Home Rules You Should Know When You Move To Germany

Moving abroad can be a daunting task. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as packing your bags and settling into a new home. Learning the ins and outs of home rules in Germany gave me a good head start in my transition from the U.S.A. Every country has its rules and regulations. Read on, and learn a few tips for home rules in Germany that will make your move to Germany a little bit easier.

1. Learn the terminology

When searching for a place to live in Germany, the terminology is important! In most places, the title "2 Bedroom Flat" will mean 2 bedrooms, plus a living room/ dining room. However, In Germany, 2 Bedroom flat ( Zwei Zimmer Flat in German) will mean a total of 2 rooms- 1 as a bedroom, and one as a living area.

2. Don't expect to rent a furnished flat

Don't expect any amenities! When moving into a new home, realize that an unfurnished apartment in Germany means you won't even get the basic things such as light fixtures, shower curtain rod or kitchen appliances. Hence, you are responsible for everything, so make sure to calculate that into your cost projections.

3. Don't make too much noise

Gone are the days of having the freedom to listen to music, vacuum, or do anything that your neighbors might hear. Unfortunately, Germany has strict noise rules. This means avoid loud noises between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.

4. 'Warm' vs. 'Cold' rent

When searching for homes, make sure to understand the difference between "cold" rental cost and "warm" rental cost. Cold rent means just the cost of renting the property, no utilities included, while Warm rent means "all inclusive rent" which means gas, water, electricity (depending on what you have signed up for) is included. Your landlord should clearly specify which utilities are included in your "warm" rent.

5. Get serious about recycling

Discarding your trash is slightly more tedious in Germany due to the fact that most cities now require that trash is separated in a number of ways. There are separate bins for metal and plastic, one for paper, one each for green, brown and white glass, and one for all else. To be honest, I still don't totally understand all these differences, and I've been living here for 9 months.

Hoda Abrahim

Acknowledgements:

• “Featured photo” for source click here
• “Photo no.1” by Burst: for source click here
• “Picture no.2 “: for source click here