even to flush toilets properly. Ground-floor units are far noisier.
- Interior condition: While we shouldn’t expect luxury finishes in rentals, the unit mustn’t be dilapidated or filthy—nobody wants to live in a dump and gradually feel like trash themselves.
- Greenery: Being able to look up and see lush green trees versus staring blankly at dull, gray concrete façades creates a profoundly different experience.
Additionally, I studied basic feng shui principles specifically tailored for graduating TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) students seeking rental housing (see “Some Feng Shui-Based Suggestions for Graduating TCM Students Renting in Beijing”). I applied those guidelines during my apartment search—and observed firsthand that units avoiding feng shui “red flags” simply feel comfortable, whereas those exhibiting multiple issues evoke immediate discomfort.
The most obvious indicator is natural light: any north-facing unit made me want to walk out immediately upon entering.
The most comfortable unit I viewed was one that avoided all major feng shui pitfalls—and felt so pleasant that I kept returning to it, even after viewing cheaper or larger alternatives.
Postscript
A friend once told me: “For items you’ll use frequently and over a long period, buy the best you possibly can.”
I find this advice profoundly sensible—and housing is undoubtedly one such long-term, high-frequency-use item.