Living in GermanyWhat you need to know!

By: Hanna (Gina Halliwell)

If you live in Germany you would…

• Consume 50.33% less oil. Germany consumes 1.3113 gallons of oil per day per capita while The United States consumes 2.6400

• Use 46.72% less electricity. The per capita consumption of electricity in Germany is 6,651kWh while in The United States it is 12,484kWh.

• Have 40.64% less babies. The annual number of births per 1,000 people in Germany is 8.21 while in The United States it is 13.83.

• Experience 40% less of a class divide. The GINI index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income. In Germany is 27.00 while in The United States it is 45.00.

• Have 35.67% less chance of dying in infancy. The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in Germany is 3.95 while in The United States it is 6.14.

If you live in Germany you would… (cont)

• Make 26.51% less money. The GDP per capita in Germany is $34,100 while in The United States it is $46,400

• Have 25.21% more free time. Employed persons in Germany work an average of 1344 hours each year while persons in The United States work an average of 1797 hours

• Spend 48.43% less money on health care. Per capita public and private health expenditures combined in Germany are $3,465 USD while The United States spends $6,719 USD

• Have 11.83% more chance at being employed. Germany has an unemployment rate of 8.20% while The United States has 9.30%

• Be 83.33% less likely to have HIV/AIDS. The number of adults living with HIV/AIDS in Germany is 0.10% while in The United States it is 0.60%.

• Live 1.17 years longer.

Should you own or rent?

• Many Germans choose to rent rather than own.• Usually it is an apartment, not a house.• Renters have protection from increases and

cannot have their leases terminated without good cause.

• There are many apartments available and they’re usually in very good condition.

How much are houses?

• House prices are not too different than in the U.S.

• Down payments are about 30-50%.• Only about 42% of Germans own houses,

unlike the U.S. being about 65%.

Wohngemeinschaften (WG)

• A house or flat share as an option• The option of sharing a living space with

others to reduce the rent.• You typically have your own bedroom,

but share common areas such as the kitchen, living room and bathroom.

What’s included?

• When purchasing a new home, be prepared to buy everything!

• Homes are usually sold completely bare. You should expect to buy everything from your light fixtures to the cabinets and kitchen sink.

How do you pay for utilites?

• Whether renting or buying, you are responsible for your utility bills.

• If you are renting, most of the time everything is included. But if not…plan in advance as they sometimes take several weeks to be up and running.

• The same goes for your T.V., internet and also your radio service.

» Radio license is included with your T.V. license.

Apartment living

• Noise is prohibited between 10pm & 6am. That includes loud music and running your washing machine

• When living in an apartment, you will share community responsibilities that your landlord will assign. This can include cleaning the hallway and walkway in front of your building.

• You must give 3 months notice when moving.

German Kitchens

• When purchasing a home/apartment, they typically do not come with appliances. This means that you can definitely have your dream kitchen since you will be designing it yourself.

• Kitchens are usually very small. In more modern times, their fridges have expanded to American size fridges, but most older German’s still have the small compact ones in their homes.

German Bedrooms

• Usually there is only a terry-cloth like material covering the mattress and they use a

Federbett to cover with. Sometimes it is too warm

so they sleep with no covering.

• Most people hang their Federbett on their balcony or window sill daily to let it get fresh air.

• Most German bedrooms do not have closets.

Laundry Time

• Most German homes do not have dryers. They use drying racks or hang clothes outside to dry.

• German washing machines typically take about 2 hours to go thru a wash cycle.

Heating and Cooling

• Unlike America’s typical forced air heating and cooling systems, Germany mostly has hot-water or electric radiant heat.

• Due to winter months being so cold and homes being more enclosed, homes may develop mold on walls and cabinets if windows aren’t opened daily.

Fun facts

• Most homes/apartments have very small rooms. Mostly everything is separated. They may even have separate rooms for the toilet and shower.

• Usually doors remain closed at all times, not just for privacy reasons.

Interesting information

• Tap water is inspected and perfectly fine for drinking, but they do not usually drink tap water!

• Shoes, socks and walking around barefoot are typically not acceptable while in the house…they usually have a “community” slipper bin for guests also.

Daily meal shopping

• Germans mostly shop daily for their food they will cook rather than weekly as we do in the U.S.

• This is due to the very small refrigerators as mentioned earlier and freezing is very uncommon, they prefer fresh ingredients.

Random, need to know info…

• If your name is not on your mailbox…the post office will not deliver!!

• The post office will forward mail for you while away, even if out of the country. * * * * * * * * *• Recycling is taken very

seriously in Germany! They have a waste basket and 3 recycle bins for paper, glass and packaging.

Banking in Germany

They have 3 different types of banks•Private commercial banks•Public savings banks•Credit unions

One of the first things you should do is open an account when in Germany. They mostly have directdeposits and most bills are payed electronically.

Where do you park?

• If you own a car, parking isn’t always easy!

• You may get lucky enough to find an apartment with a garage or parking space and the price will be itemized in your lease.

• You will most likely have to rent a parking space or garage for it. Cost is 30-70 Euros/mth.

Works Cited

• Other Sources:• OECD• CIA World Factbook• World Health Organization

• Internet Sites:• www.german-way.com/history+culture• www.make-it-in-germany.com• www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/us/de• www.farfromnewyork.com

• Books:• Living and Working in Germany by Pamela Wilson• Deutsch Heute: Introductory German Chap 1-8 by Moeller/Adolph/Hoesherl-Alden/Berger

Work Cited (cont)• Photos:

• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elpis.german.ad.tv.telly.commercial.months.years.share.facebook.hd

• http://www.wanderlustwonder.com/2011/08/01/and-now-the-negative-side-of-the-disney-wonder-one-bedroom-concierge-suite/

• http://santown.wordpress.com/tag/larmbelastigung/• http://www.greenroofs.com/projects/pview.php?id=355• http://www.courtneytheami.com/2013/04/windows-in-germany.html• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/mailbox.html• http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/natural-sciences/recycling-bins-from-around-the-world/

page/3/• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Living_room_Germany_2006.jpg• http://www.bild.de/ratgeber/gesundheit/mineralwasser/teures-besser-als-billiges-5258564.bild.html• http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ladies-Memory-Foam-Mules-Warm-Luxurious-Slippers-Christmas-Present-

3-4-5-6-7-8-/350605033663• http://www.boatus.com/cruising/feelfree/previousarticle.asp?bid=2868• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Germany/West/Niedersachsen/Sittensen/

photo1230756.htm• http://pachow.com/what-shape-is-your-washing-machine/• http://inhabitat.com/woodcube-carbon-neutral-five-story-wooden-apartment-building-opens-in-

hamburg/• http://nullbarriere.de/autonomia.htm• http://www.antiquehelper.com/item/357207• http://www.illustrationsof.com/104588-royalty-free-euro-character-clipart-illustration• http://mindmillion.com/MONEY/euro-notes-euro-coins.htm• http://www.deutsches-architektur-forum.de