🇩🇪 Americans Go House Hunting in Germany! 🇩🇪

[@alexk7973]

The reason German landlords want to meet future renters: the laws in Germany are geared heavily towards protecting the renters. So much so that once you are in, especially as a family with children, that landlord can hardly get you out again. Even going to court most likely he would lose. So they want to make sure you are pretty much perfect, so that they don‘t even want to get rid of you at any point.

[@YPO6]

Maybe fixed period renting (3-6 months, 1 year at a time?) is safer if renter is paranoid about "horror" tenants.

[@alexk7973]

@@YPO6 even for fixed periods you need a reason according to current law. You can‘t just fix a period without one out of a very narrow and specific catalogue. You could fix a period if, for example you know you will need a house for yourself in a certain amount of time, but even then, if you don‘t end up needing it after all the contract would keep going.

[@oceanstaiga5928]

I can attest to that. A family member of mine had a boyfriend move in to their flat and he turned out to be abusive and they separated, still he was allowed by law to continue living in the flat for multiple months while he found a new place. Obviously this was very hard on my family member as their first lived there together separated but as things got worse they moved in with a friend until the boyfriend had moved out. The boyfriend made use of all the time he had protection for by law to be able to stay in their shared flat.

[@RosannaPalma]

Nah I haven’t receive my deposit after six months yet and no excuse given

[@stina6225]

You found a house while still abroad, in the most expensive area in Germany, in the middle of the pandemic? 😲 Teach me your magic! That is quite the feat, major kudos to you. You'll do just fine here, you got it all figured out! 😄

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes it was so hard! And thank you!

[@guntherseidel9354]

i guess you have used the magic wand - money!

[@emjayay]

@@guntherseidel9354 Yes, they are very much upper middle class, even if they don't think so.

[@stanleymelvin1519]

I know Im asking randomly but does someone know of a method to get back into an instagram account..? I was stupid lost the account password. I would love any help you can give me!

[@zevbraylon5978]

@Stanley Melvin Instablaster =)

[@jorgbecker5028]

I am with Kevin! The cat is part of the family 🙀😊 Oh my goodness... The Munich and South Bayern area is the most expensive area in Germany (in my opinion also the most beautiful though 😊)

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hahaha I’ll tell him you said so! He loooves cats and so do all of the kids. 🐱🐱 I’m more of a dog person.

[@MrFriehs]

the village is going to be happy to have such sympathetic folks coming

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

I hope so! We've already met most of our neighbors and they have been so friendly and welcoming!

[@Leonie_1985]

You made the right decision. Apartment living is incredibly frustrating and constricting for a family. Gorgeous house you picked :D

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you Leonie! 💖

[@bessyisyourbestieforever3164]

You two are adorable!!! Thank you for taking us along on your journey!!!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Awe thank you! 💖

[@ursel1931]

I been watching your channel for 3 hours and I love it, you are so much fun listening to you!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Awe thanks so much Ursula!

[@mewechs]

Quite exciting to see you being so enthusiastic about moving to Germany and getting ready for your life here. I am originally from Bavaria (used to live in the Bodensee and Chiemsee area before, too),. Your point of view makes me appreciate the beauty of my country and European culture much more. Yes, walking to the supermarket or school is just a normal thing here. I have never thought about whether this is normal or not haha :-) Keep your high quality of videos up and lots of luck with everything!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Your country and Bayern are so beautiful! We are all so excited to get to walk everywhere. That is not common at all in the USA!

[@moaggamingfan8380]

I‘m so excited for you guys! I’m from NRW (North rhine westphalia) but I think that Bavaria is one of the nicest part in Germany. I love to spend my holidays there and I’m pretty sure you guys will love it. But watch out for the very thick Bavarians dialect out in the country side. Even us Germans from other parts have difficulties to understand them. Wish you a blast and stay healthy ☘️

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you! 💖 Yes we have heard of these accents. It’ll be so interesting to see what we can understand!

[@amainzergoesplaces568]

Just came across your videos and find your excitement about your move rather contagious. ;-) Your patience and persistence definitely paid off: that is a dream house you got! Congratulations! And where better to live than in the fresh mountain air of the Alps. You will love the summers! Best wishes for your acclimatization and willkommen in Deutschland!

[@ionblastoidsmom]

I am so excited for you! I feel like I’m living vicariously through you! 💕💕💕

[@danabrown2391]

Me too!

[@calise8783]

It is truly amazing sometimes how things just work out. We have always had amazing, kind landlords here in Germany until we finally built our own house here. I am very much looking forward to your German adventures.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Oh how nice you’ve been able to build your own house there! We wondered about that process, or at least, buying a house in Germany but we were told you don’t make much money unless you keep the house for 10 years or more.

[@calise8783]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife I think the mentality here is you build for life not to sell. We have been in our house going on 8 years and have no intention of moving anytime soon. As renting is pretty common here as well, many people rent a single unit for decades. Europeans are not as transient as Americans. Of course major life changes ( finishing uni, marriage, family, huge career change) are causes to move but not usually a great distance. We also built in a Neubaugebiet ( new development) so the cost of the land was subsidized through the city. With this comes a clause that you must build within 18 months and can not sell for 5 years. This is to help the average person buy a home and prevent investors looking for a quick turnover/profit.

[@andibuletten6206]

So nice and lovely to see, how excited you are, going to live in Germany. I wish you all the best! You will surely love it!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you so much! Are you from Germany?

[@andibuletten6206]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Yes. From Rhineland Palatinate. Wich is worth to visit!! Lots of fortresses and castles.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

@@andibuletten6206 I was just learning the German states last night and remember Rhineland Palatinate. We are so excited to show our kids the many castles of Germany!

[@anoukgary7938]

Very helpful. House hunting next week in Munich for husband job assignment for two years. We are set up to many options. Not so much for our dog 😪. But excited.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Sending you the very best of luck! 😍

[@anoukgary7938]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Found a nice place and we can bring the dog! Do you a video on how to watch American television? My husband wants to see American football.

[@cherylgonzalez5973]

I just came acorss your channel and found your video very interesting! I lived in Frankfurt AM for 3 years in rhe early 80's & loved it! All the best!

[@geriname7277]

You guys have come such a long way...I can't even imagine doing all this with 4 kids and a cat...I grew up in Germany but immigrated to the States in 1999. I will return in about 5 years, so I love hearing about your adventures! I forgot a lot...and good luck with your DL...my husband will have to go thru this as well😄

[@ennykraft]

I watched one of your other videos about what you used to have in the US but no longer have here in Germany. You said something out this house being an older home and I was like "this looks fairly new to me". Later on I realized that it's a matter of perspective. I grew up in a farmhouse that was built in 1820 so anything built later than 1950 is new to me.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yeah, that's true! All about perspective. Here in Germany, a house built in the 50's like our's is not old!

[@frisco1968]

Wow! That's good news !!! You both seem relaxed and happy now! 👍🏻 And your new house already has a cat door! 😉 🐈 At the moment winter is coming back - but not for long and it will be spring. A very nice time here in the Alps! All the best and hopefully we'll see more videos from you soon!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

You noticed the cat door! 🤣🐱 Yes it means it’s perfect for us. We’ve been looking at the weather forecast and we see that there was a ton of snowing all in January and now another cold snap this week and next week! But you’re right, spring is right around the corner. That’ll make it easier to get out and make friends.

[@Milchdieb]

Lovely story. It reminds me of my experience moving to Japan, dealing with all the real estate there...and then moving back to Germany with a partner and doing all of that yet again. I made very similar experiences: The housing (and apartment) situation was very challenging (Lots of demand, very little supply), but with persistence and sheer will everything worked out great for us. Congratulations.

[@danabrown2391]

I loved watching this whole video! So excited for you! Can't wait for the next ones!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you, Dana!!

[@Ela09]

Great video. I look forward to see how you are adjusting to the German way of life. Your old and new house look great! My favorite furniture stores in the area are 'Segmüller' and 'möbelum'.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Oh thanks! I’ll look those stores up!

[@HHIngo]

Welcome to Germany and greetings from Hamburg!

[@shantixie3455]

God's blessing be upon your family, have to be admitted 💕because you guys seems so sweet, kind and so easy going haha, fun family 💃 new fans here 👋

[@adelam.6123]

The long waiting list and series of rejections is very common in Munich when searching for a rental. In the city, there might be 30-40 people scheduled for an appointment to see an apartment.

[@ronjareubel32]

it was a big pleasure again to watch the new video:-)

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you! 💖

[@Lucky13888]

We also found our house before moving to Köln 😄...never say never. But that house! Oh my...fantastic! It's REALLY hard to find an attractive/affordable home to rent in Köln. Most of the houses we looked at were either old & outdated, to far from our school/work, too expensive, not large enough etc. It takes time to find the right one...but you guys really got lucky!😊

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yeah I think we did get lucky!

[@kbshaw77]

@lucky13 I’d love to chat about Köln. We may be moving there soon with our family due to work.

[@wbaumschlager]

Gosh. I'm getting burnout just by listening to you guys.

[@tomk8312]

congrats! can't wait to see the rest of the process

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you! Yeah new videos coming soon about our move here and our first week here in Germany.

[@Torfmoos]

Nice to see the sunshining out ofur 2 faces when u told ur dream comes true. Hope it will not ended on a nightmare. Looking forward to a "Dirndel and Lederhosen" Vid. Btw hope u packedt ur hat already. :)

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hahaha thank you! Yeah Kevin won’t be wearing that hat again 🤣😉

[@venusiandesigns]

How exacting, good luck. I know you are already in Germany, but I just stated watching your videos looking for fly lady videos today and loving yours.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Glad you’re enjoying our videos! I’m still doing many of the Flylady routines here and they help me so much!

[@JW-nh5or]

It's like magic. Your brain overloads and you think you can't go through this anymore and suddenly everything comes together like the final pieces of a big puzzle. Of course there are many more puzzles ahead of you. But I am sure you will do just fine. Welcome in a new country with many happy and magic days to come.👍

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes that’s exactly what it’s like! By the evenings I can’t take anymore and I’m so mentally exhausted and then the next day I wake up and can do more. The hardest part of all of this has been selling off our furniture and giving most of our stuff away. It’s a ton of tiny decisions as we try to decide what to keep and what to take.

[@starryk79]

i really enjoy watching these videos. you are really likeable and a bit funny too in a good way. Thanks for sharing your stories. House looks nice. To have an outdoor pool is really not common for German houses. And the area you move to is reallly nice too. I visited the Chiemsee with my cousin once. Have a safe travel! Germany awaits you!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thanks so much! We are so excited!

[@miamia9658]

Hi to buy good furniture in germany you better go to a "Möbelhaus" they are much pricey as Ikea but you will get there real furniture (better quality), I think Ikea is for little things you will have aside and some deco stuff, The furniture aren`t good, they are on the budget side. I know the Ikea fans will kill me now, but when you ever have sitting on a real "Polstergarnitur" or sitting on a Ikea wooden couch, you will notice the difference, but mostly it looks nice. Hopefully your adventure, make your dreams come true.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes that’s so true- most of IKEA’a things are budget items. I do like that their products are made from sustainable materials and they really care about the environment. Okay I will check out Möbelhaus!

[@klauskleber5154]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Möbelhaus is a word for stores, that sell furniture. ;) Germany have tons of different furniture shops, so it's difficult to say, which one is the best for you. It's try and error. ;)

[@dnocturn84]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife You should pay attention on the furniture you're going to buy and check if it's available for you to pick it up on the spot. Some better quality stores do take quite some time for the delivery of your furnitures. Some kitchen, living room or bedroom furniture does take a couple of month to be delivered. So maybe you have to go for some IKEA (or similar) furniture at the beginning.

[@roevardotter]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife unfortunately thats not true, but only tje image ikea is portraying :(

[@gorsed3060]

Good morning from Germany. Munich? That's my home town. But I moved to Stuttgart area 2003. Its the most expensive with Hamburg and Frankfurt in Germany. The rents are huge. My sister moved last year from Center Munich (Schwabing) to Ingolstadt. Pro is definitely the living in this beautiful city. I love Munich. Its still a coming home when I visit Family. Green and. City in one. Kids friendly. Great culture and today's multicultural. Many US citizens lives in Munich. I met many Americans on kids playgrounds when I where with my daughter in Park. Munich living is like the Italian living. Good work life balance. When you eran over everage in a good company move to Munich and enjoy. The Alps are soooo near. Go with you kids to the Olympia Park. So many sport aktivities. In Munich many people speaks fluent English. Iam glad you decided Munich. 😊 PS. If you have questions what places you can visit with your children in and around Munich, just ask.

[@bigernie9433]

Looking forward to welcoming you to Germany ! Very cold at this moment here but maybe warming up when you bring gorgeous Georgia sunshine. Do expect some major differences between the German you are learning and Upper Bavarian dialect though. Similar to a German studying British English and then going on to live in the Deep South. Seeing you continue to be as enthusiastic is just amazing !

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Awe thanks so much! Yes we’ve heard about this dialect...it’ll be interesting to learn it!

[@myvillagelifeintheupperhar607]

I remember that in one video you mentioned purchasing a car. Have you begun the process for getting a driver's license? It took me about two months to get everything together. If I am not mistaken, you will need to get your license here within six months of arriving. If you do not, you will need to take a driver's education course. I had to apply for the license, get an eye exam, take a first-aid course, and have my license rated for German driving requirements. Germany has a reciprocity agreement with some US states, which means you can possibly avoid driver's education.

[@sarahkoesters2819]

I am a German ex-pat living in Ireland. I had to buy something in IKEA in Germany which is not being sold in Ireland and I actually had the package in my carry-on. :D It was super heavy and filled all the space in my carry-on.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Haha gotta do what you’ve gotta do! What’s life like in Ireland? Scotland and Ireland have such dreamy landscapes.

[@sarahkoesters2819]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Ireland is great! I love the landscape and even though it is in Europe it is very different from Germany. I am learning so many new things while living here. ... but I do miss DM and the good German bread.

[@tararoberts2695]

congratulations 👏 Enjoy your new life!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you so much!

[@d.7416]

The house is very beautiful and somehow fits you perfectly.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Awe thank you! We are here now and the house has been perfect for us. Divine intervention. :)

[@kthrnmarks]

Congrats!!! I’m planning to move to Germany within the next two years could you discuss the job search process and interview. I’d love to hear your experience and more on the process. Greatly appreciated 🤗🤗

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes! In our first video in our Germany playlist we explain all of that. Sending you the best of wishes in your journey!

[@Old-USRefugee]

I can tell you this, you will have to be able to speak German. You will also have to have a residence permit.

[@RustyDust101]

Kudos that you found a house in Germany, right now, during the pandemic. I wish you the absolute best for your move to Germany, and that everything works out perfectly for you. Munich may be a large city, but it is by far not the largest city in Germany. But it may be the most expensive city in Germany. Home office/ remote office is a thing right now in Germany. So, if your work doesn't absolutely require you to go into the office, get comfortable with the idea of working from home, if possible. Suburbs around Munich are more affordable than downtown Munich. The surroundings of Munich are absolutely gorgeous. Check if you have an S-Bahn connection in your town that leads directly to Munich. Königsee is absolutely insanely expensive. That's THE high-price area of VIP areas around Munich. Chiemsee is only moderately less expensive than Königsee. But again, beautiful.

[@pizdara]

Back in 2008,I was in that area, I saved my life there in Munich hospital first, then I recuperate in Waldburg Zeil Kliniken, near the Alps, I can say the Alps are so energetic and this place helped me a lot to recuperate, I cannot describe the goodness of people there, even I was not speaking a lot of german, but many of them understand English, (even they are shy to speak it, as they are not confident with it) but for me it was a great experience, I wanted to move there, they encouraged us to do so, but my husband was not open to the idea, as yours! One thing I want to add, they are not so much communicative in the begining, but once they know you and trust you they are very open people, ready to help and share their knowledge! I am happy for you all having this life change! 👍

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

So glad to hear you had a wonderful experience in the Bavarian Alps! We are here now and all of our neighbors are so friendly and we have made even more friends at the local playgound.

[@Alicia-wq7ud]

Hope your flight was good and you all landed safe

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you, Alicia! It was safe and most everything went very smoothly!

[@Old-USRefugee]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife How were you able to do this. I honestly would like to know. I have a friend who works for an American company, and he can leave the country, but cannot re-enter until the Pandemic restrictions are lifted. Right now, I cannot even visit friends in Berlin an hour away. You cannot travel more than 15km from your home. I am not asking these questions to be a pain. I really would like to know. FYI I have dual American /German Citizenship and Passports for both.

[@alexandernordic8551]

you must be freaking rich, houses around munich is sooo expensive, but i'm very happy for you

[@peterkesseler9898]

You will probably have a lot of snow when you come in the second half of february. You can buy your furniture at Porta, but I don´t know whether Porta is in Bavaria located or not. Greetings from Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate).

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hi Peter! Thanks so much. I’ll look up Porta!

[@typxxilps]

Very good preparation for your moving and very good decision to go out into the suburbs or countryside cause that will be the most valueable time for your kids cause the southern part offers the most kids will like and remember from the countryside to the playgrounds adventures. And you get in touch with old traditional german farmers, buy products from them - the makers of the different products, tough hard work and life but nice to talk you. Chiemsee is pronounced like an american Keamzeh if you wanna be understood by a german if asked where are you from. All the best for your german adventure and such tough decision cause your children will benefit a lot - but it will need a lot of work to keep those on track regarding the german school and school system. Be aware that the best school in bavaria for kids is the Gymnasium , at least if they later wanna study cause without Gymnasium they will loose a lot. The other schools are slower , kids learn a lot less content and this will accumulate over the years. After 4th grade Bavaria has a strict selection like building a national squad in sports and a second and third league. The focus of these schools is different, cause the gymnasium requires good capabilities and prepare for live and studying, all others are preparing to learn a job over 3 years. Do not underestimate that decision, do not push your kids to the Gymnasium if they did not get such reccomendation from the Grundschule = elementary school cause they will have really tough times at the Gymnasium cause they will suddenly only face the best of the best and far higher learning speed there than on elementary school before. And they will have to be able to accept bad grade cause coming from elementary school they will face only the Top 10 of other classes with usually 30 classmates, the best ten from one class and another ten from another. That will become tough and they might need your engineering skills to get the math right and other stuff cause the speed from 4th grade elementary to Gymnasium 5th will raise a lot , and a lot more homework and tougher homework. If you are willing to support them then you might try Gymnasium regardless which recommendation they get and see how they will perform, maybe they like the higher level of competition cause at the end it is a competition but that also will open doors they would otherwise not be able to open visiting the lower schools. So be perpared to help them, help them a lot more you can imagine cause it is not easy and Bavaria has the highest education standards compared to other german countries like Bremen with the lowest ... were 50% get an Abitur / matura while Bavaria has only 25% quote. Do you believe that Bremen residents / kids are twice as smart as bavarians ? For sure not, it is one of the poorest german countries with a lot of foreigners that do not really integrate and their Abitur is mostly worthless cause in my former company we measured their test results and saw so many Bremen top pupils based on their schoolpapers that were underperformers. Those tests simply measure the skills like Eulersche Zahl where the typical Bremen gymnasium pupil would reply "never heard of that". If you plan to leave germany sooner than it might be not that important, the school decision, but imagine you will stay longer than you thought then this should be your first priority cause that decision determines the future of your kid. If they wanna study at a real University and not the lower and shorter university of applied science then the Gymnasium will be mandatory - or they will have to spend multiple years later to get to that level cause without Abitur a University will not accept them and it even does not work. The level of university of applied sciences is far lower, usually those students made it to 10th grade and learned 3 years a job, then visited a school again for 1 or 2 years to get to another kind of Abitur, which is usually a far lower qualified one called Fachabitur , where you then can only study a limited amount of areas - like a social Fachabitur pupil can not pursue an engineering degree cause these have not learned math enough. And that way is also a pretty tough one that will need a lot of discipline - cause roughly only 40% of the amount that start to study on a university of applied science engineering will make it , 60% will bail out or get the red card for not performing good enough. Just to give you an idea how important this decision will become and the earlier you are prepared for that like your perfect house renting hunt the better for you. This is a tough reality, performance counts and childhood might look like over for kids when they arrive at the Gymnasium but it is about you to prepare yourself and your kids why it is important - at least if you consider to stay. Many germans will disagree - but they have no skills to judge cause I can see and count all those that had to leave the university of applied science back when I had been there and those 21 year old started to begging for mercy cause the have not passed math the third time, I mean they were not able to get a 4,3 for the 3rd time over at least 1,5 years. 3rd time not passed means disqualification or exmatriculation. And just to let you know about the dimension of such underperformance 3 times in a row: They are even not allowed to study the same engineering on any german university, they are simply blocked (to save taxpayers money cause education in germany is free and it does not make sense to offer underperformers that most likely never will make it a 4th , 5th chance). I call it fair cause free education means not that it is worthless and the student has to perform, no , it is quite the opposite: best performance to stay ahead. AND: the university offers a lot of special courses in math and other parts for those that have a weaker background, but guess what: they do not participate cause they feel they do not need that and if they feel they need it they have usually missed it 2 times and have only 1 chance again. At least an engineer will understand how important good grades and qualifications are so I hope I did not write it in vain cause I had seen too many at the university level that were simply underperformers and missed the responsibility for themselver to learn steadily and keep up constantly till they get exmatriculated and then start begging cause then they realize that the game is over.

[@sarahleet84]

Oh wow, we are looking for a house and can't find one and we are German. Maybe we should move abroad to find a house here. And your house is insanely beautiful! I hope you really like it when you get there.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Oh that’s so ironic! How long have you been looking for a house? There are very few houses for sale in the US, too, because of COVID most people are just staying put. So it’s easy to sell a house here but not easy to buy one!

[@Chuulip]

I'm over a year late but I like shopping furniture at 2nd hand stores because I like things with a history. Other than that there are many Möbelgeschäfte that more or less have the same quality in my opinion. Better and more expensive than Ikea, but more or less equal to each other

[@jorgbecker5028]

You will love it in Germany. I will pray that the pandemic is over soon so that you will get the FULL experience of our beautiful country. Right now in lockdown it's kinda... dull 🤔😉

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

I know, right? We are all anxious for this pandemic to go away so we can enjoy life again!!

[@gonndirwas9605]

Do You have a room tour through Your new house? I‘d love to see more

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

We don’t, but that would be fun! People get weird in the comments about showing houses, though. They can get really critical if they think you have more than them.

[@volkerhaiges1205]

Saw the house. Obviously your guys have unlimited funds. Congratulations👍👍

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

We wish! Not unlimited funds - our house is waaay outside of any major cities so we got it at a reasonable price.

[@michaelk6890]

..,to be assure, your hiking trail is not so busy in sommertime(lots of tourists). Greetings from Germany

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes I hope so! Though our town is small and not a touristy town.

[@michaelk6890]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife I wish you all the very best! please open your mind northwards! :-)

[@Angie-cp5ro]

Of course you can vacuum and wash on sundays. Clisches 🙄. Also all these vids I watch seems all of America only knows Munich as a big city. The most expensive place here. Like tripple housing prices. Nobody ever seems to even consider the north. Very beautiful, cheeper .....

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Actually, of the channels I’ve seen of American expats in Germany, none of them live near Munich! One is in Berlin, one in Rhineland Falls, another in Frankonia, another in Hamburg.

[@LissiesFunhouse]

Omg yall are so cute to watch!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hahahah thanks! I never thought I’d get Kevin to blog or do videos with me but get him talking about moving to Europe and he will gladly show up! 🤣 Love you! 💖

[@hannihoney5909]

My favorite furniture stores are „Rundel“ , „H&M Home“ and Ikea

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Okay thank you!

[@Jan_Seidel]

Fun fact: The federal court of high justice just a few years ago rendered a judgement that playing/excited/[place your term here] *kids are not noisy/noise* Pretty quick decision making, right :) So, you are safe if someone should call the police on your due to unabreable "noise" from your kids. At best they police will ask you if it is possible to calm down your kids for the sake of others.

[@parthivc6353]

Around how much did your Germany house cost? and what is the minimum down payment required at closing?

[@filmonberhane6531]

Kevin is a good actor knows his script very well,the punch line.the title should be “finished before started.

[@thomasp.5057]

About quiet sundays in GER: I am not shure wheter it is prohibited to have noise of childs on sunday.

[@neophytealpha]

I enjoy Ikea. They have affordable solid wood stuff and such. They have them over there as well.

[@emjayay]

Mostly particle board. Don't buy anything made with mainly particle board.

[@neophytealpha]

@@emjayay They have a lot of solid wood stuff too. I get that stuff specifically.

[@danahoze9716]

I am so impressed, finding a job, learning germam, getting all done to move and find a house here in bavaria, all while COVID is still going on. Well done. I do live in franconia wich is nice to visit to. I can recomand to order online at ikea. Just because you know what you get. And when everything is going back to normal you can still look for the special bits and peaces. I went to school in England Almosen more than 20 years ago, but i am still verry happy that i had the opportunity. So i hppe youre kids will love it. And yes, traveling around europe out of germany is so easy. But you allready know that. So wellcome 😀 And sorry for my english, but i hope you could understand most of it 😮 Oh and make sure to have FFP2 masks. You will need them in all stores, public buildings and in public transport. Only children under 14 are allowed to wehre the everyday masks. Children below 6 do not have to where masks at all.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Your English is perfect, Dana! I’m impressed. And we definitely want to visit Franconia. If I remember correctly, there are some vineyards there? And Kevin really appreciate your comments about the masks! He’s been wondering what our kids have to wear!

[@danahoze9716]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife yes there are some vineyards here to, but they are more in the Würzburg region. Wehen COVID is over, in Nürnberg you are able to visit the castle, the Felsengänge (the "underground", live the basement of Nürnberg) are nice to visit in the summer when it is hot outside. For children it is also a great fun to visit the playmobil fun park. But you should not go doring the school holidays,but chose a nice warm day and take swimweare for the kids with you, you will need it. Oh and there is a verry good dino park in the Altmühltal. We have been there too and i tell you it is amazing.

[@Alicia-wq7ud]

That looks perfect for a Big easter egg and bunny hunt! 😍

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

It really does! So many bushes to hide the eggs in! 🤣

[@veritasequitas1]

hey guys! I am from Munich and know this area very well... The place to go get really fancy furniture is in Munich "Böhmler" im Tal. They are located in the very center of Munich but don't be surprised: a sofa will cost you easily 5 - 10k! I don't need to tell you about Ikea for the lower price area and if you are interested in used furniture definitely use the apps "eBay Kleinanzeigen" or "shpock". I just happened to see an 8k sofa for 150€ there... Something in-between "böhmler" and Ikea is "Kare" they are very designy yet a little expensive, but still way less expensive than Böhmler but not such an high end quality

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

This is so helpful! Thank you! Yeah, we don't want to pay 5,000 euros for a couch! We got one from IKEA we really like and it was 1,200 euros.

[@millionsparks96]

Hey! There are a lot of websites that have 24 on the end. My theory is that they want to emphasize on the fact that their service is availavle 24hrs a day, as opposed to in person services (like a real estate agent) that have special service times 😉

[@andibuletten6206]

I am washing my laundry on a sunday. Nobody cares about that. The washing mashines do not make any disturbing noise. Loudest is the Beep, after it is finished😉

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Oh so good to hear that! I thought that sounded a little crazy!

[@j.a.1721]

I think this might have been true when those things were still really loud. My vacuum now isn't nearly as loud as the one we had when I was a kid. But don't mow the lawn on sundays.

[@andibuletten6206]

@@j.a.1721 No lawn mowing and no drilling on sunday!!😎✌

[@cailwi9]

You have a house, so you can do what you want. Even in apartment buildings, things are not usually quite that restrictive, especially not, if the laundry room is in the basement, rather than everybody having a machine in their apartment. It just depends on the situation. There are though apartments with quite specific schedules, i.e. every weekday, a different family gets access to the laundry room, and if that room is locked, you can really only do laundry on your assigned day, when you get handed the key. Those kind of apartments are a nightmare for family situations, but they do exist, and it is important to be able to check out the local situation, and size up what type of environment you are getting into, before renting an apartment, and I would not want to have to do that from abroad either. So, I do think that some warnings are valid, but they just don't apply to every situation. But with a house, you should be free to do whatever you want, except maybe not do very noisy outdoor work, or hang your laundry out to dry on the front lawn (in absence of a dryer). Your place looks like it might have quite a bit of privacy, and so you should be good to go. I think you will miss the opportunity to go run errands on Sunday more than you will miss any freedom to do housework. Generally, Sundays are quiet (except for church bells as wake-up calls), and the rest-day-concept for Sunday is more strictly adhered to than in the US. But all the sight-seeing opportunities are still open to you, and the alps are free to explore, and the restaurants and mountain huts will operate the moment the season and/or covid-19 allow them to do so. So, you will have plenty to do, and hopefully you will enjoy your stay.

[@munstergirl25]

In most Altbau appartments you can definitely hear the spin cycle from the neighbours, but in most cases that would still be considered acceptable during the day but not a night.

[@CologneCarter]

Where to buy good furniture? That's a tricky one. I am single and if I had to start new elsewhere I'd just get a place to sleep and take my time to hunt for things I like. This isn't an option with a family of six. If I could afford it I'd go anywhere but Ikea, which wouldn't be much of a problem since I am a German living in Germany. My first choice is second hand. It is always and with everything. Sadly we don't have such interesting good will stores you have in the US. I would love to shop in those stores.

[@wakeupcall2665]

I second that. I was in need of a new couch/sofa, but a new one with two dogs (for one thing enough space for all of us), so I started looking. This newly married couple finally moved into their newly build house, and HIS corner sofa apparently wasn’t HER choice. So they decided to sell it. Only three years old, in perfect condition, and only 150€ - somI took it. That was three years ago, and it is still a fantastic place to lounge and enjoy lazy times. 😉

[@mattesrocket]

You wonder a couple of times in this video, how in the end everything fitted so well together, well, after some struggle, but then everything came together as if all should be like this and that you got this nice house at this nice place in the wonderful nature. You wonder, how all that came like this. It's simply because you have more money than others. I am from Bavaria and have to move soon into some ugly part of Germany because I can't afford anymore to rent a house in Bavaria. Why is this? Why do the house prices rise like hell? Because the landlords ask for such high prices? No, they say that they ask only for so high prices because there are always people willing to pay so high prices. There is always someone who is paying more. But no, the tenants say: the landlords ask for this high prices, we are not guilty for the high prices. Enjoy my homeland. 😤

[@Rhondarhondabobonda]

Can you share the relocation agent you used?

[@gorsed3060]

When you have a German permit visa in your passports you can travel in all European Union countries easily for vacation. Adriatic Coast is near.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes! We are excited to travel once the COVID restrictions lift.

[@Henning_Rech]

Which is true, and not true. - Yes, they can travel visa free within the Schengen zone, but not because of a German residency permit, which is exclusively for a longer than 90 days stay in Germany. They travel based on their US passports which allow visa-free entry into Schengen zone for up to 90 days per 180 days period. - BTW, Croatia is not part of the Schengen zone, but open for US citizens.

[@gorsed3060]

@@Henning_Rech that's right. I spoke in general. More informations from the foreign office in Munich. 😊

[@sisuguillam5109]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Denmark, Norway, Finland! Especially Finland... so beautiful!

[@onkeltoto]

Furniture stores to name some : Möbel höffner, seegmüller, xxxlutz, dänisches bettenlager, DEPOT. You can find these markets all over Germany and also in the Munich area .

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thanks so much! Once we are out of quarantine, maybe some of them will be open.

[@a.p.8330]

They have a store in Munich (Eching) next to IKEA.

[@andreaallinger897]

There is also WEKO, they have a couple of stores in Bavaria, the closest store to your new home is the one in Rosenheim.

[@oceanstaiga5928]

When they said they want to live in Munich I was immediately like oh no I think you do not xD it’s so expensive and many older buildings which makes noise an issue..

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yeah you’re right! We didn’t end up living there.

[@gonndirwas9605]

It is new to me, the washer etc not to be run on Sunday. Somehow missed this during 48 Years 😇😂

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Okay good to know! Haha

[@marbellastilkenboom2995]

Great video! Thanks for sharing your experience. I also have a cat that I will be traveling with to Vienna while we move. I’m pretty curious how the flight went for your cat and the process of moving abroad with your cat. And your house looks beautiful! I’m familiar with that area of Deutschland and I think you will greatly enjoy it. Best of luck!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Oh wonderful! Vienna is a beautiful city! If we weren’t moving to Germany, we might’ve chosen Austria. Anyway, yeah I’m sure we will share how it’s went with our cat in a future video.

[@blubberdignubber]

Don't mind too much about the Dos and Dont's on sunday. On the one hand the rules are clear but on the other hand - we live in a appartment house, on the other hand nobody cares if you are cleaning your appartment on sundays - although the house is badly soundproofed. I can hear my neighbour above talking - each word - as soon as they raise the voice a tiny bit. We use the vaccum, the dryer and washing machine each sunday since years, nobody complained yet. Ok, in some apartment houses it might be different, it also may depend on the community there.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

So good to know! Seems like what I was told might have been an exaggeration.

[@Laurin-nm8yx]

I live in Munich and the best furniture place I can think of is Möbel um, the furnitures are mostly real wood and a good quality.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thanks so much!

[@1Naenie1]

Young people don't give a thing about sunday 😀 But Bavaria is more conservative than the other parts of Germany so it's a good thing you decided to get you're own house 😀 We had the same right fit thingy too. The landlady studied art history, so did my boyfriend and that is how we got our appartement. 😂

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hahaha all about that right fit!

[@ravanpee1325]

Young people will give a thing when they work 5 days a week and enjoy the free day

[@jan-peterbrodersen3302]

In Belgium they have specialized flea markets for antique furniture. You just need a car with a trailer to get it back to your place and some money.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Okay same here in the US. For the first month or so we won’t have a car, but once we do, this might be possible!

[@minimalzebra]

Congrats on getting a place to live!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you!

[@minimalzebra]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Welcome!

[@mariamustermann6527]

Must have a well paid job to check living in the centre of Munich.... Yesterday I saw the prices per sqm and Munich is the most expensive in Germany.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes that’s true! And why we decided not to live in Munich. We get a much bigger house for our money in a villiage.

[@RamakrishnaLVV]

That place looks amazing. n it has a pool ! Hope you enjoy living here in Germany. Having lived in the US in the past and now in Germany, I definitely understand how you guys feel about the housing :) We got a relocation agent too, that helped a lot. Not just with housing, but also with the registration, setting up utilities n stuff.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thank you! Yes, our relocation agent is also helping us to enroll the kids in school, start a bank account, get water and utilities set up at the house, and more. She’s been very helpful! And so cool you also lived in the US! Are you German? Where did you live in the US?

[@RamakrishnaLVV]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife I'm from India. But I've lived in Chicago for about 6 years before I moved to Germany a couple years ago. We definitely underestimated the language barrier before we moved here. It's nice to see that your entire family is so motivated to already learn the language. All the best with everything!

[@klauskleber5154]

You do it right! Living in a village is always better in my opinion. Living in a city like New York is pure horror for me and way more expensive than in Munich. But the thing is, at least in the moment, all furniture stores are closed, so you can only buy online and they bring it to your house. But it can also be, that the stores can reopen soon. We will see. ;)

[@LissiesFunhouse]

Pack your free weights in your carry on haha

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

I love shopping online and don’t like it in stores, so I might be happier this way anyway! 🤣

[@Danisachan]

Wow, you've really managed to do a lot of work and managed a LOT of stuff simuntaniously. ^-^ it's so nice to see things working out for you so well! And it's especially nice to see you being excited about living the European life. Especially the independence your children will experience will be a real life changer I imagine. Germany does not believe in supervising children 24/7, it let's them BE children. Being outside playing with other kids all day with no adult present, and going to walk to school (with no adult present) was absolutely normal for me. :) Even seeing children running out on the street is normal here, which I heard is not normal in the US (where you will rather get a call for child neglect). I do not know any shops in the Munich area (as I am from Hamburg), but I can only recommend checking out other online shops alongside your Ikea search. Westwing for example is very chic and luxurious, Quelle and bonprix are two of the oldest German mail order company's if you're interested in that (don't know if their sites come in English though!) but just enter "Möbel online Shops" in Google and you will be absolutely swarmed with options. 👍

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

We are so excited for the independence children get to have in Germany. In the US, it’s just not safe for them to walk to school by themselves. But kids will play outside in their own neighborhoods and on safe streets. I think our oldest son is really going to love riding his bike to see his friends and he won’t have to wait for us to drive him everywhere. In the US, parents drive their kids everywhere and we joke and say we are taxi drivers! I’m glad we won’t have to experience that.

[@Danisachan]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife That children are not deemed save to walk around alone in the US is actually a self-made problem, and not really true. I can really recommend the channel "Not Just Bikes" and their video "Why we won't raise our kids in suburbia" for this. He is from Canada and moved to the Netherlands, but both countries are similar enough to the US and Germany to be comparable. This video was a mind-opener for me as well. In it he really tells you why the American continent handles their children's safety the way it is and why it is actually bad and unneeded, but almost impossible to fix anymore. When I saw this I was even more glad that Europe never went in the same direction as America in this regard. It just seems to stem from talking an unjustly amount of fear into people.

[@cailwi9]

@@Danisachan Actually, it is mostly a result of lawyers running the country. If parents can get sued for neglect every step of the way, kids end up over-protected, because parents will adjust their behavior in fearful ways, fearful of the law, more so than the criminal. It makes kids less independent and less able to develop sound judgement of their own. The reality is that bad guys exist in all countries and societies, and therefore bad things can and do happen. I don't think that they exist less in Germany. Of course, gun violence is far less, as that is basically nonexistent, but I don't think outsider crimes like burglary, rape, or abduction, are all that much lower, if you compare similar neighborhoods. Village life in Germany compares in that sense to typical sub-urban life in US, it is relatively safe, and kids can and do play freely. Inner city life is a whole different story, in both places, and many inner-city environments have become quite difficult to live in for all involved. I Germany you have schools where you don't hear a word of German, cultural differences can become difficult to overcome, especially for girls safety is an issue, and I have again and again found, that friends of mine lived in the city and loved city life until their kids turned 2-3 years old and they were faced with questions how and where their kids would grow up. And so many of these 'city mice' ended up becoming 'country mice', even in Germany. In that sense, I am glad, the MerryMessyLife will happen in the country-side, and not the city, even though the question of how the commute is for the father, is still a bit open, imo. Chiemsee can be quite a bit out, depending on where exactly you are. The inner city situation in the US probably is more dramatic, especially, as the racial lines are so much harder drawn, and poverty is so much more prevalent, drugs and guns add to the complexity, but there are even in the US city areas where people make a living and raise kids in safety, and are doing just fine living in the city.. You do need to know the local situation though. You cannot just look on a map and pick a city neighborhood to live in. In Germany, the general attitude is that it would be a crime to rob a child of its healthy and free upbringing, due to too many fears, and so people try to find more of a balance. Kids are mostly playing and traveling in packs, making attacks less likely, neighbors are looking out for each other, and kids themselves are trained to develop good awareness skills early on. The German Vereinsleben channels family activities into relative safe zones, and you get to meet people beyond your immediate neighbors and colleagues. if you have a good neighborhood in the US, you will find the same. Instead of Vereinsleben, you have expanded school life, but otherwise, it is similar.

[@lindatisue733]

Expat in Sweden WAIT to buy furniture, except for beds. there is no furniture you need day one. There is so much great, cheap second hand furniture, that is so much better and often cheaper than IKEA. If you buy the IKEA stuff, you will want to pitch it in six months, because the stuff in the rubbish bin is better. Haven't bought a household plastic item in 10 year because there is so much put in the recycling. Got an solid oak art deco bookcase for less than $120. Even has two hidden compartments. My question ;What was the process like, does Germany have the arcane paper work and fees that the US has? Just bought a property in Sweden, it was so much easier than in the US, but some things were weird too. For example, you go to the bank before finding a place, to find out how much they will loan, it is based on one's credit worthiness. There is no appraisal or title search. The housing market in Stockholm is a sellers market, there is a bidding process, properties will sell for 10-25% above list. Realtors don't do any sales pitches at all, as a buyer you have to ask all the questions, although most of that info is on the website listing.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

That is so cool that you’re an expat from Sweden! Kevin lived in Sweden for 5 years. What brought you there? So true, a lot of IKEA stuff is cheap and flimsy. So after we recorded this video, I actually tried to order a ton of things from IKEA but only half of it would ship. I think it was a blessing now because I can order those things from other companies or get second hand to save money.

[@a.p.8330]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de We use Ebay Ads (not Ebay auctions) a lot here in Germany to buy used furniture. Facebook is not nearly as common or popular as in US

[@mariamustermann6527]

It is not difficult to find housing in Germany. It is difficult to find housing when you want to go where everyone is going - Berlin, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart etc. But e.g. Brandenburg and Meck-Pomm offer quite good options

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Ah good point.

[@barvdw]

for a very long time, Berlin was one of the most affordable capital cities in Europe, it's still far from the most expensive, but rents have gone up considerably since and there doesn't seem to come an end to it anytime soon. So yes, for those eyeing a job in Berlin, they should consider a home in the neighbouring state of Brandenburg, somewhere with a good train connection and you're good to go.

[@1972Georges]

Nice House.

[@christiankastorf1427]

There is an old Germanic superstition that time comes to a halt around winter solstice. I do not know whether the Celtic people had a similar thing and Bavaria was more Celtic than Germanic in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Anyway. That superstition means that it brings bad luck when wheels are turned between Christmas and New Year. Farmers right into the last century would not do any carting during that time. And that superstition "jumped" over to Sundays when Christianity got rooted in German lands and from carts to any household machines. My mother would for a long time follow that rule not to have the washing machine running on Sundays. But I did not have a washing machine on my own in my tiny apartment and came home to my parents on weekends and did my washing then. We were not hit by lightings. But, you are right, it is regarded as rude to do things that could disturb your neighbours. You will see quickly that it is Saturday that most people do noisy jobs like mowing the lawn or cut the edges with those two-stroke trimmers.

[@FabFunty]

I had a horror moving 500m down the street had to change my address and all that can't imagine doing all this in another country 🤣

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

🤣🤣🤣 just down the street!

[@semsemeini7905]

I don't know where to buy good furniture in Germany. They came to our apartment in Vienna on July 23rd, 1939 and stole it. Even the knives and forks.

[@trinitygray401]

which agency is a good expat agency? we would like to move over but we are terrified of doing it all wrong.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

We didn’t have an expat agency, only a relocation agent and she was very good. Most companies will help you with the visa and even moving fees, but I’m not aware of an agency that helps with everything.

[@trinitygray401]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Ok. Thanks! We currently live on MS Gulf Coast and ATL is 6hrs from us. I tried to email the consulate and didn’t get much information at all. I feel that’s a huge drive to be told I need something I don’t have with me. I did a DM to your fb page. I’m hoping you’ll have some information that maybe help. I’m not the travel stressor, my husband is. I know once I can show him the simplicity of it it’ll be way easier to move over.

[@maryannebryce5210]

Can I come visit you after I move to Austria (going for a year)?

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Sounds like fun! You’re moving to Austria? What will you be doing there? Austria’s a dream country, too!

[@rashomon351]

This whole be-quiet- on-sundays seems to be a total misunderstanding, at least a vast exegeration. Yes, in some areas there's something like "Mittagsruhe" (some sort of siesta). But those are local rules, which may differ between comunities. And yes, you probably shouldn't play the drums during that time (if your cummunity has a Mittagsruhe) or make any unessecary noise. But what's necessary is up to interpretation. Does anybody really think that any craftsman spends any thought on that ? If he has to break down a wall, he will do so whatever time it is! I'm living in a rural area. Does anybody really think, that any of the farmsteads surrounding my home (farmsteads are organized differently in germany, they usually are located in small towns and not on the lands they farm) really cares about what time of day it is, when he's doing whatever noisy thing he needs to do ? And especially with kids: kids are regarded highly in germany. Noises made by children are usually accepted more on the "nessecary" side. If they need to play, they need to play. If that makes some noise, well that's what they need to do. Of course, there's always that grumpy, bitter old lady with generations of "Blockwärter" in their ancestry. Do what every german is doing: slap the door right into her face.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

This is great to hear! Thanks Thomas.

[@Old-USRefugee]

I am very curious where you live in Germany, where these rules are not enforced. I even have it in my lease what the quiet hours are, and I had the Police called on me because I was screwing some furniture together after eight pm!

[@ravanpee1325]

Noises by kids are considered as "natural ciecumstances" under law. It would be quite a difference if it's a crying toddler (okay) or a teen listening to loud heavy metal (not okay, can use a headset). The key is to treat other people like you want to be treated. That's called dt. 'Rücksichtnahme', engl. thoughtfullness

[@jeanjacques9980]

Think twice about furniture from IKEA! Quality. Watched a few of your videos, one thing not discussed is leaving family behind especially elderly family members, it tough to leave friends and family. However phone calls are cheap and zooming is free, a little different from emigrating 50 years ago.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes that is the hardest part - we do really miss our parents and we loved having the grandparents nearby before.

[@jeanjacques9980]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Eternal dilemma of the emigree, the elderly family left behind.

[@brittariedel3446]

If you send your kids to school in Germany, they will need a tablet or laptop (and a good Internet connection in your house), since schools are closed at the moment and students have to do mandatory home-schooling. Only elementary schools probably will open end of february. But this also differs from Bundesland to Bundesland. Bad time at the moment because of Covid, because the kids probably wont meet their new schoolmates in person in the first weeks. And btw: if you have the opportunity to get a covid vaccination before leaving the US dont hesitate! Germany has only vaccinated a very small number of citizens yet and "normal" people ate only entitked to be vaccinated in late summer or autumn or even later due to shortage of vaccination doses (as a result of bad purchasing policies of the EU).

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hallo Britta! Yes our local gründschule has just started classes in person again so we arrived at just the right time! We actually have a meeting with them today to enroll the kids in school.

[@henningbartels6245]

Why does it cost 400 Euros or 500 Dollars to ship a container from Germany to China or vis versa and moving furniture is supposingly so expensive?! I think the thing with not doing laundry on a sunday in Germany is overrated. Well, I would not use the spin dryer after 10 pm, if you have a loud washing machine and it makes bumping noises for the neighbors.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Okay good to know! Many Germans are commenting about this - that what we were told about making noise on Sundays isn’t true. So glad to hear that! We can clear that up in a future video.

[@henningbartels6245]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife, don't worry. Yes, there are some regulations, varying from the state or town you live in. Often there are hours when you should avoid loud noises, mostly between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and between 1 and 3 p.m. On Sundays and public holidays it applies to the whole day. Your landlord can also put regulations in your lease. This applies rather to loud heavy metal music or exessive chainsaw use in you garden. There is a German saying: If there is no plaintiff, there will be no judge. If you get along with your neighbors, who should complain? I do mow the lawn on sundays as well, because none of my neighbors cares. Well, sometimes relations between neighbors are not as good - so there were numberous court proceedings und decisions, e.g.: - modern washing machines can be operated on Sundays because they are not considered as noisy. - noises caused by children are also not considered as "noisy" or disturbance - rather "socially acceptable".

[@andibuletten6206]

9 european countries around the german borders. You can travel and visit 3 of them in just 1 day easily.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

I hadn’t actually counted them yet! Wow, 9! That’s a big reason we want to move to Germany so we can travel just two hours and hear a new language, eat new food, and experience a new culture!

[@andibuletten6206]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife You will love it! Although germany itself has a lot of culinary food to offer. Not just Brezeln, Wurst and Sauerkraut!😉

[@ninifarcazar3030]

3 countries in one day? That's easy, drive from Munich to Rijeka in Croatia on vacation. Only 321 miles and you have crossed Austria and Slovenia.

[@Danisachan]

No, no one is going to yell at you for vacuuming or doing your laundry at Sunday, except if those are crazy CRAZY loud! 😂 Like... lawn mower loud. And for hours.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

That’s good to hear! I’ve seen posts in my expat groups on Facebook where neighbors complain if you run your vacuum on a Sunday. But those people are probably very rare.

[@Danisachan]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Those were propably one of those "stingy" ones. The ones you don't wanna have as a neighbor at the best of times. For most here the line goes "live and let live". Not all things can conviniently happen on a not-Sunday after all. My neighbor spent ten minutes last Sunday drilling a hole. Did I complain to him about those 10minutes? Of course not. ;)

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

@@Danisachan thanks for your comment. It’s a good reminder that the stingy ones are not common!

[@michaelgrabner8977]

the "warm up process" with people is definitively a thing which you should get used to..people are generally very ..let´s say "reserved"..in general especially in rural areas and especially from an American´s perspective. Small talk is not a thing amongst people who don´t know each other well or at all. So don´t take anything personal it´s not about you when people seem to be a bit cold...that is simply culture related. But when you are able to crack their hard shelf which will take a bit of time but I´m sure that will happen, because your are both so adorable persons, people are very warm and friendly. You can compare those with a coconut...hard on the surface but sweet and soft inside. And "Congrats" to your german living place it looks gorgious...and the area as well. I´m not a German and do not live there but I know those big furniture retailers because we in Austria have quite the same as like in Bavaria...Look for instance at "Mömax" or "XXXLutz" those are truely "IKEA-Alternatives" (and by the way Austrian companies who are also operating in Germany)... I´ll share the links of their Websites for Germany for you to have the opportunity taking a quick peek about their stuff..When you click at the right corner on the top "Filialfinder" you can look for their subsidaries located in your bavarian region. For indigenous retailers you have to ask a local Bavarian. www.xxxlutz.de/ www.moemax.de/

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Thanks so much for the furniture recommendations and advice! What’s it like living in Austria? It’s also a beautiful country, I’ve always thought it would be amazing to live there.

[@michaelgrabner8977]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife The difference in lifestyle to Bavaria is not worth to mention..just little and very subtile things are different in daily life..and the people are generally a bit easier to make friends in Austria because our mentality is more laid back than the mentality of Germans..or in other words: In Austria and Germany "there is always a formal way and an informal way of doing things, or to interact with each other" and in Austria it is way easier to get into the informal stage to ease things or to interact with each other while Germans tend to stick into formal ways..that starts already with the language..like for instance an Austrian will offer saying "Du" instead of "Sie" as a friendly gesture in order to bind with each other and to make communication way more casual way way earlier than a German for sure and that "formal Sie" alone is a huge barrier in interacting with each other..but I´m speaking in stereotypes of course..at the end it depends on the actual person of course..

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

@@michaelgrabner8977 oh good to know that Austrians are less formal and more friendly!

[@michaelgrabner8977]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife I didn´t mean that..respectively I wouldn´t say that..Germans are friendly, too... but they have a harder shelf which has to be cracked in order to become "friends".

[@ravanpee1325]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Also when you live in a small village, participate in the local activities e.g. local festivals or clubs. You will get a huge social bonus from the community if they see that you actively try to participate and integrate. Also a good possibility to get to know each other

[@super-duper]

i dont think he is less emotional because he is an engineer, but he became an engineer because he is less emotional (among other things) :D

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes, that's true!

[@margiesessions5329]

Fyi in europe they do weigh your carry on! They have limits for how much the carry on can weigh.

[@V100-e5q]

If you have to lift a heavy carry-on into the overhead bin, good luck! I once had bought some books and got into trouble getting it into the bin. Despite the luggage peice being just a trolley. The smaller ones to boot!

[@tanit]

Are you renting a house or did you BUY a house? It was unclear from the video.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

We are renting.

[@tanit]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife thank you!