SUMMARY

A family of expats in Foshan, China, tours their spacious duplex villa, rented for 3,500 RMB ($480) monthly unfurnished plus fees, highlighting DIY renovations and affordable living after multiple moves.

STATEMENTS

The family has moved seven times in under five years of living in China, making this their largest home, the first villa they've occupied.
The basement serves primarily as a garage and storage for e-scooters and kids' bikes, remaining unfinished and separate from daily living areas.
Rent is 3,500 RMB per month unfurnished, with an additional 700 RMB property management fee, totaling 4,200 RMB or about $577, excluding utilities.
The backyard was overgrown when they moved in after five or six years of vacancy, and the husband single-handedly cleared, planted, and installed features like a trampoline.
The living room boasts a six-meter-high ceiling where the husband installed a chandelier and curtains himself, while the open-plan space combines with the kitchen overlooking the backyard.
Furnished rentals in the area cost an extra 1,000 RMB monthly, so the family purchased all furniture and decor, including numerous IKEA trips.
The family co-sleeps with their three children in the master bedroom using two beds, promoting coziness and better sleep for everyone.
The study room was transformed from an open, windowless space by adding a custom window, now serving as an office.
Privacy fencing was added around the backyard due to close proximity to neighbors' houses, visible from kitchen windows.
The duplex structure means part of the upper level is above the neighbor's home, requiring quiet footsteps on the second-floor balcony.

IDEAS

Affordability of spacious family housing in China allows expats to rent villa-like duplexes for under $600 monthly, challenging Western perceptions of high Asian urban costs.
Frequent moves—seven in five years—highlight the transient nature of expat life but culminate in a "first villa" milestone, symbolizing stability for growing families.
DIY transformations turn neglected properties into personalized havens, with one person handling digging, planting, and installations, emphasizing resourcefulness over professional services.
Co-sleeping all five family members in one room fosters deeper connections and improved sleep, countering individualistic Western bedroom norms.
High-ceiling designs in affordable homes enable dramatic features like chandeliers, installed adventurously, blending luxury with everyday living.
Unfurnished rentals dominate the market, pushing tenants to invest in IKEA hauls for customization, revealing a cultural preference for personalization.
Backyard privacy hacks, like fabric fencing, address neighbor proximity in dense suburbs, prioritizing functionality over aesthetics.
Vacant homes sit empty for years, creating opportunities for bargain rents but requiring extensive initial cleanup from overgrowth.
Multi-functional spaces, such as study rooms gaining custom windows or mirrors doubling as cabinets, maximize utility in compact family setups.
Front yards double as communal play areas with street views, offering a sense of community while empty neighboring houses ensure relative peace.

INSIGHTS

Embracing frequent relocations builds resilience and adaptability, ultimately leading to more tailored living spaces that reflect family growth.
Hands-on home improvements not only save costs but cultivate a profound sense of ownership and creativity in transient expat environments.
Shared sleeping arrangements can enhance familial bonds and rest quality, redefining modern privacy in favor of collective well-being.
Affordable housing in emerging markets like China enables aspirational lifestyles, such as villa living, democratizing access to comfort.
Proximity challenges in suburban designs necessitate innovative privacy solutions, turning potential drawbacks into personalized fortifications.
Investing in unfurnished properties allows for authentic self-expression through decor, fostering long-term satisfaction over temporary furnishings.

QUOTES

"I'm a mover. I should change my name to 'U-Haul'."
"He turned chaos into... well, organized chaos, but it's our chaos, and I love it!"
"Having the kids in our room makes things way cozier, more chill, and honestly, we all sleep better."
"Watching him up on that ladder? Let's just say my heart was doing gymnastics."
"If you have a toddler, you'll totally understand why the bottom half of our tree is ornament-free."

HABITS

Co-sleeping with all family members in one bedroom to promote closeness and better sleep patterns.
Undertaking major DIY home projects, like backyard landscaping and installations, as a primary renovation method.
Maintaining an unfurnished rental by personally sourcing and assembling furniture from stores like IKEA.
Adapting spaces for multi-use, such as turning a windowless room into a functional study through custom additions.
Prioritizing privacy enhancements, like adding fabric fencing, in response to neighbor visibility.

FACTS

In Foshan, Guangdong Province, unfurnished duplex townhouses rent for around 3,500 RMB ($480 USD) monthly.
Property management fees add 700 RMB ($96 USD) to housing costs, separate from utilities like water and electricity.
The family's home had been vacant for five or six years before occupancy, leading to significant overgrowth in the backyard.
Living rooms in such homes can feature six-meter-high ceilings, allowing for chandelier installations.
Duplex structures in the area often place upper sections directly above neighboring properties, requiring noise consideration.

REFERENCES

IKEA: Frequent shopping trips for furniture, decor, and appliances to furnish the empty home.
U-Haul: Jokingly referenced as a self-deprecating nod to the family's moving frequency.
Pinterest: Mentioned as a contrast to their practical, non-perfect backyard fencing design.

HOW TO APPLY

Assess local rental markets for unfurnished options to secure lower base rates, then budget for personalization through purchases like IKEA furniture.
Upon moving into a neglected property, systematically clear overgrowth and add features like grass, plants, and play equipment to create a usable outdoor space.
Install smart security like cameras and locks on gates for added safety, especially in shared community settings.
Transform underutilized rooms by adding custom elements, such as windows, to convert them into productive areas like studies.
Enhance privacy in close-quarter neighborhoods by wrapping fences with affordable fabric, balancing visibility from windows with seclusion.
Adopt co-sleeping arrangements if suitable for your family dynamics, moving children's beds into the master for increased bonding and rest.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Affordable duplex villas in China offer expat families spacious, customizable homes that prioritize connection over convention.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Opt for unfurnished rentals to control costs and customize interiors, investing in durable, family-friendly furniture.
Tackle DIY renovations personally to build skills and attachment, starting with high-impact areas like backyards.
Implement family co-sleeping trials to assess benefits for bonding and sleep, adjusting based on household needs.
Add practical privacy measures early, like fencing, to mitigate neighbor proximity in suburban layouts.
Convert multi-purpose spaces with simple modifications, such as custom windows, for versatile home functionality.

MEMO

In the bustling suburbs of Foshan, Guangdong Province, a young expat family has carved out an unexpectedly luxurious life in a duplex villa that rents for just $480 a month unfurnished. After seven moves in less than five years—earning the narrator a playful self-title of "U-Haul"—this home marks their first venture into villa living. The couple, joined by their three children, navigated a property that had languished empty for half a decade, its backyard a riot of unchecked weeds. Yet, through sheer determination, the husband transformed the chaos: digging soil, planting greenery, erecting a trampoline, and even scaling a six-meter ceiling to hang a chandelier. Such hands-on ingenuity underscores a broader truth about affordable housing in China—opportunities abound for those willing to invest sweat equity.

Stepping inside reveals an open-plan living room and kitchen, the heart of their daily rhythm, where meals mingle with playtime amid the inevitable clutter of family life. The space, once stark and empty, now brims with IKEA-sourced furniture and personal touches, a testament to the premium for furnished options that could push rents to $617 monthly. Privacy proves a persistent challenge; neighbors' homes loom close enough for kitchen-window glimpses, prompting a makeshift fabric fence around the backyard. This unpolished barrier—far from Pinterest ideals—serves its purpose, shielding barbecues and kids' romps from prying eyes. Upstairs, the master bedroom hosts an unconventional setup: two beds accommodating all five family members, a co-sleeping choice that the parents swear enhances coziness and slumber, defying solitary sleep norms.

The home's duplex design adds layers of nuance, with the second floor partially overlying the neighbors' space, demanding tiptoeing on the spacious balcony to avoid disturbances. A ground-floor study, reborn from a windowless void via a custom addition, doubles as an office for "pretend productivity." Guest and children's rooms, though currently storage or empty, come with en-suite bathrooms, hinting at future expansions as the family settles. Front yard views overlook quiet streets and often-vacant houses, offering a serene enclave rare in denser urban China. At a total monthly outlay of $577 including management fees—but excluding utilities—this setup challenges expatriate stereotypes of cramped, exorbitant Asian living.

For families eyeing relocation, this tour illuminates China's rental landscape: vast potential in overlooked properties waiting for revival. The narrator's pride in their "organized chaos" speaks to the joys of adaptation, where affordability meets aspiration. As they sign off with holiday cheer—a toddler-proof Christmas tree sans low ornaments—the video invites viewers into a narrative of resilience, reminding us that home is less about perfection and more about the lives unfolding within.