House Hunters International - General Discussion

[ArtFossil]

On 12/14/2023 at 11:30 PM, Grizzly said:

Chambrils, Spain. I couldn't stand Maggie, or that too short dress she was wearing, or her voice saying things were too small and sad. Does she have a life besides her kids? I think it's cool that Gabe has kept in touch with this Spanish family he summered with. I hope he is able to enjoy this new chapter and am so glad he got the place he wanted.

Dear Maggie: Your three adult children may or may not visit. But it’s at least 90% that they will not visit at the same time. 
 

If I were her adult child I would visit . . . infrequently. 

[Grizzly]

Minnesota to Mexico city. Where is their money coming from? Is Raul making that much from his bead work? I can't even figure out what Steve does except want to put his stamp on a place. I liked the arches at #3. Glad they are having a good time.

[aghst]

They dumped a lot of episodes.

One that seems familiar i Thailand to Berlin.  They talked up Christmas, like where they'd put their Christmas tree in the places they saw.

But this interracial couple seemed like they were in a previous episode or they re-edited this one to add in all this Xmas stuff.

[Thumper]

We recently moved into a new house.  Now I’m feeling bad we did not take into consideration “where to put the Christmas tree” when making our decision. 😉

[MakingBacon]

Anyone else think they saw the couple moving to Berlin on a previous episode? Since they were coming from Thailand, maybe they did an episode there? I know I remember the husband. 

[Grizzly]

I know these Christmas themed episodes have been hokey. What is this woman going to do with 3 extra bedrooms when the kids aren't visiting? Use the space for storage so the husband can stop complaining about not having a garage.

But I've enjoyed getting more international eps. And it's interesting to see how other countries celebrate the holidays. Merry Christmas, everyone!

[aghst]

Problem is they don't really illustrate why they want to move.  At least with regular HHI episodes, they make up some fiction about international experience for the kids or always wanted to live abroad.

The Australia to Sweden they talked up Christmas in Sweden.  Well you don't have to move across the world for that.  They could visit every winter until the kids are sick of snow.

They probably didn't really need 4 bedrooms right away because the two girls are very young and don't need separate rooms for several more years.

How often are you going to go to the Christmas markets that you have to be within walking distance?  They run for at least a month, I believe.  So they go a couple of times and they can check that off the list.

The wife talked about #2 house being quite a bit more.  It's $200 more than their original budget, and it was just $100 more than the other two options..  I guess the husband didn't have specific house plans.  This might not have been a real move but an extended trip if he wasn't really going to look for a job.

The Texas to Switzerland house hunters, I can buy that they cared about Christmas or at least the husband did, putting up extravagant displays back in America and filming himself on some social media app at Christmas parties.

The others I'm not so sure.

It's nice to get all these new episodes (though some of them may just be re-edited) but back to normal please.

[abbyzenn]

Australia to Sweden:  She was Swedish and wanted to move back home.  I don't understand the guy going on and on about being in the center of town - he said he couldn't walk 15 minutes to the center in the winter - well he could take a bus or walk briskly.  RIdiculous that in the one house he couldn't tell where to put the Christmas tree so the house was a no-go.   I think but not sure that the kids can speak Swedish because they scene of them baking with their grandmother she was speaking Swedish and the kids seemed to know what to do.

Texas to Zurich:  Way too much talk about Christmas.  Actually I found the husband rather annoying with all the Christmas stuff.  I hate hate hate those huge blow-up Santas.  I'll give him credit though for talking about how he was so young when his father died and how he's looking forward to being home with his kids.  I liked the kids better than either parent.

Didn't like the second house which they so oohed and aahed about because of the beams.  I thought it was the house they had already been living in or was not really a contender because it was so jammed packed with furniture and whatnots which we rarely see in the houses.  

At Halloween I went by a house that had a skeleton in the yard that I'd say was at least 12 feet high.  This morning I went by the house and the skeleton is back out dressed in a Santa suit.

 

[Bastet]

On 12/24/2023 at 12:34 PM, abbyzenn said:

At Halloween I went by a house that had a skeleton in the yard that I'd say was at least 12 feet high.  This morning I went by the house and the skeleton is back out dressed in a Santa suit.

That's a fiscally sound choice, to use it for at least two holidays -- I was in Costco last month, and happened to glance at a couple of prices as I walked by some cute outdoor Christmas decorations I might be interested in if I had more storage space in the garage, and could not believe how much they cost.  And that's Costco prices!

Anyway, of all the stupid storylines HH has perpetuated over the years, "Where will the Christmas tree go?" is near the top of my list.

Edited December 26, 2023 by Bastet

[kirklandia]

5 hours ago, Bastet said:

Anyway, of all the stupid storylines HH has perpetuated over the years, "Where will the Christmas tree go?" 
 This is high on my list as well, but I don't believe it will move into the top spot. That is reserved for people who need a grand stairway for their as-yet-unborn children to descend for prom pictures.

[Chit Chat]

On 12/18/2023 at 10:37 PM, Jodithgrace said:

We’ve seen people get decent apartments for less than $500 per month in some places, and here they can’t even find what they want for $7,300!

I just watched that episode.  I'm still blown away by that budget, especially for rent!

[Pi237]

The producers have got to Stop making people say the word ‘charm’ It’s torture to my ears at this point. 

[buttersister]

The laughable part is all of the different definitions, shall we say, of what exactly charm is. Oh, Show, time for some new year’s resolutions! We can start with knock off the “charm.”

And I’d encourage the end of making Americans not know what size European apartments/homes are, complaining “it’s so much smaller than we had back in _________.”)

[Seelouis]

1 hour ago, buttersister said:

The laughable part is all of the different definitions, shall we say, of what exactly charm is. Oh, Show, time for some new year’s resolutions! We can start with knock off the “charm.”

And I’d encourage the end of making Americans not know what size European apartments/homes are, complaining “it’s so much smaller than we had back in _________.”)

Especially since the two are generally mutually exclusive. Do you want “charm” as in typical older homes in your new location or do you want big, modern and similar to what you had in the US? Drives me nuts when a buyer repeatedly says “charm” but then complains that the fridge is too small or the floor plan isn’t open concept. 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Seelouis

[Chit Chat]

6 hours ago, buttersister said:

The laughable part is all of the different definitions, shall we say, of what exactly charm is.

The ones who have to live in a home that "feels" like the country they're in drive me nuts.  If you're in Sweden and your house is more modern, just step outside.  You're still in Sweden!  Go to the city center and soak up all of the charm and local culture that you want!  I get it that some of them want a certain type of charm, but sometimes they need to be realistic and choose a place that meets their basic needs before worrying about the charm of it.  

[Grizzly]

2 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

The ones who have to live in a home that "feels" like the country they're in drive me nuts.  If you're in Sweden and your house is more modern, just step outside.  You're still in Sweden!  Go to the city center and soak up all of the charm and local culture that you want!  I get it that some of them want a certain type of charm, but sometimes they need to be realistic and choose a place that meets their basic needs before worrying about the charm of it.  

And the people who complain how places are sterile and lacking color. Are you not bringing any of your own items to personalize the space?

[Grizzly]

Chiang Mai, Thailand. I took an instant dislike to the hunter and her friend. Doubtful that the senior in high school daughter will want to come visit much. Umy should show Kellie exactly what her budget can get. Ah yes, #3 is a reality check. Guess that budget had more flex than she thought.

[aghst]

Calgary to London.  Young couple from Canada decide to have an overseas adventure.  They both get jobs in London and want to live in East London.  Richard approves because he lives there.

Their budget is $2800 and he's more budget-conscious while she has a long wish list -- English charm, washer/dryer, dishwasher, space for cat, no carpet and she's willing to pay more.

House 1 is modern, $200 below budget and has the best transit link to his job in West London.  It doesn't have a dishwasher, just washer/dryer.  She doesn't approve of the esthetics.

House 2 is $3000 but is unfurnished and Richard says furnishing it would cost $2000-3000.  It's  renovated cardboard factory with a cool rooftop terrace of their own and all the appliances that she wants.  He brings up the financial challenges it would present, as well as the poor commute for him.

It doesn't have English charm but she likes the hipster factor of the repurposed factory in a cool renovated space.

House 3 is $2400, would save them a lot of money obviously.  Only has a washer, no dryer, no dishwasher.  It's a renovated public housing block, looks very unappealing from the outside.

Inside is not much better, besides the missing appliances, room are small and there's carpet in them, not so good for Fergus the cat, which has a pretty round head and face.  They must have a pretty healthy cat food budget.

They eliminate house #3 (which also had the worst transportation access) and she says she likes #2 the best but compromise because it won't be their forever home and they can move to a place she likes better in the future, he promises.

3 months later:  They still like the place and they even got to do some traveling, as well as find some good hangout places nearby.

[Chit Chat]

21 hours ago, aghst said:

They eliminate house #3 (which also had the worst transportation access) and she says she likes #2 the best but compromise because it won't be their forever home and they can move to a place she likes better in the future, he promises.

Finally!  A buyer/renter says what I've been thinking, and that is to rent something and get settled in, then they can decide if they want to find something else later on once they figure things out!  Of course, they want to get something decent as they start out, but sometimes it takes a while living somewhere to decide if that's the location you want long-term.  It's too bad he didn't splurge a little so that she could have the appliances she wanted.  If he was the one doing the cooking and cleaning, he probably would've opted for it.  

The wife didn't want carpet because she said it would be extra work cleaning up the cat hair.  How?  You vacuum over carpet and cat hair usually gets picked up easily.  With hardwood or vinyl planks, you've still got to either vacuum or use something like a Swiffer sweeper to remove the hair, and carpet hides the hair better!!  She didn't say that the cat had an issue with missing the litter box or puking, but it was the hair.  I have a mixture of carpet & vinyl planks & some hardwood in my house, and no matter where the cat hair ends up, it's not that big of a deal to vacuum it up.  YMMV.  They make different kinds of brushes (a glove type is good) that easily grooms a cat.  

Fergus (the cat) was really cute, and I liked his new collar & bow tie.  

[kirklandia]

Calgary to London.  They made a big deal at the beginning that the male househunter had been born in Scotland and wanted to reconnect with his roots.  But they didn't really follow through.
And why did no one mention that adorable round-faced cat is a Scottish Fold?

Edited December 29, 2023 by kirklandia

[aghst]

Miami to Thailand, model wants a home for herself and daughter in Chiang Mai, has only a $400 budget but all the choices are over budget.

Her friend seems familiar.  Either this episode is a retread or Nubian may be a former house hunter herself.

Get a lot of space for $500 there.  She apparently books modeling jobs herself but she's kind of old for modeling, with two daughters, one of them apparently a teen old enough to live apart from mother.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, kirklandia said:

And why did no one mention that adorable round-faced Angus the cat is a Scottish Fold?

I noticed that too!  I think I heard his name wrong.  I thought it was Fergus!  :)  Either way, he's a cutie!  I hope he adjusted to his new home.  

[kirklandia]

13 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

I noticed that too!  I think I heard his name wrong.  I thought it was Fergus!  :)  Either way, he's a cutie!  I hope he adjusted to his new home.  

Now I'm not sure. I copied the name from a previous post, but someone else said it was Fergus. So I edited the name out of my comment.

[Chit Chat]

21 hours ago, aghst said:

Miami to Thailand, model wants a home for herself and daughter in Chiang Mai, has only a $400 budget but all the choices are over budget.

I liked how casually the Realtor explained the need for the little bowls under the dining room table legs was because of ants! You wouldn't set that up if it were just a few ants.  There must be armies of them coming in! 

18 hours ago, kirklandia said:

I copied the name from a previous post, but someone else said it was Fergus.

There's a good chance that I heard what I wanted to hear!!  He's a cutie!  I've never had a Scottish Fold kitty.  I'm not familiar with their temperament.  He looked sweet though and didn't seem to mind his little bow tie.  

[snarts]

Another Chang Mai episode: Model moving from Miami. Didn't she mention she had to move quickly due to a modeling job, which is why she left in the middle of her older daughter's senior year of high school?  If so, why was her budget so low? She had to paying much more than $400/month in Miami.

If by modeling, she means OnlyFans, then that can be done from anywhere so again unsure why her housing budget would be so low. Unless she was just staying with someone in Miami and not paying rent.

I really need to stop trying to make sense of the backstories. 

Zurich: $7,300/month?  Holy crap. 

[Chit Chat]

21 minutes ago, snarts said:

Unless she was just staying with someone in Miami and not paying rent.

She mentioned that if the move doesn't work out, she'll move back in with her mother.  I'm not sure if she was living with her to start with though.

22 minutes ago, snarts said:

If so, why was her budget so low? She had to paying much more than $400/month in Miami.

I think she just wanted the cheapest payment she could get so that she could spend time doing yoga or meditating (something along those lines.)  She mentioned how important that was to her.  Apparently, an apartment for $400 comes with ants.  ;)  

[aghst]

Austin to Mexico City, a couple with a young boy.  They wanted to live in one of the most upscale neighborhoods.  Wife is from MC and husband, who grew up in France, is going to open a burger joint.

A Frenchman making burgers in Mexico City.

Probably $20 burgers in an upscale neighborhood with a lot of international cuisine?

She was going to work from home so they wanted 3 bedrooms and a big kitchen.

They wanted furnished because they were going to keep their home back in Austin.  So if this hamburger place didn't work out, they'd go back?

It struck me that most of the HHI involve looking for furnished places.  I don't know if that's because a lot of these places have furnished apartments and homes or because the house hunters are really interested in short-term stays or they've kept a home back at their point of origin or as some say, they sold everything to move.

In the US certainly, furnished places are not common, either for rent or buy.

I can see in a small apt. in a big European city, furnished might be more common but we've seen cases where previous homeowners take kitchen appliances with them, sometimes counters too so the house hunters would have to install a new kitchen.

So house 1 is unfurnished, has big kitchen and big outdoor space, has 3rd bedroom and is $3500.

House 2 is 2 bedrooms so no third bedroom to set up an office, only partially furnished but is open concept like they asked for.  But no outdoor space.

House 3 is the only one over budget at $3700.  It has outdoor space and 3 bedrooms but a small, separated kitchen.

They eliminate House 3, end up choosing House 2 because it has a second living area which could be set up as her office.  

[chessiegal]

Another reason for a furnished apartment could be the hunters already live there.

My husband was given a one-year assignment in DC. He was given a housing allowance that included being able to pay for rental furniture. He found a one-bedroom apartment and he rented furniture from a company that did that.

[Notabug]

On 12/29/2023 at 11:55 AM, aghst said:

She apparently books modeling jobs herself but she's kind of old for modeling, with two daughters, one of them apparently a teen old enough to live apart from mother.

She said the older daughter was a senior in high school who didn't want to miss out on graduation, etc.  She said the daughter was living with her mother.  Of course, she also said the girl was looking for colleges, so I don't know how much time the girl was going to be spending in Thailand anyway.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, aghst said:

So house 1 is unfurnished, has big kitchen and big outdoor space, has 3rd bedroom and is $3500.

Even with the outdoor space, that placed seemed claustrophobic to me.  There really wasn't a view of anything once you went onto the patio.  IIRC, you mostly looked up to the sky.  I can't remember if the bedrooms had a view or not.  

[Crashcourse]

2 hours ago, aghst said:

A Frenchman making burgers in Mexico City.

I was not impressed looking at those burgers he and the brother-in-law were making.  

 

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

A Frenchman making burgers in Mexico City.

The laugh this caused made me choke on my Bloody Mary.  Worth it.

[Jodithgrace]

Did you watch the one guy making burgers? He put cheese on the raw side of the burger. I think he needs remedial burger training. 
And then he served his brother in law a “cheeseburger without the cheese.” A real knee slapper, that one. 

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, Jodithgrace said:

Did you watch the one guy making burgers? He put cheese on the raw side of the burger. I think he needs remedial burger training. 
And then he served his brother in law a “cheeseburger without the cheese.” A real knee slapper, that one. 

Yeah, I said WTF?  I think the whole restaurant thing was just some BS.

[ArtFossil]

On 12/30/2023 at 6:29 PM, Crashcourse said:

Yeah, I said WTF?  I think the whole restaurant thing was just some BS.

Yes, I gasped when he put cheese on the raw side of the burger. Is the restaurant a money laundering enterprise? It can’t be legit can it?

[Pi237]

Those were the driest, flattest burgers I’ve ever seen. 

[proserpina65]

On 12/24/2023 at 1:03 AM, aghst said:

The Australia to Sweden they talked up Christmas in Sweden.  Well you don't have to move across the world for that.  They could visit every winter until the kids are sick of snow.

I figured she wanted to live near her parents for a few years after living so far from them for so long.  But yeah, they could've mentioned that.

On 12/27/2023 at 11:52 PM, aghst said:

Calgary to London.  Young couple from Canada decide to have an overseas adventure.  They both get jobs in London and want to live in East London.  Richard approves because he lives there.

Their budget is $2800 and he's more budget-conscious while she has a long wish list -- English charm, washer/dryer, dishwasher, space for cat, no carpet and she's willing to pay more.

House 1 is modern, $200 below budget and has the best transit link to his job in West London.  It doesn't have a dishwasher, just washer/dryer.  She doesn't approve of the esthetics.

House 2 is $3000 but is unfurnished and Richard says furnishing it would cost $2000-3000.  It's  renovated cardboard factory with a cool rooftop terrace of their own and all the appliances that she wants.  He brings up the financial challenges it would present, as well as the poor commute for him.

It doesn't have English charm but she likes the hipster factor of the repurposed factory in a cool renovated space.

House 3 is $2400, would save them a lot of money obviously.  Only has a washer, no dryer, no dishwasher.  It's a renovated public housing block, looks very unappealing from the outside.

Inside is not much better, besides the missing appliances, room are small and there's carpet in them, not so good for Fergus the cat, which has a pretty round head and face.  They must have a pretty healthy cat food budget.

They eliminate house #3 (which also had the worst transportation access) and she says she likes #2 the best but compromise because it won't be their forever home and they can move to a place she likes better in the future, he promises.

3 months later:  They still like the place and they even got to do some traveling, as well as find some good hangout places nearby.

She annoyed me.  He seemed okay.  And of course the cat is the most important thing.  (Not joking about that.)  They chose the best option, especially with the transport considerations, and I do appreciate the mention of it not having to be their forever home.

On 12/28/2023 at 9:49 PM, Chit Chat said:

The wife didn't want carpet because she said it would be extra work cleaning up the cat hair.  How?  You vacuum over carpet and cat hair usually gets picked up easily.  With hardwood or vinyl planks, you've still got to either vacuum or use something like a Swiffer sweeper to remove the hair, and carpet hides the hair better!!

Some cats have hair which entwines itself in the carpet like it's trying to breed with it.  I'd have been looking for a place without carpet too, if I had been them.  Plus cats do other things like barf which is a lot easier to clean on non-carpeted floors.

Edited to note that I have carpet in part of my house and the damned cats ALWAYS throw up on the carpet.  Always.  It's a bitch to clean.  Someday I'm replacing the carpet with hardwood/laminate and vinyl flooring.  For multiple reasons, not just the cats, but mostly the cats.

 

Edited January 2 by proserpina65

[CalicoKitty]

6 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I figured she wanted to live near her parents for a few years after living so far from them for so long.  But yeah, they could've mentioned that.

She annoyed me.  He seemed okay.  And of course the cat is the most important thing.  (Not joking about that.)  They chose the best option, especially with the transport considerations, and I do appreciate the mention of it not having to be their forever home.

Some cats have hair which entwines itself in the carpet like it's trying to breed with it.  I'd have been looking for a place without carpet too, if I had been them.  Plus cats do other things like barf which is a lot easier to clean on non-carpeted floors.

Edited to note that I have carpet in part of my house and the damned cats ALWAYS throw up on the carpet.  Always.  It's a bitch to clean.  Someday I'm replacing the carpet with hardwood/laminate and vinyl flooring.  For multiple reasons, not just the cats, but mostly the cats.

 

This is exactly why I put hard floor in my entire house when I moved.  In my old house, the carpet layers finished laying new carpet, and they had not even left my driveway before both cats had thrown up on the new carpet.  I love having hard floors, and would never have carpet again.

[Grizzly]

Freising, Germany. Geez, autocorrect changed Freising to Freaking. Ryan seems like a good friend who's looking out for Dan. Wonder if he's told Dan that nose ring looks horrible? Liked the vignette of Dan and Jonas playing basketball. Studio place had no real living space. The shared space, I think Jonas said the 2 roommates were women. 1 bathroom may not be ideal. If the suburb place was convenient to public transportation, it might be doable. Hope Dan can find a job when he finishes his degree.

[buttersister]

So do his parents!

[Bluesky]

On 12/26/2023 at 10:20 PM, Pi237 said:

The producers have got to Stop making people say the word ‘charm’ It’s torture to my ears at this point. 

It’s become offensive.   Especially in England because there is no such thing as English charm!   The old houses are semi detached musty boxy houses and the new ones are modern because they are living life now, not the 17th century.

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, Bluesky said:

It’s become offensive.   Especially in England because there is no such thing as English charm!   The old houses are semi detached musty boxy houses and the new ones are modern because they are living life now, not the 17th century.

There is such a thing as historical charm, but it's hardly specific to England.

[BAForever]

32 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

There is such a thing as historical charm, but it's hardly specific to England.

This. Hey HHI producers. We know some low level intern is reading this forum. Stop with the obligatory "charm" requirement. Location, number of beds/baths, open or closed floor plan, one story or two, outdoor space, parking, easy access to public transportation are all acceptable options of discussion between the house hunters. "Charm" is not. Thanks!

[Pi237]

Especially since most of these people think badly painted, oversized wooden beams on a ceiling too low for them = charm. 

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, BAForever said:

This. Hey HHI producers. We know some low level intern is reading this forum. Stop with the obligatory "charm" requirement. Location, number of beds/baths, open or closed floor plan, one story or two, outdoor space, parking, easy access to public transportation are all acceptable options of discussion between the house hunters. "Charm" is not. Thanks!

I wouldn't mind the "charm" thing so much if they actually said they wanted historical charm.  Because I get that.  It's something I would want in a flat/house.  It's not the most important thing, but it could be a deciding factor for me.  The way it's presented on HHI, however, is totally annoying.  Of course so is the insistence on wanting everything just like it is in the US.

[buttersister]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

The way it's presented on HHI, however, is totally annoying.  Of course so is the insistence on wanting everything just like it is in the US.

Bingo. I want charm--why is this kitchen so small, WTF this refrigerator, no closets?!, kinda cramped, I dunno, it's not like our big-ass house in Texas. HHs sound so stupid and Show not much better. Can they express the concern between wanting a home that's traditional to the new country vs. all the comforts of an American-style home? Sure, if you insist. But that gives it a context that doesn't make us throw up in our mouths a little in half the episodes.

Also, think about a series with Adrian, Richard and Kevin (new eps, not repackaged reruns, thanks). I'd pay to watch the three of them chatting together about HHs, too.

[BAForever]

6 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Bingo. I want charm--why is this kitchen so small, WTF this refrigerator, no closets?!, kinda cramped, I dunno, it's not like our big-ass house in Texas. HHs sound so stupid and Show not much better. Can they express the concern between wanting a home that's traditional to the new country vs. all the comforts of an American-style home? Sure, if you insist. But that gives it a context that doesn't make us throw up in our mouths a little in half the episodes.

Also, think about a series with Adrian, Richard and Kevin (new eps, not repackaged reruns, thanks). I'd pay to watch the three of them chatting together about HHs, too.

Remember during early Covid they did a few Comedians on Couch" discussing epis and gently mocking Hunters. Doing that with fave realtors would work. 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, BAForever said:

Remember during early Covid they did a few Comedians on Couch" discussing epis and gently mocking Hunters.

That was a fun series, but they only made fun of the HHs and the houses, they didn't mock the repetitive and/or ridiculous storylines of the show itself.  I'd have tipped my hat to the production company if they'd have included that as well.

[aghst]

18 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Freising, Germany. Geez, autocorrect changed Freising to Freaking. Ryan seems like a good friend who's looking out for Dan. Wonder if he's told Dan that nose ring looks horrible? Liked the vignette of Dan and Jonas playing basketball. Studio place had no real living space. The shared space, I think Jonas said the 2 roommates were women. 1 bathroom may not be ideal. If the suburb place was convenient to public transportation, it might be doable. Hope Dan can find a job when he finishes his degree.

During the deliberation, the friend asked if he would choose the place without roommates having never met the roommates?

How would that be possible?

In the US, often one person leases and then selects the roommates.

So if this house hunter wanted to live in that place, he gets to decide to move in?

Maybe in Germany the landlord decides and the tenants have to accept it?

Seems unlikely.  He must have met the roommates but they declined to appear on the show so they never showed them interacting with him.

I can see wanting to be close to campus though instead of having to commute all the time.

OK in the 3 months after, he was cutting up fruit into a bowl, took the bowl outside to the balcony and sat at a table.  Then he added some chips onto the bowl?

Did I see that right?

[laredhead]

3 hours ago, buttersister said:

I want charm--why is this kitchen so small, WTF this refrigerator, no closets?!, kinda cramped, I dunno, it's not like our big-ass house in Texas.

There was an episode a few years ago about a family moving from Las Vegas back to somewhere in Europe.  The husband was from Europe and he really didn't want to go back, but the wife wanted to experience life in Europe.  He kept saying he liked the size of houses in America.  I think he was over the European "charm".