Well, it's been almost four full weeks since we started moving into our "forever home" in Berlin, and it almost feels real! Although we've been living in Berlin for 4 1/2 months, the first 3 were spent in a sublease we knew would end, and then, due to difficultly getting a lease, we stayed in a Vacation Apartment rental for another 5 weeks before finally landing a lease!
We love our new place: it's ground floor, so easy to let Frank out, it's very close to busses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and groceries, it's cosy but big enough, it comes with a built-in kitchen, bookshelf/closet, and bed!! For anyone familiar with apartments in Germany, you know this is INSANELY rare. Many apartments don't even come with a kitchen sink! In the U.S., you usually assume that anything you would need power tools to remove would stay in the apartment.
Not so in Germany.
Here, people take the closets, the fitted kitchen cupboards, the appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, fridge...), the light fixtures (and light-bulbs), and sometimes even the oven and kitchen sink. It's ridiculous. We spoke to one apartment company who said they used to be legally required to leave at least a sink and a stove, but now they only have to have HOOKUPS for a sink and stove. I'm surprised they don't take the dang commode with them too, to round it all out. I mean, it gives me a headache just thinking of trying to move all of that extra junk around, or paying movers to haul it for you! And don't get me started on the fact that many apartment buildings still do not have elevators, so you have to haul all of this stuff up however many flights in these narrow, old buildings. Beautiful to look at, but literally the worst to move in and out of.
Anyway, back to our place- we got lucky. We knew we definitely wanted at least a partially built-in kitchen, because we didn't want to deal with the time, hassle, and cost of getting one brand new. This place even has a dishwasher included! We have slowly, but surely, been refurbishing our kitchen supplies. I think that is something I have missed the most- having a fully-stocked kitchen. Back in Des Moines, we had everything you could want besides a waffle maker! Now, I forget we don't have some basics, like a cookie sheet or a whisk.... But, as I said, we're slowly restocking. Last week, I bought us a water boiler and dog bowls from Amazon. This weekend, we got a potato peeler, cookie sheet, roasting pan, and liquid measuring cup from TK Maxx (It's TJ Maxx, but German). YAY! I guess that's the sign of being an adult, when you get excited about such purchases as kitchen supplies or hardware. ;)
I think the last step to feeling all the way moved in will be to get things on the walls. That always seems to come last, doesn't it? We have a kitchen cupboard to hang above the sink (the cupboards that were included are all just waist-height), then a few racks and a coat hook to hang by the door. One of my nanny families offered to let me borrow their drill for these jobs, but apparently they loaned it to another friend who hasn't given it back yet. ;) Hoping they get it back soon so we can use it, so we don't have to buy our own!
Moral of the story, our house is almost a home. We got love, food, and Frank, so all is well. And we even had a visitor already!! My best friend, and Winston's non-relative, Brittany Beck, came and stayed with us for 2 weeks when we first moved in. It was awesome having someone to visit us from the States. Now that she's been the trailblazer, the rest of you have no excuses!! We even have a spare bed you can use... :)
We love our new place: it's ground floor, so easy to let Frank out, it's very close to busses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and groceries, it's cosy but big enough, it comes with a built-in kitchen, bookshelf/closet, and bed!! For anyone familiar with apartments in Germany, you know this is INSANELY rare. Many apartments don't even come with a kitchen sink! In the U.S., you usually assume that anything you would need power tools to remove would stay in the apartment.
Not so in Germany.
Here, people take the closets, the fitted kitchen cupboards, the appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, fridge...), the light fixtures (and light-bulbs), and sometimes even the oven and kitchen sink. It's ridiculous. We spoke to one apartment company who said they used to be legally required to leave at least a sink and a stove, but now they only have to have HOOKUPS for a sink and stove. I'm surprised they don't take the dang commode with them too, to round it all out. I mean, it gives me a headache just thinking of trying to move all of that extra junk around, or paying movers to haul it for you! And don't get me started on the fact that many apartment buildings still do not have elevators, so you have to haul all of this stuff up however many flights in these narrow, old buildings. Beautiful to look at, but literally the worst to move in and out of.
Anyway, back to our place- we got lucky. We knew we definitely wanted at least a partially built-in kitchen, because we didn't want to deal with the time, hassle, and cost of getting one brand new. This place even has a dishwasher included! We have slowly, but surely, been refurbishing our kitchen supplies. I think that is something I have missed the most- having a fully-stocked kitchen. Back in Des Moines, we had everything you could want besides a waffle maker! Now, I forget we don't have some basics, like a cookie sheet or a whisk.... But, as I said, we're slowly restocking. Last week, I bought us a water boiler and dog bowls from Amazon. This weekend, we got a potato peeler, cookie sheet, roasting pan, and liquid measuring cup from TK Maxx (It's TJ Maxx, but German). YAY! I guess that's the sign of being an adult, when you get excited about such purchases as kitchen supplies or hardware. ;)
I think the last step to feeling all the way moved in will be to get things on the walls. That always seems to come last, doesn't it? We have a kitchen cupboard to hang above the sink (the cupboards that were included are all just waist-height), then a few racks and a coat hook to hang by the door. One of my nanny families offered to let me borrow their drill for these jobs, but apparently they loaned it to another friend who hasn't given it back yet. ;) Hoping they get it back soon so we can use it, so we don't have to buy our own!
Moral of the story, our house is almost a home. We got love, food, and Frank, so all is well. And we even had a visitor already!! My best friend, and Winston's non-relative, Brittany Beck, came and stayed with us for 2 weeks when we first moved in. It was awesome having someone to visit us from the States. Now that she's been the trailblazer, the rest of you have no excuses!! We even have a spare bed you can use... :)