House Hunters International - General Discussion

[wisteria]

Aberdeen featured one of my biggest HHI peeves: requiring an extra bedroom for the non-stop stream of guests to your new foreign home. This time we actually saw the mother back in Chicago insisting upon her own bedroom if they wanted her to visit. Was she planning to cover the extra rent for that room? Was she unaware that Aberdeen has some charming B&Bs and world-class hotels? (This particular couple could afford it, but still.) More often than not, the HHs are on a small, tight budget, yet they absolutely must have a guest room for all the family and friends back home. Yeah, I know that having your friends actually IN your flat is preferable to sticking them in a hotel or on an air mattress in the living room, but I doubt all these people on the show are going to get THAT many visitors, and the guest room is going to sit empty for most of the year. Wouldn't that extra cash be better spent finding other amenities on your wish list?

[izabella]

Considering how small many of the foreign homes and apartments are, I suspect the "guest room" will end up being heavily used as an office, a sitting room with a little privacy, or storage.  Most of those places have little closet space or storage space, so an extra bedroom would be perfect to use as a big closet and not just for clothes.  I never can figure out where people put their vacuum cleaners, mops and brooms, siutcases, winter coats, etc.

[biakbiak]

Okay the Colorado couple buying a vacation home near her sister in Sweden was simply ridiculous with the excuse on the last house being too close to neighbors. Even the cameras couldn't pretend you wouldn't need high-powered binoculars or a telescope to see into the neighbors house or vice versa even in winter months with no foliage.

[Pj3422]

Oh, please point me in the right direction. Where's the discussion for the couple who moved from NY to London? She was a completely loathsome "fashion designer" who just HAD to live in Chelsea. He moved to NY for her, now he's relocating his business for her. But she's ticked off they're not moving to Paris because he doesn't speak French. He really needs to be deprogrammed.

[Mrs. P.]

Okay the Colorado couple buying a vacation home near her sister in Sweden was simply ridiculous with the excuse on the last house being too close to neighbors. Even the cameras couldn't pretend you wouldn't need high-powered binoculars or a telescope to see into the neighbors house or vice versa even in winter months with no foliage.

I really disliked this woman. She was so blinded by her need to be only 5 minutes from her sister's home that she wouldn't even entertain the possibility that a home further away might be better for her family.

Completely selfish.

[ChelseaNH]

Maybe your sister doesn't want you showing up for coffee before the break of day...

[biakbiak]

That actually made sense to me, the house was a vacation home so the main purpose of them going there was to visit family and this way the house was close enough for the in-laws to keep in eye on the house.

[Kiddvideo]

Really disliked the couple who bought the house with city-to-ocean views in Mazatlan. He reminded me of the angry foot-stomper on Flipping Vegas. "I sold my Grandmother's house so I deserve everything I want and I'm not going to compromise on anything!" Oh, I didn't realize real estate worked like that. And did she think she was being funny telling him that he needed to walk up all those stairs? How passively aggressively humorous! You're fat and out of shape! Lol ha ha ha.

 

Neither of them is a spring chicken, and those stairs will be a major drawback to enjoying the area now and living in the house as they age. I guess "not having stairs" will be on his next "I DESERVE TO NOT HAVE TO COMPROMISE" list.

[Bronx Babe]

The fakety-fakeness of House Hunters never ceases to amaze me. Couple moving to Wellington: he, although having "lived around the world", was supposedly "born and raised in Arizona", and yet was doing his darndest to hide an obvious New Zealand accent.

[iMonrey]

I loved the couple moving from Edinburgh to Latvia, although I missed the opening with the map and spent the whole time wondering where the heck Latvia is. (I have since looked it up.)

 

Episodes like this one make me wonder how this show works, because I have read in the past that the HHI couples actually have lived in their chosen homes/apartments for months or even years when they film them, but clearly the apartment they chose had nothing done to it and we saw the full remodel at the end. Maybe it was in escrow for an especially long time or something and they were able to get the film crew some time between buying it and starting construction.

[DLW]

She was a completely loathsome "fashion designer" who just HAD to live in Chelsea.

Reply to Pj3422

it's on page 2 of this forum - I wonder if they're divorced yet

hope I'm replying correctly.

[DLW]

This MN to Caribbean couple w/ 2 boys made me nuts.  She has to work all the time otherwise she's bored.  And 2 beardless barely teen boys want to be on the beach where the action is and so are the girls.  These parents never put their foot down and said; "our money, our house, you'll have to put up with what we pick, when you boys have the money you buy the place you want".  Too wimpy for me.  Then all their little snide comments about parents age and so on.  Are these people even real?

[misstulip]

Oh Sacramento to Paris gal...I have some bad news for you.

[Kris223]

How can they have a Paris episode without Adrian? And why is it always the person who isn't contributing to the rent that whines and wants the most expensive place?

[Peanutbuttercup]

How can they have a Paris episode without Adrian?

Right? This new realtor was actually fine, but she wasn't Adrian, so her not-Adrianness distracted me the whole time and basically she can fuck right off.

I'm going to have to assume that the man (Joshua?)'s pathetic attachment to the 10th arrondisement for nostalgic reasons was ginned up by the producers for drama, otherwise he's even more unlikeable and confusing to me than when he was just a person who moved to Paris (and probably assumed a ton of debt in the process) to get an MFA in mime. What is he going to do with that, anyway? I similarly had to think that "boo hoo, I have to walk twenty whole minutes to university and it might be raining and I've never heard of an umbrella" was a producer-contrived "reason" for not picking apartment no. 2, because that's just lazy.

On the other hand, I thought the woman (Jessica? I am so bad with names) was charming and level-headed, but I may have been swayed by finding her incredibly attractive, even with her weird eyebrows. Not-Adrian was pretty cute too. /shallow

Edited June 19, 2015 by Peanutbuttercup

[iMonrey]

Joshua and Jessica, moving to Paris. Ok, um . . .  are well all pretending that Joshua is straight? OK then. I didn't catch it in the beginning - are they married? 

[Broderbits]

All their oohing & ahhing over restaurants & shops really annoyed me. I spent a week in April living in the 11th arrondissement and the whole city is filled with these places; there are bakeries in the train station and vending machines in the Metro that sell madeleines, fer Chrissakes. 

[Granny58]

Joshua and Jessica, moving to Paris. Ok, um . . .  are well all pretending that Joshua is straight? OK then. I didn't catch it in the beginning - are they married? 

OK, so it wasn't just me then...Phew!  Yes, they are married.  I hate pigeon holing people I don't know because he may just be prissy, or he wanted to get married in order to live a traditional life and have children, etc.; whatever their reasons.  But glad to see I wasn't the only one who "noticed."

[laredhead]

The couple in the Sacramento to Paris episode chose what looks like to me one of those tourist oriented apartments that people rent for a week or two on their vacation, not as a permanent living space.  His whining about having to walk 20 minutes in the rain was silly, especially since that apartment was only $100 over their budget and much larger.  I guess raincoats, umbrellas and rain boots are not sold in Paris.

 

As for the couple buying the vacation house in Sweden, I would have chosen the one closest to town.  They aren't going to want to spend every minute with family, and that house needed less work.  The 3rd house wasn't what I would call right up against the neighbor and in the summer time when the trees have leafed out, the houses would probably be screened from each other.  if there was anything that would have discouraged me from buying the 3rd one known as the river house, it would have been the closeness of the house to the river and possibility of flooding.  In the first house, the one they bought, the wife never made a peep about the house not having a tub.  In the second house she was all over it about the house not having a tub like it was a deal breaker.  Really?  We all knew the wife would win and get her way.  On many of these episodes, they should just give the husband a break and not make him attend the showings, since the wife seems to win 99.9% of the time anyway, and in many cases even brags about it in advance.    

[NJRach]

The couple moving to Tanzania - was it me or did she look not up for the challenge? She looked and sounded like a girl scout mom from the 'burbs. I had to laugh when she was talking about an open floor plan and how she was disappointed with the size of the sitting room. You're in Tanzania, for heaven sakes. Her husband was a bit more realistic - he kept talking about SECURITY. And how do you just open a safari? And run it from a room in your house? Then they were in the open vehicle driving through their safari, with a 2 year old sitting on the edge of the car. The whole thing just seemed so fake.

Edited June 20, 2015 by NJRach

[CherryAmes]

On many of these episodes, they should just give the husband a break and not make him attend the showings, since the wife seems to win 99.9% of the time anyway, and in many cases even brags about it in advance.

 

I must be seeing different episodes.  I almost always find the husband wins and especially with these international ones where he's working and she's home that bugs me as I feel that if she's upped stakes for HIS job and she's going to be the one at home most of the time than she gets to be the one to make the final decision.  Sometimes I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that it's all faked!

[WildPlum]

The couple that moved to Paris - where the heck was the fridge in that place?

 

I think he was going to The American School in Paris for an MFA in theater and the "mime classes" were just something he and his wife were doing for fun - at the end she talks about how she did get a job doing something with a theater program in, I think, middle school, so she has the same interests. She was also much better at the mime thing, lol.

 

Also, jeez, a slight lisp does not = gay. I think if they had just been friends they would have said so, there was no extra drama to be gained by claiming to be married when they aren't. Didn't they show a wedding photo?

 

It was odd to see a Paris clip and not Adrian - maybe that is her daughter/relative? Of course half the time the "extra apartments" shown on an Adrian episode can be found by hunting around on her vacation rental site. Maybe HHI got tired of her using them to promote her business without a cut of the action.

[bubbls]

Have there been any episodes of people moving to America from a different country? I've seen European-to-Europe episodes so I know they don't just stick to Americans-to-international-location situations.

[KLovestoShop]

I would love to see a European couple move to the U.S., especially if they were from an Eastern European country. We have family from Hungary, and we brought them here for a two week visit. Their reactions to everything was priceless, and their heads were on a swivel every time we went somewhere. Seeing the sizes of houses, the big kitchens and bathrooms and my five burner stove really freaked them out. And then we took them to Disneyland.....oy.

Since the last time I rented a place was 30 years ago, I'm shocked at the rental prices. Who can afford $6300 a month rent, regardless of the location city? When you add up a year's rent, you've got a great down payment for a purchase.

Edited June 23, 2015 by KLovestoShop

[NYGirl]

I liked the girl last night moving to London from Amsterdam? (I believe).  First of all she actually looked at the apartments alone.  No snarky friend or someone to discuss which apartment to take.  I LOVED the realtor, Toby.  He was so funny when they looked at the 3rd floor walkup saying elevators are for wimps.  LOL.

 

I was surprised she chose the first apartment as she kept talking about storage and the third apartment, while the same amount of rent as the first, had tons of storage. I'm guessing that was all producer driven drama.

[CherryAmes]

I was surprised she chose the first apartment as she kept talking about storage and the third apartment, while the same amount of rent as the first, had tons of storage. I'm guessing that was all producer driven drama.

 

I've sometimes wondered since in most (if not all) cases they really aren't choosing from the places they are shown seeing if they end up with buyer/renter remorse when they are shown a place that actually would be a better fit for them!  I'm glad I don't keep looking at places after I've signed a lease/taken out a mortgage I just know I'd find something better and then be really mad at myself!

[Mrs. P.]

I liked the girl last night moving to London from Amsterdam? (I believe). First of all she actually looked at the apartments alone. No snarky friend or someone to discuss which apartment to take. I LOVED the realtor, Toby. He was so funny when they looked at the 3rd floor walkup saying elevators are for wimps. LOL

s surprised she chose the first apartmen as she kept talking about storage and the third apartment,while the same amount of rent as the first, had tons of storage. I'm guessing that was all producer driven drama.

I loved Toby! He's a cutie!

[MoreCoffeePlease]

No comments on a recent episode where a family of 5 moved to Amsterdam?  The wife drove me crazy (and on a superficial note, her eyebrows bothered me).  I want five bedrooms, and I can't IMAGINE not having a basement, like we did in our Kentucky home.  Wah, wah.  Budget was $7,500 / month.  What the heck kind of job gives that type of housing allowance?  Total pet peeve when the house hunters say, "$7,500 is our max budget."  Agent shows them a property that rents for $7,500.  "But that is our max budget!!!"  Aaaahhhh!  If you don't want to spend that much, or can't spend that much, then it is NOT your max budget.

 

They ended up in cool, large home in the city itself.  Nice.

 

The couple in the Sacramento to Paris episode chose what looks like to me one of those tourist oriented apartments that people rent for a week or two on their vacation, not as a permanent living space.

 

Good point, since a lot of tourists don't really want to cook, and many students are on meal plans.  (Some do, I know.)  I don't see how you could stand that kitchen if you did actually want to cook on a regular basis. 

[Ohwell]

I missed the first five minutes of the couple moving to Turkey.  Anyone know what kind of work the husband did?  The wife mentioned they had lived in Texas. 

[Taylorh2]

I just stumbled across "Island Hunters"  The couple had a 8 million dollar budget. I rolled my eyes so hard, I was afraid they were going to get stuck in the back of my head.

[Kathira]

I just stumbled across "Island Hunters"  The couple had a 8 million dollar budget. I rolled my eyes so hard, I was afraid they were going to get stuck in the back of my head.

 

Yeah, that was redonkulous. Some of the other episodes weren't so bad, though. And one couple from like Oklahoma (or somewhere like that) got an island off of Panama to retire on for less than $500,000. They were kind of sweet. But overall, it was very "Lifestyles of the Insanely Rich."

[scrb]

Yeah but apparently the Million Dollar Listing shows are doing well, ratings wise??

 

So there seems to be some interest in very high-end real estate.

[Broderbits]

The Million Dollar Listing shows (on another network) are about real estate the way Project Runway is about sewing. It's entertainment with very little the average person can use in everyday life. And from what I've seen of the sellers/builders on these shows, you need a high tolerance for douchery to be able to watch for any length of time.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I missed the first five minutes of the couple moving to Turkey.  Anyone know what kind of work the husband did?  The wife mentioned they had lived in Texas. 

They were a little murky about it but they said he was in marketing, and then showed him saying into his phone something like "I don't think you needed to send so many emails for that client all at once." Because I thought he came across as a jerk generally, I decided he was involved in massive email spam marketing and is one of those people responsible for the junk in your inbox asking if you want a bigger penis or to download this cool attachment that will show you how to lose 10 lbs fast, accepting a large money transfer to help a Nigerian prince, etc.

[Ohwell]

Oh, the old "marketing" thingy, eh?  God knows what he was involved in then.  I also thought it was strange that they could so easily go $500 a month over their budget for the apartment they chose.  They probably didn't have a "budget" at all and it was producer-driven.

[bubbls]

I just stumbled across "Island Hunters"  The couple had a 8 million dollar budget. I rolled my eyes so hard, I was afraid they were going to get stuck in the back of my head.

 Yeesh, is that even a budget? I mean, if you can afford 8 million would 10 million hurt? If you can afford 8 million why not go to 20 million? Since I don't have that kind of change I can't comprehend even having a budget if you're in that income bracket. It's probably producer driven. There probably was no budget.

[Granny58]

Yeah but apparently the Million Dollar Listing shows are doing well, ratings wise??

 

So there seems to be some interest in very high-end real estate.

I despise ALL home shows that feature expensive homes because you can plonk down an expensive home anywhere and there's no difference.  I Love it when people try to live like the "natives," so to speak.  Have a budget, find something that is relevant to the culture you're moving to....not in a generic mansion.  I want to see how people live in different parts of the world, not how the rich live everywhere.

[KLovestoShop]

I don't mind the high end real estate, but I do love to see what a million will get you in a place like Paris (not much) as opposed to some Eastern Bloc country.  It's the same here in the US.  You take a house, and put it in Southern Calif. and the price could be in the seven figures. But put that same house in Ohio or Iowa or even in a larger city in the Midwest, and it would probably cost less than half the So Cal price.

 

I'm amazed by how freaked out these people are when they discover that $2000 a month won't get you a three bedroom apartment in Kensington or Notting Hill in London.  For that price, in those neighborhoods, you'd be lucky to get a studio in a basement flat.

 

I have a cousin who wants to take $10,000 out of her retirement and live in London for 6 months.  I just can't get her to understand that she's not going to live in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, for 6 months on only $10K.  And of course, she thinks she'll find a nice flat, in a safe neighborhood, for under $250 USD a month.  Ha Ha. 

[Ohwell]

I have a cousin who wants to take $10,000 out of her retirement and live in London for 6 months.  I just can't get her to understand that she's not going to live in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, for 6 months on only $10K.  And of course, she thinks she'll find a nice flat, in a safe neighborhood, for under $250 USD a month.  Ha Ha.

Has this cousin gone online to see just how much rentals are in London?  Otherwise, she'll be lucky if $10k will get her three months in London.

[CherryAmes]

And of course, she thinks she'll find a nice flat, in a safe neighborhood, for under $250 USD a month.  Ha Ha.

 

Sounds like she'd fit right in on HHI.  Does she also expect American style appliances at least 2 bathrooms and a guest room for that $250?

Edited June 27, 2015 by CherryAmes

[DownTheShore]

Don't forget a walk-in closet, and a yard for her dog...close to shops, bars, and restaurants, too.

[KLovestoShop]

Oh, she's been to London many times, but it's always been in hotels, via her RCI points. So realistically, she has no idea of the actual cost of living there. In this day and age, with the open boarders and God knows who's coming into London, and with all the terror cells, I just can't see myself moving to certain international cities. I'm a scaredy cat, and reading about people being attacked, and while I know attacks can happen here, I just can't see moving overseas at this time.

[Tara1665]

I'm behind on episodes so I just watched to the couple who moved with their 4kids to Italy and she was a teacher in the states..but I really think she was either a robot..or a lot of xanex.Holy cow,could anyone talk that roboticly or slowly????

Edited June 29, 2015 by Tara1665

[laredhead]

Tara1665, I think this couple and their episode were discussed a while back.  Was she the one shown homeschooling her children and teaching them Italian in the last scene?

[Tara1665]

Yes..thank you!

[NYGirl]

Where'd the lady narrator go?  I'm upset that I had to listen to a man in tonight's Cardiff episode.

 

I'm getting sick of the traditional vs modern argument.  Tonight i really felt sorry for the realtor as they disagreed on every single aspect of what they wanted...even price.  It's getting annoying.

[iMonrey]

The couple who moved from Frankfurt to London had some kind of "band" and the woman thought she could sing. I've got news for her. She also said she wanted to pursue a career in acting. In London? I fear her opportunities will be severely limited. 

 

I'm tired of the traditional vs. modern argument too, it seems like an over-used gimmick the producers make the house hunters bicker about just so there's some kind of pretend conflict. One of them always wants "character" or "charm" and the other always wants modern conveniences.

[Ohwell]

The couple moving to London was so fakety fake.  First of all, I don't know what kind of "acting" she was looking for unless she's looking for older woman parts.  She may not know it, but she's no spring chicken, looks-wise.  The "singing" was laughable.  I missed the first few minutes so I didn't catch what either of them did for work.  He looked like he might have been in a 70's rock band or something.  Whatever he/she does, it must be pretty lucrative to have a $6,500 a month budget.

[MsTree]

...and that's why I DVR all HHs. My fast-forward button gets a huge workout.

[laredhead]

Ohwell, the intro said he was a successful business executive and he and his wife had been in a band in the U.S. for several years as a side gig.