A schrank is a freestanding closet. (Of various types.) ( In German there would be two dots over the "a" for proper spelling.)
We know them as armoires in the bedrooms. Wall units in living rooms/family rooms.
In Germany, many homes do not have any closets or cabinets in the kitchen, bedrooms, or hallways.
Many kitchens have "furniture" for kitchen sinks and cabinets. They sit up next to the wall but are not attached to the wall. Being attached would create a room.
A living room schrank is a wall unit that holds the TV, crystal, china, etc.
Homes in Germany are taxed by the number of rooms, not the value of the home. Anything built-in is considered a room. So, attached kitchen cabinets would be considered rooms.
This makes a built-in kitchen and any closets very desireable to Americans living in Germany.
It's a little strange to get used to, coming from the land of massive kitchens and walk-in bedroom closets, but that's OK.
Showing posts with label House Hunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House Hunting. Show all posts
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Vogelbach House
The following is an email from the Spousal Unit, talking not to me, but to you my gentle readers. Read on:*
Gueten Abend von Deutschland, (Good Evening from Germany)*
Today's synopsis: work, work, work, house hunting, now waiting for return phone call.
It took me almost 2 hours to send you the remaining pictures from the Sulzbachtal house. The only place that I could connect was in the Pizza Gallerie so I sat there smelling the aromas while waiting for the electrons to flow.
The time was productive because I was able to work other email and partake of some pizza (no beer; I was working).
This afternoon I looked at a house that is a possible. It is in Vogelbach (hence the name of the message). The house is 2 blocks from the main street, and it is 2 years old. It has floor heating, a garage, off-street parking, and a very large backyard. You access the yard from the terrace (which is suitable for a grill and comfy chair) on the side of the house. The bad news is that the terrace is very visible from the street so no less-than-properly-clothed sunbathing (unless you're interested in making lots of new friends). (The nerve of the man to even suggest that I would partake of the local European custom of sunbathing less-than-properly-clothed. Especially on my blog.)*
There is another piece of bad news: the landlord lives in the basement. Should I continue?
After being counseled last night, I guess that I should. The entry way opens to the living room/dining room, kitchen, three-quarters bathroom, and the laundry room. (Sorry for the delay; I had to pour a Park.) (That's a local beer and I guess he isn't working now.)*
The living/dining room will accommodate our furniture (even the schrank with some separation). The kitchen table will fit also. The kitchen has enough room for a 2-person table, and it has a pantry that is larger than our current one. (Our current pantry is sizeable.)*
As you exit the kitchen into the entry way, the bathroom is on the right, and the laundry room is directly ahead. The laundry room is easily large enough for American machines and drying racks.
The stairs to the second floor are "L" shaped. (That may be a problem, we have a king sized bed)* There are 4 bedrooms and the full bath (with tub and shower) off of the landing. I think that all of the bedrooms are about the same size (14' X 13'), but they suffer a limitation of the roof angle. One bedroom has a walk-in closet (complete with some shelves). The "attic" is one party/game room, but it too suffers the roof angle (and no toilet). The neighborhood is quiet because the houses along the main street block the noise.
There is a market and bakery close by, and there is an American military facility (where my Mannheim buddy was stationed) across the autobahn.
As I said, a possibility if you can get past the landlord (husband, wife, and 1-year old daughter) living in the basement. One of my calls today netted me an appointment on Friday afternoon to see a house in Gries (pronounced like the "old country"). Gries is about 8 - 9 km away from Vogelbach so I took a quick drive by to know where I should be headed on Friday.
The house is a block from the dirt fussball pitch (Soccer field)* (with bier-atorium/Beer stand*). It was completed last fall, and no one has lived there yet. You probably wonder how I know these details. I could tell you that I laid hands on the house, but that would be misleading.
I was preparing to take some preliminary pictures (which didn't turn out because someone at home, other than me, messed with the settings and put the camera on manual) (Ya think that maybe during travel the settings might have changed??)*, when a neighbor stopped by to ask if I was going to move in. I said "maybe", and the neighbor filled me in on the house and the neighborhood.
No shopping in Gries itself, but there are lots of shops in a neighboring town (1 km away). I have mentioned this town before as one that has a Fussganger (walking only, shopping street)* with lots of restaurants and markets. I could not see much from the outside, but the house has a double carport (no garage) that I think will accommodate our vehicles.
It is in a newly constructed neighborhood. The view out of the back is stereotypical German: looking down on gentle hills with a town nestled in. The backyard is huuuuuuuuugggggggeeee (probably about 400sqm), and it appears that there is a terrace.
The ad says the house has 223 sqm so I think the configuration is living/dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom on the first floor. The second floor will be the bedrooms and a bath. The attic is over that.
More on Friday. I also have a call in to see a new house in Glan-Muenchweiler, but no one has called yet.
That's all the news that's fit to print.
Love you,
S
* She Who edits
Gueten Abend von Deutschland, (Good Evening from Germany)*
Today's synopsis: work, work, work, house hunting, now waiting for return phone call.
It took me almost 2 hours to send you the remaining pictures from the Sulzbachtal house. The only place that I could connect was in the Pizza Gallerie so I sat there smelling the aromas while waiting for the electrons to flow.
The time was productive because I was able to work other email and partake of some pizza (no beer; I was working).
This afternoon I looked at a house that is a possible. It is in Vogelbach (hence the name of the message). The house is 2 blocks from the main street, and it is 2 years old. It has floor heating, a garage, off-street parking, and a very large backyard. You access the yard from the terrace (which is suitable for a grill and comfy chair) on the side of the house. The bad news is that the terrace is very visible from the street so no less-than-properly-clothed sunbathing (unless you're interested in making lots of new friends). (The nerve of the man to even suggest that I would partake of the local European custom of sunbathing less-than-properly-clothed. Especially on my blog.)*
There is another piece of bad news: the landlord lives in the basement. Should I continue?
After being counseled last night, I guess that I should. The entry way opens to the living room/dining room, kitchen, three-quarters bathroom, and the laundry room. (Sorry for the delay; I had to pour a Park.) (That's a local beer and I guess he isn't working now.)*
The living/dining room will accommodate our furniture (even the schrank with some separation). The kitchen table will fit also. The kitchen has enough room for a 2-person table, and it has a pantry that is larger than our current one. (Our current pantry is sizeable.)*
As you exit the kitchen into the entry way, the bathroom is on the right, and the laundry room is directly ahead. The laundry room is easily large enough for American machines and drying racks.
The stairs to the second floor are "L" shaped. (That may be a problem, we have a king sized bed)* There are 4 bedrooms and the full bath (with tub and shower) off of the landing. I think that all of the bedrooms are about the same size (14' X 13'), but they suffer a limitation of the roof angle. One bedroom has a walk-in closet (complete with some shelves). The "attic" is one party/game room, but it too suffers the roof angle (and no toilet). The neighborhood is quiet because the houses along the main street block the noise.
There is a market and bakery close by, and there is an American military facility (where my Mannheim buddy was stationed) across the autobahn.
As I said, a possibility if you can get past the landlord (husband, wife, and 1-year old daughter) living in the basement. One of my calls today netted me an appointment on Friday afternoon to see a house in Gries (pronounced like the "old country"). Gries is about 8 - 9 km away from Vogelbach so I took a quick drive by to know where I should be headed on Friday.
The house is a block from the dirt fussball pitch (Soccer field)* (with bier-atorium/Beer stand*). It was completed last fall, and no one has lived there yet. You probably wonder how I know these details. I could tell you that I laid hands on the house, but that would be misleading.
I was preparing to take some preliminary pictures (which didn't turn out because someone at home, other than me, messed with the settings and put the camera on manual) (Ya think that maybe during travel the settings might have changed??)*, when a neighbor stopped by to ask if I was going to move in. I said "maybe", and the neighbor filled me in on the house and the neighborhood.
No shopping in Gries itself, but there are lots of shops in a neighboring town (1 km away). I have mentioned this town before as one that has a Fussganger (walking only, shopping street)* with lots of restaurants and markets. I could not see much from the outside, but the house has a double carport (no garage) that I think will accommodate our vehicles.
It is in a newly constructed neighborhood. The view out of the back is stereotypical German: looking down on gentle hills with a town nestled in. The backyard is huuuuuuuuugggggggeeee (probably about 400sqm), and it appears that there is a terrace.
The ad says the house has 223 sqm so I think the configuration is living/dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom on the first floor. The second floor will be the bedrooms and a bath. The attic is over that.
More on Friday. I also have a call in to see a new house in Glan-Muenchweiler, but no one has called yet.
That's all the news that's fit to print.
Love you,
S
* She Who edits
Thursday, May 1, 2008
I'm Gonna be...So Dead Meat
I emailed Spousal Unit last night requesting photos. A reasonable request, right??
I must have mentioned a time or two that photos might be nice. I gave him my camera, right??
I sent him off with gentle reminders that photos and measurements would be good. That's an OK thing to request, right??
My mistake was to send him the link to last nights blog after emailing him. He normally doesn't read it unless I ask him to read for clarity.
His response was in the inbox this morning. The poor man just can't win. Tee Hee.
See below:
........................................................................................................................................................
Alright, SmartAlec.
I didn’t send more pictures because I thought that you would veto the house after seeing the stairs. Remember the counseling I received after the last trip about the stairs in Rehweiler???
For the record, I am not ecstatic about the house. Aha, the truth is out.* It has some possibilities, but there are some drawbacks (stairs, furniture, price is really at the upper end of our range). I don’t want another Roswell. He once had a job offer in New Mexico and I was less than estatic about the move, but kept quiet because I thought he really wanted the job and being a GOOD Air Force wife, at the time, was used to moves that were less than desireable.* Believe me, that I will make sure that you understand when I find the house without which I cannot live. I will continue my search today.
Love you, despite your snide comments (Where are the rest…). of the pictures.*
I must have mentioned a time or two that photos might be nice. I gave him my camera, right??
I sent him off with gentle reminders that photos and measurements would be good. That's an OK thing to request, right??
My mistake was to send him the link to last nights blog after emailing him. He normally doesn't read it unless I ask him to read for clarity.
His response was in the inbox this morning. The poor man just can't win. Tee Hee.
See below:
........................................................................................................................................................
Alright, SmartAlec.
I didn’t send more pictures because I thought that you would veto the house after seeing the stairs. Remember the counseling I received after the last trip about the stairs in Rehweiler???
For the record, I am not ecstatic about the house. Aha, the truth is out.* It has some possibilities, but there are some drawbacks (stairs, furniture, price is really at the upper end of our range). I don’t want another Roswell. He once had a job offer in New Mexico and I was less than estatic about the move, but kept quiet because I thought he really wanted the job and being a GOOD Air Force wife, at the time, was used to moves that were less than desireable.* Believe me, that I will make sure that you understand when I find the house without which I cannot live. I will continue my search today.
Love you, despite your snide comments (Where are the rest…). of the pictures.*
S
* She Who edits
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
YIKES!!!! Maybe a Little Scary Thing Going on Here
Hey, GL! (That's me. He calls me Good Looking, when he is being informal. The formal is, She Who). *
I looked at a couple of houses today. One house was in Siegelbach, but it was on the main street.
(He loves to do the view from the street thingee).*
The owner renovates old houses, and he does an excellent job. (Just like my Spousal Unit, a manly man.)* I told him that I didn't like the location, (Can't have a main street, people might talk about those crazy Americans)* and he offered another house in a village about 15 km from the base.
The house is in Sulzbachtal. It sits on the side of a hill, but it does not have a large yard. It has a double car garage (cars are in line), and 3 parking spots (2 on the street and one behind the house).
As you enter the house, there is a guest toilet (half bath) on the left and a small storage room on the right. You are basically in the stairwell.
(Please take a close look at the stairs pictures because I don't know if you will find these acceptable.)
[Doesn't look too scary, I like windy stairs. And, when I dust them (Yeah, right) I just push all the dirt down in-between.]*
(YIKES!!!! maybe a little scary thing going on here).*
You continue into the living/dining room. ( What no more pictures? Ya gotta be kidding me).* It is a good size, but our furniture would probably not fit. (If the STUFF won't fit, why are we having this conversation other than you really, really like the house and location).*
Outside the living/dining room, there is a small flower garden and a grilling patio set against the hillside. There are brick steps to a couple of apple trees about 7' higher on the hill. There is room for a small garden by the trees. (The landlord's mother lives across the street, and she offered to let us use part of her garden [about the size of our large garden]).
The kitchen is a pass-through with the sink on one side and the working area on the other side. (Where are the kitchen pictures)????* There is a pantry (with open shelves) about 9' wide and 4' deep. (Pantries are good. Must buy more STUFF).*
The second floor consists of a full bath and a 3/4 bath. There are 2 small rooms and 1 larger room.
The third floor consists of a "game room and a party room." I wish there was a bathroom there because that would be the master bedroom.
The basement has a laundry room (with a storage room adjacent), a very large room (suitable for a gym), a 3/4 bath, another storage room, and an exit to the street. Without the exit, I would make this the master bedroom and use the storage room as a walk-in closet.
Initially, the landlord put the rent at !!!!*, but he lowered it to ????*. It is an energy-efficient house with thick walls and windows. It has floor heat which is electric. The landlord claims that we would not need it much because of the design.
The house looks great, but I am concerned about the furniture fitting and the stairs. I think that you might have problems with the stairs (I told the landlord that you have leg problems) ( I don't have leg problems, I broke my ankle several years back and it didn't heal correctly because the doctors screwed up. That is another story in it's self).* because they are winding and steep.
Please look, and let me know, so I can call him back to thank him or take measurements. I was slightly embarrassed because the batteries died after about 5 pictures. He lent me batteries, but they lasted only 3 pictures. He gave me another set which lasted the rest of the way.
Yes, I got replacement batteries on the way back.
I saw (two of my coworkers-both reprobates)* yesterday. Now I know who (one of the reprobates)* is. I don't ever remember being introduced at the Dirty Penny (an outdoor bar on the Vegas Strip, where we all went, for another coworkers wedding last April).* Everyone assumed we knew each other after that.
I got a replacement card reader, and it works just fine. It has 5 ports that accommodate 6 different media. (I'm cookin' now.) Sometimes I gotta wonder about the Geek I married.*
Love you bunches,
S (As in Spousal Unit)*
*She Who edits
I looked at a couple of houses today. One house was in Siegelbach, but it was on the main street.
(He loves to do the view from the street thingee).*
The owner renovates old houses, and he does an excellent job. (Just like my Spousal Unit, a manly man.)* I told him that I didn't like the location, (Can't have a main street, people might talk about those crazy Americans)* and he offered another house in a village about 15 km from the base.
The house is in Sulzbachtal. It sits on the side of a hill, but it does not have a large yard. It has a double car garage (cars are in line), and 3 parking spots (2 on the street and one behind the house).
As you enter the house, there is a guest toilet (half bath) on the left and a small storage room on the right. You are basically in the stairwell.
(Please take a close look at the stairs pictures because I don't know if you will find these acceptable.)
[Doesn't look too scary, I like windy stairs. And, when I dust them (Yeah, right) I just push all the dirt down in-between.]*
(YIKES!!!! maybe a little scary thing going on here).*
You continue into the living/dining room. ( What no more pictures? Ya gotta be kidding me).* It is a good size, but our furniture would probably not fit. (If the STUFF won't fit, why are we having this conversation other than you really, really like the house and location).*
Outside the living/dining room, there is a small flower garden and a grilling patio set against the hillside. There are brick steps to a couple of apple trees about 7' higher on the hill. There is room for a small garden by the trees. (The landlord's mother lives across the street, and she offered to let us use part of her garden [about the size of our large garden]).
The kitchen is a pass-through with the sink on one side and the working area on the other side. (Where are the kitchen pictures)????* There is a pantry (with open shelves) about 9' wide and 4' deep. (Pantries are good. Must buy more STUFF).*
The second floor consists of a full bath and a 3/4 bath. There are 2 small rooms and 1 larger room.
The third floor consists of a "game room and a party room." I wish there was a bathroom there because that would be the master bedroom.
The basement has a laundry room (with a storage room adjacent), a very large room (suitable for a gym), a 3/4 bath, another storage room, and an exit to the street. Without the exit, I would make this the master bedroom and use the storage room as a walk-in closet.
Initially, the landlord put the rent at !!!!*, but he lowered it to ????*. It is an energy-efficient house with thick walls and windows. It has floor heat which is electric. The landlord claims that we would not need it much because of the design.
The house looks great, but I am concerned about the furniture fitting and the stairs. I think that you might have problems with the stairs (I told the landlord that you have leg problems) ( I don't have leg problems, I broke my ankle several years back and it didn't heal correctly because the doctors screwed up. That is another story in it's self).* because they are winding and steep.
Please look, and let me know, so I can call him back to thank him or take measurements. I was slightly embarrassed because the batteries died after about 5 pictures. He lent me batteries, but they lasted only 3 pictures. He gave me another set which lasted the rest of the way.
Yes, I got replacement batteries on the way back.
I saw (two of my coworkers-both reprobates)* yesterday. Now I know who (one of the reprobates)* is. I don't ever remember being introduced at the Dirty Penny (an outdoor bar on the Vegas Strip, where we all went, for another coworkers wedding last April).* Everyone assumed we knew each other after that.
I got a replacement card reader, and it works just fine. It has 5 ports that accommodate 6 different media. (I'm cookin' now.) Sometimes I gotta wonder about the Geek I married.*
Love you bunches,
S (As in Spousal Unit)*
*She Who edits
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