House Hunters International - General Discussion

[aghst]

28 minutes ago, Pi237 said:

Just a general complaint-They All go on and on about wanting “authentic charm,” then complain the rooms are too small or need updating. so Annoying. 

 

That may be intentional, have the house hunters keep repeating the usual HHI tropes, to make them come across as contradictory, uninformed, etc.

Maybe they think some viewers are mainly in it for the snark so they want to provide some fan service.

[chessiegal]

44 minutes ago, aghst said:

Maybe they think some viewers are mainly in it for the snark so they want to provide some fan service.

As I posted previously, Floor who appears in Netherland episodes said in an interview, conflict is written into the "script".

[abbyzenn]

Stirling Scotland episode:  I missed the ending - which place did the pick (I'm guessing the first place).

I've never had cats but I"m currently recovering from an auto accident and staying at my brother's house.  They have carpeting except for the kitchen and foyer and they have 2 cats.  I didn't get why she didn't want carpeting with the cats - thought it was because they'd chew up the carpet.  I can't imagine letting your pet do their business on your carpet.  When you're not home or in another room you might not even know they've gone until its had time to sink into the carpet.  Can't imagine why you wouldn't have them use a litter box.

Every time I saw the husband I kept thinking he was Frodo? (the guy with the coffee truck) from Brokenwood Mysteries.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, abbyzenn said:

I missed the ending - which place did the pick (I'm guessing the first place).

They chose the third house at $1000/month.  It was the one with a lot of carpeting.  They seemed happy there.

13 hours ago, Bastet said:

Cats even as kittens are quite instinctively drawn to one, far easier than teaching a dog to signal when she/he needs to go out.  I didn't see the episode; was there some medical or even behavioral issue at play explaining the worry about carpet soiling?

As a lifelong cat owner, I've never had trouble training cats/kittens to use the litterbox.  One scratch of the litter and they were hooked!!  She never mentioned any health issues with the cats, so I'm guessing the cats weren't trained properly.  The only problem I ever had with a cat not using the litterbox was when it had a UTI (happened once or twice), or with an elderly cat (21 years old) who missed the box occasionally, but I kept doggy pads under the litterbox for him, and it was on a tile floor in the laundry room.  There are some products out there that remove the smell by neutralizing an enzyme in the urine.  Hartz makes a spray type.  It works well.   Maybe the cats throw up occasionally and that's the problem.  They might have problems with hairballs and puke everywhere.  There are products and food to help with that too.  

The owner's constant harping about her dislike of carpet was annoying.  If the realtor says it's a thing there, then deal with it!  The property with the window on the bathroom door was strange though.  I'd definitely put a curtain up on that one!  

 

 

[cinsays]

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

They chose the third house at $1000/month.  It was the one with a lot of carpeting.  They seemed happy there.

As a lifelong cat owner, I've never had trouble training cats/kittens to use the litterbox.  One scratch of the litter and they were hooked!!  She never mentioned any health issues with the cats, so I'm guessing the cats weren't trained properly.  The only problem I ever had with a cat not using the litterbox was when it had a UTI (happened once or twice), or with an elderly cat (21 years old) who missed the box occasionally, but I kept doggy pads under the litterbox for him, and it was on a tile floor in the laundry room.  There are some products out there that remove the smell by neutralizing an enzyme in the urine.  Hartz makes a spray type.  It works well.   Maybe the cats throw up occasionally and that's the problem.  They might have problems with hairballs and puke everywhere.  There are products and food to help with that too.  

The owner's constant harping about her dislike of carpet was annoying.  If the realtor says it's a thing there, then deal with it!  The property with the window on the bathroom door was strange though.  I'd definitely put a curtain up on that one!  

 

 

yeah, it always amazes me when there is a problem with an easy solution, just hang a curtain on the door or even tape some construction paper over the pane

[buttersister]

Quote

was there some medical or even behavioral issue at play explaining the worry about carpet soiling

I think the behavioral issues was with the owner. Hey, lady, did you know that carpeting is super common in Scotland? Yes, yes you were told. Repeatedly. Breaking buttersister rule # 2: Just because they give you something dumb to say, doesn't mean you have to comply. 

I felt bad for the landlord. Hope there's a sizable damage deposit.

[Chit Chat]

16 minutes ago, buttersister said:

I think the behavioral issues was with the owner.

Amen!  She doesn't help the cause of cats by making it sound like all they do is piss everywhere.  Now if you bring a feral male cat into your home, you might have an issue, but otherwise cats tend to do their business in the box.  My 2 compete to see who can doody it up the most!  ;) 

[javajeanelaine]

I’m a cat owner and I don’t believe the issue was them not using the litter box.  I am pretty sure it’s about cats throwing up furballs.

 

[Chit Chat]

39 minutes ago, javajeanelaine said:

I am pretty sure it’s about cats throwing up furballs.

That lady should look into getting a product to help with that!  I do that with one of my cats.  She licks the product off the back of my hand.  There are also some dry food brands (Science Diet, to name one) that have ingredients to help with that too.  

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, javajeanelaine said:

I am pretty sure it’s about cats throwing up furballs.

Well, cats are notorious for choosing carpet to deposit those on, but it's not such a big deal that having a carpeted home and cats are incompatible.  If she adds some psyllium and water to their diet, she may cut down on them to begin with (it helps fur pass with the stool rather than forming balls that get upchucked), and all she needs to do is keep some Nature's Miracle or other enzyme-based product on hand to treat any spots she does wind up with.  Rather dumb storyline, but then we've seen a lot of those.

[laredhead]

After reading all of the comments about the Scotland episode, carpet, and cats, I finally watched it this evening.  OMG - if I had taken a sip of Scotch every time that woman said carpet, I would have been drunk by the end of the first showing.  The realtor showed more patience than I would have.  If the issue with carpet is fur balls, I noticed that one of their cats has long hair, and regular brushing, along with some of the aforementioned remedies could help immensely.  Basically, though, by the end of the show I just wanted her to shut up about carpet.  I don't think I've ever heard that word used that many times in the space of 20 or so minutes.    

[Mediocre Gatsby]

On 8/10/2023 at 8:08 PM, Grizzly said:

Stirling, Scotland.  Gorgeous episode. I didn't even care about the houses. I just wanted to see the scenery. It would have been an excellent episode if she had shut up about the carpet! Teach your cats how to use a litter box.

As another poster said, I bet it was an issue with hairballs, especially with that long-haired black cat. She was lucky that none of the places prohibited pets. If I were a Scottish landlord watching this episode, I'd be writing that into future contracts. 

On 8/10/2023 at 10:38 PM, buttersister said:

This—1,000 times. 

Less carpet complaints, more scenery. Can’t remember what Stephanie said, but the realtor got off a good one at all her carping. Like I was doing with her inane comments (Stirling was authentically Scottish?!).

At one point she said drily "I'm aware of your carpet issue," I died. 

On 8/11/2023 at 8:11 AM, proserpina65 said:

She's not wrong there, but yeah, it sounds stupid.  Everywhere in Scotland is authentically Scottish.  Because it's Scotland, you idiot.  (The HHer, not the commenter.)

Well, this. They were IN Scotland, and not for the short term. You can't remember what country you're in unless it's 100% reflected in your house or apartment? And also, though I too expected that he already had a job lined up, they could have rented a cheap place for a year and then moved when they were more financially secure. 

On 8/11/2023 at 2:45 PM, buttersister said:

I think the behavioral issues was with the owner. Hey, lady, did you know that carpeting is super common in Scotland? Yes, yes you were told. Repeatedly. Breaking buttersister rule # 2: Just because they give you something dumb to say, doesn't mean you have to comply. 

Yes, how many times do you have to hear "THEY HAVE CARPETS IN SCOTLAND BECAUSE SCOTLAND IS COLD" before you shut your yap?

I was disappointed, because I was very excited to see a show in Scotland. Any of those places would have been cheaper than what I pay for a 60-year-old 1-bedroom apartment in California - maybe I should move to Scotland and be on International House Hunters! I promise I would be thinking all the time of how to not be annoying!

[laredhead]

One more thought on the Scotland carpet woman, it would serve her right to have ended up in an apartment with only hard surface floors (although she wanted hard wood), and when winter came, she was cold all of the time which resulted in using more heat, which resulted in a higher utility bill.  Of course, then she could carp on and on about how expensive it was to heat an apartment in Scotland.  Something tells me she is one of those people who will always have a peeve about something.  

I enjoyed the scenery and the little explanatory boxes on screen about what was being shown about the castles, and locations.   

[mojito]

7 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

maybe I should move to Scotland and be on International House Hunters! I promise I would be thinking all the time of how to not be annoying!

There you go, thinking about yourself again. What about our entertainment? Our need to come here and gripe?

 

 

[eel2178]

On 8/11/2023 at 6:36 PM, Bastet said:

Well, cats are notorious for choosing carpet to deposit those on, but it's not such a big deal that having a carpeted home and cats are incompatible. 

Actually, carpet should be preferable.

Nothing takes the finish off a hardwood floor faster than cat puke. That could mean the loss of a security deposit due to the floor needing to be refinished.

[aghst]

Maybe if they increased their budget, they could have gotten a place with heated floors.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, eel2178 said:

Nothing takes the finish off a hardwood floor faster than cat puke.

Especially when they probably puked 10 minutes after you went to bed and you don't discover it until the morning!! 

I've got vinyl plank flooring (which is preferable to the rug for this issue), so if my cat pukes, it's usually going to be on the area rug just inches from the vinyl flooring!  Luckily, she doesn't do that very often, as we use products to help prevent it.  She's a furry beast, so it happens occasionally!  

11 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

At one point she said drily "I'm aware of your carpet issue," I died. 

That was hilarious!  I'm sure she gets sick and tired of hearing stupid complaints about the properties she's showing.  A little snark with home tours?  Yes, please! 

[Mediocre Gatsby]

6 hours ago, laredhead said:

Of course, then she could carp on and on about how expensive it was to heat an apartment in Scotland.

Except she couldn't, because "carp" is too close to the dreaded word "carpet."

[CalicoKitty]

37 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

Especially when they probably puked 10 minutes after you went to bed and you don't discover it until the morning!! 

I've got vinyl plank flooring (which is preferable to the rug for this issue), so if my cat pukes, it's usually going to be on the area rug just inches from the vinyl flooring!  Luckily, she doesn't do that very often, as we use products to help prevent it.  She's a furry beast, so it happens occasionally!  

That was hilarious!  I'm sure she gets sick and tired of hearing stupid complaints about the properties she's showing.  A little snark with home tours?  Yes, please! 

I once had new carpet installed in my whole house, and the carpet layers were not even out of the drive way before both my cats threw up.  Seriously.  The guys were still in the driveway.  I now have LVP only and no carpet, and I love it.  I have found that if my cat throws up on my wool area rug, it cleans up very well.  Non-wool rugs are much harder to clean than 100% wool.  That said--I hope that landlord took a good cleaning deposit.

 

[proserpina65]

On 8/11/2023 at 7:43 PM, Chit Chat said:

That lady should look into getting a product to help with that!  I do that with one of my cats.  She licks the product off the back of my hand.  There are also some dry food brands (Science Diet, to name one) that have ingredients to help with that too.  

There are products but not all of them work for all cats all the time.  And there's also the joy of cat hair on carpet which, yes, is removable but it's harder to get off carpet than off bare floors.  (Someday I will be able to replace my main floor carpet with hardwoods, crossing my fingers.)  So I do get her objection to carpet.

That said, the realtor told her there would be carpet in pretty much every place they'd look at, and why, so she needed to shut the fuck up about it because it was annoying as hell.  Yes, I know, scripted but seriously, shut the fuck up.

22 hours ago, eel2178 said:

Actually, carpet should be preferable.

Nothing takes the finish off a hardwood floor faster than cat puke. That could mean the loss of a security deposit due to the floor needing to be refinished.

It's much harder to clean up cat puke from carpet than it is a non-carpet surface.  You're right about the finish, and if I was still renting, I'd use a lot of easily washed throw rugs for just this reason.  But I wish to heaven I could've afforded to get rid of all the carpet in my house when I bought it rather than just the bedrooms because my cats always choose to puke on the carpet.  Always.

 

20 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

if my cat pukes, it's usually going to be on the area rug just inches from the vinyl flooring!

Why do they do that?  Why?????

[Mediocre Gatsby]

If I ever get to own a place and for some reason it has to have carpet, I'm just bringing my cat to the carpet store to match the carpet to his fur. 

[eel2178]

9 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

 And there's also the joy of cat hair on carpet which, yes, is removable but it's harder to get off carpet than off bare floors.  

I use a curry comb on my carpets. It takes a lot more effort than vacuuming, but it is so worth it for the satisfaction of pulling up all the cat hair.

[eel2178]

5 minutes ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

If I ever get to own a place and for some reason it has to have carpet, I'm just bringing my cat to the carpet store to match the carpet to his fur. 

For reasons I can't explain when we painted our house. we decided we wanted to match it to our cats. We held down kitties and compared them to paint chips until we got the Blue Persian to match the siding and the solid white cat to match the trim.

The finished result looked horrible.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

24 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

The finished result looked horrible.

I'm sorry! But you made me laugh. 

[Grizzly]

Los Barriles, Mexico. Pickleball has made its way down to Mexico. Those courts looked like the most modern thing in that town. Did you know their only child's name is Tyler? My pet peeve is Margo keeps saying my son instead of our son. Not sure that I'd pay 70k for another bedroom. The 1 bed condo seemed roomier.

[Thumper]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Los Barriles, Mexico. Pickleball has made its way down to Mexico. Those courts looked like the most modern thing in that town. Did you know their only child's name is Tyler? My pet peeve is Margo keeps saying my son instead of our son. Not sure that I'd pay 70k for another bedroom. The 1 bed condo seemed roomier.

Yes!  I noticed the “my son” also … constantly!  

[Mediocre Gatsby]

3 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Los Barriles, Mexico. Pickleball has made its way down to Mexico. Those courts looked like the most modern thing in that town. Did you know their only child's name is Tyler? My pet peeve is Margo keeps saying my son instead of our son. Not sure that I'd pay 70k for another bedroom. The 1 bed condo seemed roomier.

That was crazy. And did you know that her husband didn't want to do any projects?

I liked the 2nd condo because the beach was sandy instead of really rocky. 

[mojito]

Not feeling all that water view stuff. It's fine when you're a tourist, but as a resident, looking at water and sand can be extremely boring, as can walking on the beach each day.  I'd rather be up on a hill with a swimming pool overlooking greenery, homes, and the sea. It's cooler and you're removed from the inevitability of  strange, possibly rowdy people walking in front of your place at all hours of the night. That area is only going to attract more people, hurricanes, and bad storms.

I approve of their one-bedroom choice. Tyler can check into a hotel if he doesn't like the free room and board and the pullout bed. 

[chessiegal]

52 minutes ago, mojito said:

Not feeling all that water view stuff. It's fine when you're a tourist, but as a resident, looking at water and sand can be extremely boring,

We have a waterfront home. I must be easily amused because I never find the view of the water boring. 🤷‍♀️

[Chit Chat]

7 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

That was crazy. And did you know that her husband didn't want to do any projects?

Bwah!  With the most expensive condo, she could've used that closet in the 2nd bedroom (I think there was a small one) or buy a rolling rack or two for her clothes and keep them in there, and maybe someday in the future she could have the big closet built in that extra space.  Hell, even a really nice armoire would've worked in the extra space.  I think I'm remembering the space correctly.

Mr. No Projects kept shutting down Mrs. My Son at every turn!!  I agree about the "my son" thing being annoying though.  I thought that having a second bedroom for guests or storage would've been worth it, but if they're happy with their decision, then so be it!!  At least she got a pool and a great ocean view! 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Chit Chat

[aghst]

Though I get it when he said he used to commute at least 3 hours a day and sometimes he'd mow lawns after he returned home.

5 bedrooms, 2 acres of land.  They must have netted a lot of money.

High school sweethearts, still together, her obviously feeling empty nest syndrome, him just wanting to relax.

[Chit Chat]

14 minutes ago, aghst said:

Though I get it when he said he used to commute at least 3 hours a day and sometimes he'd mow lawns after he returned home.

I think the condo was a good option for him with no maintenance involved.  I thought that his constant cries of "no projects" was a little silly since all the wife was talking about with the 2-bedroom condo was an extra closet!  I don't blame the guy for wanting to relax.  That commute must've been a bitch!   I didn't like the way he kept shutting her down though.  They seemed happy and that's what counts!

[Orcinus orca]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

We have a waterfront home. I must be easily amused because I never find the view of the water boring. 🤷‍♀️

Neither do I.  I have a place on Lake Huron and I have as many windows facing the lake as possible. The sunroom is a year round favorite to watch the water.  The views change every day.

With that said, my house is on a bit of a bluff so I don't have strangers walking past and looking in the windows like they did with the old cottage at the bottom of the bluff.  

I do think about the increasing ferocity of hurricanes and think about all of those oceanfront places vanishing in the storm surge.  No way in hell I'd buy one of those.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, Orcinus orca said:

I do think about the increasing ferocity of hurricanes and think about all of those oceanfront places vanishing in the storm surge.  No way in hell I'd buy one of those.

Some of those condos were too close to the beach!  Where I grew up (near the Atlantic Ocean), there was and still is a lot of effort put into maintaining the shoreline by having the hotels, condos & homes pretty far back from the waterline.  There is a lot of natural vegetation that helps with erosion too.  You still have great views of the ocean from those homes.  However, if a really strong hurricane comes in directly at that particular area, yeah, the vegetation isn't going to help with the tidal surge.   If I lived steps from the ocean, I'd be afraid that some rogue wave would form and wipe me out!  I have an unrealistic fear of that after watching videos of tsunamis in other countries.  ;)  

[proserpina65]

4 hours ago, mojito said:

I'd rather be up on a hill with a swimming pool overlooking greenery, homes, and the sea.

Whereas I'd sacrifice a view in order to be within easy walking distance of the beach.  Different people like different things.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

3 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

 If I lived steps from the ocean, I'd be afraid that some rogue wave would form and wipe me out!  I have an unrealistic fear of that after watching videos of tsunamis in other countries.  ;)  

That's not unrealistic! Unrealistic is my fear of walking on sidewalks near drains, THIRTY THREE YEARS after I saw the TV version of "It."

[Mediocre Gatsby]

If I ever get on HH or HHI, nearby drains will be all I'll talk about. You'll all wish that I was only whining about carpet. 

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

That's not unrealistic!

I wouldn't rule it out, but I think it's not as likely to happen in that area as opposed to other regions of the world, but still, if I were standing there and the water started receding, I'd make a run for it!!  I still hum the theme to Jaws whenever I'm in the ocean.  That has never gone away!

1 hour ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

If I ever get on HH or HHI, nearby drains will be all I'll talk about.

I tend to look for any beady eyes looking back at me from storm drains.  I can picture you on a house tour and not asking a thing about the house, but rather about how the drains in the area work!

[mojito]

22 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Neither do I.  I have a place on Lake Huron and I have as many windows facing the lake as possible. The sunroom is a year round favorite to watch the water.  The views change every day.

I can't speak for lake living. I would imagine that you usually have a view of land surrounding the lake, maybe some docks. I was reflecting my boredom living on the coast of the ocean or the sea where your view is only sky, water, and some sand, which was the view in this particular episode. 

[Orcinus orca]

12 minutes ago, mojito said:

I can't speak for lake living. I would imagine that you usually have a view of land surrounding the lake, maybe some docks. I was reflecting my boredom living on the coast of the ocean or the sea where your view is only sky, water, and some sand, which was the view in this particular episode. 

Well, since Canada is 180 mile across Lake Huron from where I live, all is see is sky, water, and sand.  No two days are the same due to changing sea conditions, weather, etc.

To each is own.  I adore it.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Orcinus orca

[mojito]

I don't know, @Orcinus orca. I'm seeing trees, too. Do ever get to see boats? Is this private property? Does the water get almost too warm late in the summer?

I have seen some of the lakes (not the Greats) in different parts of Canada, I believe up in Ontario. Some of those places look pretty to me, the water looks so clear, and jumping off docks and swimming so appeals to me this time of year. 

[Orcinus orca]

23 minutes ago, mojito said:

I don't know, @Orcinus orca. I'm seeing trees, too. Do ever get to see boats? Is this private property? Does the water get almost too warm late in the summer?

I have seen some of the lakes (not the Greats) in different parts of Canada, I believe up in Ontario. Some of those places look pretty to me, the water looks so clear, and jumping off docks and swimming so appeals to me this time of year. 

The trees are in front of the house on the bluff over the beach.  Boats, including freighters, do go by on the horizon.  The Great Lakes never really warm up, temps are only about 70 degrees at the warmest but we are used to it.  Very clear water most of the time, it all depends on the winds.  Nor'easters churn up the sand on the bottom when they occur and we get pretty big waves, up to 12 feet on the open lake in a big storm.  Highest was 23 feet but that's rare.

As I said, it changes every single day which is why I never tire of it.

I would probably not be bored on the ocean either but I would be more concerned about hurricanes.  And I would not like to be right on a beach with strangers waltzing by all day.  We have lots of beach walkers but I am 30 feet above the beach so that doesn't bother me.  They'd have to climb 3 stories to visit.

[Grizzly]

Melbourne, Australia. What a cute baby! Lucas is so much fun. They are looking at some nice places. I think Laura is wearing the pants. She probably didn't want to work as much anyway.

[aghst]

12 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Melbourne, Australia. What a cute baby! Lucas is so much fun. They are looking at some nice places. I think Laura is wearing the pants. She probably didn't want to work as much anyway.

Yeah I wondered what happened in her first marriage.  They kept saying she had resident rights in Melbourne, which sounded odd.  Then they mentioned her first marriage.

Melbourne is a great place to live and raise the baby but Colombia probably would have been more affordable and it's closer in time zone to his San Francisco employer.

But the guy, who's going to be paying for everything, seems really happy to be near the beach and he says it was love at first sight, at least for him.

Still it's probably less than what he was paying in San Francisco, though he'd feeding 5 mouths?

If her job contributed significantly, they probably would have found a way to be closer to the city.  Or find another salon job in the burbs?

But Lucas kept it light and fun.

Edited August 18, 2023 by aghst

[Pi237]

Her mother & his father both living with them seemed odd to me. She won’t be working much at all, it seems. So, why does she need so much help? That would be awkward as hell for me, but they all seemed happy so different strokes..

[Jodithgrace]

I think they should encourage a romance between his father and her mother. That way they can free up a bedroom for the baby as she gets older. 

[aghst]

12 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

I think they should encourage a romance between his father and her mother. That way they can free up a bedroom for the baby as she gets older. 

There may already be something going on.

Son and father may have similar tastes.

Or father asked son to hook him up.😊

Edited August 18, 2023 by aghst

[Crashcourse]

That Aussie realtor got on my last nerve because he was trying too hard to be funny.  

Little Sophia was adorable though. 

[Mediocre Gatsby]

19 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Melbourne, Australia. What a cute baby! Lucas is so much fun. They are looking at some nice places. I think Laura is wearing the pants. She probably didn't want to work as much anyway.

It didn't make much sense to me to base a housing decision on Laura's job doing lash extensions. I know they said that she could go back to her old place of work, but surely you can do that almost anywhere. I thought it was strange with the two in-laws, but they'll be so helpful. 

Baby Sophia was gorgeous. 

[mojito]

On 8/18/2023 at 11:26 AM, Pi237 said:

Her mother & his father both living with them seemed odd to me. She won’t be working much at all, it seems.

That first place they looked at...I saw how the guy declared the first bedroom as being good for his father, and then they looked at a nursery and wondered how her mother could possibly sleep in a bunk bed. At first, I was thrown by this, but then I got it in my head that the mother is not going to live there permanently, and will be returning to Medellin eventually. 

I was glad to see Lucas back. There was another Aussie male agent, and then there's Maxine, and I like that they all are a bit edgier than most of the other agents we see, which I enjoy. 

Nice places. I could do without that pool.