Your home base for living well in Hefei
Housing, schools and settling-in for international families — and a plain briefing on the city, from Swan Lake and the German School to Gaoxin and Binhu.
Capital of Anhui, a science and technology city with more than two thousand years of history. About two and a half hours by high-speed rail from Shanghai. The figures below are the ones we use when briefing assignee families.
Hefei’s built-up city is Shushan, Baohe, Luyang and Yaohai. International housing does not spread evenly across them.
The pivotal district: Swan Lake and the Zhengwu civic centre, the German school, the Canadian school and Shushan Forest Park. Greenery and campuses sit beside the innovation economy. Around the lake you find City Hall, the Grand Theatre, malls and the Olympic Sports Centre — the most convenient part of Hefei for an international household.
The only urban district beside Chaohu Lake, with an older identity around Lord Bao and the Baogong Memorial Hall. Growth is now in Binhu New District: wetland park, Sunac Resort, and newly planned housing.
Ancient Luzhou. Xiaoyaojin Park marks a Three Kingdoms battlefield; the moated centre has turned toward shopping, including Hefei Intime. The district stretches northwest toward reservoirs and open land.
Hefei’s former manufacturing quarter, historically a dock and trading place. Peace Plaza, Hefei Railway Station and commercial streets sit here, tied into the city’s highway and rail network.
Most international searches sit in Shushan — Swan Lake, the German School area and Gaoxin — and in Binhu, inside Baohe. Luyang and Yaohai explain the rest of the map.
Four neighborhoods cover most international housing searches — choose by school, commute and lifestyle.
The high-end centre of politics, culture and commerce. Quality compounds, serviced apartments, the strongest malls, museum and theatres, and a large central green. Two metro lines tie it to the rest of the city. About 15–36 minutes by car to Volkswagen Anhui, depending on the compound.
Inside the Economic Development Zone, a few blocks from Citadines and European Street, and not far from Swan Lake. Zhengda Super Brand Mall, western restaurants, Sam’s Club, Emerald Lake and the international clinic. Metro Line 3. Fewer new premium compounds within walking distance than at the lake.
High-tech west, about 5–10 minutes’ drive from the Canadian International School toward the centre. This is where houses and townhouses still exist — beside Baiyan Lake and Shuxi Lake — plus newer apartments at World Center. Quieter than the lake, on Metro Line 4 at Beiyan Lake.
Planned as a centre for provincial administration, culture, exhibitions and leisure, spread along Metro Line 1 where malls and offices cluster. Newer compounds, large parks, and a shorter drive toward Volkswagen Anhui, with Chaohu Lake to the south.
The stock we walk with assignee families. Switch area above to change the list. Drive times are typical car journeys, not a guarantee.
Recent real-photo listings from the field — layouts, sizes and locations for Hefei assignees.
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Home search is the start. The same team stays through the lease, the first weeks, and the day you fly out.
Serviced apartments, residences and houses, including individually owned homes and villas.
Airport pickup, SIM and apps, compound tours, schools, clinics, and an English map of the city.
Offer letter, negotiation, contract, pre-check, inventory, utilities and a welcome briefing.
Bank account, police registration, domestic help, bottled water, and the apps daily life actually uses.
One contact for maintenance, a check-in a week after move-in, and company to a clinic if you need it.
Work and residence permits, a driver’s licence, pet registration and police clearance letters.
Notice to the landlord, checkout, closing utilities and SIM, and a ride to the airport.
A printed English guide to dining, shopping, clinics, sport and clubs — plus 360 capture of a listing when you want a closer look before you fly.
Four beats, from the first call to the week you are living in the apartment.
School, commute, budget and layout — then a destination briefing and a property proposal to preview before you fly.
Airport pickup, SIM and essential apps, compounds and areas, schools and the clinic, with an English map in hand.
Offer letter and negotiation, contract support, pre-check, cleaning and internet, inventory, and a move-in welcome.
Utilities, police registration, bank and domestic help; maintenance through the lease; a managed checkout when the assignment ends.
The difference is not a longer brochure. It is who answers, what housing they can actually reach, and who is still there after the keys.
Consultants are often a family’s first friends in the city, not only viewing agents. Core field consultants have spent more than ten years in this work.
Active stock across serviced apartments, individual homes and villas. That depth is also how an offer gets negotiated, not only how a list gets longer.
Offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Chongqing and Nantong, with the Hefei desk on the ground when the assignment is here.
Programmers, runners and engineers sit behind the consultants. Insta360 capture is available when a home needs a closer look before you travel. Where an older flat needs it, furniture — and, if the landlord agrees, a refurbishment plan — can bring it up to an international standard. Finished examples already stand in central Hefei.
Assignee work for employers including Volkswagen, Audi, Apple, Nestlé, L’Oréal, P&G, BASF and Air Liquide.
The three school anchors most families ask about — plus the international clinic most used by expats.
An IB World School that also grants credits toward the New Brunswick High School Diploma. Montessori nursery from 18 months through Grade 12, on Wenqu Road in the High Tech Zone.
cishefei.comBilingual German and English from Kindergarten to Grade 12, for children from more than one cultural background. Office: office@igs-hf.org.
igs-hf.orgBritish-curriculum preschool for ages 18 months to 6, with a bilingual English–Chinese programme, library, indoor play and an outdoor playground.
A Grade III-A general hospital, open since 2008, with an international clinic used by expatriate families. Appointments and accompaniment can be arranged.
Booking the international clinic. Appointments are free. Use the name, passport number and mobile number on the passport. Slots open seven days ahead and are released at 17:30. International Medical Department 0551-6599-7688; first-floor desk 0551-6386-9420. Open every day 8:00–11:30 and 14:30–17:30.
Assignees receive a printed English city guide: restaurants, bars, nightlife, shopping, clinics, sport and clubs. Ask for a copy when you book the tour — the point is to make the first weeks ordinary, not a research project.
Recent approved reviews from the Hefei comments board.
We are extremely satisfied with Maxview in Hefei. The team provided outstanding support with finding an apartment and helping us settle into life in China, making the whole process of getting started here much easier. …
Maxwell made our relocation remarkably smooth. They understood exactly what our family needed, found us a great home quickly, and the agent guided us through every step of the paperwork and logistics. Thanks to his profe…
Maxview provided an excellent service when we moved to Hefei in 2026. From finding suitable accommodation through arrival arrangements to help with everyday issues: there was always someone available to help. Any arising…
From the first welcome at the airport to the daily communication, the Maxview team has always been very helpful, warm and attentive. They made our first days in China much easier and offered prompt support anytime we nee…
We had a great experience with this agency. They helped us a lot throughout the process and were always there whenever we needed support or had any questions. We truly appreciate their help and highly recommend
I don't want to express my gratitude specifically to Mr. Johnson. I received a perfect welcome in China. The service was indescribable. All requests relevant to my stay in China were handled with great care. Based on my …
Field consultants focused on assignee families — available in English, German and Chinese.
Hefei Manager
Field experience since 2012. Group relocation, complex cases, quality-first delivery.
Account Manager
Field experience since 2010. Corporate accounts and government liaison.
Support Manager
Field experience since 2017. Deep support for expats settling in China.
Housing Manager
Field experience since 2014. Housing search leadership and landlord networks.
Senior Account Manager
Field experience since 2017. Corporate accounts, reporting, and the paperwork that keeps an assignment moving.
Senior Account Manager
Field experience since 2016. Local practice in Hefei, and a customer-first way of running a case.
Immigration
Work permits, residence permits and the documents that sit beside the housing file.
Tell us your school, commute and arrival window. We will prepare a shortlist, a tour plan, and the English city guide if you want it before you fly.
Office
#588 Qianshan Road, Shushan, Hefei
Phone / WeChat
186 5717 4444
Email
issac.zhu@maxviewgroup.com
Also serving Hangzhou and multi-city assignments across the Maxview network.
