Tips on living in Germany

On Feb 25, 3:53*pm, Erick T. Barkhuis -o-m
wrote:
Frank Hucklenbroich:

-------snipped----------------

For the US, it depends on the State. "Usually no problem at all" is a
bit too optimistic, I think.

I laugh, no problem at all being an American living in Germany, my
being from a state and having its driving license which has no
recipricol agreement with Germany. Going to driving school for a cost
of US$2000 isn't cheap (after having had a driver's license for over
40 years), and their really is no reciprocity in a German in the US
not having to spend such money to get a license, actually probably
none is required.

George

On Feb 26, 7:44*am, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:
wrote :

Useful to people planning to stay:
http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/Germany.html

From the website:

Housing

* *If you rent an entire apartment, rather than a room, be
* *forewarned that appliances are the renters' property, not the
* *landlord's. *

Not necessarily. Typically the oven, the kitchen sink and the interiors
of the bathroom are provided by the landlord.

-----snipped--------------

Typically, you must supply the whole kitchen, including appliances,
countertops and cabinetry, and almost all lighting within the
apartment, and in Germany lighting isn't inexpensive like in the US.
Then when you move, all must come out, another waste of time and
money.

George

On Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:11:16 +0100, Martin wrote in post :
:

On Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:00:33 +0100, "Tim C." wrote:

On Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:38:10 +0100, Martin wrote in post :
news
Wrong! A foreign resident has to exchange his foreign licence for a local one
after so many months.

Except EU citizens.

Even an EU citizen in UK.

Over a year anyway.
But not in Germany, iirc. it used to be in Germany you had to exchange
between 6 months and a year, but that was back in the mid 80s, when you had
to argue to get a residents permit despite your right to have one.

--
Tim C.

On Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:44:39 +0100, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote in post :
:

If you are told you need to set that up yourself, no problem.
There are two kinds of access that I've seen in German homes:
* ISDN
* Modem

ADSL and internet by cable are widespread.

you can combine ADSL with ISDN as well. Not forgetting "high-speed" mobile
access.

--
Tim C.

On Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:44:39 +0100, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote in post :
:

Mxsmanic, is that you?

Or Miguel's managed to get Mixi v3 released?
He's very convincing isn't he?
--
Tim C.

wrote in message
...
On Feb 26, 7:44 am, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:
wrote
:

Useful to people planning to stay:
http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/Germany.html

From the website:

Housing

If you rent an entire apartment, rather than a room, be
forewarned that appliances are the renters' property, not the
landlord's.

Not necessarily. Typically the oven, the kitchen sink and the interiors
of the bathroom are provided by the landlord.

-----snipped--------------

Typically, you must supply the whole kitchen, including appliances,
countertops and cabinetry, and almost all lighting within the
apartment, and in Germany lighting isn't inexpensive like in the US.
Then when you move, all must come out, another waste of time and
money.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What do you mean isn't inexpensive? Does your Ikea ramp up the prices then?
I can buy lighting in the UK for about 4.99 a fitting (decorative type,
about 1.99 for a plain fitting), how you can call this expensive, I don't
know.

tim

On Feb 26, 12:47*pm, "tim....." wrote:
wrote in message

...
On Feb 26, 7:44 am, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:



wrote
:

Useful to people planning to stay:
http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/Germany.html

From the website:

Housing

If you rent an entire apartment, rather than a room, be
forewarned that appliances are the renters' property, not the
landlord's.

Not necessarily. Typically the oven, the kitchen sink and the interiors
of the bathroom are provided by the landlord.

-----snipped--------------

Typically, you must supply the whole kitchen, including appliances,
countertops and cabinetry, and almost all lighting within the
apartment, and in Germany lighting isn't inexpensive like in the US.
Then when you move, all must come out, another waste of time and
money.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------*------------

What do you mean isn't inexpensive? *Does your Ikea ramp up the prices then?
I can buy lighting in the UK for about 4.99 a fitting (decorative type,
about 1.99 for a plain fitting), how you can call this expensive, I don't
know.

tim

For the most part, there are few inexpensive places to buy lighting
fixtures in Germany, unlike a US do-it-yourself store. At a lighting
store you will be hard pressed to find anything at what I would call a
reasonable price. Fairly simple lighting fixtures can easily run way
over a 100€.

George

wrote in message
...
On Feb 26, 12:47 pm, "tim....." wrote:
wrote in message

...
On Feb 26, 7:44 am, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:



wrote
:

Useful to people planning to stay:
http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/Germany.html

From the website:

Housing

If you rent an entire apartment, rather than a room, be
forewarned that appliances are the renters' property, not the
landlord's.

Not necessarily. Typically the oven, the kitchen sink and the interiors
of the bathroom are provided by the landlord.

-----snipped--------------

Typically, you must supply the whole kitchen, including appliances,
countertops and cabinetry, and almost all lighting within the
apartment, and in Germany lighting isn't inexpensive like in the US.
Then when you move, all must come out, another waste of time and
money.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------*------------

What do you mean isn't inexpensive? Does your Ikea ramp up the prices
then?
I can buy lighting in the UK for about 4.99 a fitting (decorative type,
about 1.99 for a plain fitting), how you can call this expensive, I don't
know.

tim

For the most part, there are few inexpensive places to buy lighting
fixtures in Germany, unlike a US do-it-yourself store. At a lighting
store you will be hard pressed to find anything at what I would call a
reasonable price. Fairly simple lighting fixtures can easily run way
over a 100€.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But this is because Germans like shopping this way (they must do otherwise
the shops wouldn't exist).

I once lived in a very small town that has a 52 week Christmas (type)
decoration shop, how this stayed in business I'll never know (but it did).

It is still possible to find cheap stuff in Germany but IME you have to be
non-Germanic to be seen dead in such shops.

tim





George

On Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:16:17 -0000, tim..... wrote in post :
:

It is still possible to find cheap stuff in Germany but IME you have to be
non-Germanic to be seen dead in such shops.

Ikea's doing ok in Germany. Obviously too many foreigners live there.
--
Tim C.

"Tim C." wrote in message
...
On Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:16:17 -0000, tim..... wrote in post :
:

It is still possible to find cheap stuff in Germany but IME you have to
be
non-Germanic to be seen dead in such shops.

Ikea's doing ok in Germany. Obviously too many foreigners live there.

Because it's Swedish, Ikea's ok!

tim