House Hunters International - General Discussion

[LittleIggy]

7 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Which is 400 miles from Aachen, so he's definitely not working there on a regular basis.

Who cares? He’s cute! 😁

[eel21788]

On ‎8‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 9:47 AM, chessiegal said:

Vietnam - complaints about oven and bath tub. Get on Amazon, order a Breville countertop convection oven and a plastic mat for the tub. I can roast a chicken or bake cookies in my Breville oven. We had to put a mat in our one bath tub shower combo because it is slippery as hell.

Try watching the movie The Darwin Awards with this guy in mind. The main character calling bathtubs "death traps" is a recurring theme.

[seacliffsal]

I am never caught up on all of the episodes on my DVR but just wanted to come and comment on some of the "hunters" that I have been watching.  Rarely do I delete an episode without watching it, but there was a female house hunter in Mexico that I just couldn't take.  I know she thought it was cute, but the way she complained to the realtor about not getting exactly what she wanted (and that she always got what she wanted) was just too much.  Then, this morning I watched the episode from Turin and the single male house hunter was exactly the same way.  The only difference?  He had photos of the type of apartment that he wanted and kept showing them, while complaining, to the realtor.  Patrizia was his realtor and she kept telling him to put the photos away and to face reality.  His budget was $600 and yet he couldn't understand why she wasn't showing him what he wanted.

I guess I just don't know why so many people are willing to look like arrogant idiots on the show.  Know your budget, but also know what you WON'T be able to afford.

Okay, now I will continue on catching up on the rest of the episodes.

[Kohola3]

17 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

His budget was $600 and yet he couldn't understand why she wasn't showing him what he wanted.

I would dearly love one of the Realtors to stick strictly to the budget and show them exactly what their pittance of a budget will get them.  Knock some sense into them.

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, Kohola3 said:

I would dearly love one of the Realtors to stick strictly to the budget and show them exactly what their pittance of a budget will get them.  Knock some sense into them.

Well since they already rent or own the place that they end up they already  know what their money will get them. 

[rhofmovalley]

45 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I would dearly love one of the Realtors to stick strictly to the budget and show them exactly what their pittance of a budget will get them.  Knock some sense into them.

But then the HH gets mad and says something like "Since this place is at the very top of my (tiny, sad sack) budget, I expect to get everything on my wish list".  Ignoring the fact that what they want costs a lot more than what they've been able to scrape together for a budget.

[LittleIggy]

Barcelona: I liked the flat they immediately crossed off the list. The younger guy was really annoying me since I figure that his husband was the one paying for the lion’s share of things since he had a stable job. I liked how things worked out in the end.

[MartyQui]

Barcelona: I recognized the terrace where they had their initial meeting with the agent.  It’s at a hotel I stayed in last September!  I liked the apartment they chose, it seemed like a good balance and a great location.  I was just happy I didn’t have to hear how the working partner wouldn’t tolerate any more than a 5 minute commute to work!

[sempervivum]

Barcelona- Grant was a sweetie; Claudio used to be all that and acts like he still is. (I did like his swim trunk styles, though)

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I liked the flat they immediately crossed off the list.

Me too. Those tile floors are fantastic.

[biakbiak]

The one they ruled out seemed to be set up for an air bnb with all its large “bedrooms” (well three of them) and then a couch, dining table and kitchen all shoved into a small space in the back so it was probably not a legit option at that price. Decorated properly as a two bedroom it would have been fabulous.

[iMonrey]

I knew it would be the third apartment when I saw the furniture. "Oh, does the furniture come with it? And it just happens to be the modern style we like? Well, what a coincidence!!!"

[izabella]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

The one they ruled out seemed to be set up for an air bnb with all its large “bedrooms” (well three of them) and then a couch, dining table and kitchen all shoved into a small space in the back so it was probably not a legit option at that price. Decorated properly as a two bedroom it would have been fabulous.

No doubt you are right that's why it was set up with all the beds and stuff.  I got really annoyed, though, at them freaking out about the beds/bedrooms because, duh, they don't have to use all those rooms as bedrooms! 

Those floors were stunning and I'm glad they didn't take it because one half of that couple was so pissy about it and wouldn't have appreciated it one bit.

[QuinnM]

On 8/10/2019 at 3:23 PM, Grrarrggh said:

Thank you! I was beginning to think I was going deaf or something from the way some people talked about her and others.

She slipped in and out of her Valley Girl vocal fry.  At the beginning of the second house I thought I would skip this episode and then it went away.  It was awful and of course just fake for the camera.  Then she goes fabric shopping and like magic she is back to the Afrikaans accent again.  Then talking heads - fried again.

Pick a lane.

[Irlandesa]

House #2 immediately jumped out to me as an air bnb as well. 

I don't know what it was but I liked the couple.  They were a little snarky with one another but it made me laugh.  They also had sweet moments when comparing how he's had to rely on Claudio's language skills the way Claudio relied on his help when he first got to the US.  And the way Claudio was all gung ho about moving for his husband's job.  He's the breadwinner so it makes sense but so often we hear complaints from the trailing spouse about having to move so I liked that this wasn't the angle they took.

[ECM1231]

Nevada to Krakow, Poland...prices are fairly affordable. 3 bedroom practically brand new apt for $1500/mo. The wife takes one look at the modern black and white bath and says she's just not feeling the black (tiles). Geez Louise, you are renting, not buying. I know it's all fake, fake, fake but it just bugs me.

[Pickles]

The wife moving to Poland. She had a ton of hair. Extensions or what? Did not like her husband’s soul patch thing. That bit of hair under his bottom lip. Gross. This couple did all the talking. The agent seemed to say two words. The couple seemed quite pleased with themselves—talk of half marathons, being so fit, etc. Their cat was cute.

[biakbiak]

I can’t imagine gushing over that kitchen in the apartment they ended up with as someone who cooks that would be a deal breaker for me.

[sempervivum]

12 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

he wife takes one look at the modern black and white bath and says she's just not feeling the black (tiles).

I think she added that it would be hard to keep it looking clean. You'd see not only all her shed hair (whether it was real or not), but soap, toothpaste, talcum powder, etc.  

We have 2 air bnb's and I bless my husband for choosing neutral tiles every time I clean the bathrooms.

12 hours ago, Pickles said:

Did not like her husband’s soul patch thing.

Ugh, yes. Surprised wife allowed that, as it definitely dated them as late 30's/40-somethings.

[jcbrown]

On 8/13/2019 at 8:04 PM, Pickles said:

The wife moving to Poland. She had a ton of hair. Extensions or what?

That was a Duggar-esque amount of hair and I thought that mane kind of aged her but I ended up liking her more than I expected to. Did they say what sort of business they were starting? I missed it.

Edited August 15, 2019 by jcbrown

[LittleIggy]

4 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

That was a Duggar-esque amount of hair I thought that mane kind of aged her but I ended up liking her more than I expected to. Did they say what sort of business they were starting? I missed it.

I don’t think it was mentioned. I didn’t find them annoying (except for the soul patch). Cute kitty.

[javajeanelaine]

• That woman moving to Playa del Carmen to "destress" was stressing me watching her.  So unpleasant!

[jacksgirl]

Obnoxious kid moving to The Netherlands.  Kid gonna be a global citizen. Gah, I just can't deal with people like that. He is probably a bright, charming kid, but just because your world revolves around your son not everybody else's world revolves around him.

[Pickles]

Was just coming here to say the same thing. Way too much Max. If Max isn't happy, we aren't happy. How many times did the mom say that? Max is borderline obnoxious now. Just wait. 

[LittleIggy]

Lithuania: Hope the husband has good life insurance. Bet people think he is the grandfather of those young kids.

[biakbiak]

The oven in the third house In the Netherlands was so high! 

I totally understand small refrigerators, compact kitchens etc. but I cannot get over the tiny round sinks that are way too popular in some of these places!

[doodlebug]

23 hours ago, jacksgirl said:

Obnoxious kid moving to The Netherlands.  Kid gonna be a global citizen. Gah, I just can't deal with people like that. He is probably a bright, charming kid, but just because your world revolves around your son not everybody else's world revolves around him.

Yep, Max was really awful and the way the mother went on and on about how wonderful and special he is and how nothing matters if he isn't happy... Yeeesh!!!  The kid is in elementary school and already intolerable.  When the dad said at the end that young Max was making lots of friends in his new school, I was wondering how much mommy and daddy paid them to play with him.  I generally don't like kids on these shows but this particular one and his fawning parents were particularly disgusting.

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

Yep, Max was really awful and the way the mother went on and on about how wonderful and special he is and how nothing matters if he isn't happy... Yeeesh!!!  The kid is in elementary school and already intolerable.  When the dad said at the end that young Max was making lots of friends in his new school, I was wondering how much mommy and daddy paid them to play with him.  I generally don't like kids on these shows but this particular one and his fawning parents were particularly disgusting.

And they laughed at everything he said as if he were so witty. 🙄 What was the wife going to teach to “students”? She did voiceover work.

[LittleIggy]

London: That wasn’t a studio apartment. That was a dorm room! That building must have been built specifically for uni students. I can’t see anyone else wanting to live there. 

[Kenzie]

3 hours ago, doodlebug said:

and his fawning parents were particularly disgusting.

They really were. Every parent thinks their kid is wonderful but they seemed to think their rather average kid and his every utterance was simply extraordinary.

Edited August 17, 2019 by Kenzie

[MsTree]

The minute I saw the kid on this episode, I looked at MrTree and said "nope". Delete!🤬

[blueray]

8 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

London: That wasn’t a studio apartment. That was a dorm room! That building must have been built specifically for uni students. I can’t see anyone else wanting to live there. 

I was thinking that too. I've had a studio apartment before and it was way bigger. It also had a full kitchen.  That clearly was assuming you were a college student and weren't going to be doing any cooking.

[DanielleBowden]

10 hours ago, Kenzie said:

They really were. Every parent thinks their kid is wonderful but they seemed to think their rather average kid and his every utterance was simply extraordinary.

I have a high tolerance  for kids, but Max exceeded my threshold by a lot. Parents are doing their kid no favors raising him that way.

[LittleIggy]

4 hours ago, blueray said:

I was thinking that too. I've had a studio apartment before and it was way bigger. It also had a full kitchen.  That clearly was assuming you were a college student and weren't going to be doing any cooking.

I live in a studio apartment now, and it has a full kitchen, bathroom, and a big walk-in closet. That London hole in the wall was not even a studio.

[biakbiak]

That tiny place would be called an efficiency where I live. 

[Ohwell]

Where I live it's an efficiency or a studio, depending on who says it. 

[puppytoes]

Quote

20 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Yep, Max was really awful and the way the mother went on and on about how wonderful and special he is and how nothing matters if he isn't happy... Yeeesh!!!  The kid is in elementary school and already intolerable.  When the dad said at the end that young Max was making lots of friends in his new school, I was wondering how much mommy and daddy paid them to play with him.  I generally don't like kids on these shows but this particular one and his fawning parents were particularly disgusting.

That kid is so obnoxious because of his dippy parents.  They need to give him a sibling so he doesn’t feel so special.  I am tired of the storylines-we are moving overseas so our kid can be a global citizen.  Second storyline that makes me crazy-  I can work remotely from anywhere in the world.  I want to know how these people are able to fly over to a country, get an apartment/house and live there full time with no explanation of the actual visa process.  By the way, I can consider myself a “global citizen” because I lived in Italy for two years and London, England for two years when I was a child, lol.  My father was a Naval officer and he was stationed in both countries.

[NJMom]

Small sinks in the kitchen are not the norm in Holland, just in the "toilet rooms". One thing I will call them out on is that they had just moved there. The few times I heard the wife speaking Dutch she has an almost perfect accent. I still mangle it after being married to a Dutchie for 36 years.

[sempervivum]

London- cancer research doctoral student was an impressive young woman with a great head of hair. She was considering getting a part time job to finance a better apartment, but is that really possible in England? Can anyone on a student visa legally work? Just curious.

[biakbiak]

11 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

London- cancer research doctoral student was an impressive young woman with a great head of hair. She was considering getting a part time job to finance a better apartment, but is that really possible in England? Can anyone on a student visa legally work? Just curious.

You can usually work 20 hours a week under a student visa.

Edited August 18, 2019 by biakbiak

[QQQQ]

London cancer-survivor: I laughed when she pointed out a negative of #2 was having to climb one flight of stairs to the communal kitchen, but #3 was four flights up - have fun carrying your groceries, books, etc.! #2 being close to school and all bills included was the way to go. I was wondering how her healthcare would work abroad. 

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, QQQQ said:

was wondering how her healthcare would work abroad. 

She would be covered under NHS under her student visa. 

[Homily]

Yep,  we lived in England for almost 10 years and we were covered even though technically we weren't even paying UK taxes because my husband worked for a Canadian based company.

Not sure what would have happened if something really bad had happened but for the everyday aches and pains of life that required doctor visits - and a few times hospital trips for sprained ankle type things, all was covered.

[QQQQ]

9 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

She would be covered under NHS under her student visa. 

One more reason I feel so happy every time I look at my Union Jack tattoo - I admire a country that has made access to health care a priority, regardless of status. 

[QQQQ]

On 8/3/2019 at 10:28 PM, chocolatine said:

I thought Flinders was creepy with his proclamations of love for a woman who is clearly not into him. She seems like the kind of woman who "tolerates" the presence and affections of a man she's not attracted to until one who she is attracted to comes along, and he probably interprets that as encouragement.

OMG - I just caught the Sydney episode! I'm envisioning Maddie being held captive in Flinders' basement ala Silence of the Lambs... 

[topanga]

On 8/6/2019 at 12:36 AM, LittleIggy said:

Accra: In my mind I kept hearing Ofeibea Quist-Arcton say “Ah-crrah!” 😆 That market looked awesome. Wonder  what kind of business he was starting?

On 8/9/2019 at 7:56 AM, QQQQ said:

Accra, Ghana: She was the WORST. If they are still together in 6 months, he's a fool.

Ha. If she'd said "I'm moving to Ghana for him" one more time, I was going to scream. By the end, I'm sure he was ready to tell her never mind.  "My mom told me not to go away with him till I got a ring on it. And I got a ring on it." Bleh!

I know the arguments are supposed to be scripted, or at least exaggerated, but not everyone is annoying and demanding the way she was. The show might not be "real," but I think you see people's true natures come out on this show. 

Overall, though, I really liked this episode. It's rare to see people move to Africa, so the location shots were new and different. 

And I liked that the fiance saw Accra as a great business opportunity. He has a background in the Peace Corps, but he never sounded like he had a "Oh, these poor, helpless African people" attitude. 

[Pickles]

The Melbourne couple. Could not stand the overbearing wife. The husband doesn’t stand a chance in that marriage. When she was gloating about being 10 years younger than the husband, I honestly thought she was going to say he was the younger one. Why did she wear all of those big scarves? Of course, they got the place she wanted which was farthest from his work—-because ‘he made her move to Melbourne’. She was an overbearing piece of work. Very unpleasant personality.

[ECM1231]

6 minutes ago, Pickles said:

The Melbourne couple. Could not stand the overbearing wife. The husband doesn’t stand a chance in that marriage. When she was gloating about being 10 years younger than the husband, I honestly thought she was going to say he was the younger one. Why did she wear all of those big scarves? Of course, they got the place she wanted which was farthest from his work—-because ‘he made her move to Melbourne’. She was an overbearing piece of work. Very unpleasant personality.

I must have missed her comment that she was 10 years younger; they looked around the same age to me. Even though she had wanted to continue the nomadic life and her husband wanted to return to his hometown, I think she was selfish. The closer to his job, in budget apartment was only 10 minutes from the city. Personally I would have chosen the over budget largest one as it had the best balcony. Where were they going to place a bar with stools on that tiny city apartment balcony?

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

The Melbourne couple. Could not stand the overbearing wife. The husband doesn’t stand a chance in that marriage. When she was gloating about being 10 years younger than the husband, I honestly thought she was going to say he was the younger one. Why did she wear all of those big scarves? Of course, they got the place she wanted which was farthest from his work—-because ‘he made her move to Melbourne’. She was an overbearing piece of work. Very unpleasant personality.

I can’t believe she didn’t realize how obnoxious she came off as. Judging by the pics of their travels, she had gained a lot of weight so maybe she thought those big scarves camouflaged it. Notice how she bitched about the lack of kitchen counter space in the garden condo when the place she wanted (and got) had the same amount. Hubby needs to grow a spine. 

[AuntCarol]

On 8/18/2019 at 10:40 AM, QQQQ said:

One more reason I feel so happy every time I look at my Union Jack tattoo - I admire a country that has made access to health care a priority, regardless of status. 

Of course you can’t get a surgery scheduled for 1-2 years. 

[TVForever]

10 hours ago, Pickles said:

The Melbourne couple. Could not stand the overbearing wife. The husband doesn’t stand a chance in that marriage. When she was gloating about being 10 years younger than the husband, I honestly thought she was going to say he was the younger one. Why did she wear all of those big scarves? Of course, they got the place she wanted which was farthest from his work—-because ‘he made her move to Melbourne’. She was an overbearing piece of work. Very unpleasant personality.

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I can’t believe she didn’t realize how obnoxious she came off as. Judging by the pics of their travels, she had gained a lot of weight so maybe she thought those big scarves camouflaged it. Notice how she bitched about the lack of kitchen counter space in the garden condo when the place she wanted (and got) had the same amount. Hubby needs to grow a spine. 

This was one of the few episodes where I had to actively remind myself, "The producers gin up their characters for the sake of the storyline. These people arent really like this in real life.The conflict is generated, etc," Because I spent the whole episode wanting to punch the wife in the throat.

As for her weight gain, I  was expecting a "Well, we won't be travelling as much as we thought, because we're pregnant!" reveal at the end, but I guess it was just weight gain.

What an episode. I still want to visit Melbourne so much, though.