Homes are getting more expensive in Hong Kong, so is parking space. Ask any Hong Kong youngsters about their dreams, and most of them hope they can buy a home at the price of a parking lot – which aren’t cheap, costing over HK$2 million (US$256,361) in populated districts.
Or is that just a dream? One local businessman is trying to sell the concept of living on a farm, for those who fancy space in Hong Kong.
For HK$2 million, one can also get a camper-van (reportedly worth HK$150,000) built with a kitchen and washroom on a plot of 1,000 square feet of agricultural land in Mui Shue Hang, Tai Po, which is at least a 15-minute walk to public transport.
One could have a camping vacation every day! And to make sure it is livable, the landlord has arranged water and power via a neighboring home, according to Ta Kung Pao, a pro-Beijing paper in Hong Kong.
There was no word on internet access, which is probably now third after air and water in terms of daily necessities that young humans yearn for. But we can only presume that one would enjoy a better connection with the world despite there being no wireless network in the area.
This is for people who would appreciate the words of photographer Alexander Sattler, who said: “I would rather own little and see the world, than own the world and see little of it.”
Of course, everything comes with a price. If you live in the wild, there is security against snakes or rodents, and if there is a rainstorm, flooding or a typhoon, life could be miserable.
But would one rather live in a small but convenient subdivided flat – or a van parked in over 1,000 square feet of farmland with a barbeque facility – for roughly the same sum?
That is a personal decision. But no matter which, it is easy to figure who the winner is. According to Ta Kung Pao, the landowner bought 1,409 square meters of farmland for HK$8.92 million (about $55 per square meter). After two months, he is trying to sell 1,200 square meters at triple the price – $180 per square meter – to people prepared to live in a camper-van in an expensive city.