Maids and Maid-rooms..

B

baguette

Registered User
Ohhhhhhh

I've been looking for apartments online but the maid rooms look reallyunacceptable to me, most of them with no windows or very small one, very small, look like closets...

But if someone is not willing to have the maid sleeping there he should rend a bigger house that might mean much more money.

And, for example, having a 3 bedrooms apartment with one room for me and husband, one for my baby and one for the maid I'd spend a big amount of money and in case someone come end visit us I don't even have a guest room.

How do you deal with it? Is your maid sleeping in the kid's room, maid's room, third room????
 
helper's are used to having a tiny shoebox (not that i agree with it) to live in while they are here. there are ways to maximise the small space. my friend had a custom bed on stilts made so that the helper could have some space under the bed for a chair & bookshelf.

it really is pathetic what they consider to be acceptable living conditions for helpers.

we have always been lucky. we only hired a helper when our first was born. at the time we had a 3 bedroom, so she just got a regular bedroom. the next place we moved was also a 3 bed...then baby came along. baby stayed with us.

then we moved to our current house, which is 5 bedrooms (one of which is the "helper's room). we are very lucky becuase her room is about 110' and the same size as 2 of the other bedrooms. she's more than happy with it... even moreso since we hired her husband to come work for us, too! LOL!
 
unfortunately that is Hong Kong...just as long as you can fit a single bed in there, there are ways to maximize the space, as carang suggests. my mother in-law has a bunk bed kind of thing but instead of chairs and bookself or a bed, the bottom section was converted into closet space...you can also utilize the ceiling space (if your apartment is older and has high ceilings) to making hanging closer space. it'd be easiest to have the bed etc. custom made so you don't waste any unnecessary space. it's possible - not the best, but i think as long as they get a window (which many places don't have) then they are very fortunate because they can actually get some fresh air in their room!
 
I don't have a maid myself but I can tell you some maids here are living literally in a wardrobe!! I remember been to a friend's house and her maid sleeps inside a wooden cupboard in the kitchen! The cupboard I am told is specially built for the maid. HOW Pathetic!

I've another friend who cannot spare a bedroom for the maid so the maid sleeps on a sandbed in the living room. Every morning when she wakes she folds up the sandbed and lays it out at night.

As far as I know, the general practice of the local families is to let the maid share a room with the kid(s).
 
it's totally the norm. We lived on southside in a 5 block condo and our maid had what basically is a closet with no window - they all did the huge blding we lived in. It maybe a shock when you are first looking and don't have a helper, but after you see about 5 - 8 flats, you quickly realize it's the norm and they are used to it. The room did not even fit a standard bed, so we had to have it made for her. I think that as long as they have privacy (own room), they are happy..... some don't even get their own room and sleep on the floor or in the baby's room on the floor.
 
I don't know..I don't think I can get used to this.
I am not sure that they are happy with it.

I knew this all maid's matter would drive me crazy.
 
again, baguette, it will completely depend on where you end up living.

you may be lucky and find a place similar to ours instead of ending up in a highrise with tiny helper's quarters.
 
yes carang.

I am putting all these information together to make a decision.

when we come to HK we will not be able to see everything, we have to make a first choice.

we are so considering pollution, education and also the "maid situation".
 
yep, carang is right. many of the larger condos will have similar set-ups - small maids room with no a/c, likely no window, but with a small bathroom and handheld shower.

Coming from the US, we were shocked at the conditions, but we looked at about 20-25 properties in HK prior to signing our lease and in every mid-rise and high-rise, it was basically the same maids room set-up. Our relocation consultant assured us this was the norm and that the maids expect it.

if you can afford to give up a regular bedroom for your helper, i am sure she will love you for it and will be one of the lucky few who gets one!
 
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