House Hunters International - General Discussion

[proserpina65]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 0:23 PM, izabella said:

I'd rather live next to a cemetery than a golf course!

I know it's not a logical thing, but I could never live in a house or apartment from which I could see a cemetery, because zombies.

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 0:31 PM, Spunkygal said:

Regarding the Salzburg episode: I love old cemeteries and that was one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen. I would have definitely chosen that apartment. At first I was irritated at the wife when she kept talking about ghosts and later said something about having a seance. But I now think it was just part of the manufactured drama that the producers require. And that bakery they visited? I would weigh 500 lbs by the time I returned to the states.

I like visiting them in the day light, but can barely drive past them at night.  Irrational fears are still fears.

[proserpina65]

On ‎10‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 1:14 AM, magemaud said:

Chicago to Lisbon newlyweds--the one thing on their wishlist that was non-negotiable was "room for a PING PONG TABLE? (which ended up in the dining room) Now, I've heard everything! 

And, I pity the neighbors...

They were annoying as hell, him with his "Sebastiao isn't showing us what we want" crap and her with the "I want it to be like Chicago" whining.  Then stay in Chicago, honey.  That said, I liked the place they picked, even if it was way over budget.  Wouldn't have put a ping pong table in the room with the "outdated" (read: traditional and probably antique) tiled fireplace - that would've been my living room.

[AuntiePam]

15 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

They've started to stop telling us the price they get the home for in the "After" in some of these Mexican and Caribbean location episodes (I have a theory about why this is). But, my guess in this case? The house they got was not $700k when they bought it, think they likely offered something like $575k or $600k and it was accepted. Seen like a dozen episodes now where Americans just low ball the house they want and see it accepted at or near their low ball bid. Thinking the same happened here and the $25k difference is actually a lot greater.

Probably true, but if so, the show is making us question the buyers' decision.  Like klovestoshop said, we're thinking they gave up their dream house for a very small savings.  Nice couple though.  I'd never heard of Bonaire.

[JasmineFlower]

8 hours ago, morgan said:

Also haven't they already owned the house they end up buying on these shows?  So they weren't really choosing.  Maybe had that $725k house been around when they were really looking they might have gone for it.

Here, I really think money played a factor, given other shows we've seen in the Caribbean where the higher priced homes get low balled and accepted. But in general on HH and HHI, this is what I think happens when we see a house that literally is in line with everything the couple said they wanted. That they are in this house shooting the show thinking, "Are you freaking kidding me?!? Why wasn't this house listed 3 months ago when we were still looking!"

[Lsk02]

I'm watching Portugal right now and had to pause to see if anyone here had commented on her voice. So glad it's not just me. Seriously the worst case of uptalk I have ever heard, actually worse than the Kardashians. "We forgot to mention before? That we were thinking of buying a ping pong table? Instead of a dining room table? We both love playing ping pong? Because we both like to compete?"  OMG it won't stop!  And sometimes it rubs off on the husband too. Awful. Not sure I can make it through the entire episode. 

[Bronx Babe]

Can anyone tell me why a house hunter would feel comfortable being made to sound ridiculous via the script when, if they relocate to someplace like Outer Mongolia for example, they are required to state "This is so different from Milwaukee" ?

Edited October 29, 2016 by Bronx Babe

[Kohola3]

It's probably in that Book of Inane Phrases that they are required to say so that we, the uneducated masses, are bludgeoned with the obvious.  After all, we think every country in the world is identical with the US of A.  Thanks, HHI, for letting us know how stupid you think we are.

[mojito]

New Jersey to Costa Rica: bed and breakfast couple

Very nice couple. People you'd like to know. She's realistic, he's obviously a dreamer. I'm guessing it was his impulsiveness that bought them the $200K land that they later learned they could not build on. Their budget is $375K. That could buy them some so-so homes, two of which had ridiculous pools. If I'm at a B&B that's not on the beach, I want a decent pool that I can swim in. In the end, they purchased a lot for $100K (that got maybe a 5-second mention in the episode, and not presented as a possible building location) and for $275K more, built a fabulous home with a decent-sized infinity pool and the best view of all the homes; incredible kitchen; at least one spacious, luxurious bathroom; etc. Oh, and I think it only took 6 months to build. And they never stated how many bedrooms and baths they ended up with. They showed the kitchen-living area, one bedroom, and one bathroom (I'm guessing it was the couple's wing of the home). The show spent three segments on the homes the couple did not buy, and the final reveal segment on the land and home they ended up building. I would have liked to see as much of this home as I saw of the three reject homes. Actually, I would have liked to see one less reject home.

I'm not buying that they ultimately only paid $375K for that. C'mon, HHI. At least make an effort at a cohesive, credible story.

Guess what? She declared at one point that they were no longer in New Jersey. I didn't see that coming.

[WildPlum]

On 10/26/2016 at 10:11 PM, KLovestoShop said:

I didn't understand the Bonaire couple at all.  I mean, she has her dream house, right on the water, but he says he's scared of the cost at $725K, they are shown one that's a lot cheaper, but they take the house for $700K that's not on the water and not the wife's dream house.  She said the dream house would be in her head for the rest of her life, but he said no and they didn't choose the cheapest house but one for $700K?   Yeah, I know they had to pay cash, but when you're talking a price that high, what would an extra $25K mean, especially when you know they probably could have negotiated the final price.  

While the house on the beach was nice, it WAS "right on the beach" - a little storm surge and there goes your back patio. Being back a block or two is no bad thing.

If you looked at the place the Costa Rica couple was discussing their choices at the very end of the episode, you could see the ocean had taken a corner of the building and they'd patched it up with random wood bits. Why NOT to buy a house right on the beach...

[JasmineFlower]

New Jersey B&B couple in Costa Rica. I wouldn't want to know them, she was too intense for me and I wanted her to relax a bit (though maybe that's a theme with B&B people, there was another recently who was similarly intense). And they weren't endearing themselves to me just because they made a bad investment. That's a major mistake to not know whether you can get water on a building site. 

But they especially bugged because of what they wanted and what they wanted to pay. So, the plan is to start a B&B, the budget is $375k for a 4 bedroom, 4 bath with a pool and a ocean view and already updated completely and private. Now, what do I know, possibly this is reasonable to ask for in this area, only it becomes crystal clear from everything they've said it's not and they knew this previously but got amnesia because they lost money. So, they lost $200k on the land they bought.  Just the land, they still need to build a home. And they were going to have to get power, water, and plumbing to the build site and then construct their desired 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home with a pool - for a grand total just $175k more on top of the $200k land investment? No they weren't, clearly they weren't, yet that's what they are asking for unreasonably on this new home search. So, they basically want the real estate gods of Costa Rica to gift them with a house that fits their revised budget, but without any revision to their wants because they didn't do due diligence in an expensive land deal that resulted in a major financial hit to them. Come now.

So, no, I wasn't a big fan of this couple. I just was totally put off of them acting like their budget made any sense whatsoever and not willing to make any compromises or concessions in their search knowing good and well their original budget to build wasn't $375k, so suddenly expecting the sun and the moon for that amount was obnoxious not endearing.

[Kohola3]

I have no patience for anyone that stupid.  Anyone with the brains of a sparrow should know enough to find out if a building site has utilities available, especially in a foreign country.  This isn't suburban Des Moines, for Pete's sake.  Typical ugly American though processes to assume all countries provide the same types of infrastructure as found in most of the US.

[mojito]

Quote

 Just the land, they still need to build a home. And they were going to have to get power, water, and plumbing to the build site and then construct their desired 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home with a pool - for a grand total just $175k more on top of the $200k land investment? 

They had already written off the $200K as a loss. They were spending an additional $375K on the house.

[chocolatine]

I've watched some more older episodes over the rainy weekend, and another thing that's started to annoy me is "I won't feel like I'm really living in [country/city] unless [I live in X overpriced neighborhood/the home has Y decorative architectural feature/I get to have a view of Z landmark from my living room window]". Newsflash: the best way to feel like you're "really living" somewhere is to go outside and explore your surroundings.

[JasmineFlower]

4 hours ago, mojito said:

They had already written off the $200K as a loss. They were spending an additional $375K on the house.

That's what I said. I was being sarcastic with the part you quoted. The new budget they had was in no way representative of what they wanted and property values in that area, but of what they had to spend on a home after they lost money in the initial investment. But they hadn't changed anything they wanted in a property. So, they wanted a $575k home to magically fit their newly adjusted down budget of $375k.

[proserpina65]

I liked the episode in Oundle, England.  Yeah, we still got some of the "it's small" stuff, but I loved the places we were shown.  I wanted the first house, but could never have lived next to a cemetery due to my own irrational hang-ups.  I was a little surprised she chose that one, due to the size, but obviously privacy was a big concern, and it did have the best outdoor space for her pets.  (I was going to say the cats were a big giveaway that she'd been in the UK for quite some time, but apparently they've eliminated the quarantine period if your cat meets certain travel requirements.)  And she wasn't too annoying, so I don't even have that to complain about.  I am jealous of the job which requires living in the UK, so there's that, at least.

[AlleC17]

I liked the house by the cemetery on the Oundle, England episode as well, and figured that would be the one she chose.  I really like how they converted that barn though...it was the second option I think?  Really nice!

[aguabella]

I never had the impression that the B&B, CR couple were unrealistic.  Sounded as if they'd accepted their 200K loss and were moving on.  In fact, I had the sense they'd scaled back their plans when they visited the development / 100K lot.  Sure enough, that was their choice.

Without reviewing CR building costs, I don't know if 375K was realistic.  But, b/c they chose the development lot, permits and utilities, etc. were taken care of.   Prelim plans might have also been available.  Much easier than starting from scratch in a foreign country.  (Incidentally, according to their blog and various interviews, that's exactly what they did after relocating in 2007.)

Wow, they managed to plug their b&b, the wife's books and blog, h's howling / singing (lol) ...  Apparently the w has many devoted fans.  WRT her book(s), it sounds as if she goes overboard in the (attempted) humor category.  I read a page or two on Amazon but passed.  If you need to open your first book with a fart joke, no thanks.

BTW, her blog indicates they built 1500 sq. ft at $125/ft.  So, perhaps they had an appropriate contingency.  Her book title claims she maintains a 0 hour work week.  Doubt it!  B&B's generally fall on the opposite end of that scale.  Anyone else laughing at the husband claiming to garden in his perfectly clean shoes.  Gardener off that day?  Please ...

IIRC, the episode included 3 guest rooms and they did appear rather small.  Don't believe they showed a huge mbr for them.  If they're like most B&B owners / managers, they'll move out, eventually, and employ a mgr!  Anyway - sorry for the rambling post.

Here it is:  http://www.happierthanabillionaire.com/

Edited November 3, 2016 by aguabella

[Babalooie]

Couple moving to Japan - what were the names of their boys? Jellen and Soren?  Maybe Scandinavian names.  I got the impression that they were LDS, although I don't know why.  This was an unusual episode in that I didn't like any of the houses.  The first one was like a museum, as the wife stated, and the other two were plain Jane, as many are in Japan.

[thosme]

I thought it said Jutland on my closed captioning.  Isn't that one of the islands in Denmark?  They spoke as if they were staying in Japan for the rest of their lives.  I have a friend whose brother in-law is a Japanese minister who periodically goes back to Japan but when here has a Japanese congregation.

[Ohwell]

Japan episode was boring and I was disappointed because I was curious about the housing there.  And again there was the high-pitched, whiny voiced wife so I changed the channel after about 15 minutes.

[KLovestoShop]

I really disliked the wife on the Japan episode.  It started with her helium voice and continued with her unrealistic expectations about a Japanese home. If she lived in South Korea, she would have known that ovens are not common in Asia and that open concept is not part of the Asian lifestyle.  And I still scratch my head over this constant need to see the kids 24/7.   I mean, how many hours does she spend in the kitchen that she needs a direct sight line.  

[magemaud]

Hey! Bulgaria is really cool! Let's move there and open up a cultural center because people will want to come from all over the world to learn about Bulgaria from AMERICANS! 

[Mittengirl]

Is "cultural center" just a pretentious word for B&B?  Because otherwise I don't get it.  I think of a cultural center as a museum/performing arts center, not whatever the hell uptalking couple was yammering about.

[AuntiePam]

26 minutes ago, magemaud said:

Hey! Bulgaria is really cool! Let's move there and open up a cultural center because people will want to come from all over the world to learn about Bulgaria from AMERICANS! 

Especially since when she was offered a plate of rolls, she had to ask what she was supposed to do.  "Do I take one?"

Mittengirl, yeah, pretentious B&B.  (That city was plenty big enough to have its own cultural attractions.) 

And not a very inviting B&B at that -- those bedrooms were more like closets.  Did we more than one bathroom?  I thought the husband would satisfy his "put a stamp on it" urge by knocking out some walls and enlarging the bedrooms, but it looked like he just added some tables and chairs. 

I was surprised to see the agent was their business partner.  Their business plan was such a mess, they need all the help they can get.

[KLovestoShop]

Cultural center, my backside.  They want a B&B, but how many people go to a tiny town in Bulgaria?   And if his job is as "crazy"'as he kept saying, why is he moving to Bulgaria.  

[magemaud]

2 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Especially since when she was offered a plate of rolls, she had to ask what she was supposed to do.  "Do I take one?"

Apparently, she's not only an owner, she's the Global Multi-Cultural Center's first client.

edited to add: I found their website: http://www.stoneandcompass.com/the-team/

Edited November 4, 2016 by magemaud

[Mittengirl]

I don't know, their bios read like people who either can't hold a job or are running from the law.  And I can't believe uptalking Julia is a professor of speech communication.

[Kohola3]

Quote

 

Apparently, she's not only an owner, she's the Global Multi-Cultural Center's first client.

edited to add: I found their website: http://www.stoneandcompass.com/the-team/

 

Seeing the "eating space" in the barn, all I could think of was the numbers of critters of all sizes that would be joining you through the huge cracks between the logs holding the place up.

[KLovestoShop]

4 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I don't know, their bios read like people who either can't hold a job or are running from the law.  And I can't believe uptalking Julia is a professor of speech communication.

Reading their supposed biographies causes me to question everything about them.  How does someone his age have multiple degrees (fake online ones?), started businesses all over the world, have a chain of restaurants, and landscape designer among other things.   With all the other things he claims to be involved with including something called national environmental mitigation, he sounds like something we used to call a new age, can't hold a real job weirdo.  

I also looked up some things claimed by the wife, and unless she uses another name, there's absolutely nothing out there about being an actress. And all of her other ideas sound like nothing more than double talk.  

I agree with the poster up thread who said the cooking and dining areas of this retreat look like it wouldn't pass any kind of inspection in the US.  

[Ohwell]

10 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

Is "cultural center" just a pretentious word for B&B?  Because otherwise I don't get it.  I think of a cultural center as a museum/performing arts center, not whatever the hell uptalking couple was yammering about.

As soon as they said "cultural center," I immediately thought "B&B."  

I thought it was funny at the end when they had the few "guests" watching the dancers perform.  

[scootypuffjr]

Y'all have already said everything I was thinking about that Bulgaria episode. What makes them experts on Bulgarian culture, especially when the wife had to ask about taking the bread in the last segment? Why would they think this is a viable business? If the husband's work is so busy and he is so successful, why give it up to run a cultural center in Bulgaria? Plus, it's simply not their place. They were not even of Bulgarian heritage - it was like a Bulgarian couple moved here and opened a cultural center about the United States or even a single state here. I agree it is more like a glorified B&B, I even said to my mom I wouldn't mind as much if they just called it a B&B with an emphasis on local culture, but that's not what they advertised it as.

Another thing that puzzled me was how "open" so many of the walls were - you could see daylight quite easily in several of the rooms. I looked up what the climate is like in Bulgaria and it said hot summers and cold winters, with snow not unusual between November and March. So many or the rooms would be unusable during the winter.. Even if those rooms were just supposed to be used in nicer weather, the cold and snow would likely damage those rooms in the winter months. I saw no fireplaces or furnaces to heat the main living quarters either. I just didn't understand this episode at all.

[biakbiak]

I didn't realize that Bulgarian culture had such an emphasis on yoga.

[Kohola3]

I notice the "chain of restaurants" is not named. It's probably a couple of diners in strip malls. 

It's easy to post crap only that sounds impressive but means nothing.  I might have a website that says I am the COO of the a "high end woman's accessory line with emphasis on fine design and manufacturing" and my sister is the CEO  and "manages finance, PR, and distribution".  In reality I could be a home-based necklace maker while my sister mails out the stuff, posts it online and takes the checks to the bank.

[KLovestoShop]

I just didn't like the husband from the Costa del Sol episode.  It was all about what he wanted and nothing for his wife.  Sure, HE won't be washing clothes and hanging them out to dry, HE didn't seem to care that she wanted air conditioning (I wonder if he knows that the summer temps away from the sea can be miserably hot) and he didn't care that the wife wanted to be near the sea.   If he wanted real Andausian looks, they should have taken house 3, but I guess it was too Spanish for him.  

[AlleC17]

I liked the couple moving to France.  I loved the wife's accent.  Aside from the insistence on being in the 6th, and the need for French charm, they seemed pretty level headed and selected a nice apartment.

[proserpina65]

Just saw what I presume was a re-run episode of a French/American couple moving from Paris to London.  I loved seeing the houses, and that particular agent is hot as hell, but the couple was annoying.  It took me all of 5 minutes to get tired of them talking 'wistfully' about having to leave Paris.  And they clearly had no idea how expensive real estate is in London; it's one of the most expensive in the world, if not THE most expensive.  (Yeah, I know, it's all fake, but still, that narrative never fails to annoy me.)  I'd have taken the house they chose, though, and it was clearly the best fit for their family.  But I'd have wanted the agent to share it with me.

[SmithW6079]

The couple moving to Lyon was OK, but I wanted to smack the husband for his insistence on "French charm." I know we've talked about this before, but do Americans think Europeans still live in 17th-century castles? And wasn't Lyon where Eric the French teacher moved a few years ago? The wife annoyed me with her location, location, location insistence, especially after the realtor pointed out that the district she wanted to live in was a few blocks away from the place they ultimately chose.

I kind of liked the husband and wife Erins who were moving to Salzburg. I know the first apartment was a little over budget, but it was close enough to the city center and had a separate working space for them. That's the one they should have picked. 

I had to laugh, though, when wife Erin said she and husband Erin bought "traditional" Austrian clothes so they'd fit in, except in the scene with their new Austrian friends, the Austrians are obviously wearing jeans and other casual clothes. At first I thought she was a waitress bringing them beer and I wondered why the she had an American accent. 

I don't usually notice the music in HHI, but I liked that they used classical music in this episode. While they made pains to tell us Salzburg was Mozart's birthplace, I don't think they played anything by him. I'm not proficient in my classical music, but I'm pretty sure they played the fourth movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. (Beethoven was born in Germany, not Austria). I think they also played a few Strauss waltzes.

The two older gay men moving to Umbria, Italy: how amazingly serendipitous that in the building where they were going to buy an unfinished apartment, another apartment was available, right above them. And even though their budget was $300,000, how fortuitous that they had an additional $300,000 to renovate that newly available apartment, for a total of $600,000. What does HHI think, we're low-information American voters?

And one of them had the usual "we need [country name] charm," but the apartment, as renovated, was as modern as anything in New York or LA. Nothing said historical Italian charm. 

Edited November 14, 2016 by SmithW6079

[AlleC17]

On 11/12/2016 at 2:27 PM, SmithW6079 said:

I had to laugh, though, when wife Erin said she and husband Erin bought "traditional" Austrian clothes so they'd fit in, except in the scene with their new Austrian friends, the Austrians are obviously wearing jeans and other casual clothes. At first I thought she was a waitress bringing them beer and I wondered why the she had an American accent. 

 

 

That had me laughing as well.  I mean, save your money for travel, people.  *snicker*  They seemed like a nice couple though.

[SmithW6079]

11 minutes ago, AlleC17 said:

That had me laughing as well.  I mean, save your money for travel, people.  *snicker*  They seemed like a nice couple though.

Yes, other than the usual insistence on the usual things, I liked them. Husband Erin seemed particularly enthusiastic about the move and the opportunity to live abroad.

[proserpina65]

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 7:27 PM, SmithW6079 said:

The couple moving to Lyon was OK, but I wanted to smack the husband for his insistence on "French charm." I know we've talked about this before, but do Americans think Europeans still live in 17th-century castles? And wasn't Lyon where Eric the French teacher moved a few years ago? The wife annoyed me with her location, location, location insistence, especially after the realtor pointed out that the district she wanted to live in was a few blocks away from the place they ultimately chose.

I kind of liked the husband and wife Erins who were moving to Salzburg. I know the first apartment was a little over budget, but it was close enough to the city center and had a separate working space for them. That's the one they should have picked. 

I had to laugh, though, when wife Erin said she and husband Erin bought "traditional" Austrian clothes so they'd fit in, except in the scene with their new Austrian friends, the Austrians are obviously wearing jeans and other casual clothes. At first I thought she was a waitress bringing them beer and I wondered why the she had an American accent. 

I don't usually notice the music in HHI, but I liked that they used classical music in this episode. While they made pains to tell us Salzburg was Mozart's birthplace, I don't think they played anything by him. I'm not proficient in my classical music, but I'm pretty sure they played the fourth movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. (Beethoven was born in Germany, not Austria). I think they also played a few Strauss waltzes.

The two older gay men moving to Umbria, Italy: how amazingly serendipitous that in the building where they were going to buy an unfinished apartment, another apartment was available, right above them. And even though their budget was $300,000, how fortuitous that they had an additional $300,000 to renovate that newly available apartment, for a total of $600,000. What does HHI think, we're low-information American voters?

And one of them had the usual "we need [country name] charm," but the apartment, as renovated, was as modern as anything in New York or LA. Nothing said historical Italian charm. 

They used Beethoven and Bach, neither of whom were Austrian, and Strauss, who was but is more likely to be associated with Vienna.  Beethoven did live most of his adult life in Vienna, however.

I get the "European country of episode" charm thing, because I wouldn't want a cookie-cutter place which looks like it could be anywhere.  But perhaps they should go with "historical charm" since that's usually what they mean.

Edited November 15, 2016 by proserpina65

[biakbiak]

It was obvious that the Prague couple was going to choose the studio given how many times that the one mentioned he really wanted a bedroom (which I totally get, it's a deal breaker for me as there are times I just need to be alone to decompress)! I liked that apartment the best though a terrace would be nice, my parents had one when they lived in Prague and used it a lot more than they had expected.

There is no way I would not trip on that beam on the floor multiple times a week, to the point that I might see if putting in a ramp to cover it would be possible!

Edited November 16, 2016 by biakbiak

[laredhead]

Watched the episode about the couple moving from Las Vegas to England.  That man must really love his wife to endure low ceilings and the probability of head bumps daily.  Yes, the cottage was charming, but not for long term, IMO.  I thought it was funny that he had become Americanized from living in the states for 12 years and wanted an open floor plan, while she wanted the English "charm".  He had lived in both styles and knew how small and cramped things can be in an older English house.  It was nice to see a couple not being snarky to each other when the other one didn't agree. I will say that the house they chose could be used for an episode of Miss Marple.  Now I'm going to look up the location of the village.   

[truther]

3 hours ago, laredhead said:

I thought it was funny that he had become Americanized from living in the states for 12 years and wanted an open floor plan, while she wanted the English "charm".  He had lived in both styles and knew how small and cramped things can be in an older English house.  

I'll bet he's moved around a bit.  His accent sounded Scottish, and definitely not from the southwest of England where they were looking.  

[ChelleGame]

21 minutes ago, truther said:

His accent sounded Scottish, and definitely not from the southwest of England where they were looking.  

He said he was from Scotland but had lived in Somerset at one point. They were kind to each other. I liked them. Village was adorable.  Loved seeing the Bishop's Private Chapel at the church they visited. Liked first house the best but was way too over budget.

[truther]

7 hours ago, ChelleGame said:

He said he was from Scotland but had lived in Somerset at one point. They were kind to each other. I liked them. Village was adorable.  Loved seeing the Bishop's Private Chapel at the church they visited. Liked first house the best but was way too over budget.

Thanks I missed that part.  Agreed, they were sweet.  

[AuntiePam]

It was so nice of the Somerset husband to give in to his wife's desire for a cottage.  Maybe they'll be able to do something about those doorways. 

Tonight's Edinburgh episode -- surprised that anything could be found in that beautiful city for $750.  I didn't care much for the couple -- those dreads were (dare I say it?) dreadful -- and I didn't understand her wanting a dishwasher when it's just the two of them.  Another want that may have been producer-driven.

[biakbiak]

A travelers blogger conference! Everything is awful.

A dishwasher is nice even if you live alone if you like to cook and work from home. Though he also said they wanted to eat out a lot.

Edited November 18, 2016 by biakbiak

[Dewey Decimate]

I've been feeling a lot less charitable these last couple weeks than normal, so I'll say it: Edinburgh man looked like a pathetic albino middle-aged Charlie Brown Rasta wanna-be. Does the guy not own a freaking mirror? Based purely on appearance, the bird-like wife seemed rather out of his league, but I bet there's some weirdly annoying shit beyond just "I can't handle traffic noise."

And yet she had no problem with screeching bagpipes! Btw, HHI producers - you know what's even better than listening to bagpipes? Listening to amateurs trying to play bagpipes!!

[chessiegal]

I'm a firm believer in everyone's right to wear hair on any body part the way they prefer, but I found the dreadlocks so distracting I remember little else. My problem. I've been to Edinburgh once and enjoyed it very much.

[Ohwell]

Edinburgh dude reminded me of Mick Hucknall of Simply Red, only with dreads.  The couple didn't bother me though.

Edit:  I just checked and Mick Hucknall wore dreads in his younger days, lol.  So yeah, that's who the Edinburgh guy looks like.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Ohwell