House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Peanutbuttercup]

My sister and her family did live in Germany for a couple of years, and I went and visited them twice. I was a struggling student so was glad they were able to put me up -- on their living room couch, which was quite comfy! I was very grateful and had lovely visits both times. If they had told me they were going to pay extra rent to get a spare bedroom for guests I would have thought they had lost their minds.

[biakbiak]

When my parents lived abroad, I don't believe they went a month without visitors.

And I have visited several friends who live abroad. It's the perfect excuse to look for cheap airfare.

Edited January 29, 2016 by biakbiak

[Homily]

We had friends and family visit fairly often when we lived in England, especially my parents who came over 2 or 3 times a year.  Never occurred to us to get a place with an extra bedroom that wouldn't have been used for any other purpose than guests though.  In one house we had a really big dining room that we hardly ever used (brought our bad, eating in front of the TV,  habit overseas with us) and we bought twin beds and turned it into a spare room whenever we had company.  The other house wasn't as flexible so we ended up with a sofa bed in the front room.  No one ever complained :).

Edited January 29, 2016 by Homily

[Mondrianyone]

I just watched the Glasgow ep about five minutes ago.  It's hard to imagine why anyone, including the producers, would want that particular house hunt memorialized on film.

 

If I were Sarah's mother, I would've told her that I'd take responsibility for mailing out all of her vet-school applications.  Then I'd have conveniently "forgotten" to mail all except the ones for schools abroad.  But I'd definitely remember to make sure she had an up-to-date passport.  See ya next year, Sarah.

[DownTheShore]

Sarah was, to use my mother's expression, "a pill".

[biakbiak]

Sarah remind me so much of two women I am friends with are both fairly high fuctioning on the Autism Spectrum down to not being able to handle roomates and the horse obsession, that I didn't mind her at all. I am not saying she is on the spectrum, she just crazy reminded me of two friends who I adore who are so I felt like I knew her.

Edited January 29, 2016 by biakbiak

[proserpina65]

I watched the couple relocating from SF to Helsinki last night (not sure if it was a new ep or not) and enjoyed it a lot.  Helsinki's a city I don't know much about, so seeing it was fun, and the couple seemed nice and not too hung up getting an American style apartment.  Yeah, they wanted a washer/dryer and an actual bedroom, but they didn't seem unreasonable about it, and they had decent reasons for sticking to their budget.  Plus their cat was cute.  Although he did look waaaay freaked out.

[JoyousSpring]

I'm getting frustrated with HHI lately. They've been spending more time showing the couples doing dorky touristy activities and then short-changing the housing details. I watch because I enjoy seeing the houses and apartments, but sometimes they completely skip kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. Also, too much Australia! Give us more Europe and Asia!!

[proserpina65]

I'm getting frustrated with HHI lately. They've been spending more time showing the couples doing dorky touristy activities and then short-changing the housing details. I watch because I enjoy seeing the houses and apartments, but sometimes they completely skip kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. Also, too much Australia! Give us more Europe and Asia!!

I'd agree with you 100% except that I have no interest in Asian episodes.  I'm fine with the Australia ones, but more Europe would be terrific.  I'd love to see more eps in Greece especially, and the European part of Turkey.

[AlleC17]

Most definitely. I kept thinking "marriage of convenience" -- maybe for health insurance or the opportunity for him to live in another country.

I don't think he's going to be able to manage his small brick-and-mortar business several thousand miles away. At some point, I think his employees will balk at the absentee owner.

When these ex-pats talk about people coming to visit -- exactly how often do they think they're their family and friends are going to be able to spring for airfare to a foreign country?

I agree it would be difficult to mange his business from afar, but they are there for a limited time, so he may be able to get through it okay.  There is a person who is a friend of several of my friends who is on the short list for making the US Dressage Team for the Rio games, and they were all told to tell their friends and family to watch from home since the equestrian events were being held is a really dangerous part of town.  The horses and riders etc would all be well protected, but not visitors coming to and from the venue.  Kind of sucks to finally make the Olympic Team and not have your F&F being able to come and support you.  Anyway, having heard this at Christmas, it made me even more curious to see this episode.

[DownTheShore]

I'm tired of the Australian ones.

I like the ones where the regular housing style isn't comparable to the US. I like the riads in Morocco, the hill town houses of Italy and Spain, the cottages in the UK, the villas in Mexico, the colonial city houses in Central America, etc.

[roseslg]

I think I've stayed at that hotel in Helsinki! Unless they all look alike. Even the bedroom was similar. I know It's all for show, but why pick the furthest place from the job? I went in October and I was ready to die from the cold. Who cares about coffee shops and stores? Short commute, please.

Sarah, dear Sarah. I think her mom wanted her to get out of her shell. Maybe if she cut her off and wasn't paying for her grad school then she would be forced to get a job and interact with people. Probably not.

[Mittengirl]

I felt sorry for Sarah. If that is the way her mother and little brother talk to/about her on camera, what must they be like the rest of the time.

The idea that Sarah's mother should try to bribe her to change her innate personality is repulsive. Either accept your daughter for who she is or don't, but stop trying to change her.

My strong impression, after a second viewing, is that Mom wants her daughter to be something she is not and doesn't hold back letting Sarah know she doesn't like her very much. Paying for her schooling doesn't make up for that.

[Homily]

The idea that Sarah's mother should try to bribe her to change her innate personality is repulsive. Either accept your daughter for who she is or don't, but stop trying to change her.

 

Agreed.  And even if it's done with love and all the best intentions in the world it's doomed to failure.  It reminds me a bit of parents trying to bribe their overweight teens to lose weight - if only it were that easy no one would have a weight problem!!  Anyway I have a basic problem with parents who control the purse strings and try to use that to treat their kids like a puppet on those strings. 

[roseslg]

As someone who was about to start grad school,   Sarah was old enough to say: "no,mom, I don't want your money, I will do this on my own."  It's not her mom's job to fund her graduate education.   It's probably some kind of learned dependence.  To me it seems as though her mother was trying to push her out of the nest so that she wasn't living at home at 50 in the same room with the same horse paraphernalia all over the place.  Maybe her mom wanted the break from her!!!!! It reminds me a bit of the woman on the regular house hunters who was obsessed with all things Mickey Mouse related.  I get that she's introverted and likes to keep to herself, nothing wrong with that, but she seemed to be on a different level. 

[TwirlyGirly]

Frankly, I found the mother refreshing - especially when she said something along the lines of being a mother, not her daughter's best friend.

 

IMO, it's ridiculous how much power some of these parents give their children over their house buying decisions (They won't like sharing a room. They have to have separate bedrooms") - even if it means going over their budget. Whether I was 7 or 17, I guarantee if my parents were looking for a new home, not only would I nor my siblings be asked to look at any homes and give our input, we would not be involved in the decision of which home to buy at all. They would choose the house they felt best suited our family, at a price they could afford, and we would be assigned our living arrangements in that house. If we even dared criticize their choice, we would be told in no uncertain terms "When you're an adult, you can choose and purchase any home you like and can afford. But, until that time, it is our money and our decision, and if you don't like what is provided to you, too bad."

 

Furthermore, if we didn't express gratitude for what we were given, or had an attitude about it, I'm pretty sure they'd tell us the alternative was a sleeping bag on the cement floor of the (unfinished) basement and put us there. Period.

 

We had good parents and never did without that which we truly needed. But my bedroom in the house where I grew up was only 9' x 9'. Of course I would have liked a bigger room, but that's what I was given. I was always happy to have a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head, even though it may not have been exactly what I wanted.

Edited January 30, 2016 by TwirlyGirly

[Homily]

I don't mind parents taking their children's needs into consideration, I agree the children shouldn't be the ones doing the deciding though!  It's the HH buyers who worry about whether their pet will like the new place that drive me up the wall.  I get loving a dog or cat, honestly I do, but sometimes some of these participants are just so way over the top with their "I just don't know if Cuddles will like this colour of carpet" that you have to wonder what's wrong with them!

[Mondrianyone]

I felt sorry for Sarah. If that is the way her mother and little brother talk to/about her on camera, what must they be like the rest of the time.

The idea that Sarah's mother should try to bribe her to change her innate personality is repulsive. Either accept your daughter for who she is or don't, but stop trying to change her.

My strong impression, after a second viewing, is that Mom wants her daughter to be something she is not and doesn't hold back letting Sarah know she doesn't like her very much. Paying for her schooling doesn't make up for that.

 

Obviously, we don't know the whole story, or how much of what we saw is fictitious.  My impression based on what HHI showed us was that the mother was trying to help Sarah be in a position where she might be able to change herself.  Encouraging her not to isolate herself, to have another try at living with someone not in her immediate family, both because it's a good thing to learn to get along with other people while you're still young enough not to be so rigid--theoretically, in Sarah's case--and because paying to carry her in a two-bedroom apartment that she refuses to consider sharing with a roommate is a pretty hefty burden, in addition to having paid for undergraduate and now graduate school--we all saw Sarah's sharp reaction of horror when Mom suggested she get a job!

 

Whatever Sarah feels entitled to, Mom has to take a chunk of the blame for that, and if she encouraged Sarah's inclination to be a recluse, some of that is on her, too. But I don't think she's a villain because she wants her daughter to figure out how to be a person in the world and for Mom herself wanting to get out from under the crushing weight of Sarah's entitlement and dependence.

 

FWIW, I would've killed for any of those apartments when I was going to school.  Stairs or no stairs.  ;o)

[roseslg]

I don't mind parents taking their children's needs into consideration, I agree the children shouldn't be the ones doing the deciding though! It's the HH buyers who worry about whether their pet will like the new place that drive me up the wall. I get loving a dog or cat, honestly I do, but sometimes some of these participants are just so way over the top with their "I just don't know if Cuddles will like this colour of carpet" that you have to wonder what's wrong with them!

Sort of on a tangent, but there was an article in the NYT real estate section a while back about parents who let their kids( talking around 10/12 yrs old) pick their next homes. Of course, these were people with million dollar budgets, but I thought the whole thing was ludicrous! I have to stay away from the NYT sometimes.

Sarah reminds me somewhat of a friend of mine who's 37, still lives at home, works in the family business. You can tell her parents would like her to venture out and just explore, but doubt it would happen. I think it's good to sort of explore and try new things before you become too set in your ways and unbearable to most people. I think that's what Sarah's mother wanted for her daughter. She just wanted her to explore the world and herself before she got stuck. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

[SmithW6079]

I liked the Helsinki couple -- mostly for their attitude that they're young and wanted to travel and experience the world as much as possible. I liked them a little less when they were complaining about the cold right off the bat. Why take a job in Finland if you can't handle the cold?

[DownTheShore]

The ones that annoy the heck out of me, though, are the ones who'll take a POS apt because they don't want to spend the extra $50/mo for the much nicer one because it's "over the budget" and they'll maybe have to take one less trip or eat out one less time per month.

If I have to live in a foreign country, then I want my nest there to be as roomy and as comfortable and comforting as possible.

[proserpina65]

The ones that annoy the heck out of me, though, are the ones who'll take a POS apt because they don't want to spend the extra $50/mo for the much nicer one because it's "over the budget" and they'll maybe have to take one less trip or eat out one less time per month.

If I have to live in a foreign country, then I want my nest there to be as roomy and as comfortable and comforting as possible.

I'd like to think I'd try to balance the two and live with a little less comfort in order to experience more of the culture.  But in reality, I'd probably go for the most comfortable place I could find and never leave it unless I had to.  I'm getting old and set in my ways.  (Comment dites-vous "get off my lawn"?)

[Dewey Decimate]

I'm getting frustrated with HHI lately. They've been spending more time showing the couples doing dorky touristy activities and then short-changing the housing details. I watch because I enjoy seeing the houses and apartments, but sometimes they completely skip kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. Also, too much Australia! Give us more Europe and Asia!!

You're telling me!! I briefly walked out of the room while watching last night's Netherlands ep (on DVR) and was shocked when I came back in and found I'd missed the entire second apartment. Upon rewinding, I clocked FOUR minutes of commercials before it, FOUR minutes of actual show, and then FOUR minutes of commercials after. Un-fricking-believable. I tend to watch only the international episodes in Europe because I hope to see some local sights and authentic residences. If only Rick Steves would put out some new eps - even mini-ones would satisfy me! - I wouldn't have to subject myself to the scraps of HH with generally unlikable hunters.

[Tara1665]

Does anyone want to bet how long the woman from Wisconsin stays in The Netherlands? I'm giving her six months before she bolts and tells hubby to fly to America twice a month and have fun on the North Sea.

[izabella]

Yes, I'm thinking Wisconsin lady was very comfortable at home, and this is way out of her comfort zone, especially since it's not as comfortable.  Winter is coming.  Biking with the kids to get groceries while hubby is away on the oil rig for a couple weeks isn't going to work.

 

I don't understand these apartments without ovens that we see so often.  Does no one bake cakes?  Roast chickens?  Bake potatoes?  Lasagna?

[Peanutbuttercup]

I'm with you @Izabella - I scoff at the Americans who want everything in their European or Asian home to be American, but no oven might well be a deal breaker for me. I don't even do cakes or bread or anything like that, but I use my oven almost every day to make oven-roasted vegetables, baked fish, things like that. I don't want to cook everything on a stove top or be limited to take out, I really don't.

Agreed on the Wisconsin lady, she seemed absolutely miserable, like she was on the verge of tears just about the entire episode.

[chessiegal]

I wonder if they use counter top ovens? How do you make a baked potato without an oven? I bought a Breville Smart Oven (largest size, love it), because it seemed like such a waste of the propane in our buried tank to heat up our huge stove oven for 2 baked potatoes.

[DownTheShore]

I was wondering why their housing "budget" was so low?  If he works on an oil rig in the US and got transferred to a North Sea rig, then he's no mere roustabout but has some sort of skilled position.  The average salary for folks like that is  $100,000/yr.  So why the cheap housing budget?  I'm thinking that perhaps the money isn't going to be used for touring Europe - can't believe that that woman wants to actually go to a place where they really do speak limited English - but will be used to fly the family back to the US frequently.

 

And why on earth, when these Americans from Midwest suburbia move to Europe, do they think they're not going to need a car?  They're not used to functioning in cities, they're not used to using public transportation, and being without a car when you're used to having one is like having a limb cut off.  Best to get a car, even if it's not used that often.  Then at least the homebound spouse has the illusion that they have free mobility. I do realize the European public transportation systems usually make cars superfluous, but it's a necessary psychological crutch for most Americans, I'd think, at least at the beginning of their stay.

 

Perhaps it's very mean of me, but I don't really feel much sympathy for the stay-at-home parents who are panic-stricken about moving to Europe. Moving to the back of beyond in Africa or Asia, yes.  But Europe, no.  I think that it is also probably healthier for the kids to experience a different culture rather than allow the parent to inculcate into them that their home culture is the best and safest by staying in one place all their lives.

Edited February 3, 2016 by DownTheShore

[biakbiak]

Based on the little girl's accent, I got the impression that they had been living in the Netherlands for awhile.

[Peanutbuttercup]

Perhaps it's very mean of me, but I don't really feel much sympathy for the stay-at-home parents who are panic-stricken about moving to Europe. Moving to the back of beyond in Africa or Asia, yes.  But Europe, no.  I think that it is also probably healthier for the kids to experience a different culture rather than allow the parent to inculcate into them that their home culture is the best and safest by staying in one place all their lives.

Yup. The vast majority of places you go in Europe will have lower crime rates than the US, children who do better on educational measures and are healthier than American children. Most people in Europe live closer to more cultural amenities than US people do, and governments and companies have more family-friendly policies than in the US, such as governmental allowances for childcare expenses, and generous parental leave and vacation time policies. I understand that language barriers and leaving your network of family and friends who support you can be challenging -- but overall Europe has the US beat hands-down in terms of child-friendliness and being supportive to families. I do think that most of the HHI people who move to Europe with children get that, but there are some who act like their family has been kidnapped and left in the deserts of Outer Mongolia.

[laredhead]

I also thought that the Wisconsin woman seemed to be on the verge of tears throughout the episode, and you know that they have lived there for a while.  I am amazed that people in Europe seem to be able to raise clean children w/o bathtubs.  What to do, what to do - none of the apartments have a bathtub for the children.  Seriously?  This has been a common complaint of just about every HHI person with children.  That folding bathtub was pretty cool, so maybe that's how Europeans handle bathing children.  Anyone on this thread have any first hand knowledge about this perceived traumatic event that seems to affect Americans moving to Europe?  

[Homily]

I think you have to want to move over to Europe and have to be prepared for the culture shock that comes with it - and realize as well that some days will be harder than others.  That's one reason I think the HHI do a big disservice to people who are thinking of becoming ex pats when they show supposedly newly transplanted Americans surrounded by a large circle of friends.  No.  Just no.  That doesn't usually happen and least of all if you are a not the working spouse where you're meeting people with shared interests right from the get go.  When we lived in England we were there with a few other couples who had also been relocated there by my husband's company. Most of us got along just fine and while we missed home we knew we were getting a virtually all expenses paid opportunity of a lifetime.  One of the women though hated it, hated everything about England, was homesick and never got over it.  She stuck it out for a year and then headed back home.  I don't know why it didn't work for her but I do know she was miserable.  I've often wondered if she ever looks back on that time and thinks that she wasted what could have been an amazing experience.

[Tara1665]

I've been begging my guy to find a job in Europe...I can have my bags packed in 20 mins!

[izabella]

 I am amazed that people in Europe seem to be able to raise clean children w/o bathtubs.  What to do, what to do - none of the apartments have a bathtub for the children.  Seriously?  This has been a common complaint of just about every HHI person with children.  That folding bathtub was pretty cool, so maybe that's how Europeans handle bathing children.  Anyone on this thread have any first hand knowledge about this perceived traumatic event that seems to affect Americans moving to Europe?  

 

I have encountered the opposite in Europe - tubs with no showers.  The tubs come with those handheld shower handles attached to the tub faucet with a hose.

[DownTheShore]

When we vacation down the shore, none of the cottages have bathtubs, only showers. When the kidlets were small enough we would pop them in the kitchen sink for their bath. Once they got too big for that, they would stand on the shower and get washed. We would usually get wet while washing them, but that was great fun to them to see us get wet.

It's not a big deal. Get them wet and move them away from the spray, soap them all up and then have them stand under the water again. When they are very young, put a folded up washcloth over their eyes and the top of their nose so soap and water doesn't run into them.

[TwirlyGirly]

Homily, on 02 Feb 2016 - 9:53 PM, said:

I think you have to want to move over to Europe and have to be prepared for the culture shock that comes with it - and realize as well that some days will be harder than others.  That's one reason I think the HHI do a big disservice to people who are thinking of becoming ex pats when they show supposedly newly transplanted Americans surrounded by a large circle of friends.  No.  Just no.  That doesn't usually happen and least of all if you are a not the working spouse where you're meeting people with shared interests right from the get go.  When we lived in England we were there with a few other couples who had also been relocated there by my husband's company. Most of us got along just fine and while we missed home we knew we were getting a virtually all expenses paid opportunity of a lifetime.  One of the women though hated it, hated everything about England, was homesick and never got over it.  She stuck it out for a year and then headed back home.  I don't know why it didn't work for her but I do know she was miserable.  I've often wondered if she ever looks back on that time and thinks that she wasted what could have been an amazing experience.

 

This really speaks more to the personality of the person who is moving, IMO, than anything about the country/culture they are moving to.

 

For example, I've been a member of a certain online discussion group for years. One of the other group members took a trip to Italy a few years ago. Okay, so she's visiting one of the most culturally rich countries IN THE WORLD. The food! The art! The people! The history!

 

You'd think her discussions about the trip would revolve around the places she visited, the people she met....but no.

 

From the time she returned, all she's been able to say about Italy is that when you order a soft drink there, it's not served with ICE*. I kid you not. Not a word about the art, the food....anything. Every time travel is mentioned in the group, THIS is what she says about her Italy trip. To this day.

 

'Cause, you know, the US is superior to every other country, especially Italy!  Because ICE.

 

*This is pretty typical, from what I know, of all European countries. Don't Americans know 1) You can ASK for ice, and they'll bring you some, and 2) You're getting more product for your money when it's served sans ice, because it's not being watered down?

[proserpina65]

When we vacation down the shore, none of the cottages have bathtubs, only showers. When the kidlets were small enough we would pop them in the kitchen sink for their bath. Once they got too big for that, they would stand on the shower and get washed. We would usually get wet while washing them, but that was great fun to them to see us get wet.

It's not a big deal. Get them wet and move them away from the spray, soap them all up and then have them stand under the water again. When they are very young, put a folded up washcloth over their eyes and the top of their nose so soap and water doesn't run into them.

I think a lot of it has to do with what you're used to.  For those parents who've only ever bathed their kids in a tub, it's an adjustment.  But yeah, you figure it out.  The lack of a tub shouldn't be the deciding factor if the house/flat/apartment is otherwise perfect for your family.  Now, the lack of an oven, on the other hand, would be a problem for me since I bake and roast a lot.  And don't get me started on the bathrooms with no shower curtains.

Edited February 3, 2016 by proserpina65

[laredhead]

TwirlyGirly, I wish there was an option for us to like a comment more than once.  Love your story about the person with the ice fixation.  As for the lack of ovens in some of the places we've seen, counter top convection ovens have gotten better in quality in recent years and that might be an option for a buyer or renter.  I wish the realtors would add some insight into those situations when those comments are made by the HH, as opposed to just standing there with a blank look on their face.  Of course, maybe the realtor is stunned that someone would ask that question about ovens or bathtubs.     

[Homily]

We never encountered a lack of bathroom fixtures but every single house we ever looked at had carpeting in the bathroom.  We were renting so taking it out wasn't an option.  I loved England, would go back in a heartbeat, but I never got used that that!  And don't get me started on the separate taps for hot and cold or when there actually was one tap the water still streamed out in a separate stream of hot and cold.  For most folk though I would hope these are the kind of things that are more a nuisance than a deal breaker and for us the fact that we were living in England more than compensated for it!  I would really hope the HHIs who get the chance to go overseas complain about the drawbacks but still end up appreciating where they are.  In other words that a lot of the "oh my god no bath tub" comments are producer driven.

 

From the time she returned, all she's been able to say about Italy is that when you order a soft drink there, it's not served with ICE*. I kid you not. Not a word about the art, the food....anything. Every time travel is mentioned in the group, THIS is what she says about her Italy trip. To this day.

 

My then teenage nephew visited us and when he went home all he could talk about was how you don't get unlimited refills on pop in restaurants.  Horrifying that you pay for every single drink you get!  We'd forgotten to tell him that but we did remember to tell him to specify tap water if you asked for water in a restaurant otherwise the automatic default (certainly in every place we ever went) was an expensive bottle of water -- mind you this was in the days before buying bottled water was so commonplace so perhaps travellers today wouldn't be surprised at this.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Homily

[proserpina65]

 

We never encountered a lack of bathroom fixtures but every single house we ever looked at had carpeting in the bathroom.

This was actually a trend in the US in the late 70s and through the 80s.  I was quite glad to see the back of that one.  And, as you say, living in England would compensate.

[KLovestoShop]

After visiting there twice, there's not enough money in the world to get me to live in Rio.  It's filthy, dangerous and the water is horribly polluted.  Just read some of the articles about how some of the Olympic water venues that will use the ocean and rivers are filled with raw sewage and garbage.  One US official went and tested the water where some of the boating venues will be held and found that the bacteria levels are dangerous.  It was obvious that HHI really "sanitized" their portrait of Rio and didn't show the seamy side that I saw.  Some friends went to Maracana stadium and were robbed at gunpoint in that very public place.  My friend was out taking photos in broad daylight, and was attacked by two teens with broken bottles.  Thankfully she wasn't hurt as they took her cameras, jewelry and money.  I'm just wondering how long this couple will stay in Rio?  The misery of the people and especially the "throw away" children is so very sad and that's why crime is so rampant.  It could be a very beautiful city, with a lot to offer, but the government has screwed things up and this city is in a sorry state.

Edited February 3, 2016 by KLovestoShop

[Peanut]

One of the women though hated it, hated everything about England, was homesick and never got over it.  She stuck it out for a year and then headed back home.  I don't know why it didn't work for her but I do know she was miserable.  I've often wondered if she ever looks back on that time and thinks that she wasted what could have been an amazing experience.

I was an expat for a total of ten years in three different places: Italy, Germany and China.  The one place where some Americans really couldn't deal was not China, but Germany, which I loved.  At the time I lived there, stores were only open late on Thursdays and not at all on Sundays and I know that can be inconvenient, but it wasn't a deal breaker to me.  

 

I thought the couple in Helsinki should've chosen the unfurnished condo or the second place with the weird furniture, what with them being closer to the city and public transportation.  Being close to public transportation is so awesome and shouldn't be underestimated.  Especially in winter. 

[TVForever]

I think you have to want to move over to Europe and have to be prepared for the culture shock that comes with it - and realize as well that some days will be harder than others.  That's one reason I think the HHI do a big disservice to people who are thinking of becoming ex pats when they show supposedly newly transplanted Americans surrounded by a large circle of friends.  No.  Just no.  That doesn't usually happen and least of all if you are a not the working spouse where you're meeting people with shared interests right from the get go.  When we lived in England we were there with a few other couples who had also been relocated there by my husband's company. Most of us got along just fine and while we missed home we knew we were getting a virtually all expenses paid opportunity of a lifetime.  One of the women though hated it, hated everything about England, was homesick and never got over it.  She stuck it out for a year and then headed back home.  I don't know why it didn't work for her but I do know she was miserable.  I've often wondered if she ever looks back on that time and thinks that she wasted what could have been an amazing experience.

         

         I suspect that those of us that are "obssessed" with HHI are a self-selected group- we see the opportunity to live abroad as an adventure and perhaps aspire to it someday- maybe living vicariously through HHI episodes. Strange as it may seem to us, there are people who just don't travel well. They may have lived their entire lives within a 200-mile radius and have no desire to leave that bubble. The Wisconsin-to-Assen woman gave off that vibe big time. She may not have left for home after a year, but I'll bet she had a really big learning curve and probably still just tolerates life there for the sake of her husband's job and her girls having a cool life experience. 

[DownTheShore]

The "OMG there's s no oven" thing always cracks me up. Buy a countertop electric oven and voilà! It not as if they're not for sale in most parts of the world. Or, here's a thought - learn to cook on a stove top. Or buy a crockpot. Or an electric pressure cooker. The apt doesn't come with enough burners? Buy a single induction burner and put it away in a cabinet when not in use.

Ditto the no shower curtain. Buy an expansion curtain rod and hang a.shower curtain. A lot of apartments don't come with shower rods installed into the walls (mine didn't) because then the idiot renters can't accidentally pull them out of the wall by grabbing on them and ruin the tile.

Don't like carpet in the bathroom? Rip it out and put in a piece of sheet flooring. Replace the carpeting when you're about to move out.

[Pine]

Debbie Downer in Assen, Netherlands was so painful to watch.

Their daughters were adorable.

I think they're tiny enough, a tin tub would work in the shower area. At least that is something I can see my adventuresome Mother doing.

I liked the couple from Scottsdale, buying the summer home in the Netherlands.

That wife seemed a bit camera shy, but her husband was fun.

[RococoChanel]

Yay the Netherlands! My husband is Dutch, so it's nice to see his home country on House Hunters, though you never see them go near where he is from (the south, really close to Belgium).

 

The lady from the midwest looked like she was about to explode into tears at any second. I really felt bad for her, but then I thought... "Well, why even move? There is no rule in the universe that says you have to accept a job offer. Stay home if you're happier there!" No sympathy. Also, the whole horror of having to learn how to deal with a child without a bathtub in your home... it's such a non issue. Millions of kids around the world get raised without tubs and they're fine.

 

The Dutch couple moving back to the Netherlands was excellent--I loved how laid back the dude was. He just wants to be near the water! My kind of dude. They made a very sensible, good choice. They recognized that the sizes of places and the amenities in the U.S. were more generous but at the end of the day what really mattered won out.

 

One more thing: in Italy, if you ask for ice it's so hilarious because they'll come back with one or two cubes that already melt by the time they put the glass on your table! I'm Italian American and have lived in Italy for many years, and sometimes I want a little ice when it's hot out. "Posso avere un ________ con ghiaccio?" never fails to elicit the 1 or 2 cube response. :D

[Homily]

Italy and ice reminds me of Everybody Loves Raymond, a character explains why he loves America "so much ice!" (with an Italian accent of course :). 

 

Don't like carpet in the bathroom? Rip it out and put in a piece of sheet flooring. Replace the carpeting when you're about to move out.

 

I don't know how that would have flown in any place we ever rented.  These were privately owned homes that were being rented out through estate agents and man did they check on every single solitary thing to make sure you left the place exactly as you found it - and if you didn't you got dinged with charges.  I speak from bitter personal experience here!

[TwirlyGirly]

RococoChanel, on 04 Feb 2016 - 09:11 AM, said:RococoChanel, on 04 Feb 2016 - 09:11 AM, said:RococoChanel, on 04 Feb 2016 - 09:11 AM, said:

<snip>

One more thing: in Italy, if you ask for ice it's so hilarious because they'll come back with one or two cubes that already melt by the time they put the glass on your table! I'm Italian American and have lived in Italy for many years, and sometimes I want a little ice when it's hot out. "Posso avere un ________ con ghiaccio?" never fails to elicit the 1 or 2 cube response. :D

 

I do not speak Italian, so I'm using Google translate here, which tells me the translation of what you wrote is "Can I have a _____ with ice?"

 

I would do in Europe something similar to what I do here in the US. Here, I always order my soft drinks without ice. Then, when it's served, I ask for a separate glass filled with ice. That results in me getting about two to three times as much product as if I had been served the soft drink with ice to begin with.

 

I input "Please may I have a glass FULL of ice" into Google translate, and it responded with "Si prega Posso avere un bicchiere pieno di ghiaccio?"

 

Perhaps being very explicit, and ordering the ice separately from the drink, is what is required in Italy, if you truly want a whole lotta ice!

 

As an aside:

Serving soft drinks over ice results in the highest profit margins for any product sold in US restaurants. Restaurants purchase the soft drink syrup, and mix it with water at a ratio of 1 to 5, then carbonate it. Filling the glass with ice first (and note the type of ice they use - the very thin hollow cubes that melt very quickly), further dilutes the drink. On average, soft drinks cost restaurants .12 per serving. Think of that the next time you order a glass of coke for 3.50+!

 

https://www.restaurants.com/blog/the-top-10-biggest-restaurant-markups/#.VrOUtTgUWpo

Edited February 4, 2016 by TwirlyGirly

[chessiegal]

When we went to Scotland, the first afternoon we called the front desk and asked for ice, hoping for a bucket full (haha!). I was asked how many glasses, and I said 2, thinking wohoo, we're getting 2 full glasses of ice. What we got were 2 glasses each with 2 ice cubes in them. So instead of warm gin and tonics, we could have warm diluted gin and tonics. We learned.

[proserpina65]

Ditto the no shower curtain. Buy an expansion curtain rod and hang a.shower curtain. A lot of apartments don't come with shower rods installed into the walls (mine didn't) because then the idiot renters can't accidentally pull them out of the wall by grabbing on them and ruin the tile.

 

Well, that's what I would do, assuming that apartment was the best choice otherwise.  If it was close between two apartments, the one with the shower curtain rod already there might have an edge, all else being equal.  But the oven thing is more problematic if, like me, you're someone who bakes and roasts a lot.  Not insurmountable if the apartment is good enough but not meaningless either.

 

Edited to note that the shower issue I was refering to was one where there is no specific shower area, just a tile bathroom with a drain in the middle of the floor.  It's harder to just buy a curtain rod for those bathrooms; not impossible, just harder.

Edited February 4, 2016 by proserpina65