16 differences between Italian and American homes

[@johnl7443]

As an American tourist in Rome, I was amazed at windows that tilt from the top inward AND could also open like a door! I had never seen that before. We were at an airbnb in Rome.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Personally I've always liked those windows too!

[@simonezampa9239]

simply in italy we have less extra things that wont fit in our houses. i think it's because we have a less consumistic culture ( italy is been a poor contry for centuries, only after the 60' some whalthness began to be seen in italy) and because here there is a strong culture of borrowing. if i need a tool one time i didn'tbuy it, i ask it from someone who i know have that tool for example

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I agree. Italy is more focused on less waste than in the US.

[@adrianakusieluskus8941]

True!

[@honeybeejourney]

I like that idea of borrowing. We do that more on the East coast of the US where you have to depend on each other more because of the weather.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@honeybeejourney my family didnt tend to do that. It may be because there were some relatives who "borrowed" too much and in the end we distanced ourselves from them.

[@andreagruppioni2354]

penso dipenda soprattutto da fatto che in america non esiste l'antico, tutto è costruito su terreno nuovo , quindi spazio senza vincoli storici I think it mainly depends on the fact that in America there is no ancient history, everything is built on new land, so there is space without historical constraints.

[@valefur72]

In Italy we have a huge variety of homes. From the wood chalets of the Dolomites, to the trulli of Puglia... I think no other country has a so crazy differences...

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Wood chalets look so warm and inviting. I can confirm. I’ve seen many different types of houses here. Haven’t seen Trulli yet.

[@amberfur5750]

Vero, ma in città sono molti i palazzi degli anni 60. Sono quelli più accessibili e chi viene qui di solito affitta in questi orribili palazzi…

[@ReallyStrongGuy]

I get your point, but America is over 30x larger. We love Italy, but Maine to Nevada and Florida to Wyoming include a huge variety of climates, terrains and tastes. The homes reflect that.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Most definitely. I remember my grandmother wanted to move from Ohio to Connecticut, but she gave up because she doesn’t know the houses there and what to look for in Connecticut.

[@ReallyStrongGuy]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Makes sense. If you can’t tell what’s good from what’s bad, you can end up in a bad situation.

[@jpollar]

I miss having a bidet. Lol Every country should adopt that from Italy/France.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Agreed

[@anonymous203020]

I am contemplating a move to Italy for work and your videos are so helpful. I really enjoy your perspective and sense of humor. Thank you!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh wow! Thank you! Glad to be of help. I try not to be too obvious with my humor and I've always loved dry wit.

[@michaelz6870]

What type of work will you be doing? 🤔

[@giovannisantostasi9615]

You forgot an essential thing. How beautiful interior decoration is in Italy. Most people in Italy have very beautiful furniture, drapes, carpets. My home looked like a castle inside even if it was small. I loved it because it gave me a sense of beauty and elegance. Most American homes are large and that is nice but they look terrible in terms of interior decoration.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

True, Italians have a more keen sense of interior decoration. The idea of making a good impression is deeply rooted in their culture. To be honest, it’s my style and I prefer a touch of minimalism.

[@allborosnyc4544]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Do the Italians in Italy put plastic over the couch and frown when anyone uses it? Here in the USA, im sure you know, the Italians live in the basement and the main floor of the house is Only to access the bedrooms. They treat the main floor like a museum.

[@ariannamartello5198]

@@allborosnyc4544 oh my god, I’ve never seen someone put plastic over the couch😳

[@allborosnyc4544]

@@ariannamartello5198 haha, i remember the plastic over the couch in the 70's and 80's. I didnt wear shorts when visiting because id stick to the plastic 🤣.

[@ariannamartello5198]

@@allborosnyc4544 I’ll ask my parents if this was a thing in Italy in those years then😅

[@michaelz6870]

#13 About no recliners in Italy warmed my ❤! I loathe of recliners.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

For what reason ?

[@michaelz6870]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Just the aesthetics, I guess. To me, they conjure up an image of a fat, lazy American in a daze, unable to look away from his television. hahaha

[@johnl7443]

I despise recliners too! They are monsterous in size, and completely ruin the look of a room. When I sleep, I use a bed! LOL! Interestingly, my aunt lived in a studio apartment until she was 99 and she lived and slept in her recliner!

[@michaelz6870]

@johnl7443 see, you get it! Never once thought of someone using one of these instead of a bed, in a small place. 🤷‍♂️

[@ehulbert5]

Here in California, and in Arizona, everyone has a fence or wall around their property, also there is far less wall to wall carpeting in people's houses, most houses have stone tile or hardwood (I think carpeting is a cold climate thing, it give the illusion of warmth) Your video is really more a comparison of New England homes and Italian homes in many provinces. It regions of the U.S. homes vary, and the same with Italy, homes vary region to region, a good example of that is the fact that there are no trulli in the North. In the deep south and along the Atlantic seaboard along the coastal plain, houses don't have basements, the water table is too high, and it's far too damp, at the least uncontrollable mildew, fungus, and flooding. Most homes in very cold climates (Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska etc.) have double doored vestibules to keep cold air out of the house as people enter or leave.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yeah, I am a bit disadvantaged because I only lived in New England. Although my grandmother lives in Cleveland and in the 2 homes she’s had in my lifetime there was always a basement. I am not sure if Cleveland is susceptabile to flooding or not. I do hope carpeting is a fad that will go away in the coming decade as I really dislike it. I see more disadvantages to it than pros.

[@johnl7443]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Carpeting is seen less and less here in California. #1 choice today is wood, followed by wood laminate. You still see wall to wall carpeting in apartments. David, you are 100% correct regarding carpets and cleanliness!

[@mylife-23]

I have a porch because we like to relax and look at nature or chill with friends and family outside on it. It's mostly just relaxation and fresh air.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Sounds awesome!

[@mylife-23]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly it is but it's a pain to take care of 😭 we have to repaint every few years, repair evrry fee years and clean algae slime off it every spring, summer & fall.

[@sc9037]

There are tissue boxes in Italy though they are hard to find in the supermarkets. The big difference between Italian and American tissue boxes is that the Italian ones do not have any plastic at all, so they are completely recyclable as carta. No little plastic shields. Love them.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I’d be curious to see one here. I can’t picture it in my mind

[@tinkybutadorable]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly if you have a maury's near your home you can find them there 😉

[@noone.1711]

I never ever had problem in finding tissue boxes... I live in Milan though 🤔

[@shweshwa9202]

Basements in Italy are called Taverne, but we use them to enjoy the feeling, they can be proper room where you chill, eat and you keep chill in summer time. Italians do not have too much stuff like Americans. We are a bit more essentialists, and we do not buy a lot of stuff like for the sake of buying.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I agree. Only buy the essential.

[@lcbrye]

Stoves and ovens between American and Italian kitchens, would be interesting to add.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Possibly. Not sure there’s a big difference in those really.

[@johnl7443]

I grew up in California (1960s) with fenced in yards. Then in 1968 we moved to Iowa! OMG! No fences! As a kid, I thought it was fantastic! Fences are ugly. I live in San Diego, and there are some older homes with bars on the windows which I hate. Regarding window screens, I remove mine in the winter to enjoy crystal clear views. I'm learning Italian, and retiring to Italy in January, 2025! I'm going to start in Rome, I love Rome, and the neighborhood I'm wanting to live in, is Prati! Grazie, David, per i meravigliosi video! Ciao!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Iowa. 1968. That sounds like simple peaceful living (depending on the right family of course!) That’s a good idea to start in Rome and then consider going elsewhere. You may experience “the honeymoon is over” phase and want to get the hell out of dodge! Un abbraccio

[@ralphbrookens7491]

One thing I noticed right away in Italy was how high (in general) was the quality of the windows, & doors along with their hardware. My wife and I just returned from 5 weeks there, Trieste to Puglia. You can not leave out the artisty found everywhere, Church's, ceilings, arches, furniture. Every corner offers a new adventure. We totaly love the country the food and the people!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I think that is really subjective because in the place where I work the windows are old and not good quality.

[@amberfur5750]

The basement can be a “cantina” or a “taverna” or “seminterrato”. Every apartment has a “cantina” to store staff. If you want a bigger house you must live in a village, not in a town. I understand you live in a town or a city. As for food I tend to store less food and go to the supermarket more frequently, so that food can’t expire and it’s fresh. A full fridge gives me anxiety. And yes,I though this was a common habit: I blow my nose in the bathroom, throw in the loo and then anybody that does n 1&2 will flush, so I don’t waste water. Nice video, thank you!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

We buy fresh as well and yet we’re always fighting for space in the fridge! Boh !

[@amberfur5750]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Intendi in Italia? Pensa che nella nostra casa in montagna abbiamo il frigorifero incassato nel mobile della cucina, insomma è poco più basso del top della cucina e integrato ha il freezer 🤣 D’inverno lasciamo alcune cose in terrazza, ma c’è chi proprio lo tiene spento d’inverno. Io non sono così estrema però 🤣

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh yes, parlavo del nostro frigo qui a Roma! Anch'io nel CT d'inverno a volte mettevo alcuna roba fuori.

[@noone.1711]

"A full fridge gives me anxiety." oh yess, exactly the same with me! I go to the supermarket more often! 😁

[@amberfur5750]

@@noone.1711 I also buy very few things every couple of days at the grocery’s near home. 😇

[@user-wp7zn8ii5u]

I love Italy. I visit often the only things I miss from USA is ICE, window screens, A/C, and large refrigerators. If I move there I am going to have all four installed in my home. I can live without closets it just makes you get rid of things you don't wear/use.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

See if you have room for them. I wanted a big American style refrigerator but in our new apartment we don’t have the room for it unfortunately We do, however, have the room for recliner and I’m gonna get one eventually !💪🏼

[@michaelwells7549]

Every apartment in Italy I was in had an on-demand water heater. And they also had tapparelle in the windows, great in winter, not so much in the summer.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Michael. What is an on demand heater? The rolling shutters are good year round really. they block the sun in the summer

[@michaelwells7549]

The water heater that kicks on when you turn the hot water on as opposed to the big 40 gallon take we have here in the US that heats the water waiting for you to use it.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Here's how ours works here in Rome. It's always plugged in and it continuously heats the water. When we turn on the water it takes a few seconds for the hot water to arrive

[@gabrieleriva_bboykappside]

I personally let the rolling shutters down during summer. Not completely tho. I leave them "grilled" as I use to say, which means there's some space between each piece of it and sometimes slightly lift it up. It helps me reflect some heat. My room is on the south face of the house, so everything including my veg garden is constantly heated. If I had everything opened, I believe it would feel like a greenhouse (we don't have an air conditioner in my house so we use fans)

[@roadrunner156]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly In the US is called tankless water heater

[@whatsupwithwy]

We use our screened in (back) porch just as much as any room inside the house. Weekends, mornings, and everyday after work we’re out on the porch talking, lounging, listening to music, watching tv, eating, you name it. Because I’m in Georgia we can use the porch almost 10 months out of the year.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That sounds awesome ! I always liked the porch culture of the South.

[@Pellegrino809]

Excellent video - very informative , especially the part where you make a distinction between facts and opinion, I wish they were more news channels or reporters that did that.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Flattered thank you! I think opinion should always be based on fact.

[@Steve-Duh-Rino]

Hope to live in an Italian home one day! Keep up the great work!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hey Steve Thanks ! Hope you can make it happen.

[@DavidS-qp6zp]

We have dual flush toilets here in the USA without the need to have a tank on the wall. They have become more common in recent years and now you can find them at any big box stores.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh cool. I like that change. Wonder if bidets will ever make their way into mainstream US.

[@DavidS-qp6zp]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I do have a question about them. They seem like a much more sanitary system, but how do you dry yourself afterwards? Sorry. I hope that’s not a crude question.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@DavidS-qp6zp I have a toddler. I forgot what crude is 😅. Above the bidet there are usually small towels hanging there.

[@DavidS-qp6zp]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly so there is a supply of tea towel sized cloths? And I suppose that they are one use so you’d need a hamper like container close by? That’s a lot of additional laundry 🤔

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@DavidS-qp6zp well you wash them as often as you would any bathroom towel When you use it after a bidet , you’re just absorbing water

[@tinkybutadorable]

Hi, i like your videos: they make me think about my lifestyle ;) I think the reasons we usually don't have dryers in italy are: 1) dryers tendto ruin clothes 2) you can dry only things that are in jersey because it wrinkle too much cotton and silk, and it's too aggressive on wool and cachemire. So at the end of the day if I hang out the laundry in the right way i don't have to iron the majority of my clothings 😉 I can see how a dryer can be usuful if you have kid clothings because most of the time they are not good quality, they are usually in jersey, and they are used for a short period time because children outgrow them, so i can see the convenience if you have kids

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Maria. You have a point. I think however, we would like to have a dryer more for towels and bedsheets, because those are very difficult to dry in the winter. Btw jersey is casacca in English 🫣

[@tinkybutadorable]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly oh noooo🙈 and what's the name of the fabric?

[@orinocoplay1876]

Ok, I found my home country Iran more similar to the US rather than Italy. So I have to make myself ready for a big change. Thank you again David!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Really ? Interesting. In what way is it similar ?

[@orinocoplay1876]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Open Space Planning, large basements, Flyscreen windows, Big Refrigerators, Tissue Boxes, And generally everything is big (Maybe because I live in countryside not in the big city in Iran)

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yeah living in the countryside definitely determines the size of your house. It can. I love fly screens and I don't understand why some people are against them. You get the fresh morning and evening air and the flies stay out

[@orinocoplay1876]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly 100%

[@_aaroneous]

Our house has a porch, it is used almost exclusively for package deliveries. We have chairs and sometimes we sit there but not a lot really.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

How come? I am not sure I'd sit on a porch either. Maybe if I lived in the woods

[@_aaroneous]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly We use our back patio a lot.

[@debsmith7120]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly When I was a child and visiting grandparents in the summer in the hot hot hot and humid humid South, we used the porches to cook off in the evenings. No one had AC (except very rich people). So after the house had been heating up all afternoon you really didn’t want to be in it until we’ll after dark when it had hopefully cooled down some. The porch was a life-saver! The overhang also kept some of the afternoon sunshine from reaching the interior. Some people even had screened-in porches where they slept when it was unbearable even at night inside.

[@honeybeejourney]

I’ve lived on the West Coast for 26 years (but originally from NY) and have been in a basement maybe 2 times in all my years here.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Having made this video, I have learned about some of the differences in housing in the United States!

[@maureenmcshane5988]

Love your commentary. It's very enlightening , and your delivery is lighthearted. Will watch you next time, but FOR GOD SAKE -- BLOW YOUR STUFFY NOSE!😊😊

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Great compliment ! Thank you 😊 I had Covid at the time but didn’t know it

[@raef203]

I guess the change in voice was the start of your Covid. If I am not mistaken many Italians I know live in large buildings with many floors, some with elevators and many without. Their steps are often marble and hard on your feet. Ceilings are higher and floors are also hard. Kitchens are more for cooking and functional--not fancy. As far as collecting stuff, I think Italians don't hoard like we do, they buy less, considering for the most part everything is more expensive there and not always on SALE, like here. Sometimes we just buy because things are cheap, even if we don't really need them. When I have taken my Italian relatives to WALMART, they didn't like the experience--they explained to me that they prefer to go to specialty shops to buy goods then have it all in one BIG space for "one stop shopping" like Walmart. I get it--but not how Americans think---we value convenience and low prices more than they do. Thanks for sharing!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh yes. That voice change was indeed covid. It took a while for it to come back. I strongly advise anyone who is thinking of relocating to Italy to get an apartment with an elevator. We’ve needed it so many times, not to mention that I don’t feel like carrying a baby carriage up and down 5 flights of stairs! While I have seen Italians overdecorate their homes I don’t think that qualifies them as hoarders. Also, I think you’re right that the majority of Italians wouldn’t be into a super store like Walmart. The smaller stores are more appealing because they are usually made with more care than something mass produced. Also, they like to chit chat with the store employees. Thank you for watching!

[@roadrunner156]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly After 20 years in the US I still have to go to a Walmart or Olive Garden ahahahha

[@luciennedespota909]

Paper towels. Little plastic containers for left overs, (affordable ones). Zip lock bags. Saran wrap. Aluminum foil. Philadelphia cream cheese, which can be found, but generally expensive and Italians hate it. Paper cups for the bathroom. I know, I know, ecological nightmares, one and all, but make life so much easier. Thank you for this vid!

[@zupperchannel3599]

for extra things in itali we use garage, "magazzino", and "sottotetto" but usually we are mor minimalistic and we try to trash all the extra stuff

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

True. I see less stuff in Italian homes.

[@rioriggs3568]

I’m in the Montreal area. Luckily, when it comes to food we have plenty of options. I’m walking distance from amazing bakeries and pastry shops. And with 300,000 residents of Italian ancestry we have plenty of Italian commerces. I must say, the quality of the local food is constantly increasing. When it comes to pizza for instance (napoletana, gourmet, romana, al taglio, focaccia, etc.), it’s almost as good as the best of Italy. Actually, unless one lives in a big Italian city, finding all these great pizza types is impossible. In my dad’s area for instance, a small town between Piacenza and Parma, the only pizzeria is almost an embarrassment (but the rest of the food is amazing). At home, I often cook our traditional recipes and with youtube now, it’s easy to make amazing Italian food from all regions. I’m a fan of Giorgio “Giorgione” Barchiesi. PS We’ve always made the original recipes never Americanized versions. We’ve only recently stopped making our own prosciutto, salsiccia, coppa and wine. We’ve cut down on all of it for health reasons and also because we can now get the real stuff from Emilia Romagna (very easily available in every local grocery stores, not just the Italian ones). We still make fresh pasta and ravioli for Christmas time. We still go mushroom picking every year, we use the porcini in our traditional pastasciutta. We also grow basil and tomatoes and make our own passata di pomodoro. I would say I listen to Italian TV and music half the time. I go see Italian artists when they come to town (Claudio Baglioni, Eros Ramazotti) but I also go see shows when I’m in Italy. You’re in Rome therefore you clearly know my favorite singer, Antonello Venditti. I saw him a few times including at the Stadio Olimpico a few years ago. Nonostante tutto questo, ci manca ancora la bellezza del Bel Paese, ed è per questo che ci torniamo ogni anno.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I have relatives of Italian origin in Montreal. More specifically these are my grandmother‘s cousins who are from Italy whereas my grandmother was born in the states I have been to Montreal four times and I always noticed how Italian the Italian Canadian society is there. They seem to be more Italian than Italian Americans. Personally, I dislike Italian music and I’m more American in this aspect given that I still like hard rock and heavy metal music 😎😎 Whenever I meet Italians that share similar music tastes, I admire them because they have the courage to go against popular culture.

[@nathaliehirte836]

Ciao David! We have a wrap-around porch. We spend as much time as possible on it. It is an outdoor living space we love it!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Sounds nice ! Can you see trees ?

[@nathaliehirte836]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly where we live in NH, we have over an acre. We love watching the birds and other animals, and the garden bloom throughout the seasons. It's our little patch of paradise.

[@francescobg666]

Super David!

[@alby8357]

To be fair in Italy you can just buy a washing machine who is also a dryer. I have one. But in summer it's cheaper to let the clothes dry on the sunlight, and we have space for it considered almost every house or apartment in Italy come with a balcony

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I haven't seen that dryer washer combo here in Italy. But I'll keep my eyes out for it.

[@analiamaggiore8205]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly you shops look into lavasciuga machines. I prefer having the two separated but if you have a small place it could be a good solution. I have a dryer and used it only for towels oh sheets that would take too long to air dry. It less energy wasting.

[@BluCircled]

pros and cons in each country I guess. My Grandpa in the US had carpet where the toilet was in the bathroom, yuk! lol But apart from that I think the biggest difference is houses in the US tend to be HUGE and often with a HUGE garden too. In Europe we tend to have smaller homes and often hardly any outside space at all... I remember coming back from the US to Italy I always used to feel a bit like a sardine in a tin and generally speaking much less comfortable... there is no country in the world where I've felt as comfortable as in the US

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I have never understood the point of carpeting in the bathroom! I tend to agree in that American homes are based more on comfort and practicality. I think the best living situation here in Italy is to get a villa with at least two stories. However, to not generalize, I have been in plenty of apartments, which were spacious and comfortable here in Italy.

[@stacielacava3753]

Great Video. I hope you feel better So true about the carpet , dryer and toilets and a couple others. 👍🇮🇹

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

As do I. If you'll read my latest community post I explain what's going on with me now.

[@patti3d]

I am Italian born USA. And I use toilet paper for my nose. I use paper towels for napkins or cloth napkins. My dad always used a handkerchief

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Handkerchief is old school! No one in my family used it.

[@allborosnyc4544]

I noticed in Italy the people food shop for the day unlike in the USA. In the USA its buy in bulk and shop for at least 2 weeks. I got to admit buying toiletries in bulk is worth it.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Italians buy less in bulk. True. Very often you can walk to the grocery store so it’s easier to go often. I do and also because the store is right next to my building

[@giacomofuortes2703]

Most of this differences are based on one thing.... space. In Italy i think the average house are half the square meter of an american one, We do not have so much land and is divided in farming and buildable land. this last one have limitation on square meters you can build on it. You can change the preset use of a lot but is very difficult and goes in to the ammount a city can have of buildable land that usually are already at the maximum. That couple of houses you show at the end of the video are huge compared to italian ones, we have usually no space in the kitchen for an american style fridge like we have no space for a walk in closet.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yeah, you're right, it all comes down to space. Simply put, we got more if it in the States.

[@roadrunner156]

Also keep in mind that my girlfriend (who does not cook, because I am the cook) buys tons of food that nobody uses thus filling up the enormous fridge we have. If you throw away that useless stuff, probably a dorm fridge would be enough LOL. We are about to move to Italy and I hope I can "train" her on not to buy useless stuff and turning off lights when not needed (she never paid Italian electric bills, so she wastes away electricity)

[@sabryzane7144]

Extra stuff storage is the Cantina & partly garage

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Right. Which I’ve learned that in the states, the basement doesn’t always exist.

[@ptrs559]

The high ceilings in Italian apartments give a palatial impression, also one of “coldness” and not so cozy a feeling .

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I can take or leave high ceilings

[@ptrs559]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I have been told that in newer apartment buildings in Italy the ceilings are not quite so high but I imagine still higher than in the States. Italians prefer it that way.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Change takes a long time to happen here.

[@MsWarriordiva]

I have bars on my windows & I live in AZ. Not uncommon. Also, no basements here. No basements when I lived in TX which was bad, since we had tornado warnings a lot. I like that most Italian "gardens" are fenced.

[@roadrunner156]

I have been living in the US for the past 20 years and always hated central air. It's expensive, inefficient, bulky, and noisy. Here if you don't call a tech every 6/12 months breakdowns are fairly frequent. Split systems (what we normally use in Italy), are cheaper, more efficient and with almost no maintenance (besides just cleaning periodically filters, which takes minutes). With the more recent versions, which have heat pumps, you don't need gas heaters either. I was even thinking to replace the central air and furnace with split systems. I also don't like carpeting a bit

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

my parents central air works rather well and I don’t think it requires any maintenance or a little. A friend of mine in Mestre uses a system where the heat comes from the floor, because there are tubes below that create heat.

[@tinag7381]

I have a balcony at my apartment I use all the time for relaxing but not for drying clothes as my apartment complex leasing office frowns upon that. I keep a box of tissue in my kitchen, although the kitchen is open to the living room and dining area. If I'm closer to the bedroom and bathroom I'll just use toilet paper!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I've seen your balcony and the view. I'd be using it often too to relax and enjoy nature!

[@jasonbflorio]

Fences in NE; they are honking expensive, especially the larger lots of land, and hurricane's. Each storm is a gamble.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

They most certainly are

[@carprofiles]

You are right that the US loves porches. I am watching your video from my Hot Spring hot tub with a streaming TV hanging on the wall by it. The porch is screened in with fans and we spend tons of time on it. As i look at homes in Italy, I think about how to construct the same there. My other issue is Internet. While 5G coverage is ok, trying to find homes with 1Gig fiber like i have in North Carolina, USA is really hard. I found a few with Fiber, but then the speed was only about 100MB.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thanks for watching! You might be hard pressed to find that speed here. Mine is 112mbps download and 235mbps upload

[@libbyd1001]

I put a bidet attachment on both of our toilets at home. Best and simplest use of 💰 for our home for several reasons, including hygiene, reduced use of TP 🧻 which also helps our septic system (yeah, septic system. I’m not a fan but it’s what we’ve got out here in our rural area). Safe travels and felice anno nuovo!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Bidet attachment? Is that any easier than just getting up and sitting on the bidet? Happy New Year!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Libby. Your comment got deleted by KZbin. But I saw a part of it. I’d try your bidet attachment! Why not

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

It did it again 😅😅😅. Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment. Drop me a DM on instagram if you like. Buona serata !

[@silmuffin86]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I tried the attachment, I prefer a regular bidet, but if space is limited or you don't have one it's better than nothing

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@silmuffin86 I do just fine with a regular bidet😀

[@efisme1942]

Graeat video! You could look into differences in building materials!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thanks for the idea! That would take a bit of research but of course doable.

[@lorenzominotti2942]

Italian houses have little or not storages, so they don't have to many unnecessary things. New single villas are all fence off.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I have noticed that in Italian homes, Italians tend to use the upper parts of the apartments for storage because it’s essentially unused space. For example, I’ve noticed that wardrobes tend to be tall because the upper parts can utilize the upper part of the walls in a room.

[@lorenzominotti2942]

@David's Dose of Italy specially on older homes, where the ceiling is at least 3.20 meters or almost 11 feet. On some cases they are even higher. The house were I grew up was like that. We had huge wardrobes from bottom to ceiling, and on top we use to storage items like heavy blankets for winters, bed sheets and so on. Items that you rarely used.

[@RavikantRai21490]

Whoa, another video that I found quite a lot of similarities between Indian and Italian homes. I live in Canada, though originally from India, thus my comment.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Interesting. I’ll take your word for it since I know nothing about Indian homes. Would love to see one !

[@historythroughcoinage150]

I'm Italian American and have a similar strainer.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I think a lot of families had that one!

[@RStarWorld]

I'm Italian and I put my extra things in a space called "soppalco". The ceiling of my house is very high and you can create compartments in it to put stuff. It's hard to explain, try searching on the internet

[@RStarWorld]

On the internet, the images of the soppalco show it open. In my case there are some kind of wooden walls that delimit it and make it an enclosed space where you can put stuff

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yes, I have seen this in houses here in Italy. I’ve noticed that in a lot of Italian apartments the upper spaces are utilized because it could easily be used for storage. My apartment included.

[@patz6689]

Hi there! I think that basements are more common in the East Coast of the US. Here in California it would be unusual to have a house with a basement I think.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hello there Pat. Really ? Why ?

[@markantony3875]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly In many parts of the U.S. houses are just built on concrete slab. I don't know why. Maybe soil conditions or to save money. It seems like most houses in the mid-Atlantic and New England have basements.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I’m slowly finding out that basements aren’t found all over the US

[@Barbaralatrevisana]

Basements are more common in colder climates because the frost line is lower. Meaning you have to place your concrete footings at least that deep into the ground. It therefore makes sense to continue digging a few feet further and use that space in the form of a basement. Here in Utah almost every single home has one, full or partial. Houses with no basement here have to have at least a “crawl space”, which is wasted space in my opinion. Of course in New England basements are also common. Another difference is the construction, in Italy most houses are masonry and not wood construction and the walls are therefore thicker. They feel more solid, and less noisy than USA houses. Also the roofs are mostly tile vs asphalt. The floors are concrete. Forced air heating does not exist, it’s all radiant. The windows often have marble sills. The chimneys sticking up through the roofs are often more elaborate and “pretty”. The ceilings are often higher than in USA. The doors seal better so you don’t hear sounds between rooms. Often the openings in the exterior walls (doors and windows) in Italy have a structure of “cemento armato” or reinforced concrete. Same with the corners of the buildings, even just houses. You will never see that in the US. The showers in Italy can be really tiny. The kitchens are often (in older houses) separated from the rest of the house. The rooms are smaller. In USA the houses might fly away easier in a tornado, but they will resist earthquakes better than (older) Italian homes. Can’t think of any more difference at the moment. As you can probably tell, I work in the architecture field…most of the differences I noticed have to do with construction…

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@Barbaralatrevisana you are indeed an expert ! Why do you feel crawl spaces are a waste of space ? Unfortunately here in rome the walls and ceilings seem paper thin as I can clearly hear footsteps and children screaming.

[@Davearmstrong42]

We rent airbnb homes that are what I'd think is most comparable to a US home and yet they do seem small and have far less closet/storage space.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yeah I think Italian’s only buy what’s necessary and so they don’t need all the extra space

[@SuPoddighe]

In italy most of the people live in Apartments in cities/towns,however the people who live in single houses (villette/ville) have them completly fenced with a wall and metal gates,and it's extremely rare to find a woodden house,we all do it in cement bricks because of the heat,wood collects too much heat especially in summer when we get almost 40° c in the hottest days

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s probably why most Americans have air-conditioning. Having your house fan stuff in Italy makes more sense than the US. I think there are more break-ins here than in America but again that depends on where in the US we’re talking about.

[@roadrunner156]

In Italy to make a whole in the wall you need a hammer drill and a special bit, here a small screwdriver is enough LOL. No wonder why our homes in Italy last centuries

[@zackery5411]

I love the homes in Italy however screens!, yes screens please. I don’t understand the complete lack of screens.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

From what I understand they believe that not enough air can pass through your house with screens. I don’t agree with that.

[@zackery5411]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly 👍

[@adampr5242]

Il bidet e` importante!!! Not enough space given to this device, which is so key for Italians. :D

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

😅😅😅. What more could I have said?

[@theCreativeAssemblymachinimas]

one thing is do not agree is that balconies are used for neighbourhood security. Honestly speaking, Italy is generally a place much more secure than USA and we do not need to patrol our neighbourhood. Maybe connected with the fact that basically none heres walks around the streets with a fire weapon. Yet it is true that old people often spend time in balconies looking at the streets, but i think it is just a way to spend their time.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That is true. My grandparents did the same thing in Boston. I think many Italians feel safer, living in a. palazzo than in a single family home. If you have a problem or if there’s a loud noise, your neighbors know about it immediately.

[@mylife-23]

Bidets in America are only affordable if your rich. Not all of us get a basement. I'm too poor to have one. Instead we have a storage building. You only get walk in closets if you got the money.

[@Sashazur]

In the USA they use “bidet” to also describe those attachments to toilets that just add a way to rinse your personal areas. The cheapest ones are only $30-$40 but you can spend over $1000 for a fancy bidet toilet seat.

[@michaelrubino1950]

We don't have basements in the southwest...coming from California.In looking at houses to buy in Italy I find the majority of kitchens very small.to me that's odd considering Italy is a food culture..I remember there are no closets in Italian homes only wardrobes...one thing that I think is different here in the US are the choices at the grocery store sometimes the choices are overwhelming... I mean I went to buy some milk and there are 50 brands of milk! give me a break! Great video

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I kinda miss the huge variety in America! The kitchens are small to save space and you can still whip up a good meal in a small confined space. Thank you thank you!

[@aldocuneo1140]

Your kitchens are larger, but for cooking what ? Eggs every morning,? Your food is horrible.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Home cooking is where it’s at!

[@marcello4933]

my opinion. The size of the kitchen doesn't matter. In my family, we cooked a very healthy diet with the food we grow and the farm animals we kept. Our kitchen was a cooker 4 hobs and a sink with infinite pots you name we made it including some of the best wine

[@ehulbert5]

@@aldocuneo1140 Amen.

[@Anamericanhotrodderinitaly]

Omg the showers!!! What are they so small in Italy?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Cuz the houses are smaller in general.

[@ptrs559]

David, many condo associations in Italy prohibit storing items other than your car in your garage “box” as it’s called there. I guess due to fire danger perhaps.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Mike. Forgive my ignorance but how is that a fire hazard ?

[@ptrs559]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I can’t figure it out either. This regulation is not followed by most condo residents from what I have seen.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Well I guess if you’re pyrotechnician you do pose a risk !

[@ptrs559]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly LOL

[@andreadifolca8038]

Recliners: I think it is a changing trend, I have one. kitchens: Despite living in Rome my kitchen is big for an Italian house, in America it would probably considered average, my parents house has a very big kitchen with double size fridge. We are not so obsessed with ice so our fridge are not often ice maker, with obvious space benefit.

[@andreadifolca8038]

We do not have a basement at all, my house has a very high ceiling so we create a false ceiling (soppalco) to store things. All considering, we manage to retain a lot of space.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Indeed. I’ve always said that the high parts in any house is just unused space. I love shelves and since we put one in our kitchen it has radically changed how we arrange the things in our house. But, in an apartment of 77sq meters and a toddler running around, we are a bit pressed for space! Aiuto!

[@ptrs559]

Recliners are increasingly used in Italy but as you said, mostly by old people.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

What are some other differences between your home and a home in Italy or a home in the USA?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

right. in my place we had the option to have an open kitchen but we didn't want the smell to go into the living room

[@rioriggs3568]

I'm still hesitating... Settling in Italy permanently in a few years' time or going there for a few months a year as a tourist. I have to say that we're spoiled in Canada and the United States with our big houses, our big lots, our spas, our heated pools, our barbecues, our pizza ovens, our cheap electricity (5 times more expensive in Italy), etc. However, we don't need all those things in Italy! You don't spend your time on your balcony or in your garden when there are gorgeous piazzas everywhere and cute little ‘locali per fare l'aperitivo’, you don't make pizza at home when a delicious Margherita costs just $5 (including tax and tip) at the local pizzeria, and you don't need a spa and swimming pool when the beach is just a few minutes away by car!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ehila! I'd say try coming here on vacation for a few months at a time before making the big decision to come here (if you haven't already). I must say, I really do miss the big single family private home as I miss the privacy and just that feeling of escape from the world. Apartment living has its ups and downs. At this time of year there is a lot of construction going on because it's ideal weather to redo a house.

[@rioriggs3568]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Now that the only way for me to get my Italian citizenship is to move to Italy for three years, I don't have a choice anymore! But it might happen closer to retirement. My girlfriend is French Canadian, therefore I might go to San Remo (just 25 minutes from France). That way everyone is happy!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Make sure that you apply for the permesso di soggiorno if you want to stay here for three years legally. I think Northern Italy is a decent option because in general it’s more organized, clean and quiet of course they’re always exceptions!

[@carolyncarmosino3364]

Well done!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thx ☺️

[@MrTinner66]

Perhaps the first big difference between the houses is that the US ones are for the most part (at least so it seems to be leaked from the videos and TV programs) in wood, while the Italian ones are for the most part in "brick". I am wrong?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

In a general sense yes but there are always exceptions in both countries

[@markantony3875]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Depends on what is local to build with. In New England, mostly wood siding. In Western PA around Pittsburgh, mostly brick because they have ground with very high clay content, so it is easy to make bricks for construction. Since living is U.S, I have lived in New England and Pittsburgh area. I like the brick and stone houses in Pittsburgh area better. Reminds me of houses in Italy more.

[@mauriziograssi4804]

Basements. Most Italian homes are built from bricks, concrete and older properties stone. This is for seismic reasons. Your parents home has wooden floor joists which are lighter and possibly even plasterboard partitions which are not permitted in Italy for the above reasons hence why they can have such a big basement. Kitchens. These differ according to the type of property. My parents have three kitchens; one in the main part of the house for everyday. One in the basement with a wood oven for prep and heavy cooking and a third outside for frying and other smelly cooking. Your won’t find this in Italian cities but very popular in the countryside. Closets. Italian generally have big wardrobes called ‘ Armadio a Quattro Stagioni’. That’s because Italians dress seasonally. They do ‘ il cambia di stagione’ where in spring they wash and store their winter coats and cashmere and bring out cottons and linens and vice versa in autumn. They place unseasonal clothes on the upper part and keep the garments for the forthcoming months below. Again, new build homes have walk in closets but they wouldn’t be open like in the U.S. they would be fitted with closed cupboards and drawers to keep off dust and flies and moths. Fly Screens. Depends on where you live. In the mountains where it’s colder even in summer they’re not required. In cities where it’s warmer people just keep the persiane or alvolgibili closed. The American and British cultures yearn light whereas Italian homes are mostly kept dark. American fridges. Italians tend to shop daily or twice a week and don’t require to store as much food. Products are also in smaller packaging. For example milk is sold in maximum 1L cartons whereas in the US you can even get 4-6 pint cartons. Also, a lot of common italian food is dry and therefore needs storing not cooling. Bigger fridges also consume more electricity and remember most Italian homes only have 3kw. Dryers. Italians care for clothes and most Italian clothes can’t be tumble dried. Americans wear or use a lot of polyester and cotton mix clothing which you can tumble dry. Italians prefer all natural or with a percentage of elastin to keep them more fitted and tumble drying would deform them. Secondly, tumble drying creases clothes and makes ironing harder. Most Italians launder according to the weather and will therefore wash bedding, table cloths, towels when there’s a breeze or sunshine and line dry them. Again, in the city you probably see various folding clothes drying racks with covers to use on a balcony. In the country people have long washing lines and proudly dry their laundry outside. Lastly, dryers use a lot of electricity and we return to the point that most italian homes only have 3kw

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I agree. American and UK homes don’t know how to keep the heat out in the summer times. I’ve actually never noticed if US clothing uses different material than Italian clothes. Thanks for this information,. Fridge: I dunno we’re always fighting for space in our fridge and my wife is Italian. This got even worse since our daughter was born!

[@santopino2546]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly all my family and friends have the same size tall and slim fridge, whether they are 1 or 4 in a family, I suppose the frequency of shopping changes but not the available space. I live alone and shop once every 7 to 10 days.

[@Aguia-77]

I'm from Brazil living in America for about 7 years, and when I first arrived here I noticed the same thing, NO FENCES in most houses. But I do have a theory for that, and that is that the culture and respect for private property in USA is so strong that is part of their mindset. They all have this imaginary line in their minds about what belongs to him what belongs to his neighbor.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s a pretty accurate theory. We never had a fence around our lawn because we never saw the need.

[@Aguia-77]

I really think that's the main reason. Thank you for sharing your experience abroad with everyone. I live here with my husband and 3 kids with a student visa. He is finishing a PhD program, after that who knows... I truly love USA but my dream is Italy. Unfortunately, I don't have any roots there... God bless you and your family!

[@CalabriaDreaming]

Great job!!!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you! Did I get it right? 😄

[@norma8686]

I have a lot of space to put things away, we have an underground storage area (cantina), then we have something we call a box, it's a small building attached to the garage, there we keep our bicycles, my husband keeps his tools and anything we don't need in the house. It's quite big so there's space for everything. What I always found strange is the size of the fridges in the US. Why are your fridges so big?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh yes I forgot to mention the Box. To be honest I should have mentioned other things instead of the garage because every family is different. Fridges are so big because we tend to buy a lot of food in bulk and it’s just part of our culture to have a big fridge.

[@meditationbreath]

nice vids mate

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you 😊

[@KimRily]

Some of the things you say are common in America are not common everywhere. California -- very few people have large basements, and there's not a lot of wall to wall carpet anymore. Lots of bars on windows in the cities.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Since making this video others have told me this. The disadvantage of only having lived in Connecticut. My grandma and mom are from Ohio and I remember seeing them there. But again those are only two stars.

[@luckyluckydog123]

Rotf for that tank at the end :))) nice video as always. My kitchen is about 6 square meters or so and I think it's on the small side. It's hard to tell for sure, but I don't think using toilet paper for blowing your nose is common... On the other hand, at least in my family, what is common are cotton hankerchieves

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I have no way of really confirming If blowing your nose with toilet paper is common on in Italy when we’re at home. I said that because since Italians don’t use tissue boxes and I doubt they always have tissues packets on hand, the only logical conclusion is to use toilet paper. I find it the most convenient

[@CarloMilanesi]

You omitted to talk about the structure. Almost every house in Italy is built with a frame in reinforced concrete, and filling in bricks. It is unconceivable that an Italian house is teared down by a tornado or burned to ash. I think in USA it is different.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I didn’t mention the structure because I don’t know much about architecture and so I didn’t want to sound ignorant. Yes, last week my friend in Connecticut had his house burned down unfortunately. It wasn’t completely burned down, but the interior was destroyed. Nonetheless they have to rebuild everything.

[@CarloMilanesi]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly also in Italy fires can destroy the interior, but the concrete and bricks structure is not to be rebuilt. Instead many USA houses have a wooden structure. Another difference is that in Italy only middle class people can afford a separate house (villetta). Working class people (operai) typically live in condominiums, because they are cheaper. There are welfare-provided small apartments for poor people. In USA, people who can no more afford a separate house goes to live in a car.

[@bobhadley3832]

Thanks David; fascinating video! I love my San Diego condo with all the modern conveniences, a great view of the mountains, underground parking and great weather! CT is very different from CA. Surely the new homes in Italy are very modern I would assume. 👆

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you 😊 Yeah they’re catching up with modern apartments here

[@francescasemeria3763]

In the 50s/70s almost any Italian home had the moquette. It was very fashionable. We eventually found out how anti-hygenic dirty and difficult it is to have. I wouldn't walk bare foot on a moquette. Not ever buy one that's just... disgusting. NO WAY. sorry not sorry.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yeah I heard they used to be fashionable here. I only walk barefoot on them in my parents house because they’re usually pretty clean. All other houses , no forget it

[@amberfur5750]

A Londra avevamo la moquette. Un giorno trovammo i funghi sotto il termosifone: la condensa dei tubi del termosifone insieme al legno e alla moquette sopra aveva creato terreno fertile per i funghi. Proprio quelli che vedi nei boschi! L’avevamo anche in bagno e sopra la moquette c’erano i tappetini 🤣 A Londra era anche comune il linoleum. Facile da pulire, ma davvero brutto!

[@ilariabarnett8700]

Never, ever!! Carpets were not a thing, ever. Not in Italy.

[@Italiangirlnj747]

Ur parent's house nice

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you

[@arx3516]

I think you shouldn't compare different tipologies of house against each other. It would be more appropriate to compare your house in Connecticut with a similar single family house in Italy. In that case you would see that often we tend to use the basement as a second, more informal living room.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I definitely see your point however, I think the house that I used in Connecticut can be found in many places across the United States. Let’s just say there are many similarities between my parents, house and others in the states is what I’m getting at. In all fairness I don’t have much experience with urban homes in the US so that’s why I didn’t include it.

[@simonezampa9239]

about fridges i think it's a matter of food culture. we don't need america's big fridge because we buy much more fresh and not-tractated food that have a much shorter expiration date. if you fill an american fridge with italian food probably you'd waste half of it

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I dunno about that. My wife is Italian and we like to go to the market and get fresh food. And yet we're constantly battling for space in our fridge.

[@garyleewhite]

Dishwashers: in Italy they seem to be almost nonexistent.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I disagree. I’ve seen plenty. I have one 😀

[@simonezampa9239]

one of the reason why we have always a lawn around our houses is related to italian laws. i don't know if in usa it works in a different way, but in italy if someone hurt himself on your ground you are responsable in court, and no one want to be suited for bullshit like that

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I believe it's the same in the US although I am not 100% certain.

[@yound19]

Can a Canadian move there and how if I just want to change my scenery and get more involved in my culture as I am Italian I have never been there and I’m getting old once my daughter is a adult I plan to move and work there and prior to visit once a year starting next year

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Sure. I did. If you’re eligible for an Italian passport via jus sanguinis that’s your first step.

[@nunziawright6442]

ODIO il carpet mamma mia e sempre pieno di Polvere e sporco. preferisco il pavimento. The cental air is pretty kool But if you do not check your ducts in your attic, you have no idea what au are breathing. Most people forget to have them checked at least every few years. We were renting this house for 3 years and we were so sick all the time. Finally we had the ducts checked and we were shocked. :(

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s very well likely why you felt sick. Carpeting for me is useless. Maybe I’d put in my daughters room as it is comfortable when you walk on it but that’s not enough reason to want to install it.

[@nikkibonomo9935]

Can you cover the types of homes in Italy versus? The united states? This would be things like condos and single family homes versus detached homes and semi detached homes. I am an American and when I look at houses for sale in Italy. I get very confused. 😊

[@roadrunner156]

Detached homes in Italy are not common. Italy is about twice as big as Florida but has 60 million people living there, so apartments are the most common occurrence and not just in big cities

[@mariehahn4462]

I’m in NM and only our upstairs has wall to wall. Personally I hate it. Our floors are laminate and ceramic tiles.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Marie. Do what I did. One day I simply tore up the carpeting in my room because I was sick of looking at the ugly green 1970s style carpeting. It was a wonderful decision because the floors were beautiful hardwood.

[@lucacecchini6390]

Ciao in Italia abbiamo cantine e il solaio per mettere le cose! Qualcuno anche in garage

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ciao Luca per caso conosci persone con cantine o il salario?

[@mariapeguero4925]

Between Paris, Italy and London they have the same style of living like it’s mostly apartments …. I haven’t seen one affordable home with its own land or nun and the houses that do have their own land are luxury homes 😒

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

You need to get away from the cities to find the villas with their own land.

[@silviavalentini5755]

My kitchen it's long only 3 metres

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Wow! That seems rather small. Is it enough for you?

[@ilaria7259]

What about the fake "persiane"? That blew my mind... Also I think a major difference is about the materials used to build the houses: especially the externals (walls, columns, even stones!) were in plastic. In Italy usually we don't fake natural materials, of course there are few exceptions but in general 99% marble is marble, wood is wood, stone is stone. Another thing I never understood, but of course there will be a reason, is why you build light wooden houses and not solid bricks+concrete houses, especially in those areas hit by tornados... I will always remember an episode of jersey shore in Florence where an angry guy violently hit his head on the wall to break it thinking it was made in wood and plaster but no... He almost broke his head and an ambulance got him straight to the hospital

[@roadrunner156]

Ilaria they probably meant "tapparelle" or like in my house we have something looking like open "persiane" but they cannot be closed, therefor they are fake

[@22Jeffreyb]

Great comparison. Although I love Italy and love apartment living in Italy, I would miss my 2 car garage and cloths dryer. Hope you enjoyed your visit home. What’s going on with the green pass and booster shots there? I heard you need a vax or booster within 6 months to enter, any truth to that?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hey Jeff. I enjoyed my trip home and I am still home unfortunately because I got covid and so my trip back is delayed. I wrote about this on my community board if you want to read more about it. I am ok and have mild symptoms so I am hoping to be out of here in 10 days. I am not sure about needing the booster to enter. I just took this off of Aerlingus’s website: All travelers arriving from must have a negative COVID-19 test result from a molecular swab test taken a maximum of 72 hours before arrival, or an antigen test, taken a maximum of 24 hours before arrival in Italy. COVID-tested flights: travelers are required to present a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR or antigenic test result, carried out by means of a swab, taken a maximum of 48 hours prior to boarding. Additionally, they will be required to take a molecular COVID-19 RT-PCR or antigen swab test on arrival at the destination airport. Check out this website. I don’t see anything regarding needing a booster within 6 months to enter. www.esteri.it/en/ministero/normativaonline/focus-cittadini-italiani-in-rientro-dall-estero-e-cittadini-stranieri-in-italia/

[@22Jeffreyb]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly thanks for the info. Hope the wife and daughter are fine.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yes they are. Thank you!

[@CandyBimatic]

Well... David... you live in Rome... how can you expect to find country houses like that of your parents... if you were here by the Lake Como where I live or anywhere by the countryside you would see a lot of big houses and villas with private garden in Italy also and the garden, yesssss... is always fenced out because in Italy, if you don't fence your property, then you cannot complain if someone gets inside it... you must make people knowing that it's a private place. About dryers, of course if you live in Rome or any place in the south there will be little use of them but if you live here by the mountains with freezing cold winter then cloth dryers are very common and they are since the 1960s... you don't want to have your cloths outside on the line to dry and get them frozen in 20 minutes instead having them dried... it's the same with air conditioning you need it in the south of Italy but here you would end up using it for 15 days max 3 weeks between July and August it doesn't make sense to spend money for that. About kitchens... my kitchen is about 30 square meters which should be about 323 square feet and it's not that big if you live in a single house like I do but it is for sure if you live in a medium flat in a city... i didn't remember such big kitchens when I lived in NYC and Washington DC. About heating system I do have automatic heating but the heat comes from the floor... I have no radiators at the wall it's the floor itself that get warm when the heating is on so you have perfectly even temperature everywhere in the house and yes most private houses have the "seminterrato" or the "cantina" which is exactly the same size of the house main floor but most people instead of storing things there use it as a "taverna", you know what that means in Italy don't you!... but we also have the "soffitta" where most Italians keep stuff because "soffitta" is usually dry and safer than putting things underground... no water flood risk no umidity... well maybe in some part of the US where tornados are common is not a good idea to keep things in a "soffitta" but I guess that once a tornado strikes a house... especially wooden made houses that are very common in the US... I guess there is very little chances to save somthing whether you have it above or under ground... but yesss, you forgot about that, our houses are 99% made of concrete or stones you can find very few wooden houses in Italy, we are used to houses that last hundreds of years sometimes more like in Rome. About the fridge remember that the more space you have the faster you will fill it up... it's a rule... you have a little house you will fill it... you get a bigger one you will buy more things and you will end up filling it... the fridge makes no difference... we bought a giant freezer, one of those "a pozzo", to complement the small one in the kitchen thinking that it would have been impossible to fill it up... well... 6 months later one wouldn't have been able to stick a toothpick in it anymore... that's the way it works David... 🤣🤣🤣🤣 By the way... enjoy your stay in Connecticut.. bye from Italy

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hey! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! What is your name btw? If you already told me I apologize for forgetting it! Anyway, Yes I realize that I can’t compare my parents house in the woods with the majority of houses in Italy! Yeah your kitchen would do nicely in my house in Rome! I have a friend in Mestre and his heating system is the same as yours. It makes me wonder if this is a heating system which is more commonly found in the North because I have extensive experience in Campania and Sicilia and I’ve never heard of this system down there. Of course I am not an architect. Taverna, it’s got a lot to do with wine right? Yeah, I thought about talking about building materials but I am not comfortable with saying that in the US the houses are mostly made of wood and in Italy they are made of concrete and the oldest ones made of stone. It’s a bit misleading when you generalize. I’ve seen brick houses in Italy and some wooden houses in Italy (Abruzzo and Trentino). Thanks for the fridge tip. I hadn’t thought about that! We’ll be careful. I am in quarantena here in CT and I think I will make a video on this soon! I’m fine, Don’t worry! Un abbraccio!

[@CandyBimatic]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly The floor heating system is more common in the north, it's far more expensive to install but it is also much more efficient and make you save a lot of money with respect to any other system, about 50% money saved with respect to the forced air system, very common in the US, and about 40% with respect to the standard radiators very common all over Europe. Being expensive to install it is not very common in the south of Italy where heating system i houses is less critical with respect to the north of the country where winter time is longer and colder. At this time of the year the heating system here runs 24hours a day non stop... in Naples today there were 14°C here at noon it was sunny but still 2°C below the zero. When you have a floor heating system in the sunny days it can be sustained by the solar panels on the roof so it runs actually for free, no gas used to heat up the water that circulates in the heating coils embedded under the floor. And it is the heating system that make it possible to have a house in Class A energy save. If in the future you will build or renovate a house I recommend it! Wooden made houses in Italy are very rare even here up the mountains where are more common with respect to the south, many look like to be wooden made but the wood is actually covering a concrete structure... anyways there are some but still no comparison with the number present in the US, for this reason in Italy the Carpenter doesn't exist as a job as in the US... we have the "Muratore" that is both a builder and a carpenter in one job but we don't have "Carpentieri" as a specific job because almost no wooden houses are built. Bye from Italy... Sebastian... 🙂🙂🙂

[@CandyBimatic]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Taverna in a way has to deal with wine... in general we call taverna a part of the house, usually the basement, that is a big open space kitchen and dining room where you stay to hang out with friends, where you have those never ending dinners that start in the late afternoon and go on untill "notte fonda" with people eating, drinking and chatting for hours, enjoying spending time with friends and relatives... things that because of the covid we all miss so much here in Italy... when it comes to enjoying the company of friends there is no more north or south, Italy becomes one thing, we as Italian love spending time with friends and relatives when "gli orologi si fermano e nessuno si preoccupa più del tempo che passa"... 🙂🙂🙂

[@CandyBimatic]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Ah già la moquette... it was common in the 1970s but in general in the bedrooms only and for the most in the north of the country... you would die in the south with 40°C in the summertime in a house with carpet flooring... by the way is coming back here in the north of Italy but again for the most in the bedrooms only very rarely in the living room in any case it has never been a must like in the northern European countries especially Ireland and UK... I still remember a friend parents house in the UK where the carpet was also in the bathrooms...😱😱😱 I remember when I sow it I was... "ohhh mamma" ... no way... 👎 👎 👎

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@CandyBimatic ah that sounds like a great time. I agree getting together with friends changes little in northern or southern Italy. The planning however does in fact differ !

[@melancrowlic9485]

Where we put our stuff? ATTIC!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Sure ! We did too.

[@allborosnyc4544]

In Italy make yourself at home but don't stay more than 3 days or you start to smell like fish.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I love that expression! So true

[@jeupater1429]

The question is not "why are american houses not fenced off?". The question is, "Why do italians need to put gates around everything?" They do this because they're way more paranoid, imo. I don't know why, there's much less crime in Italy, but people have a fragile mentality. Maybe because the population is older? When I bought my first home here in Italy, the first thing my Italian partner said was, "now we can put up a gate around the garden." Absolutely no. Don't want an ugly gate around the garden. Plus, 1.5m high gate like you see everywhere here isn't going to stop anyone with bad intentions.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

No this is done because in Italy I think burglaries are much more common and so there is a genuine need to fence off the houses

[@jeupater1429]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I highly doubt that. Crime rates in Italy are much lower than the US, unfortunately the most rigorous data on burglary rates are behind a 400€ paywall. There are less trustworthy sites showing it going both ways. I mark it down as one of the irrational fears Italians have like "prendere freddo" but who knows, you might be right

[@SatisfyingStuff_123]

hi

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hello

[@gio7799]

Rome is a capital and it's ancient, before building a house you need to be careful and protect the area, you can have a big American style house only if you go outside Rome and you have enough money, we made our houses with more expensive stuff than American houses, if you go to New York are you going to live in a big house with a basement, big porch and front a back garden? Italian cities are old, medieval, they are built without thinking about cars or tracks, we could eliminate all the "old" houses to build new roads and new houses but...we love our history 😁 in the countryside you can find bigger houses, and you have space to put a bigger fridge (Italians prefer buying fresh food more often so we don't need so much space) you can buy the tumble dryer (Italian prefer the sun, more ecological and it doesn't ruin our beautiful clothes, we wear not just cotton stuff) and air conditioning, usually in Rome or other ancient towns don't put them just because they ruined the facade.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

We buy fresh food too and often, and yet we still don't have enough space in our fridge. The dryer indeed is useless in the warmer months because we can use the sun, this is true, however in the winter months this becomes a problem. We'll have to evaluate carefully in the future if we can afford one, if we have enough space for it and if it'll be practical enough for us. Question: How does AC ruin the facade of a building?

[@gio7799]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly air conditioning with an external unit, I don't know in the USA but in Italy electricity is expensive, my mother who lives in Sardinia put in her house an air conditioning with internal unit and she spent too much for her pension.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh sorry for your mom. I hope she found a solution. We have a box unit attached to the wall and it works great

[@david030866]

ciao, io credo che tu debba confrontare case di citta americana con case di citta italiane, perche la tua casa in realta è una villa che sta fuori del centro citta, comunque complimenti video molto interessante

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ciao David. Vero. Purtroppo ho avuto pochissima esperienza con case in città grandi degli Stati Uniti d’altro canto io credo che la maggior parte degli americani abiti in case che in Italia sarebbero considerate ville. Quindi la scelta di usare la casa dei miei genitori non è del tutto fuorviante.

[@david030866]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly ciao, si immagino che mediamente le abitazioni siano più grandi nei stati uniti , però penso che in un condominio di 7 10 piani, di una zona di media borghesia non possano esserci appartamenti enormi, tu dove hai abitato in italia? complimenti per come parli l'italiano e anche come scrivi, saluti al prox video

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@david030866 ho sempre vissuto in una casa classica americana. Siccome l’America è enorme abbiamo tutti i tipi di abitazioni che vuoi. 😃 Ho vissuto a Napoli, Salerno , Ostia e Roma. Grazie ☺️. Alla prossima video si !

[@david030866]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly io sono di roma

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@david030866 Perfetto. Abito li da 7 anni ormai.

[@goodboy65]

La moquette andava di moda in Italia negli anni 70 poi pian piano sono scomparse perché non sono igieniche cmq io guardo tutti gli show americani dove ristrutturano le case perché mi piacciono e tutti tolgono le moquette se le trovano, e cercano sempre di restaurare i pavimenti di legno sotto oppure rifanno il parquet oppure le piastrelle. Quindi penso che siano un po' passate di moda anche negli USA. Nessuno e dico nessuno rimette mai la moquette.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ah interessante. Mi fa piacere che forse sta passando di modo la moquette. Ripeto, è bello comodo se la tieni pulita e non basta passare l’aspirapolvere normale. Solitamente in America viene trascurata. Io avevo la moquette nella mia camera da letto e un giorno non ce la facevo più a guardarla. Così la tolsi e scoprii che c’era un legno bellissimo sotto.

[@silmuffin86]

I have a drier and I rarely use it 🙈 You can take a girl out of Italy, but not Italy out of her 😆 The main reason Americans use it so much is the same reason why everyone uses central air all year round: electricity is much cheaper. I read somewhere that North Americans use more electricity than any other population pro capita...

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Actually I wasn’t aware of that. But actually makes sense I don’t think many Americans worry about wasting electricity.

[@silmuffin86]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly yup, we move a lot for my husband's job, and in Germany I had to teach him how to keep a house cool in summer by keeping it dark and ventilating it at night time. He also had no concept of ventilating the house by opening the windows since central air in the US is on 24/7, and he leaves every single light on 🙈 In general being environmentally friendly is not a very American thing. Where I'm from (lake Como) if you don't recycle they fine you (we have door to door collection of paper, plasticand aluminum, kitchen scraps, and of course general waste, plus you have to take glass in the "campane del vetro", in Texas we had to take our own recycling away, and in DC all the recycling was mixed in one single bin!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

My dad taught me that trick which he learned from his parents. It's sad, but and it's dark, but it's an efficient way to keep a house relatively cool in the summer. Yeah, recycling in my town seems that way, dump everything in a bin and let the garbage men figure it out. I was impressed with Salerno. Each day was a different day for certain garbage: Tuesday for paper, Wed for plastic etc. Americans don't like anyone telling them what to do thus their resistance to following these types of rules. I guess we're still licking our wounds from the Revolutionary War and the imposing British rule!

[@silmuffin86]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I always say freedom in the US is taken to an extreme, and that is what causes all the issues. People don't seem to grasp that rules are also important, and that their freedom has to stop where it starts hurting others...

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

La mia libertà finisce dove iniziano quella degli altri. Martin Luther King said that I believe. Yes. Americans are obsessed with freedom to the point where it makes them belligerent. In reality you're not as free as you think because you live in a community with others and so some cooperation is required.

[@francescobasile517]

Ma tu dove vivi?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ciao Francesco! Scusa il ritardo, ero sicuro di averti risposto. Io abito a Roma ma quando ho fatto questo video ero dai miei genitori in America per le feste.