A friend i hadn't seen for a long time moved to a town 100km away. In Australian terms, that's practically just around the corner.

There, bathroom. There, there...

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As an American you have no idea about left wing and right wing because, by European standards, both of your parties are right of centre.

I did this in Argentina. I loved being able to just get what I needed every day. Food is always fresh, cuts down a lot on waste, you get a little bit extra exercise, and you can make exactly what you're in the mood for that day.

Because since WW2 Americans are used to the taste of butyric acid. It used to be used to keep the milk from spoiling, now it's added because Americans actually prefer it that way.

So the picture shows non-tilt-and-turn windows... well done BP.

Long long ago, in a time forgotten.... Hot and cold water are kept separate to prevent contamination, cold water comes into the house directly from the mains supply and is safe to drink. Hot water was provided by an Immersion heater generally located in the loft of a house and as it sits there it is considered unsafe to drink. Water bylaws prevent hot and cold from being mixed - this still applies today, water is NOT allowed to mix until is exits the tap.

Haha, so I grew up in a town in southern France... the city center dates back a thousand (if not more) years ago, as in many places across Europe. That city is partnered with a big one in kentuky and they gifted a BIG police car to their french cousins. Nice! municipality police was so proud of their shiny BIG AMERICAN car. Butt of the joke : just try and picture that BIG AMERICAN police car manoeuvering in those medieval streets ; the result was hillarious and not efficient at all in cathing wrong doers.

You smoke to look cool the first time then the nicotine hits you, you'll never be really relaxed without it

This is mandatory as a safety measure: the switch must be placed out of reach of the shower or bath to avoid touching it when you are in the water.

This is usual when the whole building is brand new and you are BUYING the apartment. So you can decide what kind of kitchen do you like. I can imagine that sometimes this might happen with some long-term rent, like 10+ years. Otherwise no one will rent a flat without kitchen.

I like my kitchen. It's personalized, it grew with me (new Apartment often meant that slight adjustments where in need) and most likely I'll take it with me when I'm moving again.

This sounds more severe than it actually is. I'm German and I've never moved into an apartment without a kitchen. Neither has any of my friends. Either the landlord had at least installed an oven, fridge, and sink or I took over the kitchen from the former tenant. Was about 500€ for the kitchen and parquet put in by the tenants in our current flat. I'd never spent 10K € to put a kitchen into a rental property.

German here (Hessen). The (empty) room, with the power-current-connection (does thos word exist?), and the water-connection (for a sink) - this is ment for the kitchen. In my experience, it makes a difference if a big rental company (Wohnungbaugesellschaftg) is the landlord or a privat person. Maybe I´m wrong and the difference is the point of time (decades ago or now) - The rental company apartment was with sink and oven.

Oh hell no....

No kitchen?! That isn't right! I'm from the UK and South Africa.

Considering people in Germany can rent a place for whole of their life, and might stay in the rented place quite long, it makes sense to install the kitchen of their own liking, same as the rest of the furnitures, carpets or whatever. But not all are like that, if you are renting only for shorter terms you can find rentals that are fully furnished. Especially those which is called a warm rental - is basically all included: electriciry, water, heating.

David Tennant comes to install your kitchen???

I mean...what is the point of this other than what I'd assume turns into a lot of waste, extra work, and stress? This doesn't seem to benefit any single person...

This is quite simply not true

I'm in Italy and this is a usual thing. When buying/renting its best to ask if the kitchen will be staying

I've always wanted a retro 50s stove and fridge (but one that is an auto defroster - not doing that c**p again). There are companies that make new appliances that have that old 50s look but they're expensive. So you better believe that even though I'm in the US, if I bought my heart's desire fridge and stove, they're coming with me if I move.

This is south africa too unless the sellers are upgrading and buying new appliances.

The whole kitchen, or just appliances? If it's just appliances, like the stove and fridge, that's not uncommon in parts of the US. If it's cabinets, and drawers and everything, that's crazy expensive!

WHHATTT???? So in Germany, if you can't afford your own mortgage, you still have to afford YOUR OWN KITCHEN???? What, you pull it out and take it with you when you move?

By the tenant? Or by David Tennant? Don't tell my wife, she'll be after a new kitchen.

That isnt true for all of germany, tho. In parts of northern germany its very common for a flat to come with a kitchen.

As a Brit living in Germany, I feel this in the feelies. Absolutely takes some getting used to. But now I like it!

And nary a ceiling fan.

Or maybe running the AC all the time, even if you are not home, is a waste of energy? Also, you get used to the heat a little bit, but only if you actually experience the heat.

Germans are very curious about other people. It takes a while to get used to the staring! (Speaking as a Brit who is now a Brit/German). It's nothing personal, they are just curious. I like to be considered interesting enough!

Restaurants will charge for bottled water. Tap water is free.

It's mostly because of tradition. Apart from that, they serve no real purpose, indeed.

What?

Totally agree on this. It's a real problem in parts of England. When I moved back from Japan, where nearly every convenience store has a clean well maintained toilet, it was a struggle for me.

Quick, cheap, easy to make. Add some cheese on top to be fancy!

less water, protect the sink, can be use somewhere else

because its a breakfast coffee

I'm sorry, what now???

Because tap water is so excellent that you would ask for cheaper tap water instead of bottled water if you wanted still water.

Haha!! My MIL is a little bit wild and indecisive. She's had a traumatic life, poor love, but she's done good with the cards she was dealt. When I visited, she was trying to choose a wallpaper for the front room - three very different styles, including one hot pink one with black velvet flocking, one with pink roses and another stripy one (I think). Next time I visited, she had simply put all three up in one rather small room because she couldn't decide. I felt a panic attack coming on when I stepped in there, there was so much to look at! :)

If you have German renter's rights, there is simply no reason to own a house, as long as you do not really, really need the additional space. It practically is "your" place. You can do as you want as long as you don't damage the building substance, the landlord can hardly make any demands, eviction is next to impossible without very compelling reasons. Also, even though having increased over the last years, rent is comparably cheap compared to the real estate prices. In most cases, it simply makes no sense to buy, regardless of your income. Also, far commuting (more than an hour of way to work) is rare here, so people want to stay flexible to move when changing jobs.

We do, but we're not massively wasteful like Americans. We'll use the dryer if it's pouring with rain in the middle of winter. We won't use it on a gloriously hot summer's day with a gentle breeze where clothes will dry outside in an hour.

When in Rome, take the sheet off the duvet if you just want a sheet.