House Hunters International - General Discussion

[amarante]

1 hour ago, aghst said:

I've stayed in a lot of vacation apartments in Europe over the years.

I do look for places with dryers and that's something you can filter for in Airbnb and also on booking.com, you can easily see if they have them.

General rule is that in Southern Europe, they may have a washing machine but they're likely to have a drying rack rather than one of those all-in-one units which wash and dry.

Northern Europe, those combo units are more common.

Probably an issue of cost and hang dry also works really well, at least for the typical summer wear I've washed.

 

As for Valencia, looks like they had no issues installing the mini-split air conditioning, which is easier to retrofit in older buildings than say central air.

They've renovated a lot of older buildings, often to rent them as holiday apartments, so I think they can upgrade the electrical and they get creative with lighting, such as recessed lights in floors to light up a wall, for instance.

 

Yes I had thought the AC would be a deal breaker until the reveal showed that they were quite willing to install an air conditioning.

In the USA people install window units.

One issue is that the electrical system has to be sufficient to actually run A/C. I grew up in a home built in 1920 and it had knob and tube wiring and probably only enough to light one light in each room and maybe a refrigerator in the kitchen. Stove was gas and heating was steam run by a boiler that was originally coal converted to gas.

When my parents got units for the rooms individually they also had to deal with upgrading the electrical system so that it could actually run A/C.

[aghst]

No window AC any more.

Now they retro fit the mini splits, which don't require ducts like central air.

Instead they tend to be mounted high near the ceiling and are operated with remote control.  They also have heat modes.

Those mini-split units are now becoming popular in the US as well.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yesterday's HGTV House Hunters marathon included a couple of HHI episodes, including a woman who sensed the energy of trees.   

[amarante]

1 hour ago, aghst said:

No window AC any more.

Now they retro fit the mini splits, which don't require ducts like central air.

Instead they tend to be mounted high near the ceiling and are operated with remote control.  They also have heat modes.

Those mini-split units are now becoming popular in the US as well.

Not sure of the functional benefits of a ductless mini split since many older homes do not have ducts because they have radiators or perhaps a bit newer have some kind of radiant heat running around the walls by the floor

People who own their homes didn't actually put units in the window as they had them installed in the wall - either just below a window where it wouldn't be blocked by furniture since typically furniture doesn't go below windows. Or they are placed on the wall near the ceiling which is the same placement as a mini split in terms of being relatively innocuous.

If you rent I am not sure a mini split could be done however since it would entail making some kind of permanent change to the walls. I guess a landlord might agree provided that you left the unit behind when you moved out

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, aghst said:

Now they retro fit the mini splits, which don't require ducts like central air.

Instead they tend to be mounted high near the ceiling and are operated with remote control.  They also have heat modes.

Those mini-split units are now becoming popular in the US as well.

Yeah, when I put my mini-split system in about ten years ago, I didn't know anyone else in the U.S. who had them, but they're more common now.

[Chit Chat]

18 hours ago, amarante said:

Not sure of the functional benefits of a ductless mini split since many older homes do not have ducts because they have radiators or perhaps a bit newer have some kind of radiant heat running around the walls by the floor

They are very energy efficient.  My son lives out west and they have several mini-split units throughout the house.  It's much cheaper than central heat & air.  His house was a new build and that's what they're installing in his area.  

We've got one in an upstairs bedroom.  It's much quieter than the window and portable A/C's.  

[proserpina65]

23 hours ago, amarante said:

People who own their homes didn't actually put units in the window as they had them installed in the wall - either just below a window where it wouldn't be blocked by furniture since typically furniture doesn't go below windows. Or they are placed on the wall near the ceiling which is the same placement as a mini split in terms of being relatively innocuous.

I assume you're talking about outside of the US.  Inside the US, window units in the actual windows are still common even for people who own their homes, especially in houses where retrofitting central air would be prohibitively expensive.  At least in the mid-Atlantic where I live.

The mini splits are interesting.  Wonder if that would work better for my mom's house.

 

[seacliffsal]

There just seemed to be something 'off' in the Yucatan episode.  They want a pool, etc., for their sons, but don't want to have to be outside with them (they want to be able to watch them from inside-the wife specifically mentioned that she didn't want to always have to be outside with them).  Well, that's not how a pool with children works.  There needs to be an adult outside with them while they are in the pool IMO.  A lot can happen in just a moment, so if the parent is inside, occasionally looking out a window at the kids in the pool, that may not be the best idea in case something happens.  If one doesn't want to have to be around children, then don't have children (again, IMO).

I think they thought Mexico would be cheaper than it is-moving to another country is not necessarily the bargain people think it will be.

[amarante]

13 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I assume you're talking about outside of the US.  Inside the US, window units in the actual windows are still common even for people who own their homes, especially in houses where retrofitting central air would be prohibitively expensive.  At least in the mid-Atlantic where I live.

The mini splits are interesting.  Wonder if that would work better for my mom's house.

 

Ha ha - 

I was actually responding to someone who said everyone in the US had mini splits :-)

In my original post I said that central air was not common in many older neighborhoods on the East Coast because there was no ducts available.

However, at least based on my experience, people who live in their homes are more likely to spend the money to have the unit installed in a wall versus the window for a variety of reasons. I think it is more energy efficient - doesn't block the windows so they are still functional. In general also they stay in place in the winter versus window units which often are taken out and in.

In terms of aesthetics units in the wall have the same aesthetic quality as a mini split since they are not blocking a window and they tend to blend in with the rest of the room.

[proserpina65]

27 minutes ago, amarante said:

However, at least based on my experience, people who live in their homes are more likely to spend the money to have the unit installed in a wall versus the window for a variety of reasons. I think it is more energy efficient - doesn't block the windows so they are still functional. In general also they stay in place in the winter versus window units which often are taken out and in.

Thanks for the info.  Most of the people I know who own their homes but don't have central air can't really afford the expense of installing units in the wall instead of putting them in the window.  Pretty much everyone I know with a window unit keeps it installed in the winter but has a cover for it.  Probably less energy efficient but easier.  I know this is how my mother, my aunt and others do it.  I'm just glad I have central air.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

The mini splits are interesting.  Wonder if that would work better for my mom's house.

We like ours.  We have a 1-1/2 story house with a single heat pump for both floors.  They should've put in a smaller heat pump just for the upstairs because the upstairs just doesn't stay as cool/warm as the downstairs.  Options were: install another heat pump and tie into the existing duct work (with modifications) or get a mini-split for the upstairs.  We chose the latter.  It normally needs to go on an outside wall, but they were able to put ours on an inside wall.  I don't really like the looks of it, but I like the function of it!!   The tech said that it would be better on our wallet than installing a second heat pump.  It doesn't cool the entire upstairs, but we were aware of that from the start.  The main goal was to keep the guest bedroom cool/warm if we have guests.  I've been pleased with it. 

[katisha]

On 4/9/2023 at 9:18 PM, Schnickelfritz said:

Did anyone else notice at the end of the Snag (Australian sausage) vs Boerewors (South African sausage) bar-b-que that when the couple was in the foreground given their thoughts on how similar (or dissimilar) the sausages were, Maxine the realtor was in the background - first smelling the South African sausage then chucking it into the bushes and then she tossed the bun after it and picked up a drink?

Maxine is good value!  I only recently discovered this show and I'm somewhat obsessed with it.  I live in Brisbane and in 2020 when I was looking to move to an inner city property, one of the open houses in New Farm was run by none other than Maxine herself!  She's pretty glam in real life too.  

[katisha]

On 8/14/2021 at 6:21 AM, Cetacean said:

I am hoping that was producer driven.  I mean "I will have to pack a lunch" for half hour drive is just silly.  It's not like she lived 4 hours away.

Stopping by to add a little local knowledge - not only is it not far from Mount Coolum to Noosa, but it's a pretty and scenic drive so you'd think a motorbike aficionado would actually enjoy the trip!  So my guess is, yeah, producer driven.  

I like Lucas too.  I'd be glad to have him show me around a few properties.  🥰

Quote

Not only did the other two only have one-car garages, but they would each have an HOA (or something) which would add to the expense of living there.

That's a good point and yes, they would have had that (only here, we call them "body corporates".  I don't know anyone who owns a unit/townhouse/condo who doesn't pay those in Queensland.

Edited April 26, 2023 by katisha

[katisha]

On 11/23/2021 at 3:29 AM, proserpina65 said:

My understanding is that you can see kangaroos in towns and, to a lesser extent, cities, but not as often.

In a very populated suburb on Brisbane's outskirts called North Lakes, there are kangaroos everywhere.  They love to hang out at the local high school on the cricket/footy fields.  There's so many of them that it wouldn't surprise me if there has had to be controlled culling at some stage.  So, not so common in the inner city but not impossible to see in the 'burbs!

Quote

 

These outback mining towns look very unappealing.

Maybe there was one scene, where they parked in front of some body of water, that looked nice.

But the rest was ugh.

 

I've visited Cloncurry and Mount Isa.  I would NEVER want to live there!  And this will seem a stupidly vain reason, but I have very fine straight hair which is very prone to static electricity.  Mount Isa is a hot but dry place.  I reckon I would nearly have to shave my head to survive out there without looking like I'd stuck my finger in a light socket every day.  🤣

Edited April 26, 2023 by katisha

[katisha]

On 12/2/2020 at 3:06 PM, blixie said:

I don't think I've seen a bigger asshole on this show than Sam. Like to the point I thought he was trolling. I did like the realtor trying to all but murder him with her mind. 

She was awesome.  It's been a while since I watched this one but it's stuck in my mind that at one point, when Sam was complaining yet again about how small everything was and how the shower or bathroom must have been designed for a little baby, she snarked, "You ARE a baby!" and I literally LOL'd. 🤣

[aghst]

So no comments about New Plymouth, NZ?

They traveled together to many countries and it was travel that finally made her date him.  But not married, no engagement.  She was saying she wants to do a lot more travel before taking more steps.

He didn't get a water view but he talked her into a cheaper place with less maintenance outside.

Wonder if they're still together.

[Chit Chat]

40 minutes ago, aghst said:

He didn't get a water view but he talked her into a cheaper place with less maintenance outside.

At least he got the smaller yard.  She really irked me.  She was so dismissive of him.  She said things like 'he'll get used to having 1 bathroom,' or 'he'll get over not having a beach view.'  She wanted that third house (bigger yard and one bathroom, IIRC), but he reminded her of the price and that brought her back to reality.  

I wonder if there weren't any homes with a water view available, or if they were way over their price range.  I wish the agent could've shown them at least one home that he wanted even if it was unaffordable.   

Whenever we see people move so far away from family and they talk about renting a home with some extra space for when family comes to visit, I wonder just how many family members and friends actually make the long trip to see their loved ones.  Air fare is so expensive!  If I had a family member or friend move that far away, the chances of me going to see them would be slim to none!  My limit for sitting on a plane is about 4-5 hours.  Good for those people if their family/friends can afford to make the trip to see them. 

[Shermie]

I realize that US and Canadian airings of episodes may differ, but I just watched on where a couple from Canada (Saskatchewan) wanted to move to Costa Rica.

Hey, did you know there’s snow in Canada? Because if not, this ep mentioned it 8 times. Reality, did you know Canada has spring, summer and fall too? I mean, crops are grown so it’s not snow 365 days a year obviously, although you’d never know it watching this ep. I realize each ep needs a hook of some kind, but it was annoying.

As for the episode, if I was moving to a tropical area, I wouldn’t pick a place 30 minute drive from the beach or from town. She wanted to be around people and wanted to teach yoga; he wanted privacy in the jungle. They chose one that suited him. So she has to drive half an hour for a casual relaxed yoga class? And how is she supposed to find clients when she’s not living around people?

I would have chosen the smaller house in town that was surrounded by trees and had a pool. They could make do there for a year or so and keep looking for something in their walkabouts that they liked better. In the end, they were showing plans for a house to build, so any house would have been fine for the short term.

[Grizzly]

Dublin, Ireland. Did James try to slit his own throat or was that Kalie? Maybe after saying he wanted more outdoor space 1 too many times. They have a unique relationship. What was up with her saying he married her because he thought she was pregnant but she wasn't? TMI. I'd go with the second place. It was nicely updated with a reasonable commute. Long commutes can be draining, on top of having to get used to driving on the left.

[amarante]

Thought of the Valencia IHH when I read about Spain’s record heat wave

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/28/world/europe/spain-heat-wave.html

[Chit Chat]

12 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Long commutes can be draining, on top of having to get used to driving on the left.

He didn't think the commute was so bad because HE didn't have to drive it!!  Argh!  She said that she figured out what time to drive in so as to avoid a lot of traffic, but I'm sure it's still a longer commute than what she wanted.  For me, a 30-minute commute isn't so bad if traffic isn't bad, but a 30-minute commute with heavy traffic can turn into a 45–60-minute commute (been there, done that!)

I can understand him wanting a bigger place since he'll be at home all day, but I think that keeping her commute to a minimum should've been the priority.   She'd like to get home and spend time with the family too!

I've noticed that most the people moving out of the country are finding really expensive and tight rental markets.  Even when I think that the couple's budget is really good ($3000 per se), the agent almost always cringes and says, "I'll see what I can do with that budget!"  Seems like everybody is on the move these days!  

 

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 4/24/2023 at 4:08 PM, Chit Chat said:

I don't really like the looks of [the mini-split], but I like the function of it!!  

I like the way mini-splits look.  Or, I like them better than window units, which never look intentional to me, even when installed in a wall. 

[Chit Chat]

31 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I like the way mini-splits look.  Or, I like them better than window units, which never look intentional to me, even when installed in a wall. 

I think it's the location of mine that bothers me.  It couldn't go on the outside wall, so it's on an interior wall (eye level because of the sloped ceiling).  It doesn't look bad, but it's more noticeable than if I could've put it up higher on the outside wall (the chimney & a window are in the way).  My son has them throughout his house and they look good.  They're seated up higher where you don't notice them.   I'm just glad they're so energy efficient!  And it cools wonderfully!  

[seacliffsal]

I was glad to see Ireland.  What really surprised me was that they wanted 4-5 bedrooms with only having 2 children (the universal if family comes to visit reasoning?).  I think there was more to their story.  Rents were high due to demand but also to the size they wanted.  I loved the yard of the house they chose, but it was too much of a commute.  I thought the first place with the grass yard and under budget would have been fine, but then we were treated to the "it's not like what we had at home" mantra.  

[Chit Chat]

46 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I thought the first place with the grass yard and under budget would have been fine, but then we were treated to the "it's not like what we had at home" mantra.  

I think they would've been better to start with that place or the townhouse and get settled, then they could look around and get the lay of the land and see if they want to move into something else.   The house they chose was so big!  I wonder how much heating and cooling costs are there.  Seems like nobody ever takes that into consideration, unless it's included with the rent.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

The house hunter looking for a home to film Ciao House was hysterical.  He managed to mention Ciao House in virtually every sentence. 

[chessiegal]

37 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The house hunter looking for a home to film Ciao House was hysterical.  He managed to mention Ciao House in virtually every sentence. 

Too bad the show isn't any good, because he sure is easy on the eyes. I don't like food competition shows outside of Iron Chef America, but from what I've seen, Ciao House is a hot mess. 

[Bastet]

9 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

My son has them throughout his house and they look good.  They're seated up higher where you don't notice them.

That's how mine are -- they're all the way up at the top of the walls.  No one is ever going to claim they're attractive on their own, but when they're up out of the way like that, you can easily decorate so the eye is drawn to wall art instead and they become a non-issue in the room's aesthetic.  (Some people even paint them to match the wall color.)  A nice, small, flush with the ceiling/wall vent for central air is always going to be the most attractive choice, but for those who don't want to mess with retrofitting duct work into an old home to install central air, the mini-split is a nice visual alternative to window units (whether actually in the window or in the wall) -- plus it's nice if you can just have one outdoor unit (and a fairly small one at that).

I have a friend who'd, years ago, never seen them other than in my house (since most people here opt for central air, even if that means running duct work through an old home) and one time when she was hanging out here for a day while some work was being done at her place, we had a HH marathon on in the background.  There were something like three HHI episodes in a row in which the homes had mini-split systems visible, and she pointed them out each time.  For weeks afterward, she'd email me "I saw your AC on a HH episode in [insert country here]" until it finally got through her head they're common in many other parts of the world, and quit finding it notable.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Bastet

[StatisticalOutlier]

I wish they'd divulged how much the Ciao House villas cost to rent.  They just said a house that big would be expensive, and on the summary things it said, "Within budget."  Not fair.  Everybody else on the show has to expose their personal finances.

[chessiegal]

They said their budget was $50,000 - $100,000 per week.

[ECM1231]

Watching a repeat now with Kansas couple moving to Puerto Morelos, Mexico.

It reminded me of a pet peeve of mine with regard to some realtors.

I've noticed that some mispronounce the word "Puerto." They've been saying Porto (Pour toe) instead of Puerto (Pwer toe.) This has happened several times and just grates.

[Grizzly]

Seeing the same ep. If she owns a law firm and they are presumably selling a big house in Kansas, why is the budget so tight?

Their sunburns look so painful.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Grizzly

[buttersister]

I WANT THIS! Beachfront or die? Or, nah, not good for my family. Never was. Zzzzzz.

[Chit Chat]

I liked both the oceanfront condo and the house they chose.  The main issue with the house is all of those stairs.  It looks like it's a better fit when family visits, but the stairs will probably be an issue as this couple ages.  I only have one set of stairs to deal with and it's a pain in the ass whenever I forget something and have to go back up or back down to retrieve said item.  ;)  

For a couple as successful as they are, I didn't think that going $45,000 over budget was that big of a deal.  I thought that the price would be much higher than $495,000.  As buttersister said, the beachfront condo was never going to happen anyway. 

[proserpina65]

On 4/29/2023 at 11:25 AM, Chit Chat said:

I can understand him wanting a bigger place since he'll be at home all day, but I think that keeping her commute to a minimum should've been the priority.   She'd like to get home and spend time with the family too!

It's not like there aren't parks and such where the kids could actually meet other children.  But no, let's get the place with the giant yard and the long commute.

He really annoyed me.

[Chit Chat]

It's great that people can go live their dreams in another country, but I wonder if most of these people really check things out before they make the move.  My main concern would be what the healthcare system is like wherever I'm moving to.  There are lots of other things to consider, but that would be my top concern.  YMMV.  

Some of the people moving out of the country seemed surprised to learn that the housing market is tight, and that their budget isn't all that big.  Don't they check these things out before making such a huge decision, or do they just throw caution to the wind and figure it out when they get there?  

[seacliffsal]

I think a lot of Americans also don't realize that they can't own land within 30 miles of the coast in Mexico.  When they buy a house, they aren't getting the land along with it.  I wonder just how much most Americans investigate the property owning rights in various countries to which they move.

I didn't care for the wife's non-stop "I need an ocean front condo" mantra in the Mexico episode, until, of course, she didn't.  Do the producers really think we want, or believe, these arguments/stances in every episode?  Just show us the housing options and let us enjoy being international. 

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I didn't care for the wife's non-stop "I need an ocean front condo" mantra in the Mexico episode, until, of course, she didn't.

That's like the stay-at-home dad in the previous episode who kept reminding everybody that he needed a big yard.  He didn't give a damn about his wife having to drive a long, traffic-filled commute to work.  Some of these spouses aren't very thoughtful of their significant other.  

[mojito]

On 4/30/2023 at 9:40 PM, ECM1231 said:

They've been saying Porto (Pour toe) instead of Puerto (Pwer toe.) This has happened several times and just grates.

Then you must love it when English-only speakers mispronounce Tijuana, which they almost always do? Even people who studied Spanish will look at the word and say it incorrectly. Porto's got nothing on Tia Juana. 😏

7 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

Do the producers really think we want, or believe, these arguments/stances in every episode?  Just show us the housing options and let us enjoy being international. 

They don't really care. They're just killing time with the fake scenarios.

Originality is not their priority. They just want to keep cranking out these episodes. They know people will tune in anyway.

[Chit Chat]

19 hours ago, mojito said:

They're just killing time with the fake scenarios.

I'd like to believe that they're actually considering all of the properties shown, but my sensible side kicks in and figures it's one big advertisement for the other homes. It doesn't matter though.  I enjoy the home tours!

[aghst]

Vancouver, Washington to Dublin.

She wanted short commute to work in Dublin centre and he wanted a big property with big yard, big kitchen.  He was going to stay at home and he did the cooking.

Budget was $3000.

Predictably, the properties closer to the centre were smaller and lacked big yards, though they were cheaper in this case.

The 1 hour commute property had a huge back yard and big house, over budget at $3400.

But he talked her into it.  Not sure who's going to mow that huge grass field, which looked like it could fit at least half a soccer pitch.

Better for the young kids, who liked being near farm animals and such.  But isolated from classmates maybe and fewer chances for the husband to socialize with locals.

She talked fondly about Irish step grandmother, which made her like Irish accent and culture.  But was that the real reason they moved the whole family?  Maybe as sold breadwinner, her career just moved that way, for her to work in Ireland.

[Grizzly]

Tarragona, Spain. Is Stephany going to be hanging out at the bars during the day? She might have a problem. They should get the first place and use the savings to buy Dominique a bicycle or scooter to cut down her commute.

[40Love]

39 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Tarragona, Spain. Is Stephany going to be hanging out at the bars during the day? She might have a problem.

Yeah, I'm giving Stephany a little bit of the side-eye 👀 about her insistence on being near the bars. Got the feeling she might be on the prowl when Dominique is away at school. I'm curious if they're still together. 

Glad they picked the 1st apartment. It was the nicest place... even if it was a little far from the university. 

[Pi237]

On 4/29/2023 at 11:25 AM, Chit Chat said:

He didn't think the commute was so bad because HE didn't have to drive it!!  

 

 

That’s exactly what I thought. He didn’t seem to want her home more. And the kids will be isolated with just him and their big yard. Maybe they homeschool. Strange vibes of those two as a couple. 

[TVForever]

NYC to Auckland:

Anyone surprised that they "chose" the house that just happened to be selling mid-renovation? 

Anyone?

[aghst]

I didn't see Taragona as a new episode, at least my DVR didn't pick it up.

When I go to HGTV app, it doesn't show up as a recent new episode.

Instead there was a Alberta to Ajijic, Mexico episode which aired as new last week.

[ArtFossil]

NYC to Auckland. Enjoyed seeing New Zealand. Went to a conference in Auckland in 2000 and spent a week traveling around and enjoying Ninety Mile beach. Wanted to immigrate but was already too old. 

Anyway, residing as always in the shallow end of the pool I must say I HATE the husband’s mustache. (Plus, he’s a total tool.)

Edited May 9, 2023 by ArtFossil

[aghst]

17 hours ago, TVForever said:

NYC to Auckland:

Anyone surprised that they "chose" the house that just happened to be selling mid-renovation? 

Anyone?

The parts of the house which were finished looked good.  They just had to clean up the outside, finish the garden, put up fence.

maybe the only place they couldn’t use right away was the end of the big wraparound terrace.

it was closest to their parents, who’d be babysitting.

how did they have $1.5 million for a first house, especially since he wasn’t going to be working?  Parents probably or some other inheritance?

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, aghst said:

The parts of the house which were finished looked good.  They just had to clean up the outside, finish the garden, put up fence.

maybe the only place they couldn’t use right away was the end of the big wraparound terrace.

it was closest to their parents, who’d be babysitting.

how did they have $1.5 million for a first house, especially since he wasn’t going to be working?  Parents probably or some other inheritance?

Speaking strictly of the houses, I greatly preferred the second one.  But that had a lot of property, which would be labor-intensive to maintain.  Plus, sheep are one hell of a lot of work, even more than many other farm animals.  I knew they weren't going to choose that one as soon as I saw the sheep.

[aghst]

Well if they want the grandparents to babysit, probably a good idea to be closer to them than further away.

Plus my suspicion about who helped them financially buy the house, they probably want to ingratiate themselves.