Apartment hunting in Xiamen

We arrived in Xiamen much earlier than expected. Instead of the anticipated 25 hours, it took our overnight sleeper bus only 15 hours to cover the 1500 or so kilometers, which means we arrived at 4:30 in the morning. The bus was parked in a quiet street in downtown Xiamen, near the bus station. Most people got off, but the driver let us sleep for another hour and half, until the bus finally drove up to the staton. We took a taxi to our hostel in Zeng Cuo An, where we arrived at 7, after having to ask for directions many times in the narrow streets of this seaside village on the south side of Xiamen island, not far from the university.
Nobody seemed to know the place. Finally a street cleaner pointed it out, less than 50m from where we were standing. At the hostel everybody was still sleeping, but Xiao An managed to wake somebody up and have her agree to store our sizable luggage. Our room was still occupied and we could not use it until noon, so we left for breakfast.
I had booked the room for 5 days, to allow enough time to find an apartment, but it soon became clear that we wouldn't need that much time. We spent the morning scouting rooms in the village, which I had chosen on my previous visit in May as one of two areas most suitable for living. The other being the direct surroundings of the university, or even on campus. The reason it seemed suitable was that this village has a unique atmosphere that you won't find anywhere else on Xiamen island. With its narrow winding streets and low buildings, and its location right opposite the beach, it's hard to beat. It's a place where quite a few artists live, and there are a lot of small bars and eateries. Because of its proximity to the beach, the area also attracts a lot of tourists (almost all Chinese), and there are many hostels. The road along the beach is dotted with large restaurants, some of them right on the beach in modern glass architecture offering superb views while dining in style.
In the village, rooms and apartments are offered for rent directly by the owners, instead of through agencies as in the more urban areas. Available space is posted on walls and telephone poles, with a short description (only in Chinese) and a phone number. Xiao An proved invaluable here as my real-estate agent, making the calls and asking for directions. Some people refused to rent to foreigners, but we found one nice room on the top floor of a 4 storey building, which was obviously added later. There where two equal sized rooms there of about 16 m², each with a private bathroom with western toilet (which seems to be the norm in Xiamen, unlike Nanning, where the squat toilet is standard in even the newest apartments). There is also a larger shared space, with big windows, but no kitchen. The water and drain connections are there, but no appliances. The rooms are also quite bare, with only a double bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and A/C. Everything new, but rather spartan.
The rooms were offered at 800 RMB each, and the landlady suggested I rent both, to avoid trouble with another tenant in the other room. I would have the whole floor for myself. It does seem like a good offer, but I don't really need two bedrooms, let alone two bathrooms.
After viewing this room, which was the best on offer in the village, we also visited some agencies to see what they have. A bit further up from the coast, but still in Zeng Cuo An, there is an area with high-rise apartment blocks. This is also where the apartment is which I visited in May, where the students of the Sandberg Institute lived for some time. However, it is now abandoned by the institute. We saw some 2-room apartments with kitchen and balcony, going for 1500 to 1700 RMB a month, but they where not really very attractive. A bit old, with musty furniture, aging appliances, and spotty bathrooms.
We took the bus to Xiamen University, and after a very nice and expensive iced mocha, served in a tall glass with whipped cream on top, we visited some agents there. I had seen some apartments in that area in May already, so I knew what to expect. Prices are higher here, from 1500 to 2000 and more for a 2-room apartment of 30 to 50 m². We saw some, but again, nothing very attractive.
I set a limit for myself of 1500 RMB a month, with is already 50% more than I spent in Nanning. Xiamen is quite a bit more expensive, and I rather spend my money on food and other pleasures than just the monthly rent. That said, the 800 RMB room in Zeng Cuo An is at this time my best option. I will have to buy a fridge, and maybe a washing machine, but that will total to no more than 1000 RMB, so overall not such a big expense. Today we will go out again to view more apartments, but I think I will make my decision very soon, tomorrow at the latest.