4 ms·

As many have pointed out the majority of the debt goes into home ownership in the nordics. At least in 3 countries that I have lived. And the prices are eye wa

by juusto 6y ago

As many have pointed out the majority of the debt goes into home ownership in the nordics. At least in 3 countries that I have lived. And the prices are eye watering high for what is offered. In the main urban areas Stockholm/Helsinki/Oslo it is easy to find house blocks consisting of buildings with soviet style looks costing close to 500k USD. Weird floor planning and "dry" walls are the norm here. One of the apartments I had did not have a window in the bedroom. How is that okay to build it that way? I don't know. Yes, there are laws against this but it does happen. The construction, while not shoddy, does not justify the price alone and it seems construction companies are doing quite well between the pre-built structures and hiring immigrants to do some of the less qualified jobs. If you can make a parity between salaries price of apartments/buildings in Southern Europe, Portugal/Spain/France, and in the Americas are better built than the ones here. And they come in other colors than brown or beige.

tokai 6y ago
>One of the apartments I had did not have a window in the bedroom. How is that okay to build it that way? What is the issue?
- eeZah7Ux 6y ago
  That would be illegal in many countries.
- dagw 6y ago
  What is the issue? It's a fire hazard. At least in Sweden (and I think Norway) building codes require that all bedrooms have a window large enough for you to fit through.
- bluGill 6y ago
  Fire code. in the US all bedrooms must have a window large enough that a human can use to get out in case of fire. You don't need to be able to get to the ground - it is enough that you can wave to the firemen who then bring a ladder to get you out. Firemen are also trained to check rooms with a window first for someone who might still be alive but too far gone to get to the window. Any room without a window is not a safe place to sleep. Sometimes when you are buying real estate you will see "non-conforming bedroom) which means a room that looks like a bedroom and you might use as one at your own risk as you can't get out. (This might also mean it would be a bedroom if there was a closet as well - you have to figure out what it means)

by juusto 6y ago

tokai 6y ago

>One of the apartments I had did not have a window in the bedroom. How is that okay to build it that way? What is the issue?

eeZah7Ux 6y ago
That would be illegal in many countries.
dagw 6y ago
What is the issue? It's a fire hazard. At least in Sweden (and I think Norway) building codes require that all bedrooms have a window large enough for you to fit through.
bluGill 6y ago
Fire code. in the US all bedrooms must have a window large enough that a human can use to get out in case of fire. You don't need to be able to get to the ground - it is enough that you can wave to the firemen who then bring a ladder to get you out. Firemen are also trained to check rooms with a window first for someone who might still be alive but too far gone to get to the window. Any room without a window is not a safe place to sleep. Sometimes when you are buying real estate you will see "non-conforming bedroom) which means a room that looks like a bedroom and you might use as one at your own risk as you can't get out. (This might also mean it would be a bedroom if there was a closet as well - you have to figure out what it means)