Lili's Profile

I'm a New Yorker-moved-to-Taipei.
I'm used to small apartments, but Taipei is a different story. Because of the fast economic boom period, city planners rushed to build concrete boxes. While some have collapsed from earthquakes, the majority remain.
As a renter here, you have three options: go with the $2000/mo, 4 bdrm high rise; the $900/mo, 3 bdrm concrete box; or the fully-furnished, dormitory style suite (with a hot plate). There is no middle ground.
Further, if you rent, you are often faced with ugly built-ins that severely limit your ability to customize your apartment.

In other words: though the above tips are nice, in Taipei the reality is that unless you own an apartment (ie: not a foreigner), than you can't really do much to customize your living space.