The Apartment

Here's what y'all have been waiting for! The apartment in Germany! We had our own version of House Hunters International for two days, and to be honest, the choices we had were pretty awesome. I had to get pretty nit picky about the line up so we could make our top 3. The one we chose was actually the very first apartment we looked at, and somehow I knew. I have a great feeling when I walk in the door, and the space is newly renovated in a traditional German home.

Some of my favorite things about the house hunt:

* When the Realtor and our House Hunting Helper would speak to each other in German for more than 5 minutes and then the translation we got was " She says the laundry is in the basement". Really? That's all?

* When we saw an apartment that was the top floor of a house. You took a long winding staircase up to the top, and the balcony was very narrow with a great view of the death drop below. I almost peed my pants when the Realtor tried to get me onto said balcony. It got even better when she motioned to an old wooden ladder in the hallway and said that the guest room was "up there" and "go look". Note to self, mention "DEBILITATING FEAR OF HEIGHTS" on application form to avoid this situation in the future.

* The apartment in a former Communist building. Sparse, very square, and the creepiest basement area ever. East German Police interrogation rooms much?

* The apartment that was pretty nice, but smelled like a cheap Indian Restaurant. I couldn't get over the smell. But now I want Indian food.

* The fact that we saw 2 closets in the 9 apartments we visited. 2.

* The apartment building that was about 20 miles into the wild outside of Dresden. We drove up some crazy winding and wooded roads that made WV proud. And when we got there the Realtor says, "Are you sure you want to look at this apartment? It is very far from everything. Then again you could get a horse." The landlord was a tiny nervous German man who spoke swiftly to us in German while gesturing madly at all of the things that should make us love the space. Then as we left he kept of mimicking us signing the paperwork. Sorry sir, only if we get a free horse.

* Most apartments/ houses do not have the following:

light fixtures (wires hanging from the ceiling), a kitchen (pipes sticking out of the wall), closets (everyone uses wardrobes. I better not find a Lion and Witch in mine.), no blinds (usually in US apartments you at least get the cheapo mini blinds), no AC (sweet heavens help me), and an itty bitty refrigerator (college dorm room size). And thats IF you have a kitchen.

* If you like an apartment, you then enter into a month long negotiation with the landlord. Fortunately Chris' company handles that part.

And here are a few of the pictures that 75% of you went straight to without reading my amazing commentary above. For shame.

Ground Floor 120 sqm. Two Floors. Open Floorplan.

Living Room, Study, 3 Bedrooms, Built in Kitchen, 2 Bathrooms, Parquet Flooring, Parking Lot, Balcony, Shared Garden Area, 2 Blocks from Tram.

Ze Floorplan.

Ze front of ze house.

Artsy fartsy photo of ze house.

Ze back of ze house.

Ze kitchen. Ze refrigerator is ze cabinet door that is slightly open.

Ze living room and dining room.

Ze study on ze bottom floor with ze stairs to ze right.

Ze master bedroom.

One of ze bathrooms.

One of ze bedrooms.

When I upload the photos on my point and shoot camera I'll add those too!