elberko

Stairways DO matter!

We used to live in a small, older house. The bedroom easily held a queen-size bed, but it was impossible to get a box-spring up the narrow stairs because of turns at both ends.

~Liz

LSky

I understand that he's relocating. That's why, if it were me, I wouldn't let the size of a bed or any piece of furniture determine my new life. What if they only place he finds to live that will accommodate the bed is a dull, dark place in an out of the way area? Or even over budget?

Would you give that up for a bed?

Dukey, since when does great sex depend upon size?

jamikins

Completely disagree...small hallways and sharp corners make it very difficult to get larger mattresses in some rooms...

sparkchaser

Serviceman or DoD contractor detected.

Nobody here can say 100% if your furniture will fit because nobody knows how big your rooms will be, which floor you are on, how narrow the stairwell is, and if there's an elevator.

There are "king-sized" beds in Germany but there is no real box spring, just a slat bed which is great because you can take them apart easily and get them into any room. The mattresses are flexible enough and you can bend them and make them fit up the stairs.

Don't bring any electrical appliances unless either you're on base and have 120V 60Hz in your dwelling or you feel like spending a couple of hundred dollars on transformers.

Fridges are smaller and some don't even have a freezer. We have an "American-sized" fridge with freezer but it's about 80% the size of a "normal American" fridge.

I would sell all of your non-essential furniture on Craigslist and buy once you get here. Send me an email and I will send you the link to a local to me (and you) sales list for expats that repatriating back to their home countries. They sell good stuff cheap.

[email protected]

nytraveler

Don't use a box spring.

We just have a thick mattress on the actual wooden bed. For this you need a real wooden bed - with cross bars in both directions and thick slats between then - not just a wood head and foot board.

This is plenty high off the ground - I don't want to have to use a ladder to get into bed. (Obviously this won;t work on one of those $29 metal bed frames.)

annhig

Annhig, Lsky: the OP isn't traveling, he's relocating. He's not trying to "broaden his mind" with the lovely experience of sleeping in the American equivalent of a kiddie bed for a week. >>

thus you consign the beds in which most most europeans sleep to the dust heap.

not every thing american is better than everything european. bigger perhaps, not necessarily better. do you need those huge fridges? iced water available at the flick of a switch? [or what ever you push to get it]. ice cubes on tap?

nice to have perhaps, but hardly necessary and completely impractical in most european homes.

why are our homes so small? because we simply don't have the space you do. and small houses mean that you save money on heating and lighting.

janisj

If the OP comes back . . .

>>I have been told not to take bedroom furniture to Germany.<<

Who told you this? If you are military or active duty and your sponsor or family services said leave it home - listen to them. They know where you'll probably be staying and if it will fit.

If you know where you'll be living - ask the landlord the dimensions of the bedroom(s) and about access. The VAST majority of bedrooms will be very crowded w/ a US king sized bed and any wardrobes.

But maybe your place will be an exception - you need to know the particulars.

You don't want to take it and not be able to use it. Not having it will give you much more flexibility finding accommodations. Can you have family members store it for you and just go to IKEA or somewhere and buy new when you get to Germany (or buy from other GI's / DOD who are returning to the States)>