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Q: Did you get sell your house and belongings to move to China?
I'm actually thinking Philippines now. Keeping a house is a big expense. So far renting it out or using a house sitter hasn't turned out that great when I'm away. Besides the house I have everything that I have accumulated, furniture, the stuffed moose head over the fireplace etc. I designed and built my own house for me. I'd never build another house, so finding another house that is exactly what I want will never happen. Some of my things I could never replace, like my 38 Chevy hot rod. Did many of you give up every thing to move? It's tough to do.
I have nothing in my home country. (except a post address) Wasn't viable to keep the apartment as it had a pretty big mortgage. It will be a nightmare to one day move back, and it is very wierd to go back for visits not having "your own place in your own town"
TedDBayer:
I don't have a mortage, house is paid for. I have a nice big house on 4 acres over looking a lake.
DrMonkey:
Gaaaaaaah, how can you sell such a thing ?! It's worth much more than the money that buys it. Try to get a house next to a relatively unspoiled lake in China. All you can hope to get is a concrete, uninsulated cube, with asocial neighbors, in a place that will look like shit 5 years after its construction. Or... Are you ready to live in a poor countryside hole ?
Scandinavian:
I'd keep it if there are no significant expenses tied to it. If you plan on moving away from Canada, maybe just leave it for some years until you see how you get along on the other side of the planet
5 years ago, I came in Asia with all my possessions : 25 kg in a backpack 
I didn't own a house, but I gave up my rented flat and sold all my belongings and my car 3 and a half years ago. I have nothing to go back to in England. Now I'm worrying about the 5 year rule.. Maybe they will force me to go back! To live with my parents? No thanks!
Scandinavian:
I wish I had kept my car. When I am home the driving needs are not really that great, so paying for a rental is a bit wasteful, but not having the freedom of going to those hard to get to favorite spots is equally awful, and having to borrow a car from friends is also pretty restrictive because most people strangely needs their cars.
Rin:
I haven't been home in 3 and a half years, so have had no need for the car. I do miss driving, especially on empty country roads though..
TedDBayer:
The brakes aren't any good if you let a car sit for even a few months. That was the only good thing about coming home, driving a nice vehicle.
Rin:
http://middlekingdomlife.com/guide/safea-foreign-teachers-and-chinese-boxes.htm
Yeah i gave up my home and car dirt cheap to work and live in Asia 12 years ago, now looking back I know I made the 100% correct choice to move out here,look at the U.S now, I would have been apart of that landslide that destroyed jobs, I was a computer tech in the U.S, where did all the tech repair jobs go to? Yes Asia. So here I am shaking my head at my own country the U.S and living it up in Asia quite well. Thank God I'm not apart the ObamaCare gig, thank God I'm not taxed up the butt by uncle Sam, I still file tax though.
Thank God for Jobs in Asia. Other U.S guys taking it for granted, you better start worshipping your career and job in Asia, it would be a alot worse if you were in the U.S now, Wait you "NO", then i would ask you: Why are you even here? Ok doing business overseas is one thing, but never knock us for making our career great in Asia. Understand for a lot of us U.S guys it would have been a lot worse if we stayed there.
I still have my house but sold everything else like my beautiful black Ford four door 4x4 truck, two boats, atv, camper trailer, tools ect...
I'm not big on possessions, so I only had to sell my car. The important, sentimental things I've stored at my sister's place.
I've got nothing. I came to China because my spastic business went belly up and the bastard who owed me plenty called in the administrators and went broke, paying me nothing. Lost both my houses and all my dough.
Stiff shit. So I came to China.
As Chinese money isn't worth a cracker I'm really in a bit of a fix if I ever want to return to the real world.
Rin:
I know what you mean. I haven't been able to save much at all in my 3 years here.
royceH:
How do you manage to spend your money each month?
I'm going to throw out about 3 months salary to go to Kunming and Lijiang during Spring Festival. Mad, or what?!
Rin:
Well,I don't like to live frugally, if I wanted to do that I would go back to England and live with my mum. I don't know how it all goes to be honest! I eat out at Western restaurants maybe two times a week, and go to bars about twice a week. I've never been on what you would call a high salary in China.
Ted I think you're nuts, why would you even consider that? You know if you do that you'll never get the money out of China. I don't know if the Philippines are better but I wouldn't risk it. If you just wanna throw money away look after 30 stray dogs.
TedDBayer:
I'd my leave my money in Canada and would rent. My house is really nice, hardwood/slate floors all the bells and whistles, but I can't leave it empty, it's hard to find a tenant that won't trash the house so I won't rent it, But it's getting too expensive to live in, no mortgage but bills run about $1000 a month.
happywanderer:
Wow - see the problem. But if I had a property that nice I wouldn't be here. I'd fill it with hippies that have lax attitudes about group sex and spend my life errrm knitting.
TedDBayer:
The ideal would be if I really could get a container shipped home. I have 4 acres to graze them on. I also hate mowing the lawn.
I had a house back a yard but people kept living in it without paying rent, eventually the mortgage company threatened to take the house back...What a girl to do? I sold the thing...didn't get much after paying the back mortgage.
Never owned my own home (will do for the first time soon) but I did burn my bridges behind me when I left to some extent; I was desperate as a friend of mine here was dying and I promised her I was coming right away, so I sold my snowboard and sax and had just about enough to get here, and then out of the blue I got an offer from the Nat West (bank) to borrow 2000 pounds, so I did. That was nine years ago. They must be wondering where I am.
Rin:
Sounds like something I did! Apparently after six years all debt is cleared from records. I have 2 and a half years to go!
Sold up the lot when I left the UK. We had yard sales for three months just selling everything and the mortgage lender took the house. One of the best things I have ever done as I feel completely free now. When we decide to leave China, which we will, we can just go.
