House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Chit Chat]

On 5/30/2024 at 11:13 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I searched, and except for general practitioners, critical medical care requires evacuation to Australia or New Zealand.  

This would be one of my top concerns when moving abroad.  As I get older, being close to medical facilities is a high priority for me!  Also, they mentioned how a cyclone affected many of the inhabitants of Vanuatu years ago, so living in one of those little shacks would be of great concern too.  Not sure you can insure one of those!  Also, being alone out in the middle of nowhere in an unfamiliar place, well, security would be another high priority for me!  

On 5/30/2024 at 4:23 PM, Pi237 said:

 I’m more concerned about a child being so invested in a skin care routine.

Yes, that was a bit much.  I've heard of moms spending hundreds of dollars at a time for their daughters at places like Ulta Beauty or Sephora.  That's a bit ridiculous too, no matter what their age is. YMMV.

I think the house that the mom & daughter ended up with probably suited them best.  At least it has an upstairs that was big enough so that the mom could section it off from each other.  I liked the $1600 house, but the Murphy bed pulled out into the dining room.  They would have to move the dining table every single time or relocate it elsewhere - and there wasn't that much room to do that.  The house in the gated community was nice, but again, sleeping on the futon isn't the greatest option.  The house would've been nice for just 1 person. 

 

[Grizzly]

Amsterdam and Sarah's return. I almost didn't recognize her. But that voice is unforgettable. And I was happy to catch a glimpse of her dog. Colleen is trying too hard. I can believe she's sisters with Tara Reid. She seems happy with her choice.

[buttersister]

I like Sarah’s coat. 

I like Amsterdam.

That’s about all. Tara Reid’s sister looked desperate—for attention, a husband, a fairy tale—how old did she say she was?

[BAForever]

5 hours ago, buttersister said:

I like Sarah’s coat. 

I like Amsterdam.

That’s about all. Tara Reid’s sister looked desperate—for attention, a husband, a fairy tale—how old did she say she was?

42.  Hopefully she has frozen her eggs if she truly does want a child. She just reeked of desperation in her man search. Her new career choice intrigued me. Is it the equivalent of these dummies who move to Latin America to start a wellness retreat? Expect some good snark on this one.

[Pi237]

Perky, cutesy, jokey people annoy the hell out of me, so this was grating to get through. Loved the Amsterdam architecture, but have to be that sour puss, and say-I don’t see the allure of a brown water canal as my view. But I liked that place the best, of course.  
 

The one with the nursery/I Loved that mural! I’d have kept it even if it wasn’t kept a nursery. 

Sarah was saying different things to Colleen’s face than she was in her talking heads about her move & husband search. Hate that. 

[Pi237]

Ugh this site crashes so much, I lost everything I typed.

Short version-liked the Stockholm couple, but wouldn’t want to live next to an opera singer, especially one with students. 

House 3 had a long, formal dining table right against kitchen cabinets which was odd, but I liked the chandelier. 

beyond bored with the ‘Dumb Americans want inner city & huge spaces for no money’ storyline. 

[aghst]

1 hour ago, Pi237 said:

Ugh this site crashes so much, I lost everything I typed.

Short version-liked the Stockholm couple, but wouldn’t want to live next to an opera singer, especially one with students. 

House 3 had a long, formal dining table right against kitchen cabinets which was odd, but I liked the chandelier. 

beyond bored with the ‘Dumb Americans want inner city & huge spaces for no money’ storyline. 

They were coming from rural South Carolina so they must have researched what they could swing rent-wise.  Especially since he's a professor who'd be working at the university there.

I doubt they really expected to live in the old city center for their price or expect as much space as they asked for.

I am going to Stockholm and Denmark in the fall, can't wait, second time to Stockholm and first time in Denmark but feels like I missed a lot in Stockholm.

For $10k more, I'd have chosen the third house, which is closer to the city center and the train station is right across the street plus it was a nicer place.

We didn't hear that they'd actually planned any renovations as they talked about for the home they chose.

 

[aghst]

1 hour ago, Pi237 said:

Perky, cutesy, jokey people annoy the hell out of me, so this was grating to get through. Loved the Amsterdam architecture, but have to be that sour puss, and say-I don’t see the allure of a brown water canal as my view. But I liked that place the best, of course.  
 

The one with the nursery/I Loved that mural! I’d have kept it even if it wasn’t kept a nursery. 

Sarah was saying different things to Colleen’s face than she was in her talking heads about her move & husband search. Hate that. 

Well the inner canal ring is in a more prime location so it's not just the canal views.  I think House 3, where Sarah said she lived, is more residential.

 

11 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Amsterdam and Sarah's return. I almost didn't recognize her. But that voice is unforgettable. And I was happy to catch a glimpse of her dog. Colleen is trying too hard. I can believe she's sisters with Tara Reid. She seems happy with her choice.

Her voice didn't seem to hit the high registers as often as she used to.

Also it's not quite the same energy.  Seem like she had to try to be up for Colleen, try to be her BFF on the house and husband hunt.

She's had a child so it wouldn't be surprising if she isn't quite the same.

She owned a home in Amsterdam but went back to the US to give birth and move back?

Wonder if she will cover the rest of the Netherlands or split some of the episodes with Floor.

I've been thinking more about re-visiting.  Didn't really venture out of Amsterdam, the 2 or 3 times I've visited but HHI episodes in some of the other cities have perked my interest.

Amsterdam BTW just instituted something like 10 or 20% tourist tax, really jacked it up to reduce tourism.  Well they want to reduce the bachelor and bachelorette party types of tourists or those who want to visit the cafes but presumably they still want some tourists.

[debbie311]

42 minutes ago, aghst said:

She's had a child so it wouldn't be surprising if she isn't quite the same.

She owned a home in Amsterdam but went back to the US to give birth and move back?

Wonder if she will cover the rest of the Netherlands or split some of the episodes with Floor.

 

i follow her on Instagram.  She and her husband and child moved back to the US for her husband's business, they were planning to live in New York City. Her father died fairly recently and she took it rather hard and she wanted to spend time with her mother. The husband's business move didn't work out (she explained it but I don't remember the details) and they made the decision to move back to Amsterdam. Personally I think she was having a hard time acclimating back to the US after living in Amsterdam and was relieved to return.  They had not sold their house there, fortunately. She has posted pictures of it on IG.  It's beautiful, as you would imagine. Also posts pictures of their travels around Europe.  Looks like a great life.

[aghst]

13 minutes ago, debbie311 said:

i follow her on Instagram.  She and her husband and child moved back to the US for her husband's business, they were planning to live in New York City. Her father died fairly recently and she took it rather hard and she wanted to spend time with her mother. The husband's business move didn't work out (she explained it but I don't remember the details) and they made the decision to move back to Amsterdam. Personally I think she was having a hard time acclimating back to the US after living in Amsterdam and was relieved to return.  They had not sold their house there, fortunately. She has posted pictures of it on IG.  It's beautiful, as you would imagine. Also posts pictures of their travels around Europe.  Looks like a great life.

Thanks for those details.

Yes I think they featured her home before she went away from the show.

She’s fortunate to be able to live on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

[surfgirl]

3 hours ago, Pi237 said:

Short version-liked the Stockholm couple, but wouldn’t want to live next to an opera singer, especially one with students. 

House 3 had a long, formal dining table right against kitchen cabinets which was odd, but I liked the chandelier. 

beyond bored with the ‘Dumb Americans want inner city & huge spaces for no money’ storyline. 

Definitely the neighbors dodged a bullet with her moving in! She comes across as one of those people who thinks her 'gift' is something everyone wants to hear all the time. Yeah girl, no. I don't want to hear you bellowing from your balcony at all hours, nor next to me whilst I'm shopping in town.

1 hour ago, aghst said:

For $10k more, I'd have chosen the third house, which is closer to the city center and the train station is right across the street plus it was a nicer place.

Thought the same thing! I would have requested that fugly dark brown dining table and chairs be removed, or refinished in a natural color, and gotten rid of one side or both chairs and put benches you could scootch under the table when not in use. That way it wouldn't take up as much room in the kitchen. But otherwise that was a lovely apartment.

3 hours ago, Pi237 said:

Perky, cutesy, jokey people annoy the hell out of me, so this was grating to get through. Loved the Amsterdam architecture, but have to be that sour puss, and say-I don’t see the allure of a brown water canal as my view. But I liked that place the best, of course.  

Glad I'm not the only one thinking this about Sarah, she was working my last nerve with her giggly 'Hey I'm your new witty BFF' schtick. That got old within the first minute TBH. Also, that renter was so thirsty it was embarrassing. One thing the Dutch are not, is obvious and thirsty. They know how to be cool and understated, so I don't necessarily think her finding a rich divorcee is going to be a done deal! As for the brown canal water, trust me, when you're there it looks beautiful! I think certain times of the year, like in winter, it looks brown like that, like hot chocolate if you will. But I think in other times of the year it might look different. When it is evening and the lights reflect on the canals, it's just gorgeous. I would have chosen that flat too.

1 hour ago, aghst said:

I've been thinking more about re-visiting.  Didn't really venture out of Amsterdam, the 2 or 3 times I've visited but HHI episodes in some of the other cities have perked my interest.

Amsterdam BTW just instituted something like 10 or 20% tourist tax, really jacked it up to reduce tourism.  Well they want to reduce the bachelor and bachelorette party types of tourists or those who want to visit the cafes but presumably they still want some tourists.

We went to AMS in Feb/Mar and I have to say, while I adore AMS for many reasons, the secondary and tertiary cities and towns are fabulous! Haarlem is only a 20 minute train ride from AMS and is absolutely charming as hell, like little miniature canal houses and fabulous markets, shops, museums, etc. We loved it there. Delft is also charming x 1,000,000, and the people are lovely. I highly recommend getting out of AMS next time you go! And I can totally understand that tax in an attempt to disuade the party types from coming there. If they can achieve that goal that would be great for the city.

[Chit Chat]

It always baffles me when the house hunters appear to have sticker shock when the Realtor tells them how much apartments/homes actually cost.  Don't people research these things before selling everything and moving overseas?  

We've seen very few of these shows where the couple's budget is actually in line with the actual cost of the property.  I wish that Americans would quit griping over every little detail in some of these apartments/homes when they don't measure up to what we're used to in the U.S.  Again, research it, folks!! 

The Realtor's face whenever the buyers tell him/her their budget:

[aghst]

Sure but is the sticker shock surprise reaction always genuine or is it a part of the script for that particular episode?

I've looked at foreign real estate sites from time to time, not really looking to move but for curiosity.  Obviously you see the prices.  In some cases, the listing says to contact the agent but I don't look too closely at those listings.

[Chit Chat]

On 6/5/2024 at 8:46 PM, aghst said:

Sure but is the sticker shock surprise reaction always genuine or is it a part of the script for that particular episode?

Some people look truly shocked, but maybe they're good actors!!  If I were going to move to another country, I'd at least attempt getting in touch with a realtor in the city I want to move to and have them give me an honest assessment of the housing market and exactly what to expect. 

I didn't think that a little shack in Vanuatu would cost upwards of $300,000, so that was a shock to me! Didn't the realtor showing her those properties ask her how much money she brought with her?  I think she might've gotten scammed, but then again, maybe property is that expensive there.  I would want a hell of a lot more than home with a thatch roof and an outdoor shower & toilet for that kind of money!

Edited June 7 by Chit Chat
added a word or two

[Dirge]

14 hours ago, surfgirl said:

Yeah girl, no. I don't want to hear you bellowing from your balcony at all hours, nor next to me whilst I'm shopping in town.

That's just what I was thinking. I just watched a few episodes in a row, but is this couple the one who wanted 3 bathrooms when there were just two of them? What the what?

Valencia: Now I work remotely full time, but I still was not impressed by the woman giving up her "career" as a "social media influencer and content creator" to be a "full-time mom." But that could be just because I'm old and crotchety and "influencer" and "content creator" make me shudder. I liked their choice, though. 

[aghst]

4 hours ago, Dirge said:

That's just what I was thinking. I just watched a few episodes in a row, but is this couple the one who wanted 3 bathrooms when there were just two of them? What the what?

Valencia: Now I work remotely full time, but I still was not impressed by the woman giving up her "career" as a "social media influencer and content creator" to be a "full-time mom." But that could be just because I'm old and crotchety and "influencer" and "content creator" make me shudder. I liked their choice, though. 

We don’t know if it’s a long term career anyways.  It seems like these influencers are young, attractive women and as they age, they may not get as much income.

Sounded like the husband was doing well day trading but she worried about paying too much for rent.

She did seem to care about being in the center but there weren’t going to be too many modern, open plan homes with at least 3 bedrooms and multiple bathrooms.

Thats just not in Valencia but pretty much all of Europe.

So in the end they chose space and modern conveniences and comfort.  But they were close to the park and not too far from the center.  Residential area with the city center not too far away.

But they could have found that back home in FL, probably move into an area with a lot of Spanish-speaking people like some district with a lot of Cuban-Americans or maybe somewhere with more immigrants like Venezuelans.

Though I don’t blame them for moving to Valencia, without friends and family maybe they don’t stay.

[aghst]

Miami to Tulum.  Couple wants to wind down from hectic Miami life.   They can do property management remotely so they explore this area, even though she’s never Been to Mexico while he has been several times.

They want 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, office space for each.  They both want to be walkable to the rather limited town but she wants very modern, large, updated kitchen and furnishings.  bUdget is $600k.

House 1 is 3 Bedroom and 3 bath, near town and is just $550k.  Mandy immediately dislikes the dark kitchen and doesn’t want to renovate either.

House 2 is also near town, 3 bedroom and 4 baths for $580k.  Furniture is too old while Peter likes the proximity to town.  He will take less comfortable home to Be close to town.

Home 3 is brand new, 4 bedroom, 4 baths but is a 15 minute drive from town at $670k.  Mandy approves of the layout, the furnishings.

They eliminate house 1, she talks up house 3 while he wants house 2, promises her to replace the furniture and she agrees.

 

 

[Grizzly]

1 hour ago, aghst said:

Miami to Tulum.  Couple wants to wind down from hectic Miami life.   They can do property management remotely so they explore this area, even though she’s never Been to Mexico while he has been several times.

They want 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, office space for each.  They both want to be walkable to the rather limited town but she wants very modern, large, updated kitchen and furnishings.  bUdget is $600k.

House 1 is 3 Bedroom and 3 bath, near town and is just $550k.  Mandy immediately dislikes the dark kitchen and doesn’t want to renovate either.

House 2 is also near town, 3 bedroom and 4 baths for $580k.  Furniture is too old while Peter likes the proximity to town.  He will take less comfortable home to Be close to town.

Home 3 is brand new, 4 bedroom, 4 baths but is a 15 minute drive from town at $670k.  Mandy approves of the layout, the furnishings.

They eliminate house 1, she talks up house 3 while he wants house 2, promises her to replace the furniture and she agrees.

 

 

Mandy was so annoying. Why couldn't they just see a property that had everything she wanted? Gosh, why didn't the realtor think of that. The couple at least understood each other's flaws and loved anyway.

[Notabug]

32 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Mandy was so annoying. Why couldn't they just see a property that had everything she wanted? Gosh, why didn't the realtor think of that. The couple at least understood each other's flaws and loved anyway.

Mandy was a real pill.  No renovations, wants everything brand new and turnkey and exactly to her liking and is snippy when the realtor is unable to find her unicorn.  Even if it was all scripted, she came across as really difficult and unpleasant.

As for the couple moving to Valencia with their daughter, Italy, aside from their terrible taste in children's names; she was another one who insists that she must be able to lay her eyes on the child from anywhere in the house.  The kid, who was quite articulate and probably around 4, couldn't be out of her sight for a moment.  Poor kid.  I remember the many times when my mom told us to go down to the basement or outside to play and not come back until lunchtime.  How did we ever survive?

Edited June 6 by Notabug

[Chit Chat]

7 hours ago, aghst said:

They eliminate house 1, she talks up house 3 while he wants house 2, promises her to replace the furniture and she agrees.

One thing I didn't like about house #1 was the spiral staircase.  The husband was rather tall, so navigating that everyday probably would've gotten old quickly!

I wish she wouldn't have gotten so hung up on the damn furniture!!  It can be replaced.  She needs to learn to be patient!  The house wasn't a dump, so she can slowly make it what she wants it to be.  

I loved the separate bedroom in house #3.  That was a nice floor plan.  Just listening to them, I think he was right.  If they had moved there, they both would've been miserable with being so far away from everything.  He would've never heard the end of it either!  

[Chit Chat]

12 hours ago, Notabug said:

The kid, who was quite articulate and probably around 4, couldn't be out of her sight for a moment. 

There was quite a bit of space in the kitchen of the house that had the big patio right outside of the kitchen.  Couldn't she put a little table & chair in there so the child could sit there and color or read while she's cooking?  

12 hours ago, Notabug said:

I remember the many times when my mom told us to go down to the basement or outside to play and not come back until lunchtime.  How did we ever survive?

Seriously.  As long as we stayed on our own street (riding our bikes or visiting other kids), nobody came out looking for us until dinnertime!  

[Bastet]

17 hours ago, aghst said:

We don’t know if it’s a long term career anyways.  It seems like these influencers are young, attractive women and as they age, they may not get as much income.

Sounded like the husband was doing well day trading

Yikes.  Current episodes are a disaster to find on Discovery+ and I refuse to deal with the real-time Discovery Go app, so when I track down an episode based on commentary here it involves more work than I'm usually willing to put in.  So I haven't seen this one.  But an influencer and a day trader as the household's sources of income, when that household includes at least one kid??  Lordy.

(Also, I am oddly amused by this site giving the red squiggly line to "influencer" as not a real word.  It is, but still.)

[aghst]

I record the shows on my DVR but also find them in the HGTV app for iPad and Apple TV.  I log in with my cable TV login.

Whats nice about their app is that I can see the episodes on East Coast time or 3 hours earlier than out here in California, where the show airs after 10 PM.

however, you are forced to sit through several 3 minute ad blocks.

So I just usually watch through the DVR recordings the next day, when I can skip the commercials.

[Chit Chat]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

Current episodes are a disaster to find on Discovery+ and I refuse to deal with the real-time Discovery Go app, so when I track down an episode based on commentary here it involves more work than I'm usually willing to put in. 

I record it through Hulu.  I can't keep up with when they actually air though.  I go to my saved stuff and sometimes see that 2 episodes have recorded.  I feel like I'm always behind! 

[buttersister]

Heh, I record them, but I’ve lost count of the times I’ve read through a list and blown them all up. Don’t need to see Puerto V again or Couple can’t agree—one wants city/country unless it’s in a place I want to be .

Influencer and day trader and inheritance?

[chessiegal]

2 minutes ago, buttersister said:

record them, but I’ve lost count of the times I’ve read through a list and blown them all up. Don’t need to see Puerto V again or Couple can’t agree—one wants city/country unless it’s in a place I want to be .

Then you don't need to watch any of them. I watched quite a bit of an interview with Floor in the Netherlands. The 2 guys interviewing her asked about the conflict, and she let it slip that it's part of the script and will always be there whether it's real or not.

[proserpina65]

9 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yikes.  Current episodes are a disaster to find on Discovery+ and I refuse to deal with the real-time Discovery Go app, so when I track down an episode based on commentary here it involves more work than I'm usually willing to put in.  So I haven't seen this one.  But an influencer and a day trader as the household's sources of income, when that household includes at least one kid??  Lordy.

(Also, I am oddly amused by this site giving the red squiggly line to "influencer" as not a real word.  It is, but still.)

They were both seriously annoying, wanting everything to be like their dream house in Florida, but she was absolutely awful.  And I hated the place they chose.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The 2 guys interviewing her asked about the conflict, and she let it slip that it's part of the script and will always be there whether it's real or not.

I've thought about that before and I wouldn't want to be on a show where I could possibly end up looking like an a**hole!  Most couples will need to compromise on their individual wish lists, but some of them come off as spoiled, awful people who don't want to budge!  

Aside from those staged conflicts, I enjoy the show.  I like seeing different countries and how people live.  I will never travel to those areas, so it's a nice way to see those cities and properties.  It makes me appreciate the things we have here in the U.S., and some of the little luxuries we take for granted, such as full-size refrigerators!!  :)  

[Kimboweena]

5 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

It makes me appreciate the things we have here in the U.S., and some of the little luxuries we take for granted, such as full-size refrigerators!!  :)  

And in the case of Vanuatu, indoor plumbing with flushing toilets, air conditioning and a whole-ass kitchen.

[ECM1231]

On 6/7/2024 at 5:47 PM, Kimboweena said:

And in the case of Vanuatu, indoor plumbing with flushing toilets, air conditioning and a whole-ass kitchen.

Seriously,my mind was blown by that episode. How could those "shacks" have cost so much? Sometimes I wonder if these foreigners are getting bamboozled.

[laredhead]

10 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Seriously,my mind was blown by that episode. How could those "shacks" have cost so much? Sometimes I wonder if these foreigners are getting bamboozled.

I think I remember that some acreage was included in 2 of the 3 places.  Someone can check and clarify that for me, because I may be mistaken.  I also thought the prices were high, but if land is included, that might be the reason for the high price.  2 of those places weren't even up to the levels of glamping - IMO.

[proserpina65]

14 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Seriously,my mind was blown by that episode. How could those "shacks" have cost so much? Sometimes I wonder if these foreigners are getting bamboozled.

They had significant acreage and two of them had private beaches.  The price was for the land/beach access, not the shacks.

[Chit Chat]

38 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

They had significant acreage and two of them had private beaches.  The price was for the land/beach access, not the shacks.

I can see that, but I would still want something sturdier if I were going to pay that much money! 

[proserpina65]

Just now, Chit Chat said:

I can see that, but I would still want something sturdier if I were going to pay that much money! 

Oh, so would I.  I thought she was crazy as hell not to take the place which actually looked like a sturdy building.  But oh no!  There are neighbors! smh

[Grizzly]

La Drova, Spain. I'm so happy that they chose the mountain view home. That was really the only choice to make. And I wouldn't even change the blue bathroom. Did they buy a car? I'm not sure how often they got to the beach for Gigi. They really fit one another as a couple.

Amsterdam was a case of opposites attract. Can't believe she was willing to do all those stairs with little kids.

[BAForever]

8 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Amsterdam was a case of opposites attract. Can't believe she was willing to do all those stairs with little kids.

Knew they would not take the floating house, but it was amazing. Have a feeling it's a short term move as they said they rented out their Oregon home. 

Floor really mocked the husband's indecisiveness. I didn't notice how short he was (or how tall his wife was) till the end. 

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, BAForever said:

Knew they would not take the floating house, but it was amazing. Have a feeling it's a short term move as they said they rented out their Oregon home. 

Floor really mocked the husband's indecisiveness. I didn't notice how short he was (or how tall his wife was) till the end. 

The husband was ridiculous.  If that was a realistic take on his everyday behavior, I'd nope on out of there in a hurry.

I also think that, no matter how much you want to live in the center city, no matter how much you want that 'Dutch charm'; moving into a third floor walkup with an infant who needs to be carried up and down for the foreseeable future is not a good idea.  I got the impression that hubby expected the wife to handle all the logistics with the children in those tight quarters while he was appreciating the 'Dutch charm'.  I hope that was not the case.

[aghst]

4 hours ago, BAForever said:

Knew they would not take the floating house, but it was amazing. Have a feeling it's a short term move as they said they rented out their Oregon home. 

Floor really mocked the husband's indecisiveness. I didn't notice how short he was (or how tall his wife was) till the end. 

But he took a lower paying job so I think they want to try to make it work and if it does, they can sell that home.  Or maybe the rent covers the mortgage and property taxes and gives them a nice income.

My problem with their choice is only 1 bathroom with 2 young kids?

That is a nice area, but it's more residential, though Floor said there was a shopping district nearby.

But the first house, it would not take them much longer to get to the canals, though they'd have to board a free ferry.

How does he manage to work with the kids around?  That office space didn't really seem to have a door.

 

[proserpina65]

34 minutes ago, aghst said:

My problem with their choice is only 1 bathroom with 2 young kids?

Plenty of people live that way, including my family when I was growing up.  Same with carrying kids up and down stairs,

[CrazyInAlabama]

3 hours ago, Notabug said:

The husband was ridiculous.  If that was a realistic take on his everyday behavior, I'd nope on out of there in a hurry.

I also think that, no matter how much you want to live in the center city, no matter how much you want that 'Dutch charm'; moving into a third floor walkup with an infant who needs to be carried up and down for the foreseeable future is not a good idea.  I got the impression that hubby expected the wife to handle all the logistics with the children in those tight quarters while he was appreciating the 'Dutch charm'.  I hope that was not the case.

I bet the husband would be working, or napping (so he could work the hours needed for his job back home) while the wife carted the kids and groceries up three flights.   They should have picked the first house, with a play area for the kids, and amenities.     More space, and a lovely floor plan would have been better.    I was over his "Dutch Charm" demand from the first few minutes of the show.     

[buttersister]

Oregon family goes Dutch.

Something does not compute, other than I was sure they’d go for the first place.  Seems like both parents wanted to live in city center.

But for the family. Cause the kids will remember. Multiple times a day that their parents “discussed” which would shlep them up and down those stairs.  Loved the rooftop, so kind of hoping there was an elevator there somewhere that wasn’t shown.😉

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

Plenty of people live that way, including my family when I was growing up.  Same with carrying kids up and down stairs,

3 flights while hauling groceries and a stroller?  This isn't like the US where they'll have a car and can go up and down in multiple trips.  I doubt that apartment building had anyplace they could store their stroller, wagon, etc so they wouldn't have to schlep it upstairs and back down again every time they went out. With a small apartment without much play space for active kids, they're going to be in and out at least a couple times a day and it will get old, IMO.

I don't think the single bathroom is much of a problem with kids that age, though.  Now, if they were teens.... I did live in a household of 8 with a single bathroom when I was a teen, but I do not recommend it.  Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD.

Edited June 12 by Notabug

[aghst]

I think many groceries in big European cities will deliver groceries if you buy over a certain amount.

Or if there are groceries within walking distance, you can buy enough for a couple of bags and go more frequently than trying to stock up so that you don't have to go grocery shopping for a couple of weeks.

Depends on how large their fridge is.

[aghst]

On 6/11/2024 at 8:06 PM, Grizzly said:

La Drova, Spain. I'm so happy that they chose the mountain view home. That was really the only choice to make. And I wouldn't even change the blue bathroom. Did they buy a car? I'm not sure how often they got to the beach for Gigi. They really fit one another as a couple.

I don't know how old they are but does the husband really want to renovate?

He sounded confident that he could but he's not young either.  He didn't want to see neighbors and they wanted to be in a small town.

That's fine but she wants to re-learn Spanish and in one segment they were cooking paella for some people.

They sold their home back in IL so this move is for good, though what will they do for health care?

They must have gotten a resident visa so not much discussion about that.

 

[snarts]

8 hours ago, aghst said:

They sold their home back in IL so this move is for good, though what will they do for health care?

Receive much better care for far less money?

Spain has an excellent healthcare system, recognized as the most efficient system in Europe — and among the top-ranked by US News. 

...private healthcare in Spain is much more affordable than it is in the US, with monthly premiums of about $112 to $224 per month

Private insurance in Spain grants you access to modern, well-equipped healthcare facilities with highly qualified medical professionals — often with minimal wait times. 

 

Spain also offers a Golden visa as a pathway to permanent residency. Which means buying that home and staying for five years could grant them permanent resident status and access to national free health care. 

[proserpina65]

21 hours ago, Notabug said:

3 flights while hauling groceries and a stroller?  This isn't like the US where they'll have a car and can go up and down in multiple trips.  I doubt that apartment building had anyplace they could store their stroller, wagon, etc so they wouldn't have to schlep it upstairs and back down again every time they went out. With a small apartment without much play space for active kids, they're going to be in and out at least a couple times a day and it will get old, IMO.

I don't think the single bathroom is much of a problem with kids that age, though.  Now, if they were teens.... I did live in a household of 8 with a single bathroom when I was a teen, but I do not recommend it.  Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD.

People who live in cities do it all the time.  Not every building has an elevator.  People do what they can afford to do and sometimes that means sharing 1 bathroom and schlepping up and down multiple flights of stairs with groceries and kids' gear.

Personally I liked that apartment the best of the three options but I didn't like it much.  If I were moving to Amsterdam, I'd be living on one of the canals.

 

The Spain episode.  The people were alright except I get really tired of the complaining about the size of bedrooms.  This is Europe, space is more limited.  Hell, in the US, space can be limited by location/budget.  The rooms in my house are as small/possibly smaller than anything these people complained about.  I know it's producer driven but it's fucking annoying.

Put the blue bathroom and a new pool in the last place and I'd have chosen it because I loved everything else about it.  The one they chose was definitely the place I liked the least.  Too modern for my tastes and too expensive.  But honestly, if I was moving to Spain, I'd want to be near the beach anyway, not the mountains.

20 hours ago, aghst said:

I think many groceries in big European cities will deliver groceries if you buy over a certain amount.

Or if there are groceries within walking distance, you can buy enough for a couple of bags and go more frequently than trying to stock up so that you don't have to go grocery shopping for a couple of weeks.

Depends on how large their fridge is.

Yeah, shopping daily is much more of a thing in most of Europe.  That's how come you see so many people walking down the street with a baguette sticking out of their shopping bag. 😏

[aghst]

Malaga to Gympie, Australia.  An Australian and a Spaniard meet in Scotland, get married, move to Malaga.

She worked while he raised their 4 children.  Now they're moving to Australia so he can get an engineering apprenticeship and she will now take care of the kids.

They want 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 baths for a budget of $2200 a month in rent.  They want modern and she wants a pool while he wants a big backyard for the kids to play.  She wants to walk to school and shops while he would move away from the center to get more space.

Gympie is in north Queensland, former gold mining town.

House 1 is modern and within walking distance, on budget.  But no pool and the yard is a bit small for the husband.

House 2 is modern and luxe with a pool but $2400 rent. It's really the nicest but location-wise, it's not walking distance to the shops.

House 3 is in town but not modern, but at budget.  However, it's built on a hill so the land is not level for the kids to play.

They eliminate House 3 and they go back and forth on 1 and 2 but he convinces her to go for House 1.  Yeah if money is an issue, it makes sense and maybe they will move up to a house with a pool later, because she knows Queensland gets hot.

She has a weird English accent, not Scottish where she lived and worked for awhile.  More Australian almost, maybe influenced by the husband.

[Notabug]

43 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

People who live in cities do it all the time.  Not every building has an elevator.  People do what they can afford to do and sometimes that means sharing 1 bathroom and schlepping up and down multiple flights of stairs with groceries and kids' gear.

 

I know people do it, but many other people would choose not to do it if they had a choice and the premise of the show is that they had other options that were affordable and didn't involve traversing multiple flights of stairs with young children and their gear multiple times a day.

Shopping daily for fresh produce in particular, is common in Europe and that wouldn't be a deal breaker for most people.  The produce in Europe is usually fresher and more flavorful because of it.

Quote

The Spain episode.  The people were alright except I get really tired of the complaining about the size of bedrooms.  This is Europe, space is more limited.  Hell, in the US, space can be limited by location/budget.  The rooms in my house are as small/possibly smaller than anything these people complained about.  I know it's producer driven but it's fucking annoying.

I find it particularly vexing when hunters lament that rooms intended for guests are too small.  Presuming there will be no houseguests most of the time, why would you want to waste that space?  The cost of a dwelling is usually dependent on the size; spending more for a couple of extra feet of space for temporary occupants is dumb.  What are guests planning to do with the bedrooms that requires excess floor space?

Edited June 13 by Notabug

[aghst]

The homes in the Netherlands are often narrow and have these steep, narrow stairs.

 

[aghst]

Florida to Bury St. Edmunds, England.

Middle aged couple, who were "best friends" in high school married years later.  They met in Germany and they always wanted to move back to Europe.

He finds a job at a US Air Force base in Bury St. Edmunds, which is NE of London and E of Cambridge.  It means she has to give up her career but their blended children are or almost college age so they can move to England, Europe.

They want 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, to host visitors.  She wants to be in town after living most of her life in the suburbs.  She won't have a job so she wants to be close to shopping and restaurants, have things to do during the day.

He wants to be in more rural area, away from the "hustle and bustle" as he calls it.  He will have to commute so he's concerned about living in town, having to look for parking.

Bury St. Edmunds or Bury as the locals call it is a market town so there are lots of things to do, in addition to the markets.

Their budget is $2600 and they also require a back yard for their dog which is moving to England with them.  They prefer to have a dedicated parking spot.

House 1 is a Victorian built in 1914, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths.  It's renovated inside but it doesn't have dedicated parking and it's on budget.  They find the rooms too small and the husband worries about noise.

House 2 is about 20 minutes from town, with farms nearby and with livestock roaming around.  3 bedrooms, 2 baths for $2300 with a garage for his car.  She likes the layout of the place and the look as well, English charm -- thought we might get an England episode without incessant mentions of "English charm" but she really wasn't too bad about it.

House 3 is a new 4-story townhouse in town with a dedicated parking spot for $2900.  Husband notes the higher price but doesn't object too much when he sees the parking space.  Everything is new, though they notice all the stairs to climb.  He also wonders if a large parking lot which they can see from their bedroom will be noisy but the perky British agent says windows are double-glazed.

They eliminate House 1, the rooms are too small and he notes that one full bathroom isn't what they're used to.

He makes a pitch for House 2 out in the country but then says he sees where they're going and it's House 3 as she wants, because she's not going to be stranded at home in the middle of nowhere every day.

3 months later, he admits he's grown to like the town himself.