Aside from having lots of space, living in a village house has other priceless advantages such as scenic views and a quiet, crowd-free environment. However, whether it is a detached or semi-detached home, potential buyers should keep a keen eye on the problems often attached to owning one.
Found mainly in the New Territories, with Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay boasting some of the most expensive properties, village homes can range from HK$1.5 million to HK$30 million or more. By law, the house area is limited to 700 sqft per floor, with a maximum height of three storeys. There is, however, no limit to the size of the open ground surrounding it.
But whether the extra patch of land is a swimming pool, garden or tennis court, it is best to ensure that there are no illegal structures or unauthorised building works in the area, as these can pose serious legal and financial problems.
Angela Tam and her husband bought a 700 sqft house in Tai Po four years ago, but problems ensued after signing the transfer of ownership. The property agent said that the 1,300 sqft garden attached to the house was rightfully theirs, but it turned out that part of the garden was not in the deed.
'The other landowner told us that our garden wall is not built properly and in fact we are using part of his land,' Tam says. 'He asked us to demolish the garden wall and build a new one, but demolition and renovation cost a lot. After negotiating with him a few times, he agreed to rent out to us the area that belongs to him.'
According to Tam, it's common for village people to own any patch of land in the New Territories, and what may seem to be an open parking space can in fact be blocked by the rightful owner at any time.