Here are some things to consider asking your prospective employer regarding housing:

Shared or single? Most hagwons will have more than one teacher sharing an apartment. It would be wise to clarify this beforehand, and, if possible, get in contact with the person/people with whom you will be living.

Air conditioning? Not likely, but it's worth a shot... summers in Korea can be hot, sticky, and REALLY unpleasant. Having an "air con" is pretty rare (I'd guess around 1 in 10 foreign teachers have it), and it's definitely a great perk. If not, you may be able to wrangle a fan from your director, or just buy one yourself (they're not very expensive).

Furniture? The following is a short list of what seems to be fairly standard in terms of furnishings supplied by typical hagwons: a bed (usually a single or double, but I've seen queens); maybe a small dresser or wardrobe; table and chair(s); a few basic pots, dishes and cutlery; a TV; a gas range; a fridge; a washing machine, and maybe some other small items. Most - but not all - hagwons will provide you with a VCR, but the quality and condition may be suspect. Also, refrigerators are almost always used, and have a tendency to break down, run noisily, or leak. I have yet to see a clothes dryer in a Korean home - you will have to hang your wet clothes on a laundry rack, which you may have to buy (maybe 15 or 20 bucks). By the way, having a fan to blow on your wet laundry will make them dry better in the humid summer months, and help you avoid that nasty mildew-y smell on your clothes...

If they offer you a microwave you've found something rare. Ovens are also virtually non-existent, so you may want to think about buying a small toaster-oven once you get settled in. If you're really serious about cooking, you *can* find small counter-top style convection ovens, but it may take some dedication on your part.

Utilities? You will be responsible for paying your own utility bills (gas, water, electric, cable, telephone, internet if you have a PC). On the whole, utilities are less costly than in North America, but if you run your heat all winter long (or your air con all summer), your gas/electric bills can get pretty high. More and more hagwons are instituting a policy of withholding a small amount of money from your monthly pay as a deposit against your utility bills. Fair or not, that's the way it is. It's becoming standard practice, and it's because in the past, many foreigners ran up huge utility/phone bills and then skipped the country at the end of their contracts (or sooner), leaving the hagwons in the lurch for the unpaid bills, sometimes months overdue. Both companies I worked for deducted modest deposits from my pay, and both gave me my full deposits back at the end of my contracts - but other teachers have had difficulties in this area.

Heating? Korean households use a style of heating called ondol. Basically, there is a network of pipes running under your floor which will carry heated water, thus heating the floor and the room. In many cases, you will also need to turn on your water heater before having a shower. Remember to turn the hot water off afterwards, or you will be wasting gas/heating oil to heat water which you're not using. In any case, it's wise to have someone explain your heating/hot water system to you as soon as possible after you move in, since there are different systems and control units. (How many vets out there took cold showers for the first few days until you got your heating system figured out?)

Navigation