Moving back to Europe

[W2R]

I visited several friends and relatives in Europe last April, as well as Airbnb - none has dryer machine.

Well good for them.... ?

 

[NW-Bound]

I have rented only one Airbnb in Europe with a cloth dryer, but it did not work. This apartment in the suburb of Brussels was also the largest and most modern of all the ones I have stayed in with 2 bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths, and of about 1,300 sq.ft.

I do not mind not having a dryer, nor care for a stinkin' dishwasher. But no ice? No ice maker, but at least give me an ice tray. How can one survive without icy drinks?

By the way, the above Brussels apartment also had an American-sized fridge with an ice maker/dispenser. All right! I found out it did not work either. Rats!

So, we got into the habit of filling glasses with 3/4" of water, and freeze it to make ice.

 

[MichaelB]

+2@Spoiled Americans.

Here in the US we have an abundance of both space and inexpensive electricity. Lots of places around the world still dry clothers the old fashioned way - clothesline and sun. My German SIL regularly contrasts the differences when visiting.

When we were in Dubai our hotel room had a small unit that was both washer and dryer. First time I’d ever seen that, it was perfect for our limited need.

 

[ivinsfan]

I have rented only one Airbnb in Europe with a cloth dryer, but it did not work. This apartment in the suburb of Brussels was also the largest and most modern of all the ones I have stayed in with 2 bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths, and of about 1,300 sq.ft.

I do not mind not having a dryer, nor care for a stinkin' dishwasher. But no ice? No ice maker, but at least give me an ice tray. How can one survive without icy drinks?

By the way, the above Brussels apartment also had an American-sized fridge with an ice maker/dispenser. All right! I found out it did not work either. Rats!

So, we got into the habit of filling glasses with 3/4" of water, and freeze it to make ice.

I feel like ice on demand is an American thing. I grew up with an English Mom and as a result the coldest I like my drinks is fridge temp. Water I prefer right from the tap.

 

[NW-Bound]

Once FIREd gets the hang of dealing with subcontractors, perhaps he can embark on a new career of remodeling apartments and flipping them. I wonder if this can be a lucrative business in Europe, as it often is in the US.

 

[NW-Bound]

I feel like ice on demand is an American thing. I grew up with an English Mom and as a result the coldest I like my drinks is fridge temp. Water I prefer right from the tap.

Fridge-temp drink is OK with me. But when in Europe and having no AC, I need a supercold drink to keep me from heatstroke.

 

[ivinsfan]

Fridge-temp drink is OK with me. But when in Europe and having no AC, I need a supercold drink to keep me from heatstroke.

The Euro's don't need their air cold either....

 

[NW-Bound]

Yes. Europeans are tougher people.

Well, Americans are a bunch of sissies anyway.

 

[neihn]

I was in the hotel lobby in Florence, there was an American insisted that the AC in his room does not work with the receptionist. She told him that all AC are in a different circuit and not being turned on until June, and that is the policy.

 

[ivinsfan]

Yes. Europeans are tougher people.

Well, Americans are a bunch of sissies anyway.

Not true as the big D day anniversary proves, we can be tough when we need to be tough...I'm half and half so I can argue both sides of this one... to think this all started with W2R wanting a clothes dryer...

 

[FIREd]

Yep, no A/C, no ice machine, no dryer... all part of normal life in Europe But they are available for those who want them.

I rarely used my ice machine and dryer when I lived in the US. So I don't miss them. But A/C was nice. I follow the recommendations of the Swiss environmental services to keep my home cooler in warm weather (using blinds strategically during the day and opening the windows at night). My building also has a kind of "attic fan" which pulls warm air out of my condo at ceiling level. The warm air is then replaced by fresh cold air when I open the windows at night. Of course such system might not work well in Florida, but it is efficient in our temperate climate.

 

[NW-Bound]

Well, life in the US during WWII was quite a bit different than it is now.

When I was in college in the 70s, I drove a Mustang which had no power steering, no power brake, no AC, and with a stick shift. Try to find a car like that now.

Not true as the big D day anniversary proves, we can be tough when we need to be tough...I'm half and half so I can argue both sides of this one... to think this all started with W2R wanting a clothes dryer...

 

[Patricia Lyn]

Not that you asked my opinion but maybe some nice open shelves on that wall in the kitchen?

 

[FIREd]

You haven't wasted an inch. That's a great floor plan. Will you show us pictures of the work in progress?

Will the door be steel with state of the art locks? I'm surprised by your comment about burglary..

Many times in the US this would be caused by addicts looking for money or something they can pawn to buy drugs. Is this a problem in your area?

I hope you stay on schedule and on budget!

Thanks! I will share photos.

We do not have a lot of violent crimes here, but opportunistic property crimes are quite common. This is a wealthy area of Europe and it attracts thieves from poorer parts of the continent. In the Geneva area, where I live, many people install reinforced doors and locks - often after they get "visited" as we say locally. Property crimes often are quick smash and grab jobs. Reinforced doors and locks act as effective deterrents.

 

[NW-Bound]

Most European Airbnb apartments I stayed in had front doors so sturdy and the locks quite fancy, the US home doors look like toys in comparison.

Now, I understand preventing the locks from being picked, but is there a real danger of having the door kicked down?

Man, my front door here in comparison can be blown down by a big bad wolf as he did to the little pig's door in the popular fable.

"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, no, by the hair on my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."

 

[FIREd]

Fantastic!

A very efficient layout. I think you’ll be very happy in your new home. Are you going to get a convertible sofa for when you have guests? Your layout reminds me of one of my favorite shows: Tiny House Nation.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=ELbNTXpci56VoMxZ6aDJdSHA

Layouts tend to be efficient in Europe as space is at a premium.

No convertible sofa though. I had a guest bedroom for 15 years and it was only used a handful of times. So I made the decision to forgo guest accommodation this time around.

 

[FIREd]

Most European Airbnb apartments I stayed in had front doors so sturdy and the locks quite fancy, the US home doors look like toys in comparison.

Now, I understand preventing the locks from being picked, but is there a real danger of having the door kicked down?

Man, my front door here in comparison can be blown down by a big bad wolf as he did to the little pig's door in the popular fable.

"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, no, by the hair on my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."

Nah, they don't pick locks. They usually gain entry in less than 1 minute or move on. So they use brutal force. My mom's condo was burglarized and she found her cylinder lock sitting on the floor of the living room, 10' from the front door. They can demolish a basic cylinder lock in seconds according to the cops. And sometimes they attack the door itself (hinges, panels, etc...).

 

[W2R]

+2@Spoiled Americans.

Here in the US we have an abundance of both space and inexpensive electricity. Lots of places around the world still dry clothers the old fashioned way - clothesline and sun.

Years ago I knew a young mother who air dried her clothes and her family's clothes for 13 years. Oh yeah.... that was me! I was so glad when I finally got my first dryer. Felt pretty special.

 

[Moemg]

Great use of space ! I am amazed !

 

[FIREd]

Years ago I knew a young mother who air dried her clothes and her family's clothes for 13 years. Oh yeah.... that was me! I was so glad when I finally got my first dryer. Felt pretty special.

I discovered dryers when I arrived in the US back in 1997. I had no idea such things existed! Same with garbage disposals! They are very rare in Europe but they are so practical!

 

[W2R]

Why I like having a dryer! YMMV.

I discovered dryers when I arrived in the US back in 1997. I had no idea such things existed! Same with garbage disposals! They are very rare in Europe but they are so practical!

One thing I hated about air drying, was that the weather didn't always cooperate on days when laundry just simply HAD to be done. So on those rainy or windy or freezing days, instead of hanging clothes outside, the family's clothes, dozens of diapers, underwear, and more were draped everywhere throughout the house. Laundry was hanging everywhere you'd look, to the left, to the right, high, low, everywhere. Made me feel like a hillbilly or something. Thank goodness we didn't have a pet in the house back then. Another thing I hated about air drying was that although the clothes smelled nice, jeans dried as stiff as cardboard and very uncomfortable. Also I felt there are more wrinkles with air drying than when using a dryer.

However, dryers were just too expensive for me to even consider back then. We were young and just getting started in life. Now, they don't seem so expensive, probably because now, I have more $$$ than I once did.

I don't have a garbage disposal, and didn't at my previous home either. I thought about getting one but I don't care very much if I have one or not.

 

[Huston55]

I don't have a garbage disposal, and didn't at my previous home either. I thought about getting one but I don't care very much if I have one or not.

Reminds me of what my dad said in response to questions about this or that convenient appliance when we were growing up. “I don’t need a dishwasher, garbage disposal, or riding lawn mower...I have children.”

 

[W2R]

Reminds me of what my dad said in response to questions about this or that convenient appliance when we were growing up. “I don’t need a dishwasher, garbage disposal, or riding lawn mower...I have children.”

Hey, I'm on a constant weight loss diet.... I'm not going to let a scrap of food go to waste! (just kidding!)

Actually, since there is just one of me, and since I eat lunch out every day and do not cook extensively, I really don't have much garbage to dispose of.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have not used my dishwasher for so long, I wonder if it still works.

After replacing the garbage disposal for who knows how many times, I got rid of it. No more clogged pipe is a side benefit.

I will not get rid of the dryer though. Too much work to use a cloth drying line.

 

[W2R]

I have not used my dishwasher for so long, I wonder if it still works.

After replacing the garbage disposal for who knows how many times, I got rid of it. No more clogged pipe is a side benefit.

I will not get rid of the dryer though. Too much work to use a cloth drying line.

That's how I see it, too.

I use my dishwasher once a week, but really it would not be much more work to just handwash the dishes.