American Couple Reacts: Swedish vs American Homes! The Differences! FIRST TIME REACTION!
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- Опубликовано: 13 окт 2024
- American Couple Reacts: Swedish vs American Homes! The Differences! FIRST TIME REACTION! This is our FIRST TIME looking at a Swedish House! We have no idea how typical this specific home is in Sweden. However, there are so many cool things in here that we now want for our American home! We love the way some things have been made for space saving reasons. Plus, we both are now arguing over 3 things in this video that we want to buy! Please leave us a comment and let us know if this home if fairly typical in Sweden and what else may have been missed. We love looking at the differences in home design and function. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support! *More Links below...
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This is our FIRST TIME looking at a Swedish House! We have no idea how typical this specific home is in Sweden. However, there are so many cool things in here that we now want for our American home! We love the way some things have been made for space saving reasons. Plus, we both are now arguing over 3 things in this video that we want to buy! Please leave us a comment and let us know if this home if fairly typical in Sweden and what else may have been missed. We love looking at the differences in home design and function. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!
Natasha I need that hoodie.
Yes, it is a fairly normal Swedish apartment.
Hi. I don’t know what I did wrong, but you didn’t have to delete my message. You could have just ignored it. I starting to think you might not like Canadians. Let’s see if this stays up. Lol! 😂
I think there is a second part to this. He didn't show the dish drying cabinet that is installed above the sink. So, when handwashing you don't have to dry them, or leave in a rack on the table. You just put them in the cabinet and close the door and the water drips to the sink. It's history is that it was patented in USA but never took off, once the patent expired the head of household department in Finnish Work Efficiency Institute, Maiju Gebhard publicized the invention for free and promoted its use. It is in EVERY Finnish home, and by far most Swedish homes too. It was also linked to the feminist movement which aimed to decrease the amount of time women used for chores. Google it..
Never, in almost 32 years, have i seen a dish drying cabinet in Sweden. Not even once.@@squidcaps4308
I think it's disrespectful to NOT take of your shoes in someones home, it brings dirt inside. Half the year we have rain or snow in Sweden, and that's probably why we take our shoes of, always. 🇸🇪
I Agree!
The shoe thing is a non-negotiable aspect of Swedish homes. Dragging in dirt, mud ect in to a clean home... IF you walk with your shoes in a Swedish home, its considered extremely disrespectful and rude. Regardless of your status as a friend or family member, you will not be liked and can even be kicked out.
Yes, this is a big no-no. You can only do so if the resident says it's okay, but then it's usually for a brief moment (like having a look at a home you're interested to move into).
This is a very typical Swedish apartment. And some people do wear slippers inside but it's far more common to just wear your socks inside.
Thicc socks are super comfy ^_^
Same as in 🇫🇮👍🏼
I prefer barefoot🇸🇪
Y
That's not true. You wear your clean shoes when visiting or you bring suitable shows to change for inside, you don’t paddle around in your socks.
@@atengawolsrep Jag går i strumpor eller barfota hemma, aldrig 'inneskor'🇸🇪
You can open the entire window and turn it around. So you can clean the window on both sides from the inside.
You also can't open the window more from the outside. He opened it as far as it goes without disengaging the child lock. And you won't reach that from the outside
Hi, swede here. Yes you can wear slippers or indoors shoes but your muddy, snowy, wet outdoors boots/shoes goes off unless you wanna clean after every step you take XD
Totally Agree. From Norway here and i could and would never wear shoes indoors unless i was renovating. Im big on the ocd, so cleanliness is important. I wash the floors about every day, even though i just wear socks. 😅
yes! Slippers are not only fine, they are wonderful! Extra thick socks are fine too ^-^ like wooly socks ontop of your cotton ones for warmth
And as you can see we usually have a carpet of some kind that it's "okay" to step on with your shoes. but the bare floor or carpets further in - do not. (Unless it's your home, then you can ofc do as you please, "your floors, your mop")
The reason is to keep the dirt of outside by the door. I've always heard "don't drag the mud in!" as a reason to take your shoes off at the door.
Missed your question at the end; Ofc there are variations, like the kitchen and the bathroom, there are modern and old-fashioned and outdated
What he said about "more common" is true, but it's not 100%
Bathroom - showers usually true about space efficiency, the tumble/washer combo is not common from my experiences, it's more likely to have one of each appliance, or if you live in a flat you might have a wash-room separate that the whole building share (with washers and dryers and sometimes even a "mangler"?)
Kitchen - same thing, stovetops are not always induction but they have become very popular.
Windows - the tipping outward windows is also a more modern thing I think, most windows open at the side and swingg inwards. the screen is rarely included, but you can absolutely fashion your own!
As someone who's lived in the north and grown up in Bug-country, screens are definitely more of a thing up there. But as he said AC's are not and have never been a staple of the home so windows to open are crucial. (being a near arctic country our homes are cold-resistent, Summers were/are milder and AC's have really only become necessary the last few years)
Whilst I understand the sentiment about wearing outdoor shoes in the house, I have an issue with bending down to put shoes on that comes with age and the inevitable arthritis and all the kit necessary to do that with so that taking ones shoes off when visiting friends/relatives can create embarrassment, when its time to go home.
@@clivewilliams3661 I see! I suspect that there's a difference in attitude or culture then.
The hallway depicted in the video was ofc a flat and it suits younger and able bodied people more. but a chair can usually be found nearby.
The "kit" is normally incorporated into the hallway of family homes and larger flats. I've always lived in homes (parents, grandparents of both sides) where the door has convenient chairs, wooden sofa's, or similar. plus of course the long-handle shoe horn.
It gives us all more time to say goodbye as people take turns putting their shoes on (if it's a smaller accomodation).
Generally it's not seen as any embarrassment to need to sit down to pull on your shoes. It's casual, it's natural, it's just part of the culture. From the thigh-highs to the flipflops, everyone can and sometimes will use the chair because well, sometimes everyone gets tired.
@@Thalsha92The kit i was alluding to was the extra long shoe horn as because of the arthritis I like many other people, can't get close to putting on shoes even sitting down and walking around with a 500mm shoe horn is embarrassing!
@@clivewilliams3661😅 we have a chair or bench where you can sit and easily put on your shoes. There are also shoe racks where the uppermost floor levels are padded like a soft chair cushion, also a good piece of furniture that you can comfortably sit on and put on your shoes.
Most Swedish homes, especially own houses, are built on a base, about 2-5 dm high. This has to do with cold and winter times, for example not have to fight the snow to open your door in the morning. That is also an important reason to have your door opening outwards, not to have the snow falling in to your house. Yes, there might come insanely amounts of snow sometimes. :)
Because of the base, it's usually a bit high to climb in through a window, even if it's possible to do, with a bit of effort. However, the only problem I have had with open windows are flies and bugs. Due to the winter conditions, most Swedish houses are rather sturdy, to withhold the weight of snow, and withstand the cold winter times. Quite a few aspects of Swedish infrastructure har built with the winter conditions in mind.
Thats right. Many should learn to compare better.
USA should learn a big thing fom here. Insolation is both ways. They have big bills summer and wither.
Doors: it's also easier to get out of a burning house or apartment if the door opens outward
@@annsjo64 Also not so easily to break in. You can't just kick a door open from the outside.
In Sweden we have strict rules about the quality of new homes. A lot of the construction tv shows we see on American tv would not be approved in Sweden. So its more expensive to build a house in Sweden.The Swedish homes are built to keep the cold out in the winters and the heat out in the summer. I know all buildings are like that but because of the strict construction rules the homes have such high quality that we dont need aircondition. We mostly open our windows to get fresh air and the sound of the outdoors, not to regulate the temperature. And to clean the windows obviously.. you can turn the windows inside out so you can easily clean the windows on the upper floor.
The swedish word for apartment is lägenhet. When speaking English we usually sat flat or apartment depending on if the person we're talking to is American or English/Oz/NZ
You say lägenhet for smaller flats orr rentals, otherwise it's våning.
@@atengawolsrep, eh... jag säger lägenhet om allt och min är ändå en 85 kvm (så inte jätteliten) HSB-lägenhet, så inte heller hyres. Tror det mycket är en vanesak. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Personally i wouldn't have a washer dryer combo
If one goes its knackered
Plus neither works as well as its singular
Like having shampoo with conditioner in
❤
Nice analogy! Thanks for the info
I agree. I have one to save space. I would go back to separate machines if I had the room. The washer is fine, but the dryer isn't great.
@@James93264ditto!
Agree with. The combination is available for small spaces, but even in an apartment it is more common to have two separate ones. Separate ones work better, and cheaper to replace or repair one if it breaks. Often the dryer is on top of the washing machine if you have less space. In an apartment, they are usually in the bathroom, in a villa you usually have a separate laundry room. Apartments often have a shared laundry room in the basement that you can book an appointment in. It is included in the rent, often electricity and water are provided in the bathroom if you still want your own. In new apartment buildings, they rarely have a common laundry room, everyone has their own in the apartment.
I agree! Unless Space is a MAJOR issue… Like in a campervan!
I'd get separated units!
It's like - "all year round tires" - a compromise - NOT as good in summer as actual summer tires and much worse in WINTER than actual winter tires!
ALSO Airdrying clothes, reduce wear on the clothes!
The apartment looks like a "regular flat"!
"I cannot walk without shoes". Don't worry, most Northern Europeans have house shoes by the door for you to change into. It simply seems unsanitary to track dirt, street detritus, snow, and stuff into the room where one sleeps, or preps food, or where the kids are running around barefoot. Personally, as I have MS, I need the direct foot-to-floor contact to be able to walk at all. Taking a shower in one's shoes or putting on shoes to get from bed to bath seems strange to me. It takes all sorts, I guess. 😂
Never seen a house shoe in Sweden.
Aldrig sett tofflor och sandaler inomhus?
@@yuiop271 Inte för gäster, vid dörren, nej?
I'm Swedish and I've never visited a house that has "house shoes" for guests. If you want to wear slippers or indoor shoes when visiting someone s house you need to bring them yourself.
Alla äldre hade förr gästtofflor men inte alltid vid dörren. Några har det nu också.
Jag gissar att ni som inte varit med om att alltid fått tofflor att låna, speciellt på vintern, är för unga eller glömska.
Det kan även vara så att ni inte besökte så många eller en helt annan typ av människor.
Dock var de oftast hemstickade utan hård botten men varma eller mysiga.
My experience of a washer dryer combo isn't great it takes about 6 hrs to wash and dry 1 load, it's OK if you are a single person living in a flat, but if you are a family with a million piles of washing you need separate ones.
Ha ha. I have a car like that.
Here its a options and we try to run it in nighttime, when power is low
They aren't really common in Sweden, most homes have a washer and dryer, the apartment he had in the video will have a communal washing room with washing and drying machines. So that was more of a luxury.
Also when you rent an apartment in Sweden they call come with white goods fitted, fridge, freezer, oven, etc.
Costco has had a model that does the whole thing in 2 hours, not 6.
You can have anything on your feet in Sweden as long as you didn't use it outside. You can even ask if there are any slippers to borrow.
There are a lot fewer bugs in Scandinavia, so window screens are rare unless the home/cabin is very close to the woods.
Tell that to someone who lives in northern Sweden in the summer and they won't agree 😂😂😂😂
@@mrbrand4720 I have lived in northern Sweden, and if not close to the woods they are still rare yes. So my original comment is still correct.
And we do have loose bugscreens we use in the summer attached with velcro. :)
@@ujmm What!? Bugs are only rare i the city centres and at sea.. From my experience.
@@haga2519 Compared to the U.S. is what I'm talking about. The uploaders are from the U.S. If I have one window open for 30 minutes in June I will most likely see 0-5 things come in. And I don't live close to the city center. In many places in the u.s, you would get a minimum of 1 bug per minute if you did this without a screen.
Washer/dryers are very common and really useful if you don't have much room - however - they take forever to go through a wash and dry cycle! Much better to separate them. Then you can have one load washing while another is drying and the dryers are much more efficient because the drums are bigger.
What is shown in the video is a modern Swedish apartment.
I live in an old house built in 1907 in the Swedish countryside. The floors are quite cold in the winter, so I usually use some kind of slippers. At the moment I have a pair of indoor crocs. For many years I lived in an apartment in the nearest city and there was never any insects! My father passed away 8 years ago, so now I am back in the house where I grew up. It's next to pasture land with cattle, so there are much more flies in the summer. I have made a simple window screen out of stuff laying around, so I can have at least one window open without being invaded by insects. Some years ago I had hornets living in the chimney, but I got rid of them and instead a pair of jackdaws moved in. The jackdaws soon learned that I didn't bother them as long as they kept silent. In the few years, when no human was regulary living in the house, there was a family of badgers living under the house, but I shooed them away with ground white pepper. My neighbors told me that the badger cubs was really cute, but sadly I never saw them.
Skulle inte säga att den lägenheten var så modern, typ från 80-90;talet…
Your too kind with just white pepper. I had 2 raccoons 🦝🦝 brake into my attic .I live in huge US city, no place for raccoons to live . I left them cayenne pepper 🌶 🌶🌶 until I could have relocated to wilderness facility. They were cute , I just wanted them to move out my apt
@@Kim-J312, we don't have racoons here, sadly. I've always found them to be really cute. :-)
1. Yeah shoes off is something you need to do. Firstly many of the floors are wooden so scuffs or scratches aren't appreciated, the rooms are always warm and heated anyway.
2. Ovens we have the old fashioned ones that set the fire alarm off if you leave food on too long.
3. Yeah the windows are a pain in the arse. We don't worry about crime to be fair, but yes we have had birds fly in much to the amusement of our cats.
4. Can't remember when I used a bathroom with just one flush option.
Seriously you don't know about washer dryers?
Also if you have an apartment in Sweden you will have access to a communal washroom with washing machines and dryers. They have a booking board where you use your key to move a token around to book a time.
Yup lights lol, but the concealer cups never quite work.
Never punched through a wall or thought about it... does the guy have anger issues?
fattar inte hur man kan ha skor inomhus. Smutsigt och när ska man lufta fötterna, bara när man lägger sig eller?
Walking without shoes - Swedish homes are usually warm and cozy so it's very common that you remove your shoes however, it's not too uncommon that you can borrow slippers. In general, Swedish homes are also well equipped regarding electric safety. Light fitting in our ceilings can me moved and all new homes have only grounded outlets in "wet areas" with water like bathrooms and kitchens (they are even becoming more common in all outlets in the entire house/apartment). Older apartments have 120V outlets in bathrooms for shavers etc. but newer apartments/houses even have ground-fault protected 230V outlets some distance from the running water in a bathroom. Practical for using hair dryers. It is also common with "bathrooms cabinets" over the basin and a back mirror so you can check the back of your head. In modern bathroom you often have floor heating and heated towel racks. There are many different types of windows and the one shown in the video is not really the most common one however, I never seen any "American style" window in Sweden. One HUGH different is out doors and looks. It is very common with security doors, mainly for fire protection, designed to withstand and hour or so with raging fire outside the door, especially in apartment building however, many people also install "wood like" high protection doors made of steel. They look exactly like a normal door but is extremely burglar resistance. Adding that to Swedish door looks which are considered one of the best in the world (ASSA, KABA, etc.) makes Swedish home very safe. If you are living on the lower floors, it is also very common with window looks that forces the would be thief to brake the window. Here is also not too uncommon with crash protected window film that makes even breaking the window difficult but I would lie if I said it was a "standard".
Swedish (and Nordic) design is also known for its "less is more" approach and wall papers and decorations is usually not too extravagant. We like "light colors" since we spend at least three to four month a year in the "darker period" during winter. With snow it's not so dark however, during autumn and the snow less parts of winter and with a gray sky, we don't need dark homes.
To lighten up the mood, candles are often used, especially around Christmas.
I have to ask, would you like to have a video about going the a proper IKEA store in Sweden? If so, I can make one for you? I try to have a good excuse to play with my new INSTA360 X3 camera (a 360 camera) ;-)
DM me if that's the case, I can take you to both a IKEA ctiy store plus the larger IKEA stores around Stockholm
No, most Swedish homes do not have spiral stair cases! Spiral stair cases are horrible, only good for small spaces
Very unusual with spiral stairs. Very.
@@atengawolsrep, not if you count the broken staircase as a spiral staircase, then almost _every_ house has it... a straight staircase is very unusual as it usually takes up a lot of unnecessary space.
One of the reasons is that a spiral staircase lends you room underneath it that isn't twisted. I have a room that is beneath the staircase up to my neighbour, and if it was spiral it would be a really weird room. There's a time and place for spirals... Also, bringing a long-a** sofa up the stairs is a pain when it's spiral.
Yes, but many or even most have curved stairs.
In general there is something to say about the sturdiness about Swedish homes (and many other cold countries in particular I believe). It’s not just about getting what you pay for, the standards (legally) are incredibly high and you won’t find home made of dry wall or without proper insulation etc to withstand winter conditions. Also why there is not necessarily a problem with cold floors. Just put on some fussy socks.
Hi ladies! Washer/dryers are becoming popular in Australia as more people are living in apartments rather than houses. In Australia, you NEED screens on windows and outside doors because of the bugs, flies and spiders, but some homes will have the doors to the deck without a screen ( usually a feature in more expensive homes) and they are called French Doors!
Just a few comments on your questions. Yeah, that looks like most apartments I've lived in before i moved to the sticks. The washer/dryer combo, yes i have one, is very limited in amount it can handle, and the laundry is usually at least a little humid when it comes out. Still, the sheets for a bed will spend 2 hrs in the machine to mostly dry, then i can hang it for about 1 hr to finish before folding it away. So it works, but not great. Condensation dryers like this also uses less than a third of the power of a conventional hot one. My house is 150 yrs old and has foot thick walls and no AC, of course i use screens in the summer. Old houses like this usually had one set of inner windows for insulation in winter, and a set of screens for summer and you just switched. This went out of fashion in the 60's i think but lighter screens can be found at the supermarket for a song. Citi boi Andrew probably never looked. Very few electric things are fix mounted in a swedish home. Anything is replaceable by yourself and a minimum of fuss. Usually including the stove. There's a special socket for flat 400v connectors for the heavier equipment, like stoves, washers and the like. I'm a rather lazy responder as i don't like to say things if i have nothing to say, but this time i did..:)
Good morning ladies from dublin ireland oh my gosh was watching your video on nasty comments you got i was totally shocked your both two lovely down to earth ladies ❤ fricken trolls dont know there arse from there elbow😂 with the things they say at times but you both dealth with with class keep up with the great video,s love to both from dublin ❤
The fridges looks a bit different than the american. Just due to that we have different kinds of packages. Like the shelfs for milk are deeper in america due to your jugs (don’t know if that a right word for it, jugs with handle) and we have milk in tetra pac.
Speaking of the walls not being flimsy. I have a total of two walls in my entire apartment where I can screw things up without having to use a hammer drill with drill bits for concrete.
Most of the walls in my apartment are at least 3 inches(7.5cm) thick of pure concrete and rebar. The two walls that aren't are still cement board and not drywall so it's still a lot sturdier.
That is impossible, standard walls in Sweden is at least 12 cm if it´s bearing walls.
I live in an apartment (in Sweden) and I have screens for my balcony doors. With magnets so you don’t have to open/close the screen, it’s so nice when the kids run out and in all the time.
Im norwegian but our houses are more or less the same, just a couple of notes that he missed or skipped:
We always that of our shoes, unless its like high heels or dress shoes that you dont wear outside, dont want to drag stuff in (dirt, salt, snow, rain, pollen etc) but some have slippers by the door, especially if they have an older/cold house. This is usually in its own room, the first room in the house, in norwegian it translate to "wind catcher", to separate the cold outdoors from indoors, and to not let out all the heat.
The light switches looks more like yours if you take of the cover, but having the bugger cover on it makes it easier to use if you dont have fingers. The same goes for the door handles, if you dont have fingers or grip strength these door handles are much easier to use and to understand how to use.
The windows cant be opened from the outside even if you have it a bit open like he does, its like a buttom on the inside that need to be held for the window to open all the way.
If you live in a bigger house or have kids you usually have a washroom with a washer and dryer to get more done at ones.
In the bed we usually have two duvets, one for each person, so theres no fighting for the covers, haha
We also have a building standard. One cant just start building from ones own mind.
Just the fact that one cant paint their own house in any color that we want, because it has to blend in.
Everything is regulated.
As for the shoes thing; when a large part of the year is mud, sludge, rain and generally dirty, it takes walking inside with shoes on for five minutes to make the floors look like a potato field. With hardwood floors being really popular they'd really get destroyed by the wet and dirt. As for cold feet, there are slippers, and also, floor heating is really popular.
There are other things that are due to the climate; windows for example are generally much more serious and well made, often having triple panes of glass and very tight seals around them.
In general, the focus of Swedish homes is to maintain the heat during the winters, where in the US it's in many places the opposite, that maintaining cold is the focus. Of course that's different in the northern states, I have no real experience from there.
In general, Swedish houses are well made compared to most American ones, however, in line with the Swedish mindset, things are often made to look non-flashy and minimalistic, where in America, houses are often made to look more impressive from the street side. Swedes are one of the people who spend most of their available money on their houses, but the houses can still look quite modest and a lot of the money goes to making them able to withstand the climate and to last a long time. The house me and my family live in was built in 1772 and has been extended and modernized over time and it will probably last several hundred years more.
And a final note on drywall: In Sweden, if you can afford it interior walls are constructed using a wood based board, such as plywood first and then covered with a sheet of drywall; the reason for the drywall is for one it's easier to get a smooth finish on it for painting, also because it gives better noise insulation and finally because it's somewhat fire resistent. In cheaper homes the wood board may be left out and there's only drywall.
Just to point out one thing (Mainly because he mentioned punching through a wall): Swedish homes use 12mm plaster sheets and newer homes require double (offset from each other so there isn't a direct path to the stud) layering of that due to fire prevention, in the US 15mm single sheet would be what you use for industrial use application. Walls are much stronger in Sweden.
Welcome back to Sweden.
For shoes, yes. Always take them off and for me in my home I always go barefoot. I hate socks on. And no slippers. In my countyhouse I need socks/slippers in the winter because the floor is not insulated like in my apartment.
For the washer/drier I have one but I don´t use the drier. I hang my clothes to dry. If I want to set another wash on ans use the dryer I have to wait and that is timeconsuming.
Not all windows open like that but one thing is true, We don´t use aircon like the US. Some places have. Most of the windows is now 3-glas windows and that stands against a lot of wind, and noise. No bugscreens is needed.
Seems like there is a lot more then he showed you. He seemed to live in a bit newer apartment so that standard is not everywhere.
And the lights in the ceiling is that yes. So you can change that as much as you want.
Happy to see you back in Sweden. 🥰
Not taking my shoes off but will bring lighter shoes if neccessary.
@@atengawolsrep lighter shoes? You can't have outer shoes on inside. You will dirty the floors.
One thing that seems very common in the US is front doors that swing into the house, which makes it easy for someone to break the door in order to force an entry. Try that with a common Swedish apartment door and you'll break your foot! The door goes outwards and is usually strengthened, like a form of safety door. Outside doors are often thicker and the locks are better than in the US (at least in every cop show on TV)
We have indoor shoes here in Sweden. It’s not usual that people comes in our windows ever. Not animals either. We have 220 in our contacts for our lamps and so on. Every where in Sweden we can drink our water in our home. Every taps in Sweden can you drink the water
Most of Swedish house have mechanic ventilation with fans and filters, so we do not need to have open doors and windows inlet with dirty air from toilet and kitchen and outlet with fresh air to sleeping rooms and other living areas
Natasha remembers history and geography, Debbie remembers home improvements 😂
😆😆 It's funny cause it's true!
I'm Swedish and it's not a house but an apartment because it's a flat, so it has more concrete in load-bearing walls, but we also use chipboard with plaster in non-load-bearing walls. our roofs must withstand a lot of snow weight and are heavily dimensioned for that.
Think he noticed how hard our Swedish walls are when he hung up the paintings hehehe
Yes we have slippers for our guests and the washer/dryers are great, they have been available here since 1990’s. All apartments have a big laundry room too, that’s shared.
Washer/dryer is only a thing for people living in flats to save space. There are Laundry rooms in the cellar but then you have to book your slot. This is obviously a flat. You could kind of see that in the beginning where he was outside. Flat area.
If you live in a house you go for separate washer/dryer. Saves time as the combo takes for ever. Combonis not the first choice. Not the best performance and if the e.g. dryer part breaks you have to replace the whole thing.and throw away a perfectly ok washer as well.
Hi you two are great fun to watch 😊One good thing in Swedish apartments and houses is that its always warm inside even if its -20 outside. I lived in England for a while and i have never been so cold in all my life!
Regards from Anneli in Sweden
Firstly, my wife doesn't like the washer dryer, so we've gone back to separates.
Now (following from your last video, so ment as a joke) I noticed that the black topped one was out of her box and put the wrong earbud in and agreed with everything that the blonde one said). Love you, really.
Most of that is a common standard in modern Swedish homes. However, that compact bathroom is typical for pretty small flats/apartments while one family houses often have separated washing rooms. In older apartment houses there is mostly a common laundry room in the basement were each resident can schedule it for use in two, three or four hours. Andrew have a video for this subject also, aswell as many other immigrants in Sweden, as Kimberly Source for example.
I am a Swede married to an American and have lived in the US for a bit too.
When you talk about the quality of homes, dry wall etc I can say that the standard is way lower in the US! There are a lot of cheaper things that don’t last and the ways to build are usually not as long lasting. There are of course cheaper houses in Sweden too but the cheap here is still much better quality than cheap in the US.
Another difference is the pressure in the shower. I hate showering in the US because I’ll be looking up and wondering if the shower is working because the pressure is so low. I’m short too and the shower is attached to the wall way up there so that makes it even weaker by the time it hits my body. We got a shower from IKEA, not so spendy and all and there’s something in it that can be removed to make the pressure even higher, which makes it possible to turn it up to get like a back massage 🤩
I don’t see a lot of spiral stairs actually. In apartment buildings yeah but not in most homes. Maybe curved in a corner but not completely spiral.
It’s called apartment or condominium, condo is when you own the place and apartment is when you rent, same as in the US.
The washer/dryer I wouldn’t say is so common. I have a big network and I only know of one that has had one. Since we don’t use dryers as much it makes it more energy efficient to just have a regular washer.
Washers in Sweden are also tiny compared to many I’ve seen in the US. Ours takes 7kg but I’ve seen at least twice as big in the US.
You do not want a combined washer dryer. Although it saves space you have to wait for your clothes to dry before doing another wash. I like to take my clothes out the washing machine and place them in the dryer whilst my washing machine is doing the next lot of washing. Especially bedding as all my bedding takes three separate washes. Plus most engineers say the tumble part always breaks down which when that happens you can’t use the washing part! So basically waste of time.
15:56 The walls that you sometimes have in the US (the wall you can punch through) are (i think) forbidden to use as a wall in a living space in Sweden.
Most of this is available in all European countries and Australia too. The dual flush was invented in Australia is due to the terrible lack of water here
The inventor was an American by the name Victor Papanek.
@@HerrBrutal-bl2fk Victor was an amazing man who invented so many things. With the dual flush toilet he proposed it in a book but never produced anything. Next the Japanese had it but dropped it being unsuccessful. In the 1980's Bruce Thomson working for Caroma in South Australia invented one that was successful.. It is law in Australia for all toilets to be dual flush. Maybe a joint effort 😄
You can use slipper or in-door shoes. You can bring them yourself if you are fussy, most will lend you some if you need it. You don't however walk inside with the shoes you used outside though, extremely rude. Swedes most likely won't ask you to take off your shoes as you enter, don't mistake that as it being okay to walk inside with shoes on. It is simply expected of you to take them off as the default, they will however say something if you try to go inside with your shoes on.
As for heating, depends on the house, being an arctic country the houses are generally better insulated than most american homes so it is warm and cosy inside. Newer buildings or renovated ones usually sport floor heating as well, sometimes it is just for "comfort heating", in other cases it is the actual method for heating the house or part of it instead of for example radiators.
I'm from Sweden but we're moving to Texas soon, In Sweden everyone takes off their shoes when entering their home, you can use slippers, either you bring your own slippers or you have a basket in the hall with slippers you borrow, combined laundry and tumbler is super good if you don't have a lot of laundry with a large family, And I know that there is an extreme amount that differs between countries as we checked things before our move, In Sweden we now live in a cottage that was built in 1876 as a summer cottage.
If you have questions or want to know more, please get in touch :)
No. Everybody does not take their shoes off when visiting. That's preposterou.s
@@atengawolsrepPå riktigt, då behöver du tala om för dem eller spela Povel Rammels låt ,Ta av dig skorna. I Sverige tar vi av oss skorna innanför dörren efter att vi torkat av dem på dörrmattan. Stackars dem städar de hem där de inte tar av sig skorna.
@@atengawolsrepÄr man på besök hos någon i Sverige tar man med sig inneskor eller lånar hos värden.
Well, windows in the cold is a totally different beast. The most important thing about a window here in Sweden is its insulating properties. Most of our modern ones has triple glasing and the spaces are gas filled and have a better insulating property than most walls. Its quite rare to even open a window, there simply are´nt very many occasions that you feel the need to have them open. Typically when you´re doing major cleaning, airing bedding etc and never when you´re not at home, thereby eliminating the need for burglar-proofing for the open window. The windows swings out and around completely so you can clean the outside part easily. The lamp sockets are called DCL KLass 1 (For lamps with 3 wires (with earthing cable) and DCL Klass 2 (For lamps with 2 wires (without an earthing cable)) and works fine to install directly into an american home, the fittings dont care if its 110 or 240 volts going through them. They´re not expensive and I imagine you can find them on places like amazon etc. Buy some extra loose plugs for future lighting purchases though as you will struggle to find them in the US . Good Luck with the Swedification of your home. =)
Hi ladies, I LOVE your content and I’m so pleased you’re finally going to get to the UK this year. Your videos give me lots of inspiration of places to visit in the UK. I already live in beautiful Yorkshire, but I now appreciate my surroundings more after watching your reactions to our beautiful country.
Just watching this video and you guys were surprised about taking shoes off coming into homes. I have to say this is also very common in the Uk too ❤️
slippers are allowed, it is avoiding to track outside dirt/water inside.
screens for the windows are often detachable, I have freezing weather and snow from October to april (sub freezing before and after possible but...), one minor snowstorm and the screen will be slab of opaque ice.
I have mine only when windows are open, otherwise I remove them
Great video again ladies.
I had a washer/dryer and hated it. I think I changed it within a year. If you put in a full load when the dried washing comes out it’s really creased. I could probably get away with it now I’m on my own but for a family wash I found it terrible. I wouldn’t want one if I was given it free.
This is a modern Swedish apartment pretty standard. We had that kind of light switches before 1980 or so. The toilets have been double flushing for more than 30 years so that old. Same with the stove its been more or less standard for the past 15-20 years in owned homes apartments or houses for rented apartments they often go with a cheaper alternative but since some years its standard also there. In a normal house the washer is in a separate space and most of then use washer / dryer as 2 machines. In most apartment buildings there is also a washing room that all tenants can use equipped with more heavy duty washing machines and dryers also a drying room with a powerful heater is available, this is included in the rent. The windows like that is standard also for more than 30 years and you can turn them completely around for easy cleaning. We don't have a lot of bugs in Sweden so its no need to get the net but it is possible if you want it.
If you live here up in the north and not in the middle of a city you will need netdoors and for windows or you will have hundreds mosquitos feazting on you😂😂😂
The drywall bit is true, from what I've seen online. US walls typically are one or two sheets of drywall mounted to the wooden studs, whereas in Sweden we usually do one sheet of drywall on top of a sheet of thick plywood, which is a lot sturdier and also makes mounting stuff to your walls a lot less of a hassle.
Plaster is also used in Sweden, but mostly on concrete, brick or cinderblock walls, to get a nice, even surface. This is most commonly in apartment blocks and equivalently large buildings where wood just isn't as viable as load-bearing details. But even in big apartment blocks, it's really common to make non-loadbearing walls from wooden or metal studs, plywood and drywall.
Largely, I think house contruction in the US and here is the same; At least the parts of the US where you have ready access to processed lumber, i.e. it's more affordable to do a studded house, as opposed to one made from concrete or bricks. The biggest differences is in the internals. You have to insulate every dividing surface, per construction code. So walls, both internal and external will have glass wool insulation in them, whereas this is less common and more up to the architect and builders in the US (?).
Another big difference is the electrical system. Nearly all houses, and most apartments built in the last 20 years, have a three phase electrical supply (as opposed to the norm in the US, which is a split single phase supply), meaning we get a lot more effect with smaller fuses. Also, all wiring has to be channeled through conduits at straight horizontal and vertical runs, you're not allowed to have loose wires snaking around inside the walls. This serves two purposes. Firstly, it's more protected from damage, and secondly, once you need to rewire your house, it's so much easier and more affordable to do. In any cable run, you just pull all but one of the conductors out, then use the last one as a draw string to pull new wiring in. No need take down parts of the wall (for the most part). For house installations we also commonly use braided wire as opposed to the solid core wire that is mainly used in the US, so it's a lot easier to work with.
A collegue and myself rewired four 5-room apartments, including swapping out all fixtures and sockets and replacing the distribution boards, in a day. You'd never manage that in a property where the wiring is just haphazardly run lose through the walls, or even worse, if the cables are stapled to studs inside the walls.
As for windows, they're usually fitted with locked hinges, and you don't leave your windows open unless you're home, so you don't generally get people just coming into your home. The odd bird or neighborhood cat may visit, but it's more of a feature than a detriment (at least in my opinion) :)
Very good description. I've seen som fairly new homes in the US and I panicked when I saw that the electrical system looked like something from the 1940s...
Yes, you can wear slippers indoors. It is not the shoes itself that we dislike to use indoors, it is more like a cleanliness thing. What we bring indoors from outside is what we take off when we enter a home. Indoor slippers are fine, just don't go outside with them and bring them back in.
Hi I live in sweden and I can confirm slippers are common (especially in the winter). Many homes actually have "guest slippers" by the door incase you want.
Having detachable lights is something we all thought everyone had.
Also the lightswitches are much easier to flip and has ofcourse a standard height as well as sockets.
16:57
I live in an apartment complex that was built in the 70s. When it comes to walls... you can't punch your hand through them.
They are all solid concrete. If you want to make a hole in them you need explosives. Really, if you "knock" at them with your hand you won't get an echo or anything. It's like knocking on bedrock.
I've had a washer/dryer for 10 years now, and there's definitely a compromise being made at the speed of drying. But as a disabled person it makes a big difference to my independence.
Washer/Dryers do not work as well as separate machines, and should probably just be used when you need to save space, from what I understand.
Hi. Obviously I would imagine it’s like here in the UK or elsewhere in Europe, it’s not that you can’t have screens or air conditioning, it’s just that it’s more of an extra if you want it rather than the norm. For instance I keep seeing on these comparison videos that in UK kitchens that we don’t have waste disposals in the sinks, but we had one in the kitchen sink back in the early 80s in a house when we remodelled the kitchen but never bothered with one again since. Same goes for the taps in the kitchen and bathroom, I have mixer taps rather than separate taps for the hot and cold as the kitchen and bathroom are modern and that’s what I chose in the design when I updated them (in an old house). I don’t bother with air conditioning as for the few days and nights of the year that it’s humid I just have a fan on in the room I’m in, but other homes I’ve been in the air conditioning has been added or built in from the start. The same with a separate laundry room. I have one in the old house I’m in now but I’ve lived in other homes where the washing machine or washer/dryer has been in the kitchen.
If you live in a flat then there's usually a washing room with drying room in the basement/attic (depending on the age of the building) or in a separate house nearby that anyone in the housing complex can use. You'd book a time and only get access at that time. Good for those of us who can't afford, or don't want to afford, a washing machine of our own.
People who come to our house either know or are told to bring slippers, the same with my son's family. Most people remove outdoor shoes when going in someone's home. Washer/dryers can take hours to complete a cycle, more modern ones are programmable which makes things better. Great space savers, but impractical if you want to be super quick or do a sports wash. Many homes in Sweden have triple glazing as well as a lot of insulation as it saves on heat loss and the environment. You will also find that their floor area is lower compared to many homes in the USA (I'm ignoring city flats or properties). There are comparable homes in the USA/Canada, but one needs to visit the colder and wetter regions.... I have visited both countries.
Most Scandinavian/Northern countries have similar features as our climates resemble each other. If you don't like bugs, city life is for you. I like all of the countryside in the summer, but if bugs really creep you out - stay away from the Lapland areas during the gnat season, that is a mosquito paradise, it's terrible to experience. Btw., as we have a ton of snow now here, I realized the benefit we have: although it is a nuisance, it's useful when it's not wet as you can insulate a part of draughty areas outside by packing some of it down at the seams. Also, keeping the areas close to your house in the summer free of plants, bushes and vegetation as well as wet areas, keeps insects, ants, bugs, gnats and even snakes off for lack of food and hiding places.
The 1 thing I don't like about that video is that it only shows his place. There are so many types of apartments and houses in Sweden. Houses build in 1700 up til 2023.
We have had 'washer/dryers' in the UK for decades and yes we usually keep them under the kitchen work top.
Not as efficient or fast as a separate dryer as they are condenser dryers not vented through the wall to outside ones.
@@tonys1636 Or as environmentally friendly and energy saving as hanging them out traditionally on the washing line. Our dryer ended up as a heap in the corner, simply because it was not used as we prefer the freshness of air dried clothes. My mother used to dry her washing in the attic in Germany, where it was a tradition and then in England when she moved here.
The washer/drier works well! I had one for a few years. The full cycle takes a bit longer so I was washing everyother day (with a kid)
The drier is a bit less aggressive on the heat so clothes comes with a very small humidity, but it dries as you fold it and I've read it's better for the clothes not to get so dry.
If there is space I prefer separate washingmachine and dryer. I have them on top of each other. Had a combo in my summerhouse but it broke. Think the combo brakes easier but I can be wrong/ Love from Sweden
Swede here. Firstly, wonderful video!
Spiral stairs are not that common. Usually in Houses, we to have a standard staircase. In 2 floor apartments spiral stairs are more common, but not standard.
Good to know, thank you!!
@@TheNatashaDebbieShowusually in old houses like mine its just simply follow a outerwall to save space from rest of the house and same with the stairs to the basement so calling it a spiral stair is a bit too big word for it
I've had washer/dryers for 30 years, they are a little less efficient than separate units , but space saving for smaller UK/Euro homes. But you just buy a really good one and don't cheap out. My current one was about 2x the cost of a cheap one but came with a 5/7 year warranty (famous Korean brand).
Interesting video 🙂
I'm a Swede 🇸🇪 and it was fun learning of some differences 👍
What surprised me was the lamp fixtures. That you don't have the same as us. Yes it's mostly just plug and hang. Usually it's a hook where you hang the lamp. So it's very easy to exchange to a lamp that you think suit you 👍
If there is a fire in the house and you burn your hands or the doorknob is hot, attempts to open fail because your hand slides as if oiled.
This is why we have door handles everywhere.
This was a small apartment. We do not have open windows or patio doors in troubled areas.
For the shoe thing. Swedish homes are generally very insulated and well heated in the winter, thus no need for shoes inside. Many have some slippers at the door for themselves and their guests, just in case.
The washer/dryer thing, I'm not a fan. I don't tumble dry most of my clothes, so it still needs to be taken out and sorted after the wash.
One big difference between Swedish and American homes (at least i hope it's not a stereotype) is that our front doors usually open outwards and not inwards. I guess there are pros and cons for both. It's harder for emergency personnel to get into your home in Sweden, but it is also a bit more difficult for burglars, I guess.
Anywho, have a good one.
If you really need footwear indoors you bring a clean pair when you are visiting. Normally though Swedish houses are isolated and the floors are warm to walk on. The Windows have 3 panels with 2 of them connected and filled with gas to make them well isolated too. They open a little bit and are stoped with a safety hatch which prevent children from falling out and strangers to brake in.
Yes we use slippers indoors! In winter we use warm and cozy ones
One month late but: Here in Sweden if you're living in an apartment your complex has a laundryroom where you're most likely doing your laundry (usually it includes several washers and then one big dryer and in many cases also a seperate "drying room" where you can hang your things to dry). That said if you're living in a house you still use the washer and a dryer, based on my experience, becasue you can do the next load of laundry while the first one is in the dryer.
Shoes: Depending on where in the country you live "indoor" shoes/slippers/knitted socks are quite common. In the winter I have knitted socks I wear over my socks to keep warm inside.
I think you guys saw this in a different video but here in Sweden and most of Europe (I've come to learn) we have seperate duvets, one per person and not a big one as I've learned it common place in the USA.
Hi! The shoes, got slippers for guests if they want, mostly noone use them, still, no shoes indoors at my home. The light-switches, the size and the placement; both for easy access for kids. Though not all homes follow that rule. The switches for the bathroom, are outside the bathroom, and the electric outlets inside the bathroom are (on ALL places I have lived!) placed rather high on the wall, and rarely more than one outlet. The washer, still common without the dryer, but more and more gets the combo. The window, he did not show you, but it can be flipped around, so you do not have to go out to wash the outside-part... rather neat!
Forgot, I am not a swede, just been there visiting a lot. I am norwegian, and we have the same standards as the swedes.
We appreciate the info!!
@@TheNatashaDebbieShow
It can also be mentioned that there is a lock on the window, so it can be left in the ventilation position without it being possible to open it completely from the outside.
The window can also be left open when it rains without it raining in.
Apartments have washer in the bathroom, most house have a laundry room (tvättstuga), in many you can hang wet clothes too. The windows are typical for apartments and second floors since you can turn them around and wash them on the outside. Nobody had American windows. We have windows that open like a door - and we have screens against mosquitos and other bugs.
Many have induction but also gas or electric with a ceramic surface or older ones with cast iron round surfaces.
Hi from Yorkshire UK. We do have all in one washer-dryers but, I prefer separate. if the washer-dryer combi becomes faulty, you've lost two appliances. It also takes forever to wait for both the washer-dryer combi to finish a cycle
The pluggable light fixture is very common here. Most homes have a plug + hook in every room. The advantage is the ease of use, but disadvantages are that 1. it restricts where you put the light fixture if you want to use the hook and 2. you need a light fixture that is made for using the hook. But yes, just plugging it into the socket is so much better than having to connect wires.
We have "recently" changed the plug standard though. The old one was round with three pegs (and you'd have to turn it to find the correct rotation when connecting), The new standard is three pegs in a row instead, so you can't get it wrong. These plugs are completely different from regular wall plugs though. Much more compact, and only rated for lighting.
My washer/dryer works fine. I just put in the clothes and start the washing as normal, and then after its done I simply just chose a dryingprogram and press start again.
Yep, we've had washer / dryers in the UK too for years. But they are always a compromise, eg: not very good washers or dryers, the only good thing about them is they same space as it all in one unit. Love the hair by the way, very nice. 8-)
I live in Sweden and I have screens on many of my windows! They are like a blind you pull down from the top of the window and connects to the bottom of the window! So during the winter or whenever you want you can leave the screen in an up position!
Hello! from A Swede :)Love your channel😃 I live in a much older apartment building. Three apartment buildings that are exactly the same, built in the years 1969-70-71. I don't have a bathtub but I know there are apartments that still have bathtubs in their apartments. But they are disappearing more and more from the older apartments.
I don't know anyone personally who has a washer and dryer like that. But they will probably become more common in the future. if you don't have your own house or if you already own your apartment. Same thing with stove really doesn't have one. But our houses are a bit too old. One thing that I think is good about older apartments is that the stores we have in the basement are large. many new ones don't even have storage in the basement right away. Another thing that is good about these apartments is that they are built for storage and space. new apartments are not built for space:(
I know many people have such windows. But we have another model that is older like everything else😀
I also have issues walking without shoes, so I always bring a pair of slippers or indoor shoes with me when I visit friends.
I would also say that's a typical apartment (the Swedish word for it is "lägenhet"). The combo machine is getting more and more popular, especially in new apartments. In older ones, we usually have a shared laundry room in the basement or sometimes in a separate building. That's the only thing I'm used to so I can't say whether or not it's efficient.
Funny thing - you can tell the video is a couple years old from how he's "denying" the screen is a TV. Earlier you only had to pay for TV licens if you had a TV, and people were latterly knocking on your door to check. Nowadays it's included in all other taxes so you don't pay for it separately.
Back in the day, before walking around in your socks while visiting others was considered acceptable, people would bring their "gå-bort-skor" ("visitation shoes", fancy dress shoes) in a bag, and switch upon entering. Or they would wear galoshes over them when walking outside. Maybe you Natasha could try this?
I like it!!
Yes, that is defiinately an apartment. That kind of door leads to an outer hallway, shared with other familys. This is a vert "typically" smaller apartment with 2-3 rooms and a kitchen.
We have often floor heating and the multi-storey buildings are well insulated and gives warm walls and floors. The windows are 3 layers of glass and we got usually the blinders between the glass, which makes them cleaner. Yes, we can separete the glass to fix the blinders if nessecarey.
Regarding the windows, the opening feature is for saftey so cats and children can't just fall out and makes it harder to get in.
All these things are common in north Europe so it isn't really just Sweden.
Interiorv walls are usually as sandwich principle, with particle board, and a wool of fire resistant sound resisting material, and particle board, but also brick, solid wood, concrete and timber.
I have a Samsung washer, with integrated centrifuge and dryer. 10 years warranty, direct coupled ( no rugber bands that drives anything inside it) it has worked perfect for the 8 Years I owned it. It still works, and you decide if you want centrifuge and drier yourself. You have several wash cycles, like airwash and quick~wash, and you can compose your own.
It can be used with a mobile phone app, and then it rings you up when the clothes are dry.
You have minimum drying as an option, but standard is maximum. Then you can put them directly in the closet.
They smell wonderful.
I live in Norway
Induction ovens and stoves are combos here in Sweden. While you can get them separate if you want to, on most models they come as one piece.
I grew up in an older house (100+ years, might be 200 years even soon or already, I should ask my parents xD), the windows open up outwards on the left/right side and we got detachable frames with screens that you put in the window when it's open to keep bugs out.
Also have detachable inner window frames that we used to put in on the inside of the closed window for extra isolation during winter. xD
YES SLIPPERS! SOME Swedish homes have cold floors, so then slippers are a MUST! BUT nowadays in newer homes underfloor heating is not uncommon!
AS for slippers i think that perhaps the "modern clog" - with a leather upper is a Swedish design and CROCS too?
We have indoor shoes such as slippers, sandals, flip flops. I use crocs indoors and outdoors two separate pairs.
it is mostly about cleanliness
Hi im Swedish...most homes and apartments have floor heating.We offer slippers to guests.if u hire an apartment the landlord puts in like fridge etc and u just call the landlord for replacement if its broken.
You can have indoor shoes you only use inside. It only applies to outdoor shoes.
Perfect!
I have one of those washer/dryer machines in my apartment and they work pretty good 🙂 You can set it to automatically dry your clothes after the wash cycle has finished, so you don't have to worry about getting home to take care of your wash. It's dry and ready to be folded whenever you get home 🙂 (the manual says you shouldn't leave the clothes in the machine, but I've never had a problem with it 🤷🏻♂️)
15:40 - For the last several decades, apartment are constructed as fire cells. That means that every apartment unit is surrounded by flameproof concrete walls, which prevent the fire from spreading to other units.
Internal walls, within the unit, are cheaper though. Although, you would never been able to damage it with an unprotected fist.
The combined washer/dryer does not work well. We have screendoors we just put them in when winters over. We use slippers or heated floors. We have insulated windows to maximes heat inside no cold drops.
I have had an induction stove for 20 years :)