Buyer's guide to courtyard homes

Courtyard buildings are a classical style of residential housing in Beijing. Many of the courtyards in Beijing date from the Ming Dynasty. Buying them as second homes has become a trend among the city's expatriates and domestic elite. A single courtyard house usually has an open space, sometimes with a garden, surrounded by four rooms, each running along one of the building's high walls.

Beijing's traditional courtyard houses are mainly located in the Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen and Xuanwu districts. The prices of these building vary and depend largely on the district. Wealthy businesspeople and politicians own many courtyard houses in Dongcheng and Xicheng District, where an average 300 square meter to 500 square meter place costs between 6 million and 20 million yuan. In Xuanwu and Chongwen, courtyard houses are smaller, usually 200 square meters to 300 square meters, and prices are correspondingly lower, ranging from 4 million yuan to 8 million yuan.

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