House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Chai]

I can't get over some of the houses they were shown in Paris a while ago. One had no stove only a hot plate, another had a dishwasher that was tiny. I love watching these international shows to see some of those things I wouldn't otherwise. This one I was watching was a young teacher and it was way over what she could afford, plus no stove to boot! sure, take that one! lol!

[scrb]

They had a good Where Are They Now, centered on 3 couples who chose homes in the South of France.

One couple has spent over 2 years renovating and they're still not done.  A young American couple who spent $1.2 million and have spent 3 times as much as the $200k renovations budget that they originally planned.  They said they scaled back some of the ideas because they couldn't afford certain things!

Now the guy is doing some startup in Paris (so a long commute from Mougins, which is near Cannes) and hoping it will bring more money.

[debraran]

One thing I don't understand in rentals in Europe/UK, many people will say all the work that has to be done, this would need to change,need to update bathroom,etc. Others, just mention painting which is normal. Are you able to do very much if you are just renting and not buying?  I just don't see it being fruitful if you leave in a year or two unless they take money off the rent. I suppose it varies, but I wonder. I sometimes forget this isn't House Hunters where they usually are buying not renting.

Edited January 4, 2017 by debraran

[TVForever]

Last night's Colorado to Delft family:

I spent this episode laughing and face palming. I long ago accepted that HHI is "less than completely real" (hee!), but I have to admit, watching the realtor crack up laughing while the husband was describing his wish list was gold! And the husband going on and on about how he wanted the "true" European life by living in town, on the canal, surrounded by the historic architecture, blah, blah, all I could think of was who was going to break it to the Dutch people out in the countryside that they aren't really living European lives?

And watching the wife's fake complaints about the smaller townhouse. She was just so put off by a piano and a dining table in the same room. Because nobody does that, apparently (except most of the people I knew growing up and at least a couple now). And please, unless you cook with all of your children standing right next to you, that kitchen was absolutely fine. I was with her though, on those odd cutout windows. I don't need to be on the toilet wondering who's about to appear at my ankles. And her comment that  she didn't want to be in a small house with 2 small boys and a baby (with no outdoor play space) just so her husband "could walk down the street to get ice cream"? Once again, this episode was full of giggles for me.

Now I'm a town person myself, but I LOVED that modern house in the suburbs. And let's face it, there's a reason why they chose to live in the suburbs in Colorado. Chances are, that didn't change just because they moved to another country.

[CherryAmes]

19 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

Yes, I was assuming the same.  That's why I was curious what the husband's job is.

What bothers me is the way they always give the amount of rent in US dollars - ok I get why they need to do that in one way of course - but it's almost always done for the sticker shock value.  One thing we learned to do real fast when we lived in England was to stop translating everything back in to  Canadian dollars. We'd have never left the house or spent a penny otherwise!

[CherryAmes]

6 hours ago, debraran said:

 

One thing I don't understand in rentals in Europe/UK, many people will say all the work that has to be done, this would need to change,need to update bathroom,etc. Others, just mention painting which is normal. Are you able to do very much if you are just renting and not buying?  I just don't see it being fruitful if you leave in a year or two unless they take money off the rent. I suppose it varies, but I wonder. I sometimes forget this isn't House Hunters where they usually are buying not renting.

 

I can't speak for anywhere other than England of course but every place we rented there was very strict about what the tenant could and could not do.  We had to make security deposits for one thing and the rental agency would have someone go through the house with a checklist before we moved in and then come back after we moved out with that same checklist making sure everything was in the same condition (I should add this was for furnished rentals it might be different for unfurnished places).  Anyway they would allow for normal wear and tear but I don't see them looking too kindly on a tenant who made any significant changes, even if the tenant thought it was  for the better, if they didn't ask for permission first!  When all is said and done it is not your house and it is not up to you to decide what needs updating or whatever!  Pretty damn cheeky really to rent someone else's house and then start renovating!

Edited January 4, 2017 by CherryAmes

[thosme]

I enjoyed the couple/family moving to Delft. The husband blending in with the curtains actually made me laugh out loud which isn't my usual response to HHI.  Also when the wife said the heater looked like it was where toys went to die, I thought she had a point and put it in amusing terms.  The realtor seemed to have a twinkle in his eye too.  

When I was in Amsterdam, it was pouring rain and I was fascinated with people going by on bikes with one arm holding an umbrella.

[copshop]

Three good episodes in a row! (Well, I delete most of the non-European ones because they are so often a disappointment.) The Michael Fassbender lookalike redhead and his sweet stunning lady in Provence with a modest budget (crazy!), the Lucca town-vs.-country debate (I would have bought two places--with their budget, they almost could have!), and a Netherlands episode in the DVR. Delft is really lovely, so I can't wait to see that one.

[KLovestoShop]

The couple who wanted to move to Costa Rica were interesting.  The husband was kind of a pain, complaining about the costs of the houses, but if it was the type of house HE wanted, going over budget was OK.  He didn't seem to bat an eye over the Costa Rica looking house, that was $30K over budget, because he wanted the look of the REAL Costa Rica, but he was not happy that the other house was, OMG, $10K over budget.  And I wanted to tell him that in many, many countries, the washer/dryer is located directly in the kitchen, and at least at that one property they saw, the washer/dryer was enclosed.  He needed to get over that.   

[izabella]

7 hours ago, TVForever said:

I was with her though, on those odd cutout windows. I don't need to be on the toilet wondering who's about to appear at my ankles.

I was laughing at that, too - why, why was that little window there?!  I guess it must have been a very different kind of space before it was turned into an apartment?   Anyway, they could have just put a basket of towels in front of the window or taped a poster over it, but that was hilarious.

6 hours ago, thosme said:

When I was in Amsterdam, it was pouring rain and I was fascinated with people going by on bikes with one arm holding an umbrella.

I know I've seen small umbrellas that you can wear on your head, like a crown....sounds perfect for biking in the rain, lol.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

What bothers me is the way they always give the amount of rent in US dollars - ok I get why they need to do that in one way of course - but it's almost always done for the sticker shock value.  One thing we learned to do real fast when we lived in England was to stop translating everything back in to  Canadian dollars. We'd have never left the house or spent a penny otherwise!

When my daughter was abroad in UK for a year for college, she said the same thing, after a month or two, she stopped or she wouldn't eat. ; )

[Thumper]

Family moving to Brisbane -- I was ticked at the dad when he kept saying he didn't want any yard maintenance. I'm thinking, you are staying home, you can do yard work during the day!  But then in the recap, he is working so it probably was a good choice.

[Pickles]

I liked the couple moving to Brisbane. You've got to love the producer driven drama about the husband having no job and choosing the house that is way over budget. But, of course, in the end the husband got a job in his field and everything was dandy. Lol. 

[chocolatine]

8 hours ago, debraran said:

When my daughter was abroad in UK for a year for college, she said the same thing, after a month or two, she stopped or she wouldn't eat. ; )

Same here. I went to grad school in Edinburgh, and for the first few weeks I nearly had a nervous breakdown every time I went to the grocery store.

[JasmineFlower]

I wouldn't assume it was producer driven drama about the husband not having a job. I tend to think they are telling their story. In this case, she found her dream job, they moved to Brisbane and they shopped unaware of how long it would take for him to find a position. Then he found one at some point. I prefer them to give that story than to say he had a job, if that's not what happened when they first moved there.

I love a realtor that tells their clients flat out their budget is BS given their list of wants. So, I enjoyed her though she felt largely in the background after the initial meet.

The wife I mostly liked, but I found the husband to be a complainer way too often. I do understand not wanting too much yard work, but was completely confused on why he was acting like yard work needed to happen every single weekend and that it took 5 hours every time. I didn't get a good look at their place in Alberta, but it was almost like he was thinking of yard work as if he had to take care of a farm with animals and acres of land. Or maybe he was thinking about the snow shoveling and forgetting that's not something he'll have to worry about? Not sure, but he seemed way too focused on it as if it was the biggest time killer known to man. His sticker shock about the prices seemed to be a him-problem. Even though they blew the budget, the wife seemed to know and accept that things would be higher than their target budget, it was the husband who was in denial, earning him an I told you so moment from the wife when they visited the first house.  So, it wasn't a bad episode, but it would have been better if the husband had some of his wife's excitement and optimism.

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, JasmineFlower said:

wouldn't assume it was producer driven drama about the husband not having a job. I tend to think they are telling their story. In this case, she found her dream job, they moved to Brisbane and they shopped unaware of how long it would take for him to find a position. Then he found one at some point. I prefer them to give that story than to say he had a job, if that's not what happened when they first moved there.

It's rare that the show tells the true story which can usually be easily discovered from social media.

Edited January 5, 2017 by biakbiak

[CherryAmes]

6 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Same here. I went to grad school in Edinburgh, and for the first few weeks I nearly had a nervous breakdown every time I went to the grocery store.

On the other side of the coin when one of my daughter's UK friends visited us in Canada a few years after we moved back she almost passed out with giddy excitement when we took her to a mall and she did the math!  LOL.  Thankfully for her parents she wasn't old enough to have a credit card on her at the time!

[JasmineFlower]

7 hours ago, biakbiak said:

It's rare that the show tells the true story which can usually be easily discovered from social media.

I'd say that's only partially true. We find out some stuff from a few people who have appeared. And even then, what do we find? Linkedin profiles? Blogs? That they moved there sooner than the show suggests? Okay, but we rarely get a whole picture. I'm hardly saying this is a true documentary show with an accurate timeline, I know how this show works, but I also wouldn't assume that every facet of the show has no basis in reality. This family has actually moved from Canada to Brisbane after all. I don't find it to be some massive reach that he got a job soon after the move and their initial plan was that she would support the family if need be for a while. And if he was actually giving up a position instead of being laid off or fired, it's not hard to believe he could find something fairly quick.

[Kohola3]

As others have noted, I would really like to know the rules of each country regarding employment of foreigners.  That would go a long way toward making me less skeptical of everything I see. 

[copshop]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

As others have noted, I would really like to know the rules of each country regarding employment of foreigners.  That would go a long way toward making me less skeptical of everything I see. 

It would make a great blog--since the show is determined to stymie my dreams. Off to the internets to see if someone else is already doing the legwork I am too lazy to do!

[magemaud]

On 1/4/2017 at 2:09 PM, KLovestoShop said:

but he was not happy that the other house was, OMG, $10K over budget.

I always wonder in the long run how much such a relatively small amount would add to your monthly mortgage payments. 

[JasmineFlower]

Our favorite British realtor Richard is on a new episode tonight! :) Just in case anyone is interested in catching it because of him that didn't plan to. I was going to skip it until I saw him.

Edited January 6, 2017 by JasmineFlower

[vesperholly]

5 hours ago, magemaud said:

I always wonder in the long run how much such a relatively small amount would add to your monthly mortgage payments. 

My mortgage broker told me about $4/month for every $1,000 financed. So $40 for $10,000. This was 5 months ago.

[mojito]

Quote

When I was in Amsterdam, it was pouring rain and I was fascinated with people going by on bikes with one arm holding an umbrella.

I had the same experience during a big thunderstorm in Bar Harbor, Maine! While we were pulled over in our rented car waiting out the downpour, other people were scurrying about on their bicycles.

I liked the Delft couple, and I, too, found myself chuckling at the husband's shirt and the curtains. They both made some great comments.

[chocolatine]

Colchester couple: I personally would have killed to live close to the beach as long as the commute to work wasn't horrendous, but I thought the modern house they ended up buying was stunning as well. I'm less bothered with spending a little over budget (they went less than 5% over) when buying because it's an investment that will most likely appreciate, whereas overspending on rent is money that can't be recouped.

[ChelleGame]

2 hours ago, mojito said:

I liked the Delft couple, and I, too, found myself chuckling at the husband's shirt and the curtains. They both made some great comments.

This couple was just so charming to me.  They seemed to really enjoy each other.  A lot of mutual kindness between them.  It was nice to see.  I cracked up over the curtains, the realtor laughing at/with them and the little boy biting into that big wedge of cheese and being happy as all hell about all the cheese in Delft.

[proserpina65]

On ‎01‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 10:03 AM, TVForever said:

Last night's Colorado to Delft family:

I spent this episode laughing and face palming. I long ago accepted that HHI is "less than completely real" (hee!), but I have to admit, watching the realtor crack up laughing while the husband was describing his wish list was gold! And the husband going on and on about how he wanted the "true" European life by living in town, on the canal, surrounded by the historic architecture, blah, blah, all I could think of was who was going to break it to the Dutch people out in the countryside that they aren't really living European lives?

And watching the wife's fake complaints about the smaller townhouse. She was just so put off by a piano and a dining table in the same room. Because nobody does that, apparently (except most of the people I knew growing up and at least a couple now). And please, unless you cook with all of your children standing right next to you, that kitchen was absolutely fine. I was with her though, on those odd cutout windows. I don't need to be on the toilet wondering who's about to appear at my ankles. And her comment that  she didn't want to be in a small house with 2 small boys and a baby (with no outdoor play space) just so her husband "could walk down the street to get ice cream"? Once again, this episode was full of giggles for me.

Now I'm a town person myself, but I LOVED that modern house in the suburbs. And let's face it, there's a reason why they chose to live in the suburbs in Colorado. Chances are, that didn't change just because they moved to another country.

I hated the modern place, but then again, I hate modern houses.

I was thinking more about her having to go into town all the time by bike to do the shopping when everything was close by the two houses in town.  Now, probably there was a freaking grocery store just out of sight or something because this is all so fake, but proximity to shops when you're commuting by bike is kind of important.

[proserpina65]

8 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Colchester couple: I personally would have killed to live close to the beach as long as the commute to work wasn't horrendous, but I thought the modern house they ended up buying was stunning as well. I'm less bothered with spending a little over budget (they went less than 5% over) when buying because it's an investment that will most likely appreciate, whereas overspending on rent is money that can't be recouped.

I haven't seen the end of this one yet, but am disappointed that they bought the modern house.  Because I hated it with the fire of a thousand burning nuns.  And all these people should keep my preferences in mind when house-hunting, of course. ;-)

[Thumper]

Colchester, England episode:  When I saw all the baby toys and kid stuff in the two decoy houses, I figured they were going with the empty house that had a bare bed in the master.  

I liked that couple though, they had a fun rapport between the two of them.

[AlleC17]

30 minutes ago, Thumper said:

Colchester, England episode:  When I saw all the baby toys and kid stuff in the two decoy houses, I figured they were going with the empty house that had a bare bed in the master.  

I liked that couple though, they had a fun rapport between the two of them.

They were a nice couple!  I would have taken that beach house though, fake or not.  lol  Seriously, if they had showed me that after getting the modern one, I would have screamed.  That being said, the house they chose seems to suit their needs well and a 10 minute commute doesn't suck! 

[Babalooie]

This is not meant to be shallow, though it may come off that way.  I've seen two recent episodes in which the husbands were fairly nice looking and the wives had gained quite a bit of weight since their wedding, as we saw because the wedding photos were shown.  Are the producers playing that game now?  I didn't catch the name of the medical condition of the wife in Colchester, but she was cute and bubbly.  Not sure about the MN wife in the US episode, except that she had children, which can cause it, too.  As I said, not being shallow or snarky, because I gained weight after marriage and children, myself.

[TVForever]

3 hours ago, Thumper said:

Colchester, England episode:  When I saw all the baby toys and kid stuff in the two decoy houses, I figured they were going with the empty house that had a bare bed in the master.  

I liked that couple though, they had a fun rapport between the two of them.

I liked them too. The husband, especially, was a hoot! And no, it wasn't hard to figure out which house we were going to be seeing them in at the end.

[cyberfruit]

The Prague episode was a little strange. I'm like the house hunter in that I, too, want nothing to do with roommates (and I wonder if Prague is in need of people in my field because I can move there tomorrow) and want an apartment of my own. She had that with the first apartment. It wasn't that modern, yes, but it was spacious and on budget. So, I don't quite get how she was able to get over her preference of living alone and move into a two-bedroom with a couple. 

[Bastet]

7 minutes ago, cyberfruit said:

I'm like the house hunter in that I, too, want nothing to do with roommates (and I wonder if Prague is in need of people in my field because I can move there tomorrow) and want an apartment of my own. She had that with the first apartment. It wasn't that modern, yes, but it was spacious and on budget. So, I don't quite get how she was able to get over her preference of living alone and move into a two-bedroom with a couple. 

I didn't see it, but based on this post I agree it's a ridiculous storyline.  I'd live in something close to a shoe box before I'd live with a roommate (or anyone).  When you really want to live alone, you really want to live alone.  If that was truly a strong preference, and she found a decent place that would let her do that, she wouldn't just be airily deciding to live with two other people instead.

[Ohwell]

Conversely, why would a couple want to share an apartment with another person?  You'd think that a young couple would definitely want some privacy.  

Like so many HH plotlines, I think there's so much more to this story that we don't know. 

[AuntiePam]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

Conversely, why would a couple want to share an apartment with another person?  You'd think that a young couple would definitely want some privacy.  

Like so many HH plotlines, I think there's so much more to this story that we don't know. 

My guess is that she wasn't in that apartment for very long.  She did get a job, so her budget could have increased. 

[Pickles]

I thought her budget was based upon her salary for teaching English as a second language.

[AuntiePam]

But then didn't she get a different job -- or a second job -- a travel blog? 

[Spunkygal]

I loved the Dancing Buildings! That was so cool. I hope it is a Jeopardy clue someday so I can say, "oh you idiots...I knew that!"

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, AuntiePam said:

But then didn't she get a different job -- or a second job -- a travel blog? 

That's another thing that was confusing because at the end I could have sworn she said she got a job with an international company, then she said something about a travel blog.  I wonder if the relationship with the BF in England is still going on.

[Pickles]

Quote

1 hour ago, AuntiePam said:

But then didn't she get a different job -- or a second job -- a travel blog? 

You are right! Forgot about that. Yes, the living arrangement was very odd with the married couple moving in. I wonder what the real story was?

[scrb]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Conversely, why would a couple want to share an apartment with another person?  You'd think that a young couple would definitely want some privacy.  

Like so many HH plotlines, I think there's so much more to this story that we don't know. 

Haven't seen this ep. yet but my first thought is ... swingers.

[Ohwell]

5 minutes ago, scrb said:

Haven't seen this ep. yet but my first thought is ... swingers.

Well, I hope the BF in England is in on it.  If not, he's in for a big surprise when he visits her. ; )

[chocolatine]

She's still with her boyfriend; she skyped with him at the end of the episode. It's not that uncommon in Europe for married/cohabitating couples to share apartments with other people if they have low-paying jobs or one or both of them are students.

[Ohwell]

I know she skyped with her boyfriend at the end.  I just wondered how he felt about her living arrangement, whether or not it's common in Europe.

[Dewey Decimate]

9 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Conversely, why would a couple want to share an apartment with another person?  You'd think that a young couple would definitely want some privacy.  

Like so many HH plotlines, I think there's so much more to this story that we don't know. 

The giveaway regarding the roommate (excuse me, flatmate) that irritated me was when she kept repeating how she really didn't want "flatmates" PLURAL. I kept thinking, wouldn't the natural thing be to have one roommate, since you're in a 2BR apartment? Then, whaddya know... a couple shows up at the end. Editing/script fail.

[Ohwell]

Yeah, I forgot about that.  

[biakbiak]

I know a bit about the rental market in Prague, my parents lived there for four years and have several friends who live there, and I question the $600 price on the first one bedroom given its location.

I wonder what she ended up paying in the end because the place was only $1000 so she would be well under her budget depending on how they divided the rent.

[Honey]

On 1/7/2017 at 2:17 PM, Ohwell said:

That's another thing that was confusing because at the end I could have sworn she said she got a job with an international company, then she said something about a travel blog.  I wonder if the relationship with the BF in England is still going on.

Yes, she said she got a job with a social media company, so now she gets to take pics and write.  Things she loves to do and now she makes money doing it.  It sounds like she's working to promote tourism in the country/city or something.

[Ohwell]

35 minutes ago, Honey said:

Yes, she said she got a job with a social media company, so now she gets to take pics and write.  Things she loves to do and now she makes money doing it.  It sounds like she's working to promote tourism in the country/city or something.

Ok, thanks.