House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Thumper]

8 minutes ago, Chicken Fingers said:

Geneva episode: I burst out laughing when they were rejecting a house, and the agent remarked that he didn't take it personally. That classic European darkly deadpan reaction to Americans. 

I lost interest, though, and never found out which house they picked, because I can't identify with two people looking at five-bedroom houses near nothing, basically trying to replicate their American lifestyle. I've loved living in walkable European towns. Even though living spaces are smaller, it's interesting (and healthful) to walk everywhere.

I agree, but they kept emphasizing that  they wanted a place with room for their dogs to run.  They had two big dogs. 
The wife did not seem very happy to be moving to Europe.  

[mojito]

26 minutes ago, Thumper said:

They had two big dogs. 

To be such a fitness buff, I would think that she wouldn't mind taking the dogs out for a walk once or twice a day.

[Crashcourse]

She wouldn't have had time to get a nursing certificate if she wanted to go to the gym every day.  Also, I doubt she's making much money as an online health and fitness coach.  On a shallow note, since bodybuilders ick me out, I thought that photo of her was awful. 

[mojito]

21 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

On a shallow note, since bodybuilders ick me out, I thought that photo of her was awful. 

I didn't care much for the photo, but I greatly appreciated that unflexed and in normal clothes with normal skin coloring, she looked just like any other slender woman. Body builders often look pretty freakish in their civvies. 

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

I didn't care much for the photo, but I greatly appreciated that unflexed and in normal clothes with normal skin coloring, she looked just like any other slender woman. Body builders often look pretty freakish in their civvies. 

Well, I wonder how she looks when the weather is warmer and she's not covered up.  

[Chicken Fingers]

11 hours ago, Thumper said:

I agree, but they kept emphasizing that  they wanted a place with room for their dogs to run.  They had two big dogs. 
The wife did not seem very happy to be moving to Europe.  

Good points. I had one measly cocktail and nodded off before I got to see the dogs. 

[aghst]

Visited Annecy last year and then drove to Geneva early in the morning to return the car at the airport and fly out.

I thought I left early enough but I barely made it.  Traffic slowed down to a crawl near the border because they forced cars to slow way down.  They didn’t stop anyone just had everyone go from freeway speeds to like 5-10 MPH across the border.

But it’s really a thing people get big salaries in Geneva and have much lower costs in the France side so they do this commute.

Quality of life would be pretty good if you’re into an active lifestyle.  Maybe running outdoors dealing with traffic and weather isn’t the same as running on a treadmill inside.

But husband said he was working less and they were exploring the area.  He was the one who said he wanted to live abroad.  Seems like he was making good money so that she didn’t have to work.  So maybe they’re staying for awhile, since she gets to spend all her time in the gym.

[mojito]

16 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Well, I wonder how she looks when the weather is warmer and she's not covered up.  

I based my opinion on this, which is as revealing as most people get, and also shows the area where body builders usually look the most freakish. 

[Chit Chat]

12 hours ago, aghst said:

Traffic slowed down to a crawl near the border because they forced cars to slow way down.  They didn’t stop anyone just had everyone go from freeway speeds to like 5-10 MPH across the border.

I'm an impatient driver.  That would drive me nuts!  

On 5/26/2023 at 12:07 PM, Thumper said:

The wife did not seem very happy to be moving to Europe.

At least her husband acknowledged what she gave up in order to pursue his dream.  I hope it all works out for them.  

[ML89]

I turned on the TV, and my local station had on an infomercial for some skin care thing with Cindy Crawford and a French doctor. I was doing something else and got back to change the channel after a few minutes, so I was listening to the story of the product from the narrator - who I belatedly realized was Andromeda Drucker of HHI!

[Orcinus orca]

On 5/26/2023 at 3:05 PM, Crashcourse said:

On a shallow note, since bodybuilders ick me out, I thought that photo of her was awful. 

It really was awful and made more so by the fact that she probably loves it.

I have to wonder if she stuck it out; she really didn't seem like she was at all happy to be there.  He seemed to be rolling his eyes every time she mentioned the treadmill so I got the impression that she was overly obsessive about the exercise.

[Grizzly]

Portland, Oregon to Cairns, Australia. Someone is very proud of their decolletage. The kids seemed very level headed with a great attitude about the move. Glad they're in a family friendly neighborhood.

[aghst]

I guess the Cairns husband really needed that office.  Makes sense, allows them to live in Cairns and be near her family rather than having to work in other Asian nations.

Quality of life seems pretty good in Cairns -- they didn't mention the Great Barrier Reef or snorkeling once.

They didn't mention anything more about the small sink.  Otherwise house #2 was better but not big enough yard and not an isolated office.

They also didn't talk about growing veggies in the garden either.  What was he going to do, plant where the big lawn was?

So office and location seemed to have been the biggest criteria.  That's a lot of house they got for $2100 -- 4 bedrooms, big yard with pool?

Even the #2 modern home was great value for $2200.

[Kenzie]

18 minutes ago, aghst said:

They didn't mention anything more about the small sink.  Otherwise house #2 was better

The choice of that sink by whoever built that house was a real head-scratcher. Nice airy kitchen, big window, lots of counterspace and then a 12" round sink - hardly large enough to wash a dinner plate in.

Cairnes seemed like a very nice area to live.

[Jodithgrace]

That tiny sink in the en-suite bathroom was weird too, especially since the shower was large enough for a small army. 

[eel2178]

1 hour ago, aghst said:

They also didn't talk about growing veggies in the garden either.  What was he going to do, plant where the big lawn was?

I kept wondering if any of the landlords had said they were going to be okay with him tearing up the lawn for his garden.

That doesn't seem like the first thing you do to a rental property and expect to get your security deposit back.

[Chit Chat]

4 hours ago, Kenzie said:

The choice of that sink by whoever built that house was a real head-scratcher. 

A man must've picked that out!  

4 hours ago, Kenzie said:

and then a 12" round sink - hardly large enough to wash a dinner plate in.

Or his pickles!   I reverted to a 12-year old when he turned to the camera to say that he couldn't wash his pickles in there!  

3 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

That tiny sink in the en-suite bathroom was weird too, especially since the shower was large enough for a small army. 

It looked like they rigged a cabinet around a pedestal sink.  Again, I'm going to assume that was a man's decision.  That would be an easy fix though to put in a proper cabinet and sink, if the landlord would agree to it. 

 

[Grizzly]

South Africa to Cambridgeshire, England. Kevina is so fashionable, I love her style! Too bad the best place #1 wasn't furnished. Most HH would be salivating at being city center. But she is quite the number cruncher. She made the small place work.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

She made the small place work.

It did look nice furnished.  The kitchen was quite small though.  There wasn't much countertop to work with.   I think I would feel claustrophobic in that downstairs bedroom.  I'm glad she found a nice place well below her budget though. 

[buttersister]

I don't know if Kevina paid off the editors, but she stuck to her plan without seeming annoying about it. Her place was cute, well-beyond functioning when she was done with it. Hope she has many excellent adventures in England and beyond.

Hope that there's a nice B&B nearby for her parents--as she didn't waste any time or money worrying about where they were going to stay when they visit.

[aghst]

Fairly affordable apartment in the Cambridge area.

She could really save money if she didn't have a car but her job must demand her being able to come to the work site promptly.

That may not be so great for lifestyle if the job is too demanding.  Maybe they reimburse her for car expenses, or at least pay by mileage.

Recently watched Cunk on Earth which involved a lot of sit down segments with professors, from Cambridge, Oxford and other UK universities.

Philomena Cunk is like Ali G character, saying outlandish things and non sequiturs.

The professors never react, as if they aren't in on the joke.  Or maybe they edit it so they don't seem to react like most people would, not taking her seriously, understanding that it's an act.

Maybe this house hunter will go to some talks given at the university.

[proserpina65]

On 5/26/2023 at 1:07 PM, Thumper said:

The wife did not seem very happy to be moving to Europe.

She absolutely didn't want to leave Minnesota.

I'll cut them a break on needing yard space for the dogs, and to be fair, they weren't looking for so many bedrooms but it definitely seemed like they had unrealistic expectations.

On 5/26/2023 at 12:57 PM, Chicken Fingers said:

because I can't identify with two people looking at five-bedroom houses near nothing, basically trying to replicate their American lifestyle. I've loved living in walkable European towns.

They couldn't afford to live in town and still have space for the dogs.  They didn't actually want 5 bedrooms but didn't have much choice since they needed yard space.

20 hours ago, aghst said:

I guess the Cairns husband really needed that office.

Sounded like he'd be working from home a lot of the time, so yes, he needed the office.  The "office" in the 2nd house was ridiculous; there was no privacy at all.

[seacliffsal]

Really enjoyed the Cambridgeshire episode-both the client and the realtor were lovely.  No drama, just nice options in a beautiful area.  I liked #1 best, but she is happy with her choice.  I hope it is all working out for her.  I like it when there aren't outrageous demands and when the clients don't compared everything to "home."

[Pi237]

Cairn wife had a bit of a bite to her tone when talking about spending 12 years close to her in-laws. lol

[Andyourlittledog2]

17 hours ago, buttersister said:

I don't know if Kevina paid off the editors, but she stuck to her plan without seeming annoying about it. Her place was cute, well-beyond functioning when she was done with it. Hope she has many excellent adventures in England and beyond.

I love the editors!  There is a specific scene where the realtor carefully mansplained to the pretty little lady (cost engineer! - or whatever the proper title was) about the difference between cost and value and the look on her face was priceless. And they showed it twice!  It's like he could not grasp that she knew what she needed to spend and all his words were not going to change the numbers in the books. I imagine she deals with that a lot on the job as well.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

or whatever the proper title was) about the difference between cost and value and the look on her face was priceless.

If looks could kill!!  I hope she's doing well in her new city.  She was a lovely person.

[seacliffsal]

Loved seeing Gouda, The Netherlands (yum, Gouda cheese...).  Interesting dynamic between the couple-he seemed much more excited about moving to The Netherlands than did she, who was actually born there.  Even at the end, the wife said the move was hard, and their first few months there had been hard (which I do understand).  However, it seemed maybe it wasn't so much her idea to move.  Loved the first house-but, wow, $100,000 over their budget.  Their nikpiks got old.  Her 'not comfortable with a yard that doesn't have a fence' actually contained the resolution to the issue within her sentence-build a fence!  And the husband was continually 'is the over big enough for a turkey?'  Just stop-how often does the average American family even roast a turkey?  And, where was he planning on buying this turkey in The Netherlands?  If he expects a butcher to import one for him, he better be prepared to pay big bucks for it!  I did like the house they chose at the end.

[mojito]

Gouda, The Netherlands

Bad place for babies. "Three months later" and the baby didn't grow at all.

Those people don't even know how to pronounce the name of their city! How has this gone on for so long?!

If your agent has to ask you about how large a turkey is, it's a good bet that it won't be easy to find one there. 

[proserpina65]

On 5/30/2023 at 2:20 AM, aghst said:

She could really save money if she didn't have a car but her job must demand her being able to come to the work site promptly.

She made it sound like she'd need to go to different sites for her job, so I imagine the car is a must.  She probably can't  always relay on public transportation to get where she needs to be if some of the locations are out in the countryside.

[eel2178]

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

 Loved the first house-but, wow, $100,000 over their budget. 

The one they did pick was also over budget, and they didn't bother to tell us how much they actually did pay for it.

It was supposed to be a highly competitive market, so did they make an offer of $400,000 to try to stay in their budget, or did they make an offer over the asking price? Did they end up in a bidding war? I'd like to know the final price.

[chessiegal]

51 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

I'd like to know the final price.

Even if they stated a final price, considering the way HHI plays fast and loose with facts, there is little reason to believe it's true.

[gingerella]

I agree, the Gouda couple was annoying and the wife seemed like she hated the idea of moving back to her home country. So weird. And the turkey obsession, get over it and order a chicken FFS. OR learn how to cook a turkey outside in a cauldron of oil once a year.

I saw an episode late last night about a young lady who was close friends with a Cambodian guy at home, and fell in love with Cambodian culture and moved to Phnom Penh. She was lovely and for once, she wasn't obsessed with having everything as it would be in the States. I appreciated that she chose the more traditional - but nice by local standards - option and she seemed very happy there, though the hipster purple polyester velvet couch and chair sitch was odd. Stuff gets mildewy very quickly in SE Asia and that would not have been my first choice on furnishings! That said, if I were her I would have taken the first plush place, for an extra $150/month it was fabulous!

[Andyourlittledog2]

I learned last night on HHI that I am traumatized by just hearing the word 'Khmer' and I had no idea. It was just a gut punch that took me immediately back to the Khmer Rouge days. It was so weird because I had no idea that was lurking inside me. Live and learn I guess.

Anyway, I had no idea that Janine from Abbott Elementary had moved to Cambodia to teach English!  lol  Seriously, shut your eyes and listen to her talk -- her voice is exactly the same!  She even looks kinda like her.  So funny to me. I liked her a lot and hope she has a wonderful life while in Cambodia. She has more adventure in her than I do!  But I did like the rental she chose considering her budget but agree the weird love seat chair combo just looked uncomfortable and it was the only loungey furniture in the apartment. That would get old really fast.

[Thumper]

Did they pronounce Gouda as “gowdah” or “howdah?”  I want to start saying it that way just for the reaction! 😁

[Meowwww]

The Gouda couple.  Her vocal fry was not cute, even though I’m sure she thought it was.  Vocal fry is very 2007 Kardashian and it drives me nuts 

[Andyourlittledog2]

4 hours ago, Thumper said:

Did they pronounce Gouda as “gowdah” or “howdah?”  I want to start saying it that way just for the reaction! 😁

It sounded like the realtor was saying Gow-da.  It wouldn't be the first time we have mangled the pronunciation of a European word or place name.

[Andyourlittledog2]

I googled Gouda and wikipedia has a little clip where you can listen to a Dutch person say the name. It sounded very much like 'How-da'. 

Gouda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣʌudaː] (listen)) is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands

[aghst]

Wonder why they chose to buy instead of rent.

Maybe demand is that much greater than supply?

Floor kept emphasizing that they have to act right away because the homes she showed wouldn't last.

[cinsays]

4 hours ago, aghst said:

Wonder why they chose to buy instead of rent.

Maybe demand is that much greater than supply?

Floor kept emphasizing that they have to act right away because the homes she showed wouldn't last.

yeah, if i was moving somewhere i wasn't really familiar with i would never buy.  you need to know how daily life will be there before tying yourself down to a mortgage on something that just doesn't work for you

[proserpina65]

3 hours ago, cinsays said:

yeah, if i was moving somewhere i wasn't really familiar with i would never buy.  you need to know how daily life will be there before tying yourself down to a mortgage on something that just doesn't work for you

I imagine his job posting was for long enough that buying was more practical.  And knowing how this show works, they'd probably already been there for months.

[chessiegal]

2 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

And knowing how this show works, they'd probably already been there for months.

Or longer. 😄

[aghst]

Her family is there so I guess that's another tie to the area.  She said he's the one pushing for them to move back near her family, not necessarily her.

Can't recall whether they showed them tasting cheese?  Or maybe there are even tours there to the farms or factories?

In the Amsterdam episodes there were short segments of house hunters sampling at all the cheese shops in that city.

 

 

[laredhead]

I haven't seen the Gouda episode yet, but regarding the wife not being enthusiastic about moving back to her home country, I remember a few years ago there was a couple in Las Vegas, or nearby, looking for a house.  The man was from another country, and he was so excited about moving to America and having a large house with modern conveniences.  The wife, who was American, was used to large houses, etc.  Maybe the Gouda wife had grown accustomed to the American lifestyle and wasn't interested in returning to smaller spaces, and fewer conveniences?  It's on my viewing list for tonight.  

 

[aghst]

Gouda wife worked but then found out they're moving and then they're having a baby almost the same time.

So that may be what she's thinking about, raising the kid but then maybe go back to work.

 

 

[Andyourlittledog2]

I just think the Gouda wife was overwhelmed and probably exhausted. Having a baby, getting little sleep, hormones all wacky, international move and house buying -- I wouldn't wish that on my enemy. Poor woman. I think once they settled and the baby is a little older and she has more sleep she will probably seem a little happier.

Also, she is close to family, but there's family and then there is family. Not all family is good to be around long term or seems the same as when you were a kid. Who knows? I liked the couple though.

[Chit Chat]

On 5/31/2023 at 6:26 PM, Thumper said:

Did they pronounce Gouda as “gowdah” or “howdah?”

It sounded like "howdah" to me.  Either way, I've been pronouncing it wrong my whole life!  I liked the fixer upper house, but with the cracks in the wall, more than likely there's an issue with the foundation.  I was surprised none of them thought of that.   They will need some baby gates to make sure the little one doesn't go up or down both sets of stairs.  They didn't seem concerned about it though. 

Why are there only small ovens in the Netherlands?  Does anybody know if that's the standard there?  It must be since even the new build had a small oven.  I was tired of the guy whining about not fitting a turkey in them.  He might have to settle for a couple of turkey legs!  

 

[buttersister]

The moving to Sweden couple -- she's clearly in charge and his demands and whining seem to be his temporary way of acting out.  Although he wasn't wrong about that first bathroom! I missed the very start of it, why did he need two bathrooms? And her objection to the balconies? No sale.

I thought that he being a chef they might show more food than whatever he was stirring at the end. He got a job in a Swedish restaurant, I would like to know more about that. Oh well. #3 was a good choice.

[Orcinus orca]

I thought the 'move to Sweden" couple was more tolerable than usual.  Seems like the two bathroom thing was producer driven, the guy only said something along the line of "a happy couple has two bathrooms" without any explanation.  And since one works days and the other afternoon, they each have the place to themselves most of the time anyway. HHI is running out of silly "must haves".

Moving from Singapore to Sweden is quite a leap in lifestyle for him.

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

Why are there only small ovens in the Netherlands?  Does anybody know if that's the standard there? 

Many of the places in the European episodes have small ovens.  It seems to be the standard in many countries.  I imagine cost has something to do with it.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Many of the places in the European episodes have small ovens.  It seems to be the standard in many countries.  I imagine cost has something to do with it.

I guess they don't cook 20 lbs+ turkeys!!  ;)