The Perfect Home
HGTV's "House Hunters" is a show that follows a family looking to purchase a new house, and a real estate agent who shows them 3 houses to choose from. Last night's "House Hunters" was a family of six, anxious to leave their mansion for an even bigger mansion.
"House Hunters" is usually a show that I enjoy watching. It reminds me of "Our First Apartment Together," one of my favorite German T.V. shows where a young couples find and decorate their first place together. But there aren't any apartments on "House Hunters". In fact, when my mom and I watch it together, we often gag over oft-used phrase, "We just NEED something bigger!". "Need" is a roof over one's head. Let's all be honest: It's a definite "want"!
Not that there's anything wrong with a "want". And I'm certainly not suggesting that everyone should live in a little shack and give the rest of their salary to charity out of guilt! It's just the word "need" is relative. We just shouldn't be afraid to say it for what it is: "I want" or "I'd love to have.."!
The most obvious factor when debating whether to upgrade is the individual's or family's budget, of course, but when considering the real estate price differences around the country, prices can be worlds apart, not to mention price per square foot in cities vs. suburbs or rural areas.
While I'm in no way arguing that the following luxuries aren't all nice, when families talk about how they "need" separate bedrooms for each of their 3 children, or who "need" a huge master suite with a walk-in closet and jacuzzi tub in the master bath, or a 3-door garage, basement, and workspace for the dad's shop, or a huge yard for the kids and dog to run around in with a fence so the baby doesn't escape, I remember the English hornist of the Berlin Philharmonic and his family's relatively humble apartment....
Set on a beautiful street lined by gorgeous pre-war architecture apartments on one side, and trees and a peaceful gurgling river on the other, I walked down the sidewalk, the large trees shielding me from the hot late-summer sun this past September. I was on my way to Prof. Wollenweber's apartment where I had an appointment to try out his wife's oboe he was selling, which I later bought. Both he and his wife are prominent Berlin musicians; he, as I mentioned, is English hornist of the Berlin Philharmonic and visiting oboe professor at my music conservatory, and his wife, principal oboist of another top Berlin Symphony Orchestra.
I found the right number and walked through the rod-iron gate and up to the building where I rang the buzzer. I then walked through an arch-way entrance and climbed the stairs to the 4th (American 5th) floor. The friendly, but shy, professor opened the door, with his youngest of three children, a toddler, on his other arm. We walked down the long hallway, passing a door to the living room on the left, and on the right, a door to the kitchen, and a couple of bedrooms. At the end of the hallway was the master bedroom/music room. A set of double doors on the adjacent wall opened up to the living room, making the bedroom feel larger. By the bed was a table used for making reeds, and a large window overlooking the river. A music stand stood by the foot of the bed where he had just been practicing.
So this is where some of Berlin's top musicians live. It was a beautiful location, picture perfect and quiet outside. And the apartment was relatively big by Berlin standards - must have been 3 bedrooms and a large living room. It could not have been cheap, but it was decorated modestly, with artistically mis-matched furniture. Still, there was no master suite, no fenced-in yard with a pool, not even an elevator. Such is the real estate in a large city.
I also had the opportunity to have a lesson with my oboe trio once at the apartment of the 2nd oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic. He, his wife, and their baby son also lived in another nice neighborhood. In addition to their own apartment, which I didn't see, they had also purchased the apartment below their own as a studio for him to teach, practice and make reeds, and even relax in their luxurious new home-sauna.
"House Hunters" seems to focus on families who live in suburbs, or quieter locations, who generally are looking for even more space than they already have. Indeed, big-city dwellers often ask themselves if apartment life in the city is more important than a larger abode somewhere more rural for the same price. But the priorities are different with each choice. Though they don't necessarily have their own back yard, city-dwellers often leave their apartments, taking walks, going to parks, and taking vacations to quiet, relaxing places.
My post-war, 1960s built-, but newly renovated apartment in Berlin was all I could've asked for to get out of the dorms. It was affordable and had a kitchen, which doesn't come standard in most apartments in Germany. And despite my loud, psycho neighbor, and some annoying problems with ants as well as pigeon poop on the balcony, it was a cozy, modern place to live. If I had more money, of course I would've preferred a more expensive pre-war building with its tall ceilings, long windows, and hardwood floors in a nicer neighborhood, but in the end, it's all just a "want", isn't it? :)
*************************************************
In in update:
Our school concerts finished well on Wednesday, with the kids and teachers at our very last school the most energetic and excited to have us there. Though I am still battling this annoying cold, luckily the dizzy, feverish side has gone away. However, the dreaded annual cough has begun! I can play a little, but am being careful. The clarinetist of our quartet confirmed the dangers of playing oboe with a head cold when she told me about her oboe player friend who had to quit playing oboe permanently after her ear drum exploded and she lost a lot of her hearing. Scary!
This weekend the we're rehearsing and performing our Feb. family symphony concert. And, no, I didn't have an interview for that receptionist job. It was, in the end, what I thought - they wanted someone who could start immediately. Oh well!
"House Hunters" is usually a show that I enjoy watching. It reminds me of "Our First Apartment Together," one of my favorite German T.V. shows where a young couples find and decorate their first place together. But there aren't any apartments on "House Hunters". In fact, when my mom and I watch it together, we often gag over oft-used phrase, "We just NEED something bigger!". "Need" is a roof over one's head. Let's all be honest: It's a definite "want"!
Not that there's anything wrong with a "want". And I'm certainly not suggesting that everyone should live in a little shack and give the rest of their salary to charity out of guilt! It's just the word "need" is relative. We just shouldn't be afraid to say it for what it is: "I want" or "I'd love to have.."!
The most obvious factor when debating whether to upgrade is the individual's or family's budget, of course, but when considering the real estate price differences around the country, prices can be worlds apart, not to mention price per square foot in cities vs. suburbs or rural areas.
While I'm in no way arguing that the following luxuries aren't all nice, when families talk about how they "need" separate bedrooms for each of their 3 children, or who "need" a huge master suite with a walk-in closet and jacuzzi tub in the master bath, or a 3-door garage, basement, and workspace for the dad's shop, or a huge yard for the kids and dog to run around in with a fence so the baby doesn't escape, I remember the English hornist of the Berlin Philharmonic and his family's relatively humble apartment....
Set on a beautiful street lined by gorgeous pre-war architecture apartments on one side, and trees and a peaceful gurgling river on the other, I walked down the sidewalk, the large trees shielding me from the hot late-summer sun this past September. I was on my way to Prof. Wollenweber's apartment where I had an appointment to try out his wife's oboe he was selling, which I later bought. Both he and his wife are prominent Berlin musicians; he, as I mentioned, is English hornist of the Berlin Philharmonic and visiting oboe professor at my music conservatory, and his wife, principal oboist of another top Berlin Symphony Orchestra.
I found the right number and walked through the rod-iron gate and up to the building where I rang the buzzer. I then walked through an arch-way entrance and climbed the stairs to the 4th (American 5th) floor. The friendly, but shy, professor opened the door, with his youngest of three children, a toddler, on his other arm. We walked down the long hallway, passing a door to the living room on the left, and on the right, a door to the kitchen, and a couple of bedrooms. At the end of the hallway was the master bedroom/music room. A set of double doors on the adjacent wall opened up to the living room, making the bedroom feel larger. By the bed was a table used for making reeds, and a large window overlooking the river. A music stand stood by the foot of the bed where he had just been practicing.
So this is where some of Berlin's top musicians live. It was a beautiful location, picture perfect and quiet outside. And the apartment was relatively big by Berlin standards - must have been 3 bedrooms and a large living room. It could not have been cheap, but it was decorated modestly, with artistically mis-matched furniture. Still, there was no master suite, no fenced-in yard with a pool, not even an elevator. Such is the real estate in a large city.
I also had the opportunity to have a lesson with my oboe trio once at the apartment of the 2nd oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic. He, his wife, and their baby son also lived in another nice neighborhood. In addition to their own apartment, which I didn't see, they had also purchased the apartment below their own as a studio for him to teach, practice and make reeds, and even relax in their luxurious new home-sauna.
"House Hunters" seems to focus on families who live in suburbs, or quieter locations, who generally are looking for even more space than they already have. Indeed, big-city dwellers often ask themselves if apartment life in the city is more important than a larger abode somewhere more rural for the same price. But the priorities are different with each choice. Though they don't necessarily have their own back yard, city-dwellers often leave their apartments, taking walks, going to parks, and taking vacations to quiet, relaxing places.
My post-war, 1960s built-, but newly renovated apartment in Berlin was all I could've asked for to get out of the dorms. It was affordable and had a kitchen, which doesn't come standard in most apartments in Germany. And despite my loud, psycho neighbor, and some annoying problems with ants as well as pigeon poop on the balcony, it was a cozy, modern place to live. If I had more money, of course I would've preferred a more expensive pre-war building with its tall ceilings, long windows, and hardwood floors in a nicer neighborhood, but in the end, it's all just a "want", isn't it? :)
*************************************************
In in update:
Our school concerts finished well on Wednesday, with the kids and teachers at our very last school the most energetic and excited to have us there. Though I am still battling this annoying cold, luckily the dizzy, feverish side has gone away. However, the dreaded annual cough has begun! I can play a little, but am being careful. The clarinetist of our quartet confirmed the dangers of playing oboe with a head cold when she told me about her oboe player friend who had to quit playing oboe permanently after her ear drum exploded and she lost a lot of her hearing. Scary!
This weekend the we're rehearsing and performing our Feb. family symphony concert. And, no, I didn't have an interview for that receptionist job. It was, in the end, what I thought - they wanted someone who could start immediately. Oh well!
posted by Heidi at 12:37 PM
1 Comments:
Hello Heidi... I hadnt checked your blog for months. Have you left for Chicago yet? I still live in Chicago and I dont work. If you have time give me a call. Here is my email Alisia2424@hotmail.com
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