German homes vs. American homes

You want to establish a long term home in Germany and would like to know what the differences to Americans homes are?

We’ll help summarize some differences:

Construction Materials

This is one of the biggest difference: In Germany most buildings are made of masonry or concrete. Wood construction still isn’t very common, especially not for commercial buildings. And if a building is made of wood (typically a single family residence of modest size) you might not even notice since these houses of course need to follow the same regulations mandated for insulation and noise protection, so they are very high quality and pretty sturdy. Wood construction is getting more and more popular due to its potential sustainability. Large parts of these wooden buildings are often prefabricated off-site and therefore need to be carefully designed beforehand.

Windows

Many Americans are fascinated by the German “Turn-and'-Tilt-Windows”. They can be opened either a little bit or entirely to allow easy ventilation of the house. Unless it is a new, very energy efficient construction, there isn’t any mechanical ventilation, so Germans need to ventilate their home frequently to get fresh air, and in winter to let moisture out to prevent mold. In passive houses you typically have a mechanical ventilation that constantly supplies the home with small amounts of fresh air.

Heating and Cooling

In German homes forced air heating/air conditioning isn’t very common. Newer, very energy efficient homes have mechanical ventilation to provide constant fresh air flow, but the actual heating (or even cooling) is often is done by radiators or radiant floor heating since this is more energy efficient and feels more comfortable. Due to summers getting hotter, heat pumps that can also cool are getting used more and more. However, since German homes are often masonry or concrete construction they have a lot of thermal mass that doesn’t cool down or heat up very quickly. So it is possible to be comfortable in these houses for longer time than in wood frame construction, especially if other means are taken (e.g. in winter air out frequently but short amounts of time, in summer use exterior blinks/roller shutters during the day and ventilate during the night when the air is colder.)

Blinds

American homes often come with blinds that are intended more for sun and privacy protection than for darkening. These are not very common in Germany, and they most certainly wouldn't be installed when you move in. As a renter or buyer you would need to provide them yourself. However many windows in Germany come with roller shutters that are built into the wall. The nice thing about them is that they actually can darken the room completely which for many people is a nice feature that helps with their sleep, and also has some insulation capacity, both in summer and winter).

Doors

Doors in the US usually have a turning knob, in Germany handles/levers are more common. German entrance doors have very sturdy locks that are designed to withstand burglars trying to to break in. They are classified in different resistance classes. e.g. RC2, resistance class 2, means the door has to withstand burglars using more simple tools for 3 minutes. Numerical code locks still aren't very common in Germany unless is is a high-end home.

Toilets

Floor standing toilets as they are common in the US are not very common in Germany anymore, not even in affordable housing projects (they are sill very common in Sweden, though.) . In fact, a floor standing toilet is seen as cheap and outdated.

Hanging toilets typically look less prominent, and the floor underneath them is easy to clean.

German toilets typically have a button for less water and one for using more water to flush, thus helping to reduce the water usage.

Not all American love all aspects of design and functionality of German toilets, such as the toilets with a “shelf” (which was a typical feature in the 90s). And due to the lower water levels the need of toilet brushes is mandated more. (I won’t go into details…).

Since most construction in Germany is masonry or concrete, toilets are mounted on an additional drywall in front of the bearing walls so that installation and maintenance is easy, and sound transmissions are minimized.

Shower

Most German showers come with a detachable shower head that it can be used as a handheld. In American homes this is rare unless it is high end. (in this case there is often fixed rain shower head with an additional handheld).

Gas stoves

Gas stoves in Germany are often either associated with simpler, outdated apartment/homes or very high end kitchens. In high-end settings it also often is additional to the electric or induction cook top. Induction is very prevalent in these days. Gas ovens are not used in new construction anymore.

Refrigerators

German refrigerators are way smaller than their American c0unterparts (60cm/24” vs. 90cm/36”, or 42” with french doors). This is probably one of the reasons why Germans need to go shopping for groceries more frequently. On the flip side, you won’t pay a premium for integrated fridges as you do in the US, where many freestanding options are way cheaper than their panel-ready counterparts.