Brit Reacts to European vs American Homes 

Not having screens on windows is mind boggling.

It blows my mind that after a thousand years people in Europe have not discovered insect screens

This lady from an upper middle class family. A lot of Americans don’t have power recliners, 4 tvs, a lake view, or 2 cars per person. But most homes do have an ice maker, screened windows, a/c and probably a garbage disposal.

To be fair...this is clearly the home of some very well-to-do people. This IS NOT the typical American home, though several features are typical. The garbage disposal, the window screens, air conditioning, and the recliner are fairly ubiquitous. More than one car per person, 5-6 TVs, and a lakefront view are not.

It is a federal offense to tamper with someone's mail. People will steal packages off your porch but they won't touch what's in your mailbox

As an American, I think it's funny you call the recliner a cinema chair. Where I'm from, recliners were standard in homes when I was growing up, and reclining chairs at the movies only became a thing about 10 years ago lol.

Everyone’s talking about the screens on the windows. I’M still trying to wrap my head round HIM trying to wrap his head round the fact that you can send letters or small packages from your mailbox! 🤣

They missed, probably one of the bigger conveniences of America versus Europe, is the laundry room. Typically in Europe, the washer dryer combo machine is either in the bathroom or the kitchen. There are a lot of dedicated laundry rooms in bigger homes in the US. Or just a dedicated laundry closet in the hallways.

No...the mailman does not have a key. It's unlocked, but considering that messing with someones mail within their mailbox is a federal crime, it's not a big risk, at least where I live.

She lives in a more upper middle class area. That is not how a lot of Americans live. Lake front properties are rare and very expensive. Owning 6 TVs is a lot, 3 is more like it. The two vehicles in the driveway are usually a sedan and a truck, and if you have a third vehicle, mostly due to having young drivers in the family over the age of 16. Her parents live in a very large house, and most Americans live in smaller square foot homes.The recliners are very common for living rooms.

The recliner is a standard in most American homes. It's typically associated with dad coming home, grabbing a beer, and lounging in his easy chair after a hard day's work.

The window screen is a metal or plastic mesh (with tiny tiny holes) that lets air through but not bugs. The mesh is mounted on a rail that is affixed just behind the actual window on the bottom in it's own track. It can be pulled out for repairs or to clean the windows. LOVE SCREENS. Also, we have SCREEN DOORS that have mesh instead of glass that are mounted in the door jam about 3 inches in front of the outside door so you can open the door and bugs not come in. The handle can also be locked to help prevent instrusion.

Wow, it just blows my mind that people don't have screens on their windows in Europe here it's standard. No bugs for me😂

I love seeing this UK guy reacting so excitedly to things we just take for granted here in the US. He put a smile on my face with his cheerful enthusiasm.

Icemaker has different options: "Crushed Ice" "Regular size ice" The last option is "water" only.

Summertime here in North Carolina 31-34 Celsius is an average day. With 85% + humidity. Air conditioning is a must.

That home is beautiful but definitely expensive. Her parents have money, that's for sure.

Recliners are absolutely normal. Not everyone has them, but quite common.

I have a screened-in porch to enjoy the summer nights without bugs plus you enjoy the feeling that you're outdoors. Watching fireflies (we call it lightnin' bugs in the South) glow in the dark is like you're in space with the stars.

The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 40.3°C (104.5°F), and it hits that every single year where I live. Two summers ago it got up to 47.7°C (118°F) where I live. This is the reason that we have A/C everywhere. Though I used to live in Seattle, WA and in-home A/C was less common.

The air conditioning for humidity control doesn’t get the love it deserves. Just getting the moisture out of the already cool air is so nice.

I worked as a rural postman in one of the poorest and most crime-ridden parts of my state, for a brief time only. One of the things I learned, extremely quickly, is that no one, not even the craziest junky, messes with the mail. For two main reasons: They deliver the checks. And they have the oldest, and most fuck around and find out police force, founded in 1775 by Ben Franklin.

OK so there are a few things I would like to clarify as an American. 1. MOST people DON’T have more than one car per person. It usually is a car for each adult. There are occasions where there might be a company car/truck or a utility or fun (sporty) vehicle. 2. The faucet in the sink, that is a restaurant style faucet and not common, most are the kind that have a lever you raise lower, turn left or right for hot or cold water. That was a nice expensive one. Most of the other stuff is accurate but on the nicer/pricier side of things. That is a nice house on a lake or river. I have to laugh about the insulated cups. That is pretty bad but not far off the mark.

Parents were somewhere in the middle class in the 60's. We lived in upstate NY. We had a summer house on the St. Lawrence River. Growing up in the 60's in the country we had no need for AC. Dad built the house in 1959. Sheetrock, hardwood floors, screens in windows, mailbox with flag, ice maker inside the refrigerator, Dad had a huge faux leather recliner, console color TV and eventually they finished the basement with 2nd livingroom with fireplace and TV. Dad always had a Stanley Insulated thermos. That was the 60"s.

Whoever owns this house has MONEY! They have the newest and nicest amenities. This is the typical home for someone in upper middle class or wealthy. Living on a lake with that view is costly! But, yes most homes have yards typically decent in size, screened windows, garbage disposals, ice makers, and at least a car per person or at least one for mom and one for dad.

The one big thing she left out is the laundry room. We have an entire room for the washer and dryer, which are 2 separate units. In the UK, I believe there's usually a washer/dryer in the actual kitchen, and it's only one unit.

We live in different countries, with different environments! In the UK you can send parcels picked up from your home via arrangement. Our post gets delivered into a slot in our front door, (no going outside for our letters). To post a letter, small package we have post boxes, which are generally a 2 minute walk away or where you would shop. Most homes are have borders (hedges/fences), however newer homes can have open areas at the front. We also have less room to build and so our properties tend to be smaller and closer. AC would maybe used a maximum of a couple of weeks a year in the UK as it doesn't get that hot. I don't have screens, I live in an old cottage (100 years old) and have my windows open nearly every day, I may get a bee or a fly occasionally. It's not an issue. No killer bugs 😂. You can actually get screens here or just make them, they're just not generally needed. Food waste. I have a compost bin, although we have food recycling bins picked up with our garbage (rubbish). Lastly, I remember recliners since the 1970s. Like all things, they go in and out of fashion. The first type of recliner in the UK was in 1866. Although this was refined to a more comfortable style later. I hope this helps us understand that we are only different due to our environmental requirements and sometimes tastes.

Multiple cars per person isn't actually very common. Unless someone has a particular job that requires them to have a work vehicle that they're not allowed to use for personal errands or they live on a farm or something. (Farm truck vs personal car for town.) Also my fridge only has one ice maker. That lady has a pretty fancy fridge. Reclining couches are pretty common. Not always electrified, though.

A lot of people don't realize this, but we used to have a serious malaria problem in the US. Window screens were a counter to this and they've stayed around ever since. The thing about multiple cars per person is a bit overblown in this video. Most American homes have at most one car per person over 16. The only people I know who have more than one car per person are those who have a business, so they'll have a car for regular use, and a van or pick-up for their business.

Window screens are a very fine mesh. They used to be made of thin wire, but modern ones are made of plastic fibers. They are absolutely essential to keep out flying insects.

You can order a garbage disposal online, but I'm not sure about the electric differences. The mailbox would look different in your front yard and maybe get the idea started by people talking about it. Screens are a fine mesh and framed with aluminum or wood to fit the size of the outside of the window. Not terribly difficult to make with the right supplies. I hope you can experience some of the things you enjoyed ❤

Dude, the best part of the video is you! Your reactions are priceless! Great video!

Your expression when she reclined the couch 😂😂 And when she started moving around the kitchen faucet 😂😂

My coworker took a vacation to Florida and had never seen the screened enclosures surrounding swimming pools in people's backyards. She told me, "there's a whole room of screened walls and ceiling connected to the houses". Having lived in Florida for 30 years, I know why they are built. As soon as the summer sun dips in the sky, around 4pm, the mosquitoes come out. You would never use your pool after 4pm unless you want to get eaten alive. The screened enclosure also protects kids from the neighborhood coming in to swim in your pool. If the kid drowns, it's the homeowner's fault even if the kid was trespassing. The enclosure also keeps debris from trees falling into your pool and making it dirty. And lastly, it helps to keep alligators and other wildlife from using your pool as a lake. The one thing I didn't like about the enclosure is that the pool water temp is colder with the screens vs without. However on hot, humid, summer days the cold water feels nice!

This is too entertaining! Yes, almost everyone has recliners, screens on the windows, 3 to 5 tv's. Funny to think how different we all are.

Verified US citizen here: I don’t send my mail out using the flag on my mailbox often at all. One of the reasons is weather. Rain will get into our box and our mail will get wet. Taking mail to the post office or one of the drop off places means my mail will be delivered quicker and less likely to get damaged. Screens on windows is expected here. I’ve never lived in a house without them. If there isn’t a screen or one is broken, I’m looking for a way to fix it. One of the reasons we have air conditioning in almost every home is the climate. Most of the US gets very hot for at least half the year. AC is functional rather than a luxury. Reclining sofas are a fairly new phenomenon here. However, once you have one, you won’t look at a regular couch or chair the same way again 😂

Not only do screens let in air but also the sounds of nature. Air conditioning is not just for cooling but removing humidity which helps with the feeling of comfort.

As others have noted, it's worth noting that this appears to be a wealthy family. Some families do have several cars to a family, but usually only very wealthy people have more than one car per person. That kitchen is also quite large, although it is relatively common in newer homes to have that detachable faucet and a garbage disposal. In American apartments built before those things were common, it's not unusual to have neither of those things. That view is also a wealthy people view. What's funny is that recliners have been somewhat common in America for a while, so when cinemas started to have them my thought was "wow this is a recliner just like my grandma's," not "my grandma's house is just like a cinema chair."

You are so fun to watch! YES, we have 2 sofas in our living room that recline electronically. (there are reclining chairs or sofas that are not electronic and one must use a lever to lift the leg part). And we are guilty of having a TV in all 5 bedrooms, one in the living room, and one in the garage, and what is weird, they are not used very much as we tend to be on our computers more. Thanks for the great reaction videos!

Yeah literally everyone I know has a recliner lol. If not attached to the couch, they have separate chairs. Usually a couple will each have their own recliner chair. I live in a very modest home and have a couch with recliners. Many also just have a lever and not an electric button. Mine is electric but I prefer manual levers because if the power goes out you can't use it. There are a lot of storms where I live and the power goes out often. I should get a generator... My little house has a TV in every room. My parents have one in the kitchen because my mom has lots of gatherings and spends a lot of time in the kitchen.

Something I miss with new houses in America.... porches and patios. Now some houses will have one or the other or they will have a wooden deck. My grandmother's old house had both a porch out front with rocking chairs and out back was a large patio with a fire pit. During the day (mostly on Sundays) we'd sit out front drinking ice tea and marvel at her flower garden. At night we'd move to the back patio and tell stories around the fire pit. I loved the patio, it looked out over a grassy field with a few apple trees and her huge vegetable garden. Although when it's harvest season the size of that vegetable garden was painful. The grandkids would spend the day picking vegetables while the mothers were cleaning and prepping them, and grandma was manning the stove canning all the vegetables. I know, tell me you're Gen X without saying you're Gen X. lol

US mail carrier here.. We do collect outgoing mail from mailboxes and offer "package pickup". Items too large for the mailbox can be scheduled for pick up at any location at their address, ie front porch, garage, inside (no, we don't go into their house.. we knock and they bring it out!! Lol). Customers go online to set up a pick up, then the carriers get print outs in the morning telling us which address, # of outgoing parcel(s) & where we can find them on site. Also, mail theft is a BIG no-no in the US and, as stated by others, is a federal offense, with up to 5 years in FEDERAL prison and $5,000 fine, for each offense. They don't take it lightly either, having federal postal inspectors, which have higher authority than local or state police agencies (and yes, they do carry firearms). It's kinda scary when they come to your office because you know it's probably theft, drugs or weapons that brought them there.

The main thing in here that's practically universal in American houses are screens. Doesn't matter if your house is big or small, if it's detached or an apartment or even a mobile home, you've got screens. I mean, unless you take them off and don't put them back. The windows are manufactured to have slots for screens to fit into. And they don't just keep bugs out. They keep your cats from falling out the upstairs windows. Whether your mailbox is at the street, nailed on the front of your house, or a slot in the front door (British style) depends on how urban or rural your neighborhood is. How many cars and TVs you have, and how fancy your refrigerator and water faucet are, are questions of socioeconomics and personal preference. And having recliners at home is definitely a matter of personal taste. Some people love them, and some wouldn't be caught dead with one in the living room.

This is so golden. I loved her reaction to the screen it made me giggle so hard! I love British folks so genuine.

Funniest mailbox quote I just came up with: "The key to my mailbox is a federal appointment. You're either appointed as the mailman, or appointed a jail sentence."

Vehicles here in the States are like shoes. You have different cars/trucks for doing different things.

Multi car home winner: My car (wife), my husband's car, husband's "handy beater truck for home work projects"; my son's truck, son's classic 1995 Honda Accord, son's "play car" Honda Prelude; but wait there's more: son's best friend's (who lives with us) jeep. Seven vehicles for four adults in a two car garage, triple wide parking pad, double "hanging over the sidewalk" area, one street parking.

Okay, so now I feel like a spoiled American. I had no idea that the UK did not have the things we do here. This guy's reaction to what a typical house looks like here gave me a chuckle. I could not image living in a house without air conditioning. Also, not having screened windows to keep the pesky bugs out would be a nightmare, to me. This video has made me feel much more thankful for what I have.

Stuff like screened windows is standard, but keep in mind with things like the fridge this family is upper middle class. This is not an average home.

I am from Florida and could not imagine a life without AC or window screens. The heat, humidity, and insane number of bugs here, will literally kill you. Growing up we always had at least three vehicles. Dad wanted a spare in case one was broken, so he was never late to work, & we couldn't get to school. I have continued that thought process into my life with children. Public transportation is not readily available in the country or rural areas. Most US houses at least have a tv in the main living room and bedrooms, but it is not uncommon to have them in a workout room, kitchen, or back porch for parties. We are not rich, nor do we have the massive house or amazing view as this poster, but we have all the items listed.

I was in Australia and was befuddled why they didn't have disposals (insinkerators). They didn't see a need. "Just chuck it in the bin, mate." Yeah....then it stinks. Gimme' the disposal...I use it daily!

Garbage disposals are really really bad for your pipes they cause clogs because the oils and the food will get stuck over time... mainly people put too much or larger food chunks and oils and other junk, which you're not supposed to do... so more newer homes don't have them in my older town in California cause they cause havoc in sewers...

One thing about air conditioning is that the entire contiguous part of the USA is more southerly than London. Things get pretty warm in the summer, even in the northernmost, snowiest, cities.

As a former postal worker. In class they told us the Office of the Postmaster General Inspector is the 2nd highest police force in the country. The only people that outrank them in civilian service is the secret service. Stealing/putting anything in a mailbox that is not your is a felony. They will find you if they want to. The mailbox on each property is TECHNICALLY the federal government's property. You are technically only allowed to replace it with certain boxes but the mailman usually lets it slide if they like you.

No AC, No Screens, No Ice, No Disposal, NO RECLINERS. Those things are in literally every home in the US, including cheap rental apartments (Excuse me, Cheap Flats) Imma move to UK and open a Home Depot!

The thing to understand about this lady's home: She's upper class. Her mom has very fancy, expensive things in her house and it's modern. There's a lot of differencecs between upper-middle class like this lady and the poor, like myself. (I could never consider any trip to France, it's way out of my budget and I can't immigrate anywhere because I'm disabled, pretty much.) Living in a cheap apartment, I have a centralized place to drop my mail that's still in the building, a double-basin sink. I also have multiple TVs despite living alone, but the one in my bedroom is an old tube-style TV that I play retro consoles on and have a VCR connected to. My DVD player is an old Playstation 2 lmao. (The BD player is my PS4) I don't have a garbage disposal. Don't have a recliner. I don't have any A/C either, the windows in my building aren't suitable and there's no central air. What it does have, which is unique to the city I live in is central heat via a *steam factory* that's downtown. Steam's pumped into all the buildings downtown and my building's one of them!

Your reactions crack me up! 69 year old American here. I lived in Brazil for 4 years where there were no screens. But where we lived, there weren't a lot of bugs either. We closed all the windows at 5 PM before the mosquitoes were out. But in the U.S., even when I was a child and we were poor, there were always screens. We lived in a place that was too cold for bugs and still had screens! :) But I agree with one of the comments, the house in the video belongs to someone relatively wealthy. Double ice makers, 6 TV's, more than one car per person and that beautiful view are not the usual in the U.S.

I think a key to U.S. consumerism is that we spend a lot of time and income on 'removing' daily annoyances so that we can be more productive as people. Many of these same conveniences one can also find in our work places. When it comes to multiple vehicles, it largely depends on the part of the country one resides. In Northern winters it's safer to drive an SUV or truck (snow, ice.) When the 90F summers arrive it's less costly to drive a sedan or commuter (fuel.) Many in the UK and Europe don't realize how drastic our weather changes through the seasons here. Especially in the North.

9:42 yes for a very long time. Most couches have two end or min one recliner built in and they now slide away from the wall unlike the old days where u lost space. So the mechanics have changed a bit but not much. Heavy though to move. Very heavy.

Ok, most sofas are available with recliners in them here in the US. But, not a lot of homes have that view! Most are of their back or front yards.

Not all houses have such great views. Some are close together and you have fenced yards for dogs and safety if there is a pool back there.

Yes, most of these things are standard in American homes: window screens, ice makers, garbage disposals. We don’t have a recliner, but my parents have had recliners as long as I can remember. They’re so comfortable, you can literally sleep in them.

His mind is gonna blow when he finds out you can get sinks that you dont need to touch. I can just wave my hand in front of the sink and it will turn on and off. Is is needed? No. Is it great? YES.

I live in America and I’ve never seen the double ice containers! I have an icemaker with the smaller container, but I’ve never ever seen that huge on the bottom before lol

I love watching videos like this because it helps me stay humble and appreciate America. I'm in Florida. Everyday is beautiful and life is very good. I love seeing people's faces when they see things we take for granted over here. It reminds me NOT to take things for granted. I hope you're able to visit us one day!

9:34 - Reclining sofas/couches are quite common in the US. However, a lot of them use a manual lever, rather than an electric motor. Then your legs push it down when you get up. She said "when I was a kid", but they still sell non-electric ones, because they're a LOT cheaper, and also a lot lighter to move around than the electric ones.

Years ago my bedroom window had furniture moved in front of it so I wasn't able to open it. Recently been rearranging my room and I can open the window again. But years ago I got ride of my screen because it was bent beyond straightening. I opened my window and forgot the screen was gone, it pissed me off and I shut it because I didn't want bugs in my room. I need to make a replacement. What L3wg needs to do is start his own window screen business. He would be raking the money in.

As an American that used to live in the UK, this was fun. When I first moved there, I thought some of the differences on the house were because I was broke/cheap. Then I started to realize that wasn't it at all. Another difference is the heating situation. Almost no one leaves the heating on for very long during the cold months. Most British buildings are significantly older so they're not built to insulate the heat well, making it more expensive to heat any building all day the way we Americans do. Let's just say you grow tougher skin.

Yes, stealing someone’s mail is a federal offense, not just petty theft. When I still live at home with my parents, my father would open up my mail. I would tell him it was a federal offense. So, he would say “I don’t care, it’s coming to my house”! The kicker is, he once worked for the post office!😂😂😂

I'm amazed you haven't heard of window screens. It's my understanding that most homes have them in the USA. In the spring and fall, I LOVE to sleep with the windows open (with just the window screens) and listen to the relaxing sounds of the night. The best sleep ever. 🙌

A lot of newer housing developments in the US do not have the individual mailboxes, we have cluster boxes that are all in one place in the development with locks on them that we walk over and get our mail out of so that the mail doesn’t get stolen, and the postal carrier can deliver the whole neighborhood at once

regarding cars, here in America, the man will have a truck to do the hauling stuff and go camping or hunting. Then he will have a regular car to go to work or run errands. Then he may have a collectible classic car like a 1967 Ford Mustang or 3 old farming tractors like a 1951 John Deere tractor or a Farmall tractor

It's a federal offense to steal from post box. Prison time

I just recalled, many years ago my family had a relative visit from the U.K. She was amazed how big everything was, especially the cars. The first time she stopped by to visit my parents and me, my mother ushered her to our back yard. She looked astonished and asked if the entire back yard belonged to us. My parents yard wasn’t an especially large yard, but my mother worked hard every spring planting flowers and making everything beautiful. The thing that shocked my dads cousin the most was a few minutes into her visit while she was sitting enjoying the garden, was a squirrel who ran and hopped off a tree, standing on the grass looking at her. She jumped up, screamed a little, and ran back in the house. My mother and I had to work hard to get her into the yard again. She wanted to know what the wild animal was.

Honestly, the lack of window screens kinda blows my mind... I don't want that many bugs in my house just because I want to cool down!

In many countries as well as some places in the US, the sewage system cannot deal with garbage disposals. They are also not recommended for anyone with a septic system instead of municipal sewers. I have one window a/c for my small house which I rarely use. (I have ceiling fans.) I specifically bought a fridge without an ice dispenser because they are so trouble-prone. I love my recliner! I have 3 TVs but only 1 large one.

Recliners are very common brother, so are fine mesh screens for windows, and no the mail man does not have a key to our mailboxes (it's a federal crime to steal mail, you get more jail time for that than assault or any other kind of theft)

Middle Class American here - I would say this is a very affluent family that is NOT the norm in the US. I don't know anyone who has multiple cars per person. Typically one car per adult but I have known some who share one car. I've never seen a refrigerator with two icemakers and that looks like a very upscale fridge. Many of the homes I've lived in don't have garbage disposals, including the one I live in now. Where I live many people don't have a/c (but with climate change more and more people are getting it - my neighbors tend to have window units for one room). I have one television. Many people I know don't have a tv at all anymore because they watch what they want to on their laptops or phones or they aren't into tv. That view is extraordinary, but not all homes are like that. Again, pretty upscale there. We do tend to have front yards but often they have hedges or short fences around them. Regarding mail boxes, typically neighbors don't steal from them but there are theft rings that steal mail and peoples' identities. More and more mailboxes are replaced with locking varieties and the postal person has a universal key that opens them. (And I've heard of the post person's key being stolen too!).

I've traveled extensively in Europe for over 50 years and I've stayed at ONE hotel that had screens on the windows. That was in Rothenburg, Germany. I never understood why they don't have screens when they're such an easy and inexpensive addition to a window. The only home I've ever lived in without central air conditioning was our apartment in Germany when I was a child. Since then, I've lived in six homes and all had A/C, garbage disposals, and window screens. We've always had two cars until my husband retired when we found we only needed one so we sold the other. I do have two electric recliners which replaced the worn out "pull handle" ones.

Usually in the US.. most people tend to fully fence the back yard not only for privacy but also for the containment of small children and pets, such as dogs. Some people do like to fence their front yard with wood or metal fencing, but you don't see that very often.. we use hedges as fencing too.

We have post office drop boxes, but if you have an individual mail box, the mailman will pick up the letters you want to send. You see this arrangement in less densely populated areas like the suburbs or the rural areas. Yes, someone can steal your mail, but getting into someone else's mail or mailbox is a federal offense.

How cute his reactions are! I’m 62, I redid my kitchen. I have the garbage disposal, a very large and deep hand hammered copper sink, a full size refrigerator with a big ice maker, and I have a 24” beverage refrigerator too. I live alone, and have two cars. I have whole house air conditioning, a whole house automatic generator, and a 2200 square foot house, with two recliners in my living room. I worked my ass off for all of it, and I’m happy and grateful for what I have. I wish every good person had the same too.

My next-door neighbors have five cars for two drivers. They have a Mercedes SUV, a Mercedes convertable, a Jeep, and two commuter cars--a VW Bug and a Mazda 3. Another neighbor has a Ferrari, a Dodge Truck, a Toyota Corolla, and a Cadillac SUV for two drivers.

One of the cool things about garbage disposals is that the sludge and food scraps from garbage disposals can be turned into energy. For example, Philly uses the food waste to create biogas that powers their wastewater treatment plants.

UK expat here, move to the USA (North Carolina) relocated through my work. Money goes a very long way here, specifically NC. First, land and property are cheap (getting more expensive) but I have a moderate home, just under 3000sq ft, in ground pool, 4 bedrooms older home I’ve been modernizing on just under half an acre. Cost me less than a terrace home in Aldershot, 2 bedroom that was about 1000sq ft. It’s crazy living here because money goes a long way compared to the UK. Oh and the interest you pay on your home, is tax deductible, everyone does their taxes like a self employed person does in the UK, so you can deduct working from home space, medical mileage etc.. I miss family, my heart will always be with the UK, but tropical summers, cold winters and wonderful spring and fall weather can’t be beat. Southerns are fantastic people too and the English accent, goes a long way too! Did I mention air conditioning in the homes? Much love to you all xx

Window screens are a fine wire mesh, about 1 or 2 mm spacing, or a plastic facsimile.

YOU ARE THE FREAKING BEST!! I’m laughing so hard! Your enthusiasm is awesome and you are genuine

On the Airconditioning front, most of the U.S. is at the same latitude (or lower) than Spain and North Africa. Some areas are like the U.K. (Seattle) and don't get hot enough to justify central a/c and those houses don't generally have it either. Also, americans do not understand the lack of screens on European windows....do not understand. They're cheap and effective.

Trust me, if you have a septic system you DO NOT have a sink disposal. It would fill up the entire tank eventually.

Some people have a second fridge or freezer in their garage for extra food storage. We also have laundry rooms with washers, dryers, ( Humid areas takes forever to dry fabric and towels) and small sinks to hand wash items. Most of us with a garage have remote controlled openers, so we drive up, push the button, after the door rolls up, we drive in and close the door. The new energy saving in houses it to have cooling and heating "zones", so you only warm or cool the part of the house you're using; at night only the bedroom zones stay on. In the rest of the house, it's off. Dry desert areas have water systems for the yard/ garden that adjust the amount of water, depending on the weather. On rainy days it turns off.

I live in a camper, has great AC. It's plenty big enough for me and my albino chihuahua 😅. I have window screens and living in the woods I'm grateful for them. I get to watch the critters come out of the woods too. You'll get to come see the USA

Yes, neighbors can take your mail...however mail theft is a federal crime that came get you up to a five year term in a federal prison. And the USPS has its own enforcement arm.

Yea man that screen is something Europe needs to make standard. It’s insane how it’s not normal.

As an American, I just have to say that I want to live in this woman’s America, too! Her parents are definitely upper middle class, possibly upper class, &/or have worked hard & invested wisely to enjoy their retirement in such a place. Gorgeous home, gorgeous view, why the need for 4 cars & that many TVs, I have no idea. I could see having a car for each driver plus an extra if one of the daily cars was being serviced, since public transportation is a joke (at least in my area) so a car is necessary to go anywhere. Or if someone just wanted a fun car for weekend drives. (If we ever hit the lotto, that would be my hubby!) We are in our mid-40s, a middle of the middle class family, soon to be empty nesters in the next couple of years. We purposely bought a smaller home (under 1300 square feet, small for modern suburbia) knowing our kids wouldn’t live with us forever, & we didn’t want to move again once we’d finally bought a house after 10 years of renting. Our backyard is fenced, we don’t have a garbage disposal (we have a septic tank, IYKYK), no ice maker but I buy 10 lb bags of crunchy ice to keep in our upright freezer, we own one car per licensed driver (our kids worked hard for & bought their own cars). We have always had 2 TVs so the kids didn’t have to watch what we watched if they didn’t want to, & vice versa. We have never allowed TVs in the bedroom, just personal preference, though smart phones now let you watch TV in every room. And we love our recliners - though we don’t like the electric ones, we prefer the old school lever style lifts - less to break & repair! If we ever were to move to Europe, I’ll remember to import our recliners! We have that style mailbox, but we live in an older neighborhood. I receive mail here but I don’t mail stuff from my box - for safety, I take it to the post office. Most of the neighborhoods around us have community mailboxes located on a centrally located street, with dozens of small square individually keyed boxes. This makes it quicker & easier for the postal worker to deliver mail, vs stopping at every house. My neighborhood alone has over 400 houses, & it’s one of the smallest neighborhoods in our area. It’s funny how non-Americans think Americans live, & vice versa. I enjoy watching home shows from here & abroad, & I’m always amazed at how different homes are just within America. We have a single story basic ranch style house, common in our area (Texas). I watch shows from the northeast with families in multi story homes & brownstones/townhomes, using vertical space to build because there’s not enough land to build out, so they have to go up. It’s a lifestyle I cannot imagine, living on 3-4 floors. (Two stories are common here.) Then I see folks in other countries, often Asia, residing in micro apartments & sharing a communal bathroom. This world is an incredible place, so full of diversity. It’s hard to paint all of a country with a broad brush.

I'm stunned that the UK doesn't have some of these things. Items like garbage disposals, screens, and recliners have been around for DECADES. Window screens have been around for over 50 years, how has Europe not figured this out yet? My grandmother had a garbage disposal in her sink back in the 70s, and an electric recliner by the late 80s.

A lot of this depends on the age of the American home. The house this lady is in doesn’t look like an old home. Old American homes (pre-1960’s) often don’t have central air-conditioning (they might have window units that plug into the wall), garbage disposals, or that type of faucet in the kitchen sink. New homes are much more likely to be built with these things.

In rural areas, if you want to work, you NEED a car because there is no public transportation. Some small towns have a very local bus route, but you pretty much need a car to get to the bus stops, which defeats the purpose. In a typical household, the parents have a car each for their jobs and the teenaged kids have a car so they can go to school or work after school.

This was an above average home, but nothing in it was out of the norm.

In my neighborhood- the mailboxes aren’t in front of our houses. They are post office style lock boxes by the main road. There is an outgoing mail slot that is also locked. Window screens are a must!!!

I'm female, Spaniard married to an American. We have a home Stateside and in Spain. 1:36 Yes, mailbox theft is a rare occurrence but it does happen. It depends on the neighborhood. I use the "red flag home system" for unimportant mail and important mail is sent via a drive through at the grocery store, bank, or other locked location. My neighborhood watches out for each other and the stay at home people are known and we'll call them to "secure" delivered packages if we choose to. We care for each other. 3:05 This is the main drawback about living in America. If you are not in a high density urban area then you need a car. Growing up in Spain I walked everywhere because everything is so close but here everything is spread out. We have six cars. One for my husband, one for me , one for my daughter in college so she can drive to her clinicals, one for my son in college so he can drive to his internship, one in Spain for us, one my husband bought for my dad in Spain that he will use sometimes. Cars are very important to Americans 6:01 My hobby is cooking, herbology, home medicinals and such. My kitchen in America is astounding. My husband spoiled me I have a backroom as well where I can process my herbs for teas and spices and I grow my own in my garden. I can't do that in Spain where I live. Garbage disposals are relatively cheap, easy to maintain, install and power. 9:25 "Is that normal?' Yes, and they'll even tease each other about becoming emotionally attached to their chairs, their "Lazy Boy" (brand name) chairs/recliners 10:05 Some of this is upscale in America and I am humbly proud to say I have it. It wasn't always that way. We started out in an apt where all four rooms were in reach. Our apt in Spain overlooks the plaza. Our home in Colorado is next to a forest area and we have a view of the mtns. He and I don't watch much TV but we have them. We agreed on no TV in the bedroom. TVs or "screens" are often used along music and computers and such. The electronics are interconnected. We renovated our apt in Spain so the electronics would all interconnect. He imported some compatible equipment.