New apartment – what can you expect to be supplied - Munich

My son moved into his apartment this afternoon. After spending his first couple of weeks in an hotel, he returned back to the UK to sort out the move of his stuff and flew back today to meet the removal people moving his furniture into his apartment. The apartment is a newly refurbished apartment in Haidhausen and he’s very pleased with the place, the location and what fittings there are. He was, however surprised to find no light fittings; not just no light bulbs but nothing to put a bulb into, just wires hanging from the ceiling – is that normal?

That's completely normal here. I remember looking at apartments in Nuremberg that didn't even have a kitchen faucet. Sometimes you get lucky and the previous tenants leave lights behind, otherwise you get a "naked" place.

Hi,

I concluded it must be normal but that being the case what is irritating me is that he paid several hundred euro to a woman to facilitate the move and he did that for a number of reasons not least that she knew the difference between what the Brits expect and what they get – why didn’t she tell him, “Oh by the way you’ll need to get some light fittings before you move in?”

Or for that matter why didn't all those Brits who had gone before him tell him. I have to say that, having lived and worked as an expat in many countries I am surprised at this lack of support. By that I mean, whenever I have made such a move, others who had made the move before me an encountered the problems/differences made a point to make sure I knew what to expect or not expect.

Your completely right. Trust me I've pulled my hair out many times while living here. You need to cancel a contract 3 months in advance- completely crazy to me! T-10 Days and I'll be back in the States- where lights and faucets are included as part of an apartment package and you can break a contract quickly and for nearly any reason.

BTW: Does he need a stove? I have one for sale in Nuremberg for 100 euros. Also have lamps, bathroom cabinets, drapes, and drape rods....

Bizarrely the apartment came with cooker, fridge, dishwasher etc., and fully fitted bathrooms but no light fittings!! My son, his wife and our one year old grandson spend there first night in darkness or book into an hotel all for the sake of light fitting that would cost pennies!!

this is very unusual, normally there isnt any kitchen supplied or curtain rallings but there is hanging wires, normally there is a bulb in it, or normally you actually put one in yourself and it works! i know this as i have been apartment searching and have seen many apartments with bulbs hanging from the ceiling! it is bizzare!

but it is munich afterall, depends where the apartment is, if it it in a "IN" area then people fight over the last scrap, yup it can be tough!

Like Hawada said, that is the norm here in Germany. In reality, a new apartment has to supply the four walls & roof, life-essentials (water, heating) unless otherwise stated in the announcement (fully furnished, etc.).

He got lucky.

Indeed he knows he got lucky and they are very happy with their new home and have been pleased to discover it has features e.g. window blinds that they did not expect.

I’m not angry with the landlady (in fact I think the landlady has provided more than is normally provided) or the German norms, I’m angry at the woman whom he employed, at a substantial cost, on the basis that she knew the differences in expectations and should have known to tell him what to expect and what not to expect.

Since he was already in town, didn't he have the opportunity to go to his (future) apartment at least once? One visit would have saved him a lot of aggravation.

The real estate agent wasn't much help (to put it mildly), but didn't you or your son find any relevant information on Toytown in the four months since you joined? Actually, I can't tell who joined since you seem to be using the same account (the early posts seem to have been written by a young man moving to Munich with wife and child).

I hope he is now settling in nicely - and if you (he?) need any information on just about anything under the sun, including rental-related issues such as neighbours (nosy, noisy or other type of nuisance), landlords, recycling, GEZ, etc. - don't forget to check Toytown!

Hi

This is my son's account used by us both to glean information and learn from other as you've suggested. And, we did look at posts on this site and asked questions and we knew that, in Germany, apartments are often rented out without kitchens etc. And, I have considerable experience of living and working in different countries and amongst different cultures including moving into three newly constructed properties in three different countries one of which was France where the property came without any kitchen units. Whereas what is standard in terms of fixtures and fitting varies in different countries I have never moved into a place void of light fittings. Like I said, I don't blame anyone for there not being light fittings as that is the norm but, I suggest, commonly in world wide standard of what one might expect to find in a new apartment is something on the end of the wire into which you can screw a bulb, And, as that is commonly found to be the case worldwide and not expected in Germany I would expect that the paid 'facilitator' would have known that and advised accordingly.

The apartment was totally refurbished and my son visited it on several occasions whilst workmen were working on it. He left Germany before the work was finished returning to the UK to arrange the move for his household effects. I believe the work on the apartment was not concluded until the day before the arrived back there. Hence he never saw it finished and the dangling wires.

All that said, that was yesterday and we have spoken to them today and they are EXTREMELY happy with the apartment and whereas I would be inclined to give the facilitator some grief they are not as they have quickly forgotten their evening in the dark and happily getting on with business of settling down.