I came here after watching the 6 unpopular opinions in Germany video, and this isn't what I expected. Truth be told, I don't understand why so many people complain about "negative comments", I haven't heard anything offensive, she was just describing the differences she noticed from what she was used to and what she encountered in Germany (and she often even said, she liked it, so...). True, it's not like that everywhere in the whole country, but it's her experience, and it's not totally wrong, either. You know only what you know.

As a European I don't understand how Americans (or English) can wear their shoes at home! Not only it is uncomfortable but it can easily happen that you step into a dog's poo or worse things outside and then spread it around the whole apartment. It really seems gross to me. When comes to slippers - I do wear them sometimes or I just run around barefoot. I offer slippers to people who come to visit me and they decide if they want them or they just want to be barefoot. Never heard of bringing your own slippers to a house party...

Asking party guests to take their slippers is weird for German, too.

German water is just free of chemicals. No chlorine. That's why we have more chalk in the water. I prefer more chalk instead of chlorine!

the blinds are on the outside because they also protect against heat. When they are inside they only help against the sun

Having the blinds on the outside means the sun and heat from the sun is stopped before it gets to the insode of the window. If the blinds are on the inside, the heat from the sun will heat the blinds and the heat will circulate inside the apartment. You will block the light, but it will still be very warm inside in the summer. If the blinds are on the outside, you also block out the heat so it will be cooler inside.

Putting on slippers at a party? I am German and never had to do this nor has anyone expected me too. LOL

It never ceases to amaze me when people comment their unease with taking their shoes off at the door. Most people assume only the Japanese practice this measure of cleanliness; I was raised to do this since I can remember, and I was born and raised in NYC.

1980: "I bet there will be flying cars in the future" Germany: *flying toilet*

You can basically call this European flat and things we do instead of German, most of these things apply in every European country.

It's not just Germany, it's all over Europe with just a few minor differences but I guess that also depends on the type of flat.

Bring your own house shoes to a Party? Never heard about this, it must be a local attitude. Where are you living? Add: the term you are looking for is Stoßlüften

If you come to Canada you will need to remove your shoes also. It's not weird it's healthier this way you are not tracking the outside in. Think about if you have a baby that's crawling around on a dirty floor

30 years in Germany and I have never been asked to bring house shoes with me to a party. Sometimes I take off my shoes when I get home, sometimes I don't. That depends on where I have been or how long I plan on being home. As for 'really hard water', that all depends on where you live in Germany. I have lived in places where the water was so soft it was almost impossible to rinse soap or shampoo off. But it made great coffee. Speaking of which, no Keurigs in Germany! THANK GOD FOR THAT! What a waste of money and resources. I have grown to love the real German way of making coffee with nothing more than hot water and a paper filter.

Never have I ever had to put on slippers when I went to a Party

6:45 We usually say the window is "auf Kipp"(coll.).

As a German now living in the US, I totally agree with Kelly’s opinions. I wish I had watched her video before we moved to the US! And I love the part how she explained the different beds in Germany and US. My husband and I always have problems with the beds in hotels on our vacations in the US, especially because we have to share one blanket😳

I‘m German and most people I know have a big freezer and fridge too. And I don‘t know one single German person who expects his guests to bring/ wear slippers. Most of my friends don‘t even wear slippers themselves.

American door knobs are a fire hazard, and I believe they're banned in all of Europe. Technically they're banned in the US, too, but it's not enforced, because they're so popular there. To be clear, it's not that they present a greater danger of fires, it's that they can make evacuation more difficult than handles. A knob can slip, or it might be really hot. Where as with a handle, you don't need to grab it, you can use something to press it down.

Doorknobs aren't popular because they are just impractical I feel. It's a chore to open them when you carry something most of the time

Most of what is pointed out is not just standard to Germany but most of Europe. I lived in the UK for 2 yrs. most of this stuff is standard Euro stuff.

The point about having the blinds on the outside is as we don't use air conditioners we can roll down the blinds on a hot day to get partial shade so the room doesn't heat up. If the blinds would be on the inside the air between the window and the blinds would still heat up and spread through the room.

"the German way of opening" I like to call it "the way to open without having my cats escape"

Should be titled "America is perplexed by anything European". I'm English and a lot of this things are pretty standard for us and Europeans. Everything is huge in America but not the rest of the world. Rememeber that lol.

This is a standard Europe flat , especially for single person, young couples or students

A traditionell House in Europe doesn't need air condition. Easy to heat in the winter, cool in the summer. Always cozy.

😂 There are devices you can install which will provide soft and perfect mineral-rich water. And it depends where you live in Germany, what pipes are used and how old they are. At least we aren‘t drinking and showering in chlorine.

We dont need Air Conditioner. Our houses are built with stones.

The word is "Stoßlüften". It is like Blitzkrieg for your windows.

It's just that Americans have ridiculously huge fridges. I'm British and that is a normal sized one you have!

Hey, It is very interesting to see a person who is wondering about things, that are actually normal for me. Go on like this☺

The shoe thing! In America it's house rules; on or off varies by family. Generally, wipe your feet on the mat before entering, then do what your host does. If it's important, they will ask you to take your shoes off. I went to a college where students kept their muck boots in the hallway so their rooms would stay clean, but other shoes were worn wherever. My father wears his shoes in the house for stability, my mother for warmth, and I take mine off immediately because they keep my feet from warming up. We have a dog, there's fur on the floor, not poop.

I never had to bring my own Hausschuhe :'D

We called it „Stoßlüften“. Open all windows for like 10 minutes to refresh the air and close them after. this saves much heating in comparison to an open window all day long.

As a German I am getting so angry at all of these negative comments. Uff. I have lived in so many apartments and I have been to so many apartments, and generally speaking your observations are true. Ofcourse not every single apartment is the same, but generally the things you noticed about typical apartments are true. Isn‘t this obvious to people? We don‘t carry around house shoes, but I thought that since not wearing any shoes and walk around with socks is a weird thing for you, you figured you’d bring your house shoes, or someone offered you house shoes. why are people so angry at another persons perspective? Right now I‘m moving and hoping that the people that are moving into my old flat will buy off my kitchen^^

I have been to Germany a couple of times and I was really surprised by the use of two blankets on a double bed, but I loved it! It makes so much sense. It's not easy do do in the us because twin blankets are too big to put side by side. If anyone has figured this out, let me know. I also love that when they clean your hotel room in Germany, they open the windows, even in winter. So refreshing! And very few carpets. I don't like the look of plain floors everywhere but it's very clean.

As a German: Its rather uncommon to expect your guests to take off their shoes when you have a party.

When we lived in Germany, we used to refer to "home" or the U.S. as "the Land of the Round Door Knobs". LOL! Actually, I prefer the handles to the knobs. You can open doors with your elbows if your hands are full. !!!

Correction: When a *European* comes home, they take off their shoes.

7:25 We sometimes have those knobs, but they aren't movalble so they basically restrict the door to only be opend from one side. For everything else we use handles.

I am german and I have never ever had to bring my own houseshoes. You can just walk in socks for the time. Most people don't even use houseshoes. Regarding the coffee issue: Most people in europe still brew coffee without any full or halfautomatic machine. Really ridiculous that you consider it mandatory to use some type of automatic coffee maker. Also regarding the air conditioning topic: It is really harmfull for the environment that a lot of people you electricity to regulate room temperature and don't rely on basic energy sources and passive temperature regulation. Electricity is also expensive so to be frank about this: normal germans won't waste a good portion of their incomes for air conditioning.

I'm German and not once in my life have I visited a friend or the relatives and was expected to bring my own slippers. At parties either the shoes stay on or it's just socks. Some hosts may provide slippers, but who has enough slippers for 10+ guests? About the kitchens: In the north, especially in rural areas, you won't find tenants without having a kitchen in the apartment due to higher unemployment. In southern Germany it is more common for tenants to buy their own or buy the old one from their predecessor. Bathroom: You will still find other types of toilets in Germany. Older houses won't have that fancy wall-mounted stuff. You won't find fancy towel-drying radiators in every single home either. Your apartment is fairly modern, but not necessarily representative. Using the squeegee is entirely optional. Giving that glass a wipedown with a vinegar solution once per week would suffice in my eyes, but if you want it crystal clear 24/7, that's what it takes. About the closets: In the US it is far more common to hire a cabinet maker and other types of woodworking contractors. Most of our houses are built from stone/concrete. You won't find a lot of houses with wooden framing. When the house is done it's mostly just naked walls without storage. You might find a custom closet in places where a normal wardrobe wouldn't fit, but other that that it's hard to justify the expense. Contractors are expensive. About the windows: The term for opening all the windows is "Stoßlüften" and it's great that you've already figured out that keeping your windows on tilt can be a really bad idea. Not all Germans know that.

Lol ok a few things arent quite correct... Not everybody has shoes in the hallway and I don't know your friends but I have NEVER taking slippers to a friends house... Lol also our fridges are smaller cause we use more fresh food then most Americans and go shopping every week instead of once a month. And when you go to for example media markt you'll see big fridges like in the US. Its just all a preference. 😉 but I'm glad you're enjoying your time here in Germany.

Pretty cool video. One thing that I found interesting: the heaters were described as 'old school.' I think they're a logical choice: you can heat up one room instead of a whole apartment or house. Makes perfect sense, especially these days where we are, or should be, concerned about the environment, burning fossil fuels etc. Being Danish and married to a German - and having lived in the US for 25+ years, I am still amazed by how much energy people in the US use to heat up rooms that nobody uses. 'Old school' seems hip and 'with it' in a way that forced air systems don't.

Well the reason for the two matresses is that in most cases the man and the woman weight is diffrent, so their ideal matress shoud have a diffrent hardness

The most important difference in housing between Germany and the US is in my opinion, the germans build their houses for to last several decades (stone, concrete, light concrete) but in the US you could actually just run through every wall ( wood, sheet plaster and a lot of nothing in between). I would like to see what happens if a tornado runs over a house built in US style and German style. At least in german style house you can rip the loudest fart without your next 5 neighbours cheering you for it. 😁

Stoßlüften ;) living room part you mentioned airing the room

Oh and about the windows: these things aren't blinds, they're shutters. Shutters are "Fensterläden" that you might have seen on older or American houses (mostly for ornamental purposes). "Rollläden" are basically just rolling shutters. I must say I like watching your videos because I was just as excited to spot all the differences when I lived in the US for a while. This really makes you more aware of your surroundings as it also makes you think of everything you took for granted 😊

This is a standard european "flat". Even in eastern Europe many things are very similar (including taking shoes off at home, and no we do not bring slippers with us to house parties 🤣)

They don't need aircondition in Germany my dear. It's never so hot and if it is, it's for only a couple of days.

So fascinating, loved it! Thank you ☺️💕

Brings back a lot of memories, the fist thing that confused me was I had to go out and buy light fixtures for every room.

I think door handles are much more practical than door knobs - just try opening a door when both your hands are full. You can push down a door handle with your elbow and open the door without having to put something down first and taking it up afterwards again. :-D

*I mean most of those things you mention are common in most Europe countries not just in germany* 😂 6:40 German closing

hot tip for the lime built up from the water: white vinegar. soak some paper towels in white vinegar, put it on the glass or tiles, let it sit for a while, might even have to spray more vinegar on if it dries out too fast. but it'll desolve the lime and you don't have to scrub. use a bag or small container with vinegar for the shower head :) I miss the shades outside the windows most, followed by windows and a set up to actually be able to air out the house

You have such a bright attitude, I love watching your videos :) And I didn't expect you to have visited a lot of flats, like old and new, in different cities etc. to create this fun video simply talking about what looks unfamiliar to you personally when comparing American and German flats hehe. Please keep creating videos!

Here is another difference: German flats open into a hallway. US apartments open directly into the living room.

very interesting - as a german. but you may have missed one important thing: moving into an apartment with pre-installed furniture is very rare in germany, while it's seem to be pretty common in u.s.

Great video! I really enjoyed it.

I thought your apartment video was more of a face video. I didn't really see hardly any of the apartment. Can't wait to see your visit to the dentist video! Keep up the good work.

Just think logically: if you install your blinds outside of the house the Sun can't heat up the huge glass surfaces, thus you can keep your home way much cooler, than with an inside blind.

"Durchlüften" cause we are "Frischluft" fanatics ;-)

Thank you for this video! I was a student in Germany in 1970 and much of this resonated with me. I was engulfed by a wave of nostalgia..

Oh wow, so many things I have completely forgotten that I never thought I would. I was in Germany from 2004-2009 (Wurzburg 04-06 and Ansbach 06-09) with the Army. It was such a sad day when I had to leave. I miss it so much.

Flowing the entire house with fresh air by opening all windows means: "Lüften" in Germany

I live in Germany and we do wear slippers around the house, but we never make guests take off their shoes. It's an individual by individual basis- not a general thing. Also- yeah moving their kitchen is really weird!

Hi Kelly! A big difference is the electricity: especially the sockets are way different, also the voltage (110V vs 220V). What we don't have in the kitchen is a sink with an incorporated crusher (is that the word for it?). It is very convenient to avoid having a trash bin in the kitchen. As far as the bed is concerned, we do have 2 individual mattrasses, but one large bed sheet and one large quilt (couette) to cover the whole thing (we have tried the combination of 2 mattrasses, 2 bed sheets and 2 quilts, but then there was always a problem "in between"!! if you see what I mean.). Take care Kelly.

Very informative!!

Would have liked less face time and much more focus on room.

Hard water depends on WHERE in Germany you live. Plus you can actually drink the tap water because we do not use chlorine like in the US where you pretty much have to filter every single glass or otherwise everything will taste like chlorine. At least when I lived in Texas for 6 years it was pretty disgusting, especially when you took a shower - because you could smell the chlorine in the water :-/ Regarding the bed - another plus is that you do not have to fight for the blanket ;-)

Thanks for this Video, Kelly - I'm Austrian and have traveled a lot - spent a lot of time in the US - had also a girlfriend from the US for quite some time - and I really like the US - had always a good time there! So I think your video is pretty funny to watch and a lot of things are right - but three things are (sorry) nonsense: 1) At least in Austria (I think in Germany too) when you rent an apartment there HAS to be a kitchen (at least a simple) with a stove, a sink, and a fridge - the only exception would be sometimes that it is a new house and you are the first person to live there. 2) The hard water thing is very different from location to location - but as already mentioned in another comment the difference lies in the way how the water is treated differently in the US - here in Vienna we get mountain water from the alps and I think it's not treated at all - it's a little harder but it tastes excellent - and I never wipe the shower glass after showering ;-). 3) It's true that we take off our shoes (most of the time) and walk around in socks or have a pair of "home-shoes" (like I do) - but nobody would EVER ask a guest to bring their own house shoes - that would be really strange :-(. One more funny thing about the bed: My wife and I think the US way is much better - we have one big mattress and one big blanket - and we feel always kind of "separated" when we have to sleep with "boundaries" between us - I think the "two-bed" - policy applies more to apartments that are rented out to different people regularly so that they would have the possibility to separate the beds for whatever reason....

Hi Kelly, thanks for sharing another interesting video. Your apartment there looks excellent. We have the duel flush on toilets here in Australia, similar to Germany. Our light switches used to be circular, but these days they are usually oblong fittings containing an up/down switch for on and off. Blinds are not used as much here these days. Most windows seem to have inside pull curtains. Years ago, we had venetian blinds and previous to that we had roller blinds. We do have large outer blinds available for windows, especially those that receive direct sunlight. Anyway, take care. Robert.

honstly, I am german, and I would also consider it strange, if I was told to wear slippers at a house party xD

Germans got no AC cuz it's just way more expensive to install and power such a thing for the 5 days in the year where it's superhot.

btw, these external window blinds are not only for keeping the appartment dark but also a good protection against intrusion. They seem to be leightweight but due to their construction, they can slow down an intruder quite effectively.

Very interesting. Thanks :)

STOßLÜFTEN!! :D (opening all the windows for a limited amount of time, usually in the winter to get all the ccondensated water out of your cr/bathroom in order not to breed mold)

Uhhh who doesn't take off their shoes when they enter someone's house??

Oh my god I just love this Video so much. I don't live in an Apartment but in a German house which's in this case basically the same. I also already made a trip to the States. So I got to know at least some of the differences you just mentioned. It was just so funny to see you as an American telling about your reactions and experiences on German things I as a German always found normal. I laughed so much about some things like the "German way of opening a window", the two seperated beds for couples and the two Buttons on the toilet. And yes I really realized about some differences I had never thought about before. As always I love to watch your Videos and I'm happy that this one has hit over one Million views which I think is really well deserved. Another cool Thing I always recocknize while watching your Videos is that I as a German can always learn new English words which I really love.So Keep on with all These cool Videos and with just being so natural.Love Naty

Wow, I'm shocked at all the negative, defensive comments! She's not saying the things she noticed are negative or bad in any way. She's just noticing what's different, compared to what she's used to. Interesting how so many assumed she was being insulting; I didn't take it that way at all. Also, she's not claiming to be an expert on German apartments, it's a personal vlog and her personal observations. I lived in Germany for a year, and I found most of what she said to be true. Appreciating the differences is part of the fun of traveling.

She obviously hasn't visited many flats. She generalizes too frequently.

You literally tilt the window. We say "das Fenster kippen"

I absolutely loved our flat in Germany. Cozy without too much extra room to accumulate stuff we didn’t need. Loved the heated flooring, bathroom, and exterior blinds. Only thing hard to get use to was the teeny washer and dryers…and no a/c.

I love the radiators. I put my clothes on the heater in winter. So nice to put on warm clothes

Lots of camera on you, not a lot showing the flat? The thing that struck me most about buildings there [coming from Britain] was the sheer quality of their build. Everything was solid and well built. I spent a few minutes just opening and closing my bedroom door [and this was in social housing] because the sound was so good. Thunk!

Kelly did not mention that the tilting window adds security as it cannot be further opened from the outside and that the external blinds are to keep the sun from the glass and offer a small amount of light penetration if desired and when fully down offer a great deal of security to the home.

Well I enjoyed that tour, thank you ☺️

So many things from this apartment are similar to Japanese apartments. Didn't know they were so similar. Taking off shoes, a lot of apartments don't have built-in furniture (depends on the area, like in the middle of Tokyo or out, and price) laundry area in the same place or next to the shower (it actually makes more sense), the metalic curtains from outside. So cool, so many similarities, didn't know this until now

What part of germany is that where you have to bring slippers to a party or the host provides them for you? Yes, in a lot of german households you are to take off your shoes but that's it. I was only asked once in 40 years to use "guest slippers". When it comes to AC i think there might be 2 reasons why they are very rare in germany. For once germany has a very mild climate, we don't have deserts or equally hot places here. The other reason would be that electricity in germany is way more expensive than in america (same goes for gas/petrol, hence why we don't drive V8s that have the weight and fuel consumption of an aircraft carrier).

Just an explanation for the double mattress thing. 1. Usually men and women are different weight and therefore need different mattresses to sleep well. (softer or harder). It's also down to preference. 2. Movement does not transfer to a separate mattress as much as if it's only a single mattress, which is why wake up less often if your partner moves at night. 3. There are medium size (140 cm wide) and large mattresses available, they are just less common.

The outside window roller shutters (Rolladen) are also cool in another way - you can lower them partially and still have air-flow and some light (and potentially noise) coming in, but if you really want to shut out the world, lower 'em all the way and let the louvers click together - pitch dark and quiet in the middle of the brightest day. It's great for shutting out the city noise and they're a great security feature. In the summer time (and assuming you're in southern Germany) it also helps keep the heat (what there is of it) down. I'm familiar with the manual version where you have to pull on a strap to make this work - the motorized ones are soooo cool! We live by the shore and occasionally get hit with hurricanes - I would love to have these on my windows!

Love this , but I would've loved to see more of the apartment :) my family is from Germany and I still have family there that I've never met , I wanna go there

Not just Germany but pretty much all of Europe.

I have a German passport my dad is from Munich and I visit all the time. Even though it's an interesting video it is biased and most of the things aren't true. This floating toilet thing or the top part of the toilet being in the wall is just a design. Not a single German family I've ever met have moved their kitchen. I have also seen many German kitchens with lage refrigerators or even two refrigerator.

The word you are searching for around minute 9 is "Lüften (longer time) or Stoßlüften (short time)". It means to open all windows widely for a few minutes to allow the "used" air from inside to exchange with the fresh air from outside.

Thanks for sharing interesting things my friend thank you so much for sharing

Some native German input here 0:56 I have never heard of a party where you are supposed to bring your slippers. On house parties you usually leave your shoes on. But maybe it's some hipster millennial thing, I don't know :D 2:16 The size is smaller, that's pretty much accurate but the height is normally not below your shoulder. I think you might just have an exeptionally small refrigerator even for German standards. 3:17 Senseo is also pretty common in Germany 3:42 Many households do still have older models of toilets which are seated on the ground and/or have their installment ON the wall instead of IN the wall. But whoever builds a new house today would never install those. 4:24 Modern homes have waterfilters installed into their water system so the chalk won't do THAT much damage. For the most parts it's sufficient to occasionally clean the shower walls with an anti-chalk fluid. 5:09 Two separate mattracces are not the only option. There are also king size versions and they are pretty standard. The sizes are usually 1.4m by 2m for a double sized mattrace. Or you can use 2 smaller ones. It's completely up to personal preference. But yes, it is absolutely standard that everyone in the bed gets their own sheet :D 6:03 Correct. I don't think I have ever seen a closet in a German home. What has cought on though is a "begehbarer Kleiderschrank" which loosely translates to "accessible wardrobe". It's a part of a room (mostly the bedroom) which is seperated from the main room by a wall that's not closed completely. Try to google it and you will know what I mean. 8:15 Again this is a question of how old your place is. There are many types of heaters in Germany. So called "Nachtspeicher" are blocks of (I think) brimstone stacked on one another with pipes that lead hot water betweens them. It will take a while to heat up but stays warm for a long time. You hardly see those anymore. I wouldn't be shocked if some environmental law now prevents them from being installed. Then there are the classic heaters you just showed. Though there are models which are much more functional and don't care about design and all. Google "Rippheizung". Again modern homes and newly build houses generally have in floor heating. Air Conditioning is a thing in Germany but it's rather expensive to have it installed so not many homes have it.

on the blinds: blinds on the outside keep the heat out while blinds on the inside only makes sure the light wont blind you

They don’t just move their kitchen but also any lighting, toilet paper holders, towel bars, etc. My mom had a washing machine in the kitchen, when the cycle was finished she’d bring the laundry into the bathroom where she had a small machine that did the spinning. Afterwards the laundry was hung on lines on the balcony. There was a laundry room in the basement one could use, but you had to book it in advance. Then you had to pick up a key to enter the laundry room from the manager.

And one more thing. I love you videos not just becsuse they are entertaining also because of your open and natural personality :)