tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918422105938650986.post3723506173193957331..comments2024-03-27T14:33:42.153-04:00Comments on SoPo Cottage: Lessons Learned from Life in EuropeLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183168966431701470noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918422105938650986.post-68924837847493411382016-12-02T13:24:33.830-05:002016-12-02T13:24:33.830-05:00I lived in Germany for 11 years. I agree that ward...I lived in Germany for 11 years. I agree that wardrobes are a better use of storage space for the most part, and that a small WC is perfectly fine. Love those cure little sinks, and washing hands in cold water never bothered me.<br /><br />I also think that their kitchen systems are often nicer for the price than what we have in the US--it is possible to buy a basic entire one-wall kitchen with integrated appliances starting at around $2,000-$3,000. In the kitchens I had, the wiring was surface mounted and ran mostly above the cabinets, which makes it a lot easier to swap out individual appliances as needed, such as the range hood, which is standard in a European kitchen. The smaller stove and sink and fridge does take some getting used to though. We were lucky to be able to add fridge space.<br /><br />I also like their use of space. The yards are smaller, but with less wasted undefined space. Roofs are often used as balconies, and zero lot line development is common, which means that the wall of your garage or house is on the lot line of the adjoining property. The back yard is often set up like a courtyard, completely walled or fenced in, which was so nice and private, and safe for my son to play in. For apartments, this space may be shared, but offers a bit of green that is often not seen from the street. This is not just in old areas, but in new as well.<br /><br />Overall, although the density of housing even in suburban areas is much higher than the US, I never felt cramped. There are very strong written and unwritten rules for how to live with your neighbors, and Germans are not shy to let you know if you break one, like not having curtains in the window and making your street windows look pretty, or being too loud during quiet hours, washing your car in the driveway (there are designated areas for environmental reasons.)<br /><br />Americans sometimes find it hard to adjust to, but I found most of it to be reasonable and not hard to do. You learn to cope, like timing grocery shopping during the quiet hours to avoid the after work rush, because Americans always buy more per trip than Germans and hold up the line. Learn enough of the local language to get by ("I want that please" works well for shopping) Use Google translater to get the skinny on local tourist attractions, as well as things like local recycling rules. <br /><br />About the only thing we had a hard time with was my landlord's insistence that we rid the cobblestone of all moss--we thought the moss was charming. A power-washer solved that problem.Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918422105938650986.post-73639937056106509262016-11-24T09:35:53.783-05:002016-11-24T09:35:53.783-05:00Oh, I love this! The use of space is genius. The...Oh, I love this! The use of space is genius. The toiletten is my favorite - so much less to clean.Mitzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13058758507978295767noreply@blogger.com