House Hunters International - General Discussion

[javajeanelaine]

I have friends who live in Witney that used to commute to London by train.  said the prices in London were just untenable.

[Grizzly]

Madrid, Spain. The friend had an awful voice, just wanted her to shut up. I knew she'd pick the city center apartment. Didn't matter what the kitchen was like.

[Crashcourse]

Yeah, I wasn't at all surprised that she picked the city center apartment.

[aghst]

She really made it sound like she'd be cooking a lot.

But between school, with the 1-hour commute times each way, teaching and maybe some side hustles and socializing, she wasn't going to cook that much.

If she was choosing to live in Madrid and commuting that far to school, then obviously she was going to choose the place for the lifestyle that she wanted.

$100 a month is worth the time not spent on metros to get to where she wanted to spend time.

 

[Jodithgrace]

And it wasn’t $100 over her budget, it was on budget. The one she chose was the only real option. If she has to travel for school, why also travel for everything else. 

[Pine]

For once a sensible choice!  And no complaints about room sizes really.  

[buttersister]

Location. Location. Location. You can change most everything else to suit your taste.

[proserpina65]

23 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

And it wasn’t $100 over her budget, it was on budget. The one she chose was the only real option. If she has to travel for school, why also travel for everything else. 

I honestly didn't understand why she was moving to Madrid if her job or school (can't remember which) was in an entirely different city an hour away but since it had to be Madrid for whatever reason, she picked the right place for her.  I wasn't greatly enamored with any of the apartments, but I didn't really mind any of them either.

[Notabug]

5 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I honestly didn't understand why she was moving to Madrid if her job or school (can't remember which) was in an entirely different city an hour away but since it had to be Madrid for whatever reason, she picked the right place for her.  I wasn't greatly enamored with any of the apartments, but I didn't really mind any of them either.

I didn't get that, either.  I presume her school/job must be out in suburbia or further which is why she didn't want to live there.  However, surely there were other options for work or school to be found in Madrid itself.

[Grizzly]

Puerto Vallarta Mexico. I know this one is a repeat but I just have to comment. That orange dress with no bra is not doing Paulina's figure any favors. The white and green one she's wearing in the talking head looks so much better. Taniel really comes across as a nice guy.

[Dirge]

Madrid. I feel like you should have to live overseas for about 10 years before you can start saying "I went to university." 

That is all. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Thailand episode.   I just don't understand why they moved from Honduras.  They claimed they wanted their two adopted kids to know their own culture, they had a thriving business there, and they move to Thailand?   

I did miss the first minute or so, maybe they explained it.   And the whining about having to do so much work on the last house, when it mostly needed a bunch of nails taken out and patched on the walls, and a coat of paint was strange.  I bet the patch and paint took an entire couple of days.   

[aghst]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The Thailand episode.   I just don't understand why they moved from Honduras.  They claimed they wanted their two adopted kids to know their own culture, they had a thriving business there, and they move to Thailand?   

I did miss the first minute or so, maybe they explained it.   And the whining about having to do so much work on the last house, when it mostly needed a bunch of nails taken out and patched on the walls, and a coat of paint was strange.  I bet the patch and paint took an entire couple of days.   

I thought that the husband was convincing about how transformative his first international travel was for him, though not too unusual that he was 17 the first time he got on a plane.

The wife also talked about her first travel experiences.  She was adopted herself so adopting her kids meant a lot to her, though it seems they may speak English as their main language, if they speak much Spanish at all.

So it seems wanderlust may play a role in them moving to Thailand — he said he was the first in his family to go there.

Looks like cost is a big factor in their choice.  Even saving $50 a month with house #2 would be one grocery trip, he said.  Maybe Thailand, especially. Chiang Rai compared to a city like Bangkok or big tourist magnets like Phuket or Chiang Mai is cheaper than Honduras.

[TVForever]

11 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Puerto Vallarta Mexico. I know this one is a repeat but I just have to comment. That orange dress with no bra is not doing Paulina's figure any favors. The white and green one she's wearing in the talking head looks so much better. Taniel really comes across as a nice guy.

I LOVE Taniel!

[Jodithgrace]

Thailand: The husband was expanding his non profit (very unspecified) from Honduras to Thailand, which is why the move. 
The big yard house was the obvious choice, so they had to have the wife being concerned about the house needing TLC. They were all easy fixes, though unless the husband did the work himself, contracting it out might have been a problem with the language barrier. 
They seemed to be a really nice couple.

[Chit Chat]

On 8/14/2024 at 10:27 AM, aghst said:

She really made it sound like she'd be cooking a lot.

I'm surprised by the number of apartments we see in different countries that don't have an oven.  I wouldn't like having the small, dorm-size refrigerators either.  

[chessiegal]

I've said this before, but I do all my oven cooking in my Breville countertop oven.  I've checked, and they make them that can use the electrical plugs/requirements used overseas. No oven is a baseless complaint.

[Chit Chat]

8 hours ago, chessiegal said:

No oven is a baseless complaint.

I'm not trying to debate ovens vs. countertop ovens, I'm curious as to why quite a few of the properties we see don't have ovens. Is it just with rental properties, or do most homes not have them?  Is it part of their particular culture?  What do they use instead of an oven? 

Edited August 18 by Chit Chat

[aghst]

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

I'm not trying to debate ovens vs. countertop ovens, I'm curious as to why quite a few of the properties we see don't have ovens. Is it just with rental properties, or do most homes not have them?  Is it part of their particular culture?  What do they use instead of an oven? 

Not common in Asia, especially SE Asia.  I don't know if there are a lot of baked foods in this cuisines.

In Europe, apartments and kitchens are small.

However, the number of bakeries and pastry shops are huge so you can get good quality cakes and pastries at local bakeries.

 

 

[surfgirl]

Ditsy London chick moves to Phnom Penh, Cambodia thinking she's going to love high on the high for real cheap. Clearly she didn't do her research because it's bee a long time since you could live large on a small budget in PP. Also, these people who move overseas and don't bother to learn basic local language BEFORE they move bug the living hell out of me. And my absolute pet peeve, women who go to Asia and walk around in mini dresses that are so short their hoohah will be display when they bend or sit. Girl, just NO. Adapt to your local culture and show some respect ffs.

Edited August 23 by surfgirl

[aghst]

Toulouse, France to Hevery Bay, Australia -- Queensland.

Celine backpacks across Australia and settles in Hervey Bay, the whale watching capital of Australia or maybe the world.

She finds a job on a whale watching boat so she wants to stay but only has a budget of $800.  Her boss helps her house hunt, advises that she needs zircon.

But the realtor, another young woman who could be friend with Celine, says she will have to get roommates.

Celine's English is good but she not only up-talks, she has an Aussie accent.  Seems like she's been in Oz for awhile and has observed their unique speech patterns.

House 1 already has 2 male roommates, she'd be the third.  It only has AC in the living room so the bedrooms would have to leave the doors open to get the cool air.  Plus other parts of the house are really warm, like the kitchen.

House 2 is 3 bedroom 2 bath and $2000.  She would have to find two roommates to make the rent affordable for her.  Very nice and modern but Celine says she wouldn't begin to know where to search for roommates.

House 3 is 3 bedroom and 1 bath, $1300.  So she'd only need one roommate.  It's also close to her work and her boss teases her about how she will come by on her off hours to see if she wants to take an extra shift.

Eliminates House 1 right off the bat and says if the boss promises not to bother her she will take House 3.

3 months later, she has a female roommate, who wasn't so difficult to find.

 

[ECM1231]

I liked Celine and the house she chose was probably the best for her, even though she had to share the only bathroom. 1 roommate is definitely better than 2.

[surfgirl]

Also saw the Nice episode last night, nice to see Nice get some love! Adrienne kind of bugs me though, she's tiring AF and I always feel like she's gaslighting the renters/buyers. In this case, the wife has family in the Nice area (do they live in the nice Nice area though, who knows?!), and she and her fam live in Big Bear, CA. She wants to expand her accounting business to Nice but her kids, 14 and 9, do not want to move to Nice. HELLO?!? Why are you moving to Nice if your kids don't want to? Knowing that the kids don't want to move, they are only looking at two bedroom places...to BUY. WTAF? If you know your kids don't want to move, and you say you're going to go back and forth for the time being, why are you looking to buy? Why don't you either stay with family OR rent a place short term? Why are these people all so dumb? Then they choose the apartment with the kids bedroom that has two 'train style beds that pull down from the wall bunk style and the room is like a long skinny closet with literally no room for anything. Not to mention the living area is cramped as hell too. Again I ask, WTF is wrong with these people? Do they have no common sense?

Do we think most of these people are fake plants? They can't all be this stupid and clueless can they?

[buttersister]

100% fake and not even trying anymore.

[ML89]

2 hours ago, surfgirl said:

Again I ask, WTF is wrong with these people? Do they have no common sense?

Well, considering the woman said she was an international tax expert after about 3 months, I side eyed the whole thing.

[aghst]

The tax expert to Nice episode is a year or two old.  Had some discussion about it, whether the cover story checks out.

i think someone looked her up?

[Grizzly]

Cork, Ireland. Ed and Yuzu are a unique couple. At least they don't fight. And we have a break from city vs country. I'm loving James. Snark with a hint of eye roll and a luscious beard. Being able to live in a castle is a nice dream but they would be very poor. I'm not excited about either of the other options. Mold or a mud pit. The cats were cute.

[Dirge]

Cork, I knew they'd taken the second house because of the various things that were covered with drop cloths, a la House Hunters of old. It was nice not to see the usual U.S.-centric nonsense. I hope they love Ireland! The cats were very cute. 

[Crashcourse]

I figured they wouldn't choose the castle, and I think James just showed it for us viewers.  

I've been to Cork, and it's a beautiful city.  I took a bus to Blarney castle and watched people bending over to kiss the Blarney stone.  I didn't though. 😅

[aghst]

It’s great that she has a passion for the renovations but did they move for the travel or to find her a project?  In Seattle a comparable home in need of a lot of renovation could be double the price.

They’re used to the weather but are they going to take advantage of proximity to beautiful and sunnier places?

I lived in Seattle once and I used to look at weather forecasts in CA.  Curiously I once visited Cork for work and I recall checking the forecasts in Paris. It was in February so not necessarily a time for warm weather in Paris but it was like 10 degrees warmer and more pone to sunshine.

[chessiegal]

I visited Ireland in April and was cold the whole time I was there. I also kissed the Blarney Stone and suffered no ill effects 😉.

[proserpina65]

22 hours ago, aghst said:

It’s great that she has a passion for the renovations but did they move for the travel or to find her a project?

It sounded like they moved because they wanted the experience of living abroad and her losing her job, coupled with him having the opportunity to work in Ireland for his company, gave them the impetus to move when they did.

[Grizzly]

Amberg, Germany. I visited Germany in May. The architecture is all like that and is so picturesque. Not sure how livable it is. I liked the first house. Realize it's far from work. The apartment had its drawbacks on the outside. And the chalet, I don't think there's anything wrong with the 90s. Interesting, it sounds like they regretted their decision. That's a first.

[Pine]

Oh well, they are just renting,  finish your lease and find something better.   It sounded like he wasn't fond of the USA either. 

[seacliffsal]

Let me just get this out-I love visiting Bavaria so was excited to see an episode set there.  I actually liked all 3 properties even though the couple (especially the wife) found negatives to all of them.  However, I was not prepared for what I think is a HHI first-they both seemed to regret their decision.  Wanted a big yard, but didn't realize how much work it would be?  Could not roll my eyes back into my head enough for that statement?  What?  Did they just expect the elves to take care of the yard?  The house ended up being too big?  Just shut the doors of the rooms you don't use and you have resolved the issue.  I couldn't believe what they were saying in the epilogue.  Unrealistic? Overly negative?  Lacking of common sense?  And, as an above poster stated, live out the lease and find a different house next time.

Oh, and let me add: maybe this is what happens when one doesn't want to really adjust to the new location but rather try to replicate one's life in the U.S.

[Crashcourse]

I also thought it was unnecessary for her to say on camera that she didn't like German food.  What a Debbie Downer.

[seacliffsal]

5 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I also thought it was unnecessary for her to say on camera that she didn't like German food.  What a Debbie Downer.

Yes, I agree.  I actually like German food (okay, I pretty much like all food [don't give me any liver though...]).  I think some of their comments said more about them than of Germany.

[chessiegal]

3 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I also thought it was unnecessary for her to say on camera that she didn't like German food.  What a Debbie Downer.

"German food"? WTF. We went to Germany 7 years ago. We took the Queen Mary 2 to Hamburg, spend 2 days there, then took a train to Munich and were there for 5 days. I don't remember anything weird about the food. I get sauerkraut isn't to everyone's liking, but they have lots of other foods, most of which you can find in the US.

[Crashcourse]

5 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I get sauerkraut isn't to everyone's liking, but they have lots of other foods, most of which you can find in the US.

Yes, especially delicious German pastries. 😋

[aghst]

She kept rolling her eyes at ‘90s style chalet.

But it was the best commute for her as well as best value for the money.

Only thing the husband worried about was the bedrooms being in the attic where it would get hot in the summer.

She kept saying it was a move to get their daughter near her German relatives but they are hours away by car.  Husband must have really wanted to move back.

That would be cool if they appeared on another episode as they looked for another place.

[Chit Chat]

On 8/28/2024 at 1:34 AM, Dirge said:

I hope they love Ireland! The cats were very cute. 

Besides the castle, the cats were my favorite part of the episode! 

I would get nervous seeing a house with mold/mildew in it.  I'd need a thorough inspection just to see how bad it is.  I sure hope there are some better-looking properties in Ireland, because the ones they looked at were terrible. I know that they wanted a fixer-upper, but damn, I'd really be concerned with the structural integrity of those homes.  The backyard garden of the home they chose is going to need a significant amount of work, which equals money.  

[Grizzly]

10 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I also thought it was unnecessary for her to say on camera that she didn't like German food.  What a Debbie Downer.

I'm really picky about food but found pork schnitzel to be delicious.

[Chit Chat]

On 8/30/2024 at 5:53 PM, aghst said:

She kept rolling her eyes at ‘90s style chalet.

I liked that house!  Yeah, it was a little outdated, but it wasn't that bad, and it looked clean and well-kept.  I thought the constant eye-rolling was a bit unnecessary.  I can understand the concern of no air conditioning on the upper floor.  I really don't know how hot it gets there in the summertime.  

Was that the house that had the unique heating system with the fireplace(?) and tiles?  They said something about it radiating the heat.  I found that interesting.  

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

I really don't know how hot it gets there in the summertime.  

When we visited Germany, we were in Munich in June. It was over 90 degrees every of the 5 days we were there.

[aghst]

I'm in Berlin right now.  It was 78 yesterday and it's suppose to hit 90 this week.

[proserpina65]

On 8/30/2024 at 12:15 PM, chessiegal said:

"German food"? WTF. We went to Germany 7 years ago. We took the Queen Mary 2 to Hamburg, spend 2 days there, then took a train to Munich and were there for 5 days. I don't remember anything weird about the food. I get sauerkraut isn't to everyone's liking, but they have lots of other foods, most of which you can find in the US.

I find a lot of German food very heavy and mostly meat-based, which is fine in small portions but as a steady diet, not so much.  But food is always a matter of preference.  For instance, I think French food in general to be vastly overrated, but their desserts are divine.

I didn't mind what she said about German food.  I did, however, find her insufferable in so many other ways, especially with her criticisms of every house they were shown.  You could see her rolling her eyes at everything.

On 9/1/2024 at 7:43 PM, Chit Chat said:

I really don't know how hot it gets there in the summertime.  

They played the European Championships there this summer.  It was really hot.

 

[aghst]

I haven't really looked for German food.  I have some restricted dietary requirements so I'm trying to stick to those.

But curry wurst is suppose to be big.  Aside from ME food like kebap, there are a lot of restaurants advertising Asian fusion cuisine, in fact chains of them.

Just like Indian food is huge in the UK, it seems like ME and Asian food are big in Germany.

I haven't gone to any biergartens and so not eating various sausages and such.

A week or two ago, Boars Head recalled a lot of cold cut products distributed across the US in groceries, so things like hams and deli meats, due to contamination at one of their factories.

European cuisines have a lot of charcuterie in their tradition, I'm guessing as a way to preserve meats before refrigeration.

Love the way these things taste but they are loaded with salt and there's also nitrates in cured meats.

[chessiegal]

When we were in Munich, one day at lunch I had an assorted platter of meats, cheeses, and breads. I took a healthy bite of what I thought was some kind of slaw. It turned out to be freshly grated horseradish. Yikes!!! I could not get it out of my mouth and into a napkin fast enough! Lesson learned - tiny tastes first.

[Crashcourse]

It's fine not to like German (or any country's) food, taste preferences vary.  My issue with her was that she decided to announce it for everyone to hear.  She could have just said that comment off camera.

Edited September 3 by Crashcourse

[Chit Chat]

5 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

My issue with her was that she decided to announce it for everyone to hear.  She could have just said that comment off camera.

I've noticed that on many of these HHI shows, the buyers/renters usually find a way to either insult the food, the housing, or the culture.  I'm embarrassed for the ones who expect American standards in other countries and aren't shy about voicing their disdain when things aren't exactly like they dreamed they'd be.

Most of these people go on and on about wanting to experience another culture, and in many cases, that's going to mean some sacrifices to their comfort (fewer bedrooms for the money; smaller homes/apartments; kitchens & bathrooms configured differently, etc.)  I wish they'd show a little more respect to the realtor.  Exceptions would be if the place is an absolute dump, then it would be difficult not to voice an opinion on that!!