Flat Hunt

I have been flat hunting for weeks in Happy Valley without any luck at all. Rent has gone up so much it is impossible to find anything nice even at 12k! I've pretty much seen all the "nicer" flats at my target rent level though nothing fits my criteria:
1. Bright and airy - an absolute must. What happens when a solar-powered chick is not getting enough sunlight? No energy!
2. Not directly facing another flat too close by - I do have habit of walking around the flat half naked. I don't want to flash kindergarten kids, or provide free entertainment for men across the street.
3. One bedroom, big enough for my double bed, night stand, a new big closet
4. Long living+dining room
5. Roughly NET 400+ square feet
6. Nice and clean bathroom and kitchen
7. Not too noisy. Ideally can hear birds singing in the morning.
8. Old building is okay. As long as interior very clean, off-white, simple walls and decorations.

That's all. Is that too much to ask for? If you ask me, of course I don't think I'm being picky. I didn't even ask for view of sky, moon, sun, sea (which I had had when living at parents')! Admittedly, a lot of people don't mind smaller flats or lack of sunlight...

Well, "keh leh" is the only description I can think of to adequately describe the weirdness level of flats I've seen: (and I wouldn't be too surprised if some of you think "hey what is wrong with that?")
- high floor flat but window all "chopped up" and hence blocking the light
- starry wallpaper in the bedroom (navy blue and yellow), floral wallpaper in the living room
- small and narrow bedroom which reminded me of a coffin
- balcony converted into kitchen (you cook looking at the street)
- nice chic decoration but reminds you of a boutique hotel room
- (most keh leh) fake dome-like ceiling with chandeliers and golden-framed victorian painting and painting lamp - all in a super old tiny flat painted in pink
- clear, close-up view of the Sanitorium hospital (it's very very bad feng shui... "choi!")
- clear, close-up view of flats and kindergarten across the street - I was not joking when I said "flashing kindergarten kids"
- nice, clear view of the Jewish cemetery
- public housing type of hallway, flat looking like a (murder) crime scene

I was really desperate and went around bugging different agents to show me something, even though I had stomach cramps and a headache. Disappointed, I went back to my current agent who knew the neighborhood very well and had very good connections and reputation (she owns the business). Finally, I rented a flat!

To cut the long story short, the agent had helped a rich property owner / long term client purchase this flat and design the layout (it was a big flat now split into 2 units), and her husband was now in charge of the renovations. I wish I could show some pictures - but you'd freak out because they'd be pictures of a war zone. Yep! I rented a flat that wasn't even there yet! I went to look at the surroundings, view and the rough size of the flat. That's it. I have known this middle-aged couple for 2 years and I trusted their taste. They showed me pictures of fixtures they were planning to use and let me decide whether to have 1 big bedroom or 2 rooms..... That flat would be about 6xx square feet, with open kitchen, big, full-size windows, all new renovations, facing east - with buildings across the street but not too near. She also agreed to charge me only 50% of her normal agent fee. If all goes well, I will move in on Dec 23.

So back to my food menu analogy (stolen from a book) - I couldn't pick anything at all from the menu and I decided to call up someone with discriminating taste in food for recommendation. It sounded like what I would really like, and I went for it. Do I know for sure whether it will turn out as I imagined? No. Do I know whether I will certainly love it? No. Do I know what I won't like about it? No. But at least this is my best bet, and it's worth betting on a dream.