As every year, the summer months are the main time for PCSes. And while the permanent change of duty station is nerve wrecking enough, the dreadful turning over the keys on moving day is often completely overwhelming.
We have all heard the horror stories, the big fights over the return of the deposit or the ridiculously high utility bills. On top of that, time is running out, and there isn’t really any way to go out and meet with housing or lawyers.
Germans love their insurance, and insurance is offered for virtually everything. While most policies or plans don’t really make sense for Americans that are temporarily stationed here, others really do. Time has shown over and over that, especially during PCS times when stress levels are already through the roof, insurances have saved the day more than once.
Would you believe it if I told you that German windows sweat?
Most likely not, and they really don’t…but, when the cold season starts, you may notice water collecting on the windows inside your home. This condensation can ruin wooden windows, cause mold stains on the silicone seals and even cause mold to grow in your rooms. I will help you out by sharing some easy solutions to prevent that from happening.
One of the biggest issues and fears when people get over here to Germany has to be ending up with a nightmare Landlord. As an admin for a “Landlord troubles group” on Facebook, I see the complaints and horror stories on a daily basis. While there are always two sides to a story, a lot of the issues would have been preventable if the renters would have been informed about their rights and duties ahead of time.
It´s that time of the year again, it is getting chilly outside, and the heaters are slowly being turned on. Every year the German-American Facebook groups and pages are then slammed with posts about “the walls suddenly turning moldy” or “the heater making ‚off‘ noises” o just plain confusion about that “big old dinosaur called heater” that usually lies in the basement.
So, let’s start with the basics: