I've been to the US and our cousin made got so angree if anyone made a stain on the carpet. Carpets are frequently ugly, dirty and bloody inconvenient. Who has time for that shit? In Norway we use loose rugs instead, hang it out in the summer or even winter to clean and just take it in when it's clean. No one has time to clean a carpet. It was fashion in Norway many years ago, faded from fashion very fast.

I live in the US and I can't stand carpet. It's not as fashionable as it used to be. Carpet is cheaper than wood floors and that's why I had carpet in a couple of rooms for a while and I finally was able to get it out!!

That is not the reason, carpet is disgusting, you walk outside and in the us most people keep their shoes on in the home, so you step in all kinds of gross stuff and then you walk inside and walk it all over the carpet, yuck!

No offense but your home sounds like a pig sty. You're complaining you don't have time to vacuum a rug at least once a week? Gimme a break. 😂😂 You're just lazy! Fwiw, WHY do you assume all rugs are dirty and stained? That's just bizarre. Ever think it's the company you keep? LoL. Seriously, you've got to get out more mate, that comment is worthy of a 15 year old. @@TullaRask

And heat rises, so you wouldn't want carpet blocking this from happening😊

That seems to be the case with all the Nordic countries. They always land on the upper end of the world happiness scale. When I go there, they seem more content with life.

So very true ❤

Amen

I do look forward to being with God in Heaven.

Thank you for sharing Johannah! 😊

I bought my house ripped out all the carpet!

I loved the separate duvets! That started my husband and I having our own blankets.

Because of my indoor dogs, I finally got rid of the carpet and got stone look vinyl sheet flooring. Should've done this years ago. Accidents are a breeze to clean up 😊🎉

This is a smaller percentage than most people realize. Also, majority of housing in the US are built like adult tree houses made of vinyl

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy!

it cut the floor clean work by more than half. it helped in Canada that most of our friends were Japanese, but still, it makes sense everywhere.

Definitely a thing in Michigan.

Don't you DARE do that in my house I don't want your foot bacteria on my floors. And NOBODY I know removes their shoes and goes barefoot. You must be from the South.

@@huitrecouture I wear socks. I don't wear flip flops or sandals. I do not go barefoot and I bathe on a daily basis so my feet are clean so speak for yourself.

From Canada 🇨🇦 always shoes off

Lol now think how much heavier you gonna get when you sleep in separate beds ) .. even better in separate rooms,

Hi. I loved your comment. Do you still use a top sheet, or only bottom sheet and separate comforters? I might have to buy duvet covers to easily launder while keeping comforters clean. Thank you.

@@treasuringpricelesstime5962 I'm not Trish, but I'm in the US and my hubby and I finally switched to this a few years ago. And yes, it DID save our marriage, because hubby spins and cocoons while he sleeps, taking every bit of covers with him. Switching to this has let me sleep SO much better. It's hell when we go to a hotel and have to share covers now, lol. There's no "proper" way to do it; it's whatever works for YOU. We have the one bottom sheet covering the mattress, then ourselves, and then we each have our own preferred combo of sheets/blankets/comforters.

@@treasuringpricelesstime5962 - Here in Southern California we use separate duvets, so no top sheet.

This. I need a weighted blanket to sleep, even in the summer. My fiance needs usually just a sheet, and a light blanket in the winter. We're both more comfortable now than we were when we tried to have one nice bed set.

No vegetable gardens?

We have ten acres, 2 acres lawns and gardens, 8 acres natural woods. I would be miserable in an apartment. We grow so much of our vegetables, and I love gardening. You can’t see our home from the road which we like. Privacy is a blessing.

@deemariedubois4916 I would too. I need good fences and good neighbors

I have 25 acres in the Appalachian mountains and nearest neighbor is 6 miles, and Love it.

Private space is the best thing money can buy.

🙌

If the south side of chicago were populated entirely by Icelanders, you would feel totally safe there also.

Well, it's walking among one big family 😱

​@@man0sticksAnywhere encased in poverty as well as overcrowded increases danger. Freedom means you have nothing to lose. If you have no home why would you care about imprisonment, same for food, same for possessions. When you work 2 full time jobs and can't make ends meet you might become resentful of the wealthy working less and receiving more. It doesn't matter where you are originally from

Homogeneous populations work that way

Hi Kevin! I knew a Kevin Mack who is a hair dresser in Newton! His full name is McNamara.

@@lorrainemagarian2677 All us Irish are family 😄.... But I take Zero ownership of Kevin McCarthy...

Hope you still have your family’s home in your family. A friend of mine from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 showed me his family’s home build of stone in 1100’s. Very cool.

I live in a house outside of Boston that looks like what you describe, but it was built in 1994…because we’re still doing it just that way. Heh. And yes - easily another 100 years!

When stationed in RI, 68-70 Army not Navy, we lived in a home built in the 1830’s on a stone foundation, no mortar. With high winds it would sway. I looked up the address about a year ago it’s still standing and occupied.

Freezing all night describes NYC, along with people shouting obscenities, and public urination.

@@estebancorral5151 The freezing was because it was a hotel between a glacier and the ocean in November! The drivers were very courteous to stop all traffic whereas I would likely need to run across the street even with the "walk" in NYC. I enjoyed my trip and hope visit again but better prepared for environment.

🤡🤡🤡

@@estebancorral5151???

I know the feeling. I wasn’t taking pictures but stoped at roundabout on motorway in England. I did not know how to leave it and make turn on the other side of the road. I dropped the rental next day and did not drive to the end of vacation. We used a public transportation and bought a day tours.

Yes; several of the differences are because It's. A. Volcanic. Island! Geothermal heat? check. No wood houses? Ummm what trees? Landscaping? Lava rock everywhere.

Just visited Hida, they used to lash timber together which allows buildings to sway with the earthquake. Thatched straw roofs

Nah. The same goes for Scandinavia (few wood building nowadays) which have plenty of timber.

In Japan, many of the wooden temples you see today have been rebuilt over the centuries, sometimes more than once. There are still some older machiya style wooden houses in rural areas (or Kyoto is a good example) but they are a pain (and expensive) to renovate. New buildings in Japan are nearly always concrete and follow strict earthquake proof guidelines, I suspect in Iceland they have similar rules.

@@michellerutten4412 In Japan, strangely enough, tradition sometimes requires that they rebuild the temples after so many years. I'm not sure they even know why this is. Yeah, I subscribe to one of those living in Japan KZfaqrs and he did a couple of episodes on the disappearing machiya .

In what way were your “eyes opened”? How did it change your life?

@@nadogrl I lived in Sweden for 9 years. I loved a lot of the culture, but not all of it. I would say it opened my eyes to the moral dangers of socialism and its life-sapping effect on the people... At the same time, I developed a love of nature and camping and gardening. Also got to see snow in July and reindeer sleeping in the middle of the road :)

@@karensullivan7060 - Are you American? Sounds like a very worthwhile experience. As a lifelong Conservative, I didn’t really need any personal experience with socialism, and the dangers of multiculturalism. I live my life with common sense and logic, not emotion, unlike the Left. I have always wanted to see more of the world, with just a few experiences over my 70+ years. My 3 months in Western Europe, 10 years ago, were wonderful. Not sure I’d want to go back now, sadly…London was already getting scary, as were Paris, Marseille, and other areas of France, with armed guards at the train stations, etc. I had several dicey scenarios, but also met wonderful people from many, many places.❤️

@@nadogrlat least no kids die in school shootings there

@@karensullivan7060moral dangers of socialism and its life-sapping effect on people? lololol americans are ever so ‘self-aware’. visit the ghettos of Hollywood my friend

Definitely cannot blame you one bit …. NW WY

Agree. The Netherlands is the best because they stick to their gorgeous historic architecture

Amen, grew up in Idaho

I hear ya about the weather...!!!

You just described Regensberg, Bayern, Deutchland.

When I look at the masses of my native flowers, shrubs and trees from my gardening endeavors in Massachusetts, the look of bleak Iceland is painful. I love the "cultivated" wild look outside my home compared to my neighbors' sterile, synthetic, preened landscaping with their utterly pointless pesticide-laden lawns the size of a lacrosse pitch! This will be the way of "landscaping" of the future if USA can get its act together.

@@lanialost1320 , that's why so many people love the beautiful USA, there are so many beautiful mountains, water falls, forests. Sorry to bust your bubbles, let's say there is a problem in getting the materials needed to use in a county that sits on a volcano and seismic plate and can't get it, well the fear is tremendous. Isn't Iceland the country that a volcano erupted where all the people that could escape did, making sure they did not forget their wallet/phones, BUT LEFT ALL THEIR ANIMALS BEHIND? Not surprise that it's an AMERICAN BORN THAT IS MAKING VIDEOS HOW BETTER OTHER COUNTRIES ARE, AMERICA BAD...., WHY DON'T YOU ASK THOSE ICELANDERS IF THEY HATE THEIR COUNTRY? I CAN BET YOU THEY WON'T.

@@Dee-so3byI gave you a thumb up for making a point about them leaving their animals behind. No way I would leave my dog behind. I would get into a physical fight just to get my dog go with me.

I've visited Iceland and I loved it. There may be no trees but the landscape is dramatic and as for Reykjavik, the main street is very colourful. It's wel worth a visit.

Many Icelandic houses are painted in different colors to add some color to the landscape. I'm not saying that that replaces flowers and trees, but it is not as colorless as you're implying. It's also one of the most beautiful places on Earth. That's undeniable.

Get your facts correct. Most homes now have hardwood floors. And 3 or 4 story homes are not common

I don’t want any carpet in my house except little area rugs, like the front door. Carpet is hard to clean and it gets stinky.

Bed bugs made a comeback. Carpet not a good idea I am a carpenter with a pest control applicator certificate

@@Lmy976 No most homes do not have hardwood floors. YOU get your facts straight. Hardwood floors are VERY EXPENSIVE not to mention, easily scratched. Only 'high-end' houses have hardwood floors using quality wood. Searching for houses at least here in Florida, I found tile to be one of the most common floor materials now. Carpet is going away due to the fact that it collects dust and causes allergies if not frequently steam cleaned.

Came here to say this... I haven't seen carpeting in a while.

You are not able to have a lot of stuff because china and crystal are destroyed in your first earthquake.

Smaller homes are also probably easier and cheaper to maintain.

You've just put your finger on the whole reason for the USA's existence - waste lots of materials and use lots of energy driving around collecting it.

I have a 600 square foot home for me and my daughter and I absolutely love it. No carpet, only so much room to store stuff, and it doesn’t feel small to me. It’s perfect for us.

and more cleaning to do. I don't understand why Americans have so many bathrooms in their houses. it would annoy me having to clean 3 or 4 bathrooms. Generally here in Australia, you have a family/master bathroom and an ensuite

Build in some walls. Or half walls, that go up 3 to 4 feet and leave the rest open. Then you have a place to put a sofa on one side and on the other one a drawer. You could even make the space up to the wall closed with a cute window. And of course you can just place half a wall in a space (or however wide or not wide you want it), or such parts on both sides. Just get inspired on the internet :) It's not so expensive, but it sure makes a lot of difference in feeling cozy. Of course you can also buy room divider furniture, like the Ikea Kallax system, or even a stylish paravent.

I'm really happy with our open floor plan, combining kitchen, dining and living areas. When I'm cooking, I still want to participate in conversation.

Is that so? It sounds that someone is tired of cleaning up a big house.

Start using different types of space dividers. I use Japanese rice screens....it makes a difference 😊

@@estebancorral5151 I have cleaners, so NO.

I guess that's beneficial for some, I don't lock my door so... security not really a concern

Agreed! I love the German windows although I’ll admit it took me awhile to figure them out 😂

Add to that, in Scandinavia/Island, the doors open outwards and not inwards...

Tobbi11-​​-That's unthinkable where I live.

I haven’t yet met a single Tourist/Visitor of Iceland who didn’t absolutely love it & in many cases return more than once.

I am jealous you grow your own food us flowers. That seems great.

Nice!

She doesn’t seem to consider San Francisco where wooden Victorians have weathered earthquakes and offshore winds for years.

Exactly what I thought! Alsoooo, she seems to be kind of wealthy type of girl because lots of people can't even afford to live in a type of house she described.

USA is huge. Not so with countries of Europe. So variations of living styles in the USA are many.

I came here to say this too. I've seen a bunch of people contrasting "the US" to some other place as if the US is a monolith. Wealthy suburbs are not representative of the US as a whole.

It's also common in the suburbs of the US to have hardwood or laminate flooring amongst other flooring types. The only houses in the US with carpet floors anymore are families that can't afford to update their flooring. Carpet has been uncommon for decades.

I bought an Electrolux canister style vacuum cleaner in 1978 and it’s still working well. My mom had one and that influenced my decision and in her 90’s still uses hers. I also inherited my grandmother’s vintage Electrolux vacuum from the 1940’s and it also works well. It has a cloth bag so isn’t as convenient as that disposable ones so I use it to vacuum the vehicles. I broke a wheel and had it replaced and also replaced the hose , but the motor still works well. They tested the suction and it was still at the correct amount as when purchased. It was well worth the money. I did buy an upright from a well known brand that people told me would be easier on the stairs but the belt broke frequently and it didn’t operate in the fully upright position so shut itself off. It was so annoying that I gave it away.

Thanks for watching and sharing your insight!

Yes, wood can move with the ground movement. Just like an old oak will break in a storm, and a sapling will bend.

The reason is probably that they simply don’t have trees in Iceland!

In NZ we have wooden buildings that stand to earthquakes. I think Iceland does not build with wood as they can't grow the forests necessary to supply the wood.. Japan uses base issolators developed in NZ to stop buildings shake them seves to pieces in an earthquake

Actually concrete is more susceptible to earthquakes than are wood timber homes. Wood can flex with the earthquake concrete can’t. To use concrete in earthquake prone areas much more reenforcing steel is required.

I’m in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida, and each area can be different. I’d say the majority of homes here are timber frame. In my block of six homes, not one is concrete block. In fact in my entire neighborhood I’d say maybe 10% are cinderblock. My house was built in the 50’s. The 2 new houses behind me, that sold for million each, are timber frame, as are all the new houses in my area. I’m guessing the big reason for timber frame homes is that the cost is much less. The biggest factor for homes Re.hurricanes is windows & roof & wall tie-downs, which the government now controls closely. Statistically The highest risk is in the panhandle, the next is Miami, like the Homestead hit, Tampa Bay has a 17% risk factor. Obviously the Fort Myers area is high risk, since it’s has had 2 hits in the last 15 years or so.

@@janetpattison8474most of the changes to building standards and preferences happened after hurricane Andrew.

Not cement block any more.

The Texan above you wrote the exact same post word for word as you🤫

In the United States, houses are made of many materials. I own a property that is concrete block on the outside and wood frame on the inside tside. It is dead silent on the inside when the doors and windows are closed even though it is on a heavy traffic road. In this part of the country many houses are made of adobe block.

From what I understand, the main reason to air dry is if you've got one of those washer/dryer combos, the loads are small, and the dryer is horribly inefficient, runs forever, and doesn't completely dry. You can continue on and wash more clothes if you line dry.

I am jealous of you in the best possible way living in Japan especially for that long! Greetings from a Japan lover in the Western North Carolina Mountains.

I lived in Citibell when I was a kid. It was open space with houses. I have family in Dombosco. I loved my childhood in Argentina. Citibell, sadly is no longer the sleepy little town I remember 😢

@@carolynhoover9444 Did you? City Bell is a neighbourhood of my city, La Plata. It's still beautiful but you're right, it's not a sleepy little town anymore. It has its own commercial area and everything else they went downtown for in the past. Even its own hotels and theatres.

So true. This American thanks you for your insight.

I live in the US, am european, and I agree.

Thank you!

Not raised ranches. Ugh!

Actually there are only two Icelanders per square-kilometer. So the country is very large compared to the size of the population.

I live in the US and I could probably live without my dryer. I rarely use it. It shrinks everything, costs money to run, and it's just as easy to hang them on drying racks in my basement.

Thin walls, ugh--I agree. Years ago I moved into a newly built Apt. complex. It was very nice--and our next door neighbor was a middle-aged, quiet guy--never heard anything. After about a year, he moved out--and a couple moved in. EVERYTHING changed. This couple had frequent LOUD fights--lots of screaming and yelling, right on the other side of the wall--especially late at night when we were trying to sleep. We didn't live there much longer. That finished apartment living for me. We bought our own place, on a couple of acres out in the countryside. Now all I hear is bird song. ♥

Apartment (and "condo") living are manifestations of hell, because you can't avoid seeing, encountering, HEARING, or in any manner at all being affected by the assholes, and most people definitely are assholes, especially Americans.

I don’t like condos so I don’t have that problem

@@judyperri9496 In some areas, you have to be pretty wealthy to have your own house. We got out of So. Ca. for that reason!

@@windsongshfIf you had two previous years of tax returns you could have applied for an FHA loan with only 3% down. Unless you had too many gaps in your earnings history, a house could have been within your reach.

I like painting and gardening. Shovel though oof

One big issue that we have in the US that I think you probably don't have in the Nordic countries is that we have a "melting pot" of cultures here plus major urban centers with huge populations. The two combined makes for a LOT of noise. Also there are certain cultures where people tend to have a LOT of outdoor parties, loud music, getting drunk and shouting, etc. You don't see this in small towns in the US but go to a large city and you'll find it in abundance. When Europeans compare themselves to Americans, don't forget the cultural mixes we have and the issues those bring. Given that you're a Finn living in Texas, you've obviously experienced this issue although the reasons might not be as clear.

@minerran You are correct about large city noice, I lived in Houston. When I retired, I wanted a quieter environment. I moved to the boonies. Before closing for the house, I drove by multiple times and it seemed quiet. Was I surprised that the area that is mostly newly built started having huge parties. Parties with 20-30 cars parked criscros around, some kind of band playing music, on loud speakers, till 2 am. I do not speak Spanish but could clearly resite the words I heard, from 3 blocks away! I am lucky not to have to wake up any more early morning for work. I realized that the majority in this area are from South America. Hence, they are, as you stated, from a different culture. I asked once during these loud events from my neighbor if it was all the time this noisy, how can he sleep at all. He said he is used to it. 😀 Lately, it is most of the time very quiet, I believe HOA and the management company have changed. They are monitoring the lawn care, etc, monthly. Perhaps the loud parties 2 years ago were someone's attempt to make money during fading covid by selling alcohol and providing parties since there are far fewer parties anymore. I believe in motto "live and let live," but there is some common decency we all should practice. Sometimes, people just do not understand their behavior is disrupting for others since the majority accepts the behavior and do not raise an issue with it. One of the positives is the melting pot, the mix of cultures, music, food... I have also lived in Athens, Greece, some years and saw a very different culture already in there. Mostly, the mixture of cultures makes the environment more interesting, I do not expect people from different cultures to conform to my personal standards. But I wish people would remember that they have neighbors who have babies that need to get their sleep. Living in Texas gun culture, one must be careful. Just a couple of months ago, in some smaller community out of Houston, a man was drunk, shooting his gun around midnight. The neighbor had a small baby, and they had asked the man to quiet down since the baby could not sleep. The man had gone to the neighbor's house and killed 5 people with his gun, mainly women and children. They had already called the sheriff department much earlier, but nobody came, that itself is appalling. Even if Texas is a gun country, it is illegal to fire a weapon on the property to hunt, etc if the property is not at least 10 acres. Hence, we have to be careful who we are even asking to please quiet down.

You will own nothing and like it.

The United States is huge, and a lot of the world does not realize that. What is common in the Midwest is not at all common on the east or west coast or even the deep south. You live in Texas, which is almost its own “country” and culture. I live in the San Francisco Bay area where small, older homes are the norm and people do not typically speak loudly.

I produce heat "like a human furnace". My wife lives under multiple layers of blankets and is cold below 80F. She has Diabetes, and needs my body heat to be comfortable. Sometimes I wonder if she keeps me around as a free heat source, like a human geothermal source!

​@patriot9455 Love Is... sharing your body heat. ❤

Good point about the carpets! Thanks for watching and commenting!

I actually prefer my oversized home. We do have hardwood and quartz floors. I live in the south so heated floors would be a nightmare. Our house was built for efficiency. Our utilities bills are less than our previous house but we have double the square footage. My house is very energy efficient and each floor has its own temperature control. Just because it’s smaller and “efficient “ doesn’t mean it’s better. I would love to visit so many countries but it’s just not safe right now.

The refrigerators in the US are bigger because most of us cannot walk to an outdoor vegetable/meat market everyday. We have to stock up. Neighborhoods to city central are long distances.

It's the same in many other European countries that don't have floor heating. Wall to walk carpets is seen as unhygienic and the smaller kind often make a place look cluttered.

@aspenenglish4976 you must not want to visit the USA. It's unsafe!

Awesome. Most Americans have never left USA soil

​@@karlabritfeld7104it's because we are poor....not the "wealthiest country" like the government tries to tell us we are.

@@melissatrick9324 The wealth was supposed to trickle down, but that was a Hollyweird-production.

Same! We had a weekend layover on our way to Norway years ago, and it was a really lovely visit.

@@karlabritfeld7104 Out of the 100's of people I know currently...I don't know any who have not traveled out of the US...

Totally! I recently visited family in AZ and the aesthetic style of xeriscaping is very in line with the modern, simple, clean aesthetic of Iceland - although I don't think cacti would live here for very long! I also appreciate the sentiment about water for food, not ornamentation but I'll say that Iceland has an abundance of good clean water so it's usage doesn't need to be focused on conservation. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!

@@IcelandwithaView o

Well, that’s nice but I live in Florida. It isn’t a semi dessert area. A lot of Florida is mid tropical to tropical so it isn’t difficult or costly to have a green lawn.

I think it would be great if they just stopped geoengineering the drought in SoCal. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about rationing water. But alas, disaster capitalism is the theme of the day.

I live by the river. We don't have that problem. Things are quite green here and I don't recall ever seeing anyone water their lawn.

How exciting! I’m happy to help ❤️

Floor heating is enviromental good, save energy.

The ancient Romans knew it, too! Look up the Roman hypocaust heating system.

No, no, and no. You need a minimum of three bathrooms or you will be sorry.

@@estebancorral5151 I grew up in a home of 7 people...1 bathroom. I raised my two through to their adulthoods in a small house with 1 bathroom. It can be done.

@@charq52 yes, it can be done. However, it is not worth the familial vexations. I am 100% frugal, but not a cheapskate. A family should not be modeled after a state penitentiary. Otherwise you have an ensemble of relatives used to Pavlovian conditioning.

@@estebancorral5151 I'm sorry, this does not make sense. As a single parent, we had the biggest house I could afford...we made it work.

@@charq52 I understand now. Your decisions were due to some else’s poverty of the spirit.

That was a fun read! Thanks for sharing!

Totally agree. We stayed at a place near the airport in the largest city and It. Was. SAD. And BAREEN. I’d get depressed bug time.

@@esssee9386 "Bug" time, you say ????

Houseplants might help augment that “barren” feeling. The weather might drive people indoors much of the time, anyway.

I love the blue tile work from the Moores in Spain and Portugal.

I'm married to a Japanese woman and she is the same. You take off your shoes before you come into the main house. She doesn't understand the mentality that Americans have sometimes about wearing the shoes you just got done walking thru mud, water, or snow, etc, and tracking it thru the rest of the house.

Charcoal "briskets", huh? Were they charcoal "corned beef brisket?" Or perhaps you meant charcoal briquettes?

Re: your "mud room". In the UK that's called a "boot room". They were more common in larger, wealthier, houses. Some modern homes have these now, mainly in the suburbs or rural areas, and even have a proper changing area and a shower. I have built a small extension here at my casita in Spain. It has built in storage for your outside jackets, boots etc. but is minus a shower.

Ya, Korea, and maybe some other asian countries, are the only places that still use charcoal to directly heat their homes. In the US floors like that are heated with pipes running the home’s hot water through them all the time on a continuous hot water setup. Probably the same in iceland, heating the water with geothermal energy.

Mom's house built in 1940 has all beautiful oak. I dislike trying to keep carpet free of allergens.

it kind applies to Canada too actually..

@@vitasoy1437 Canadians (in my province) take their shoes off at the door.

@@Turtledove2009 lol which province is that? I came from an immigrant family and used to live in BC. We and basically everyone i knew took their shoes off when they entered a house.

Same in Australia 😅

I am sorry but I literally don't know anybody in US that doesn't take their shoes off at the door and over years we visited many, many homes. Many of us see slimy spits on a sidewalks, dogs peeing drunks peeing then we walk on it. My dog gets his feet washed too. I am not sure if I just run in different circles or is that some sort of regional habit of wearing dirty shoes inside the house.

Lived in Florida all my life. Homes are made from cinderblock and a lot of them are at least partially carpeted. There is a lot of ceramic tile and still some terrazzo but it is common to carpet bedrooms at the very least. It's a design choice really

@@Barclaylindaltrailer parks

Wait... are you actually high right now? I almost spat out my coffee. I live in Florida and 80-90% of homes are STILL carpeted. Because that is standard builder-grade materials. Real hardwood floors are still far too expensive for most homeowners in FL, so most non-carpeting options are either tile, laminate, or LVP. And most apartments are still wall-to-wall carpeting, except for kitchen and bathrooms. But yes, there is a modern trend where builders of newer apartment complexes have started install hard surface flooring. Mostly because over time, it saves them money after multiple renters damage the carpets, and the laws requiring them to be replaced every 5 years or so. So its just an economics thing, not necessarily for comfort or style.

Oh, and you have things backwards. In the northeast and midwest, its far more typical to have hardwood floors because the entire house is made of wood, including the subflooring. And putting tile on a wood subfloor is a disaster waiting to happen. In Florida, with concrete slabs, the cheapest option is to lay standard grade carpet down on all but the kitchen, bath and utility rooms. Concrete and tile floors get cold, yes, even in Florida. And not everyone wants to watch their young babies head get slammed down hard on a tile floor when they inevitably slip and fall the first couple of dozen times. Carpeting is warm, safe, and comfortable on the feet. Still is.

I want to visit Iceland sooo bad. Can’t get hubby on board. Right now plane tickets are very expensive. Will get there some day. Thank you for sharing info and pics

I think this is partly because of the wind - it can be too strong that billboards and powerline would fall right over 😂 and, despite high tourism levels, locals and travelers are generally very respectful of the surrounding environment.

I did see graffiti in one of the clips along a roadway though.

@@queens6583 Most likely made by someone that doesn't live in Iceland. Don't you think?

Craigmccann…you are kidding, right?

@@craigmccann1028 Your probably right.

Carpets are a breeding ground for bacteria, fungus, mites and pests like fleas. Many children suffer from allergies in a home that is fully carpeted. We had to remove carpets after my little boy just stayed sick.

For what it's worth, you can also vaccum wood floors. Mopping will still be necessary, but I find vacuuming my wood and tile floors to be much quicker and more effective than sweeping. I have cats, and live near a beach, and a broom just left too much pet hair and sand behind. I'll sometimes sweep out some corners and harder to reach areas before I vaccum. My home is under 1300 sqft so a small rechargeable stick vaccum if enough for my needs. I chose one with a detachable battery so that I can hang the vaccuum in my utility closet, and charge the battery elsewhere where I have an outlet.

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for tuning in!

About the sheep. It's a quite common praxis in the more rural regions of Europe, that if you run down a sheep, or goat, you'll have to pay premium prices for the poor animal, because according to the peasant that owned it, it was their most loved, most productive and most valuable sheep/goat, and it would be impossible to replace no matter the cost, despite looking at the poor animal, even a layman could see it was nothing more than an old sack of bones, that was way past its heydays. 😂

​@@Bannimann2hope people don't look at humans the same way there 😵

​@@Bannimann2OMG thank goodness no one is using the sheep for their personal pleasure. Can you imagine what that would cost?

​@@alsteeves2044)9

No need to drive so sloppy as to murder the sheep. Probably Adults realized this law was necessary to prevent reckless deaths of others including humans.

You think the fridges are small there, but I used to live with an rv size fridge-smaller!

When living in a certain tropical Southeast Asian country the main concern was to keep the rain out and allow lots of air flow, never saw heated or carpeted floors.

I agree with this. I live in southwest Missouri, and here "nicer" homes have a combination of hardwood and carpeting, lushly carpeted bedrooms are the norm. No one I know takes off their shoes when visiting friends or family. I do not know ANYONE in my area who does not have central A/C. It would be considered strange or even inappropriate not to have central A/C here. It does vary so much.

@@seltzermint5 In the Houston area today 96F with humidity it feels like 112F. A/C is very common even if portable or window units. Only ones I am familiar with who remove their shoes are Asians including those on the Indian sub-continent, oh and my late friend Stan Rodman.

Thank you for noting this. I’ve lived in the US South, Southwest, and Northwest and I just returned from living in Asia for a decade. It always struck me how people outside the USA think the entire country is the same as the small bit they are familiar with. Not so! Very different housing styles in different parts of the country.

@treasuresbyivyjade, why don't you? No one is stopping you, that is the country have their limits on who can enter.

@@Dee-so3by Chemotherapy is stopping me. I am unable to fly,

I learned something new, thanks!

I always wondered what a condo actually was. So it doesn't refer to a form of dwelling at all, but to ownership status. Very weird.

I lived in a condo-style apartment. I had both floors to myself. I miss that place but it had some issues the owners refused to ever improve properly. It also didn't have washer and dryer hookups in the unit and having to go to another building on another floor to do laundry was such a hassle.

@@XSemperIdem5 You must mean townhouse. Condo is not a style. Condo refers to the ownership.

Exactly. Condos have associations, rules and ownership and pay fees for group maintenance. But they can be in any style of building.

😂 I did break down the word “geothermal” in my head and thought “hmm must be easier when you live on a volcano”. But what do I know? It’s June in the south with a 100 degree heat index. I don’t need heat most of the year so….

@@SavannahSedai So true, here in just south of Austin Texas it's 101-105 with heat index between 115 - 118 and not a volcano in sight!!!

Geothermal heating is not dependent on volcanic activity and is used a lot of places outside of Iceland

I see her 'comparisons' as just pointing out what's different and why. There's no element of 'comparing' in terms of evaluating what's good and bad or implying that Americans should be using geothermal energy to heat their homes. So she is indeed comparing apples and oranges and is quite right to do so.

@@trustmemysonisadoctor8479 Yeah - I saw all the fronzen homes in Texas when you had a cold-spell. We use geo-thermal in Norway without a volcano in sight, but Iceland have used it in some form for centuries- we have just started.

We were there at the same time. My kids LOVED it there. They had freedom to ride the free buses that came by every 15 minutes. They could go to the Navy Eschange, the mini mart, movie theater, gym, high school. In the summer it was the Land of the Midnight Sun. Bright daylight 24 hours a day and dark nights from September to May. Bad ice storms at times. When we first moved there, it was a bad I w storm, power out fora while. Wind blew a roof off an adjoining housing unit. We thought that must have been the norm, only to find out later what had happened. My daughter and her daughter want to travel to Iceland to see it again. She knows the base is closed and so much has changed. Hope they get to go.

Yeah, having an outdoor garden bed is pretty difficult to maintain in Iceland. But, I try to incorporate indoor potted plants to keep some life in the home!

motel 6 and a lot of cheaper motels have nothing but hard floors,no carpet

@@dethray1000 Blood is easier to clean up on a hard surface once the coroner removes the body....

@@kendallevans4079 🤣

My awful hell-hole of building still has carpet in the 2nd and 3rd floor apartments, and they never clean them...even after living here for 14 years! I paid about 5 times now myself, it gets so gross, and I don't understand how none of my other neighbors have ever had theirs cleaned in the same amount of time?? 😮 Maybe it's just time for me to move or maybe this is just what happens when you live in a rent-controlled apartment taken over and run by an LLC of god-knows-who's from another country? 😅 I'll let you guess from where lol.

What a lovely comment! Enjoyed hearing your philosophy, and so sorry to hear of your financial hardship. Thrift store and yard sale finds are amazing -- virtually everything I own is second-hand. We also have Habitat for Humanity Restores for kitting out a home. But you're right, the majority of Americans have unbelievable amounts of "stuff"!

Government policy has thrown the future under the bus for decades. The day of judgment is near. I predict an 80% drop in the stock market. Investors will abandon stocks in favor of real estate. There will be no money in banks... You must devise a strategy for survival.

@@valeriepierre9778 I agree. I have pulled in more than $435k since 2020 through my advisor. It pays off more in the long run to just pick quality stocks and ride with those stocks.

@@edelineguillet2121 Mind if I ask you recommend this particular professional you use their service? i have quite a lot of marketing problems.

@@edelineguillet2121 After locating her, I composed an email and arranged a phone conversation. I'm optimistic that she will reply, and my go

I am not sue where these "surging layoffs" are occurring as most states are close to full employment.

Don't tell them. This is about the only beautiful place that's not cursed by tourists.

Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Does heated floors alter having rugs/carpet?

​@@vir2ohsoI don't know the answer to your question, but just basic cleanliness militates against carpeting. It's filthy!

Had a Swedish boy foreign exchange student first day here he was asking where the duvet was.

@@vir2ohso it would depend on what type of heating was used to heat the floors and local codes. Want to be sure ask your local inspections and code enforcement folks.

I live in New York City - you definitely want to take your shoes off at the door here in New York City, after riding the subways and walking the dirty sidewalks. This is a great city, but the streets are not very clean with millions of people using them every day.

Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean there aren’t germs 😂😂😂

@@judyperri9496 Right!

Agree no outdoor shoes in the house. Either wear slippers or have designated sneakers for wear only indoors. Have specific shoes for garden. Many cultures do not wear outdoor shoes in the home. If you have carpet, outdoor shoes bring into your carpet dirt, debris of what ever you stepped in ugh. Also have boots for rain that can be wiped clean. Americans need to adopt the no outdoor shoesin their homes. What about if you have a crawling baby or toddler as well.

@@g.flesch9731 Please don't tell Americans what to do.

How do you stop the duvet falling off to one side?

Two separate blankets and even top sheets is the perfect idea. Unfortunately sheets & blankets are made to fit the bed, not the bed AND bodies.

I lived in a 2 bedroom Sears kit home!!

My ex-husband and I lived in his grandparent's house that was a Sears Craftsman bungalow. I loved that house!

Most houses in Norway and Sweden are made of wood. Traditional in many ways.

@@bosse641 My Grandmother's birth house in Stavanger, Norway looks much like a traditional Cape Cod New England wooden house.

> . . . radiant heating systems tend to be more comfortable . . . drawbacks: they do not humidify the dry winter air. Dry air during the winter is not a thing in well sealed homes. Dry air in the winter is due to massive air leaks. In my house I run the DE-humidifier through most of the winter to get the humidity down to 45% RH. Normal activities such as cooking, showering, watering plants, etc. puts more moisture in the air than is needed.

Brazil = good moqueca!!!

Thank you for watching! The simple and modern aesthetic is definitely my jam!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Well, it really depends on everyone's personal style to be honest. In my home mixed with modern minimalistic elements I have teak furniture and warm browns to compliment them. Most of us aren't hot on carpets as they are always going to be filthy and from experience you can never clean them properly.

@@ViskanLind I agree with you about carpets. I hate them too. But I love rugs. :-)

Nothing is funny here. You lack a sense of living and design. Iceland has dark and gloomy sky, thus open interiors make sense, the bare floors that you refer to, are beautiful and well heated, so pay attention. Coziness is achieved with style, great furniture, elegant area rugs, well-chosen house plants, tasty food, and human ambiance. Certainly, none of that dark somber flooring and cheap throws that you seem to favor.

Thanks for watching ❤️