Sea view properties in Hong Kong are getting more expensive as affluent families flee protests and coronavirus for Sai Kung, Southside and Lantau
Property agents say the anti-government protests and Covid-19 pandemic have fuelled interest in seaside neighbourhoods such as Sai Kung, Repulse Bay, Tai Tam, Cheung Sha, Ma On Shan, Mui Wo and Pui O – but is now the time to strike a deal before prices soar?
When it comes to winding down, business owner Maura Thompson has one antidote to stress she can rely on at the end of every pressure-packed day – the sweeping sea view from her Pok Fu Lam apartment.
The former New Yorker had always considered herself to be a “big city, skyscraper kind of girl”, so Mid-Levels was a natural choice for her first residence in Hong Kong. When she later set her eyes on the “calming, relaxing” sea views on offer elsewhere, Thompson was hooked. Now the first thing she sees every morning, and the last thing each night, works wonders for this busy professional and mother of two, which she never tires of gazing at. “When I look at the view it's a reminder to calm down, be more present, and relax,” she says.
Scientists and psychologists have long made a connection between sea views and stress relief, and with so much going on in Hong Kong right now, property agents say more residents are seeking the solace of the sea. For anyone considering making a sea-change, here are five districts worth considering:
A stock market downturn or civil unrest does not have much impact on property prices in [Repulse Bay] as owners are all cash rich and have no urgency to sell
Sai Kung
Average price: HK$8,000-HK$12,000 (US$1,032-US$1,550) per sq ft; villa HK$18,000-HK$22,000 per sq ft for second-hand, or for HK$30,000 new build.
Average monthly rental: village house HK$23,000; villa HK$40,000.
Since the coronavirus, Marco Ma Yu-fan, senior director at Eastmount Property Agents, has been fielding more inquiries than ever for this pretty coastal stretch of the New Territories. He recalls experiencing the same during and after the Sars outbreak in 2003 – spurred by health concerns, many are looking to relocate from dense urban areas seeking not only views, but more space around them.
“There is an opportunity for buyers to trade up from a small apartment in the city to a bigger house, with a garden or rooftop, in a natural environment,” he says. “They come to Sai Kung or Clear Water Bay and feel relaxed – it feels like no other place in Hong Kong.”