On Thursday morning we drove to Hannover again to do the finishing touches to the ungrateful person's apartment who shall be left unnamed. Of course that person was not contactable. In fact, he's nowhere to be found! How so fucking convenient. To be honest, we can't be bothered to waste anymore of our time trying to hunt him down.
I reckon if we did find him, it would have just ended up in an argument and added to the whole stress package.
We were better off doing it on our own even though a little help would have been much appreciated and would have saved us a shit load of time. Never mind.
So J organised a van to transport the 2nd-hand fridge all the way from our place to the apartment since J's Audi wasn't big enough. We needed one that was high enough to stand the fridge and the only car available at short notice was a 9-seater Mercedes van.
Yes, that's us before the stress of the day began, looking all fresh and eager to get the job done.
The van was massive and the fridge only took up the area where the boot was. There was heaps of space and tonnes of leg room. It felt like we were traveling in first class except we weren't going on a holiday. And neither was there any champagne or an endless supply of honey roasted peanuts.
Anyway...
We were just about to get onto the highway and the traffic radio tells us that there's a massive jam on the exact highway we want to go on, so J decides to drive inland and go around it. There's a strip in between Guetersloh and Bielefeld, which only days ago the trees were full of autumn coloured leaves. But the weather's been so crap lately that all the leaves have fallen.
Now they're just naked - signs of Winter temperatures approaching.
So after a 25 minute detour we get to the A2 highway and we're faced with a long line of trucks and random cars. Great another traffic jam! It's not even the weekend, why are there so many cars on the road? I blame the road works for this delay. Three lanes merging into two, sometimes even into one lane.
So we decide to go off the highway and cut through some other little town. Passing through more fields and hoping to get back onto the A2 somewhere.
An hour later we get to Hannonver and the locksmith guy calls to say he's already at the apartment and is waiting.
The balcony door is broken and we thought we'd get it fixed before we hand over the keys to the landlady. Half an hour later the guy dismantles the lock and tells us that he has to get back to the store to see if he can find a replacement.
Which is fine since we have to run some errands anyway.
He later tells us that the door is too old and can't be fixed. And goes on to say, the heavy wooden doors and locks must have been installed back during the Hitler days and they don't make those lock mechanisms anymore.
All we're thinking is oh fuck, the door's not fixed and there's still so much to be done to the place.
The paint job on the wood panel was streaky and desperately needed a second coat - the results of painting under very poor lighting. And there's no way we could hand over the apartment to the landlady at 5pm as promised.
It was 1.45pm already and we arranged to meet up with J's friend for lunch but were already half an hour late.
Why is it when you need to get somewhere fast, every traffic light has to go red? And why do people drive so damn slow!? Our day was getting more stressed by the minute. Hello bald patches! And as we stopped at each traffic light some kind of swear word would come flying out of J's mouth.
Seriously.
At that point we were so pissed off at everything, more so at the certain person who remains unnamed.
But then J manages to call the landlady and made up some story that he was on a business trip and wasn't able to be in Hannover as planned to hand over the apartment. So they arrange for Sunday at 2pm. Which should give us some breathing space to sort out all the things that need to be fixed.
And we're able to enjoy our spring rolls and Vegetarian tofu dishes in peace, without worrying that we need to be back at the apartment for a show and tell.
Time escapes us and before we know it, it's past 4pm. We head to OBI - a hardware store to buy ourselves a ladder and a brush so we can reach the dodgy paint job. Plus whatever items we need to beautify the place.
And 63.55 Euros later we're back into the car trying to find IKEA to buy 4 heavy curtains. J ended up throwing the old ones away cause they were in such bad condition. Plus it would have been better to just buy new ones.
The contract clearly states that curtains are part of the apartment, along with a 6 sets of cutlery and random dishes. Some have gone missing and needed to be replaced. We also included other kitchen items like a pot and a set of pans to at least make the kitchen look a little more impressive. And even added even a small carpet to the list for the main room, so that the legs of the glass table wouldn't scratch the newly laid laminat flooring.
We aren't taking any chances. Attention to detail is vital at this point.
We don't want any reason for the landlady to bitch at us if anything is missing, broken or scratched.
Oh and those gnome printed paper bags have nothing to do with this story, i just thought they were cute. I can't believe Christmas is next month! I can't even think straight let alone figure out what to buy for presents.
Oh and did you know IKEA bags are made in Vietnam? They're now available in a Medium size. I couldn't resist, i had to buy one for 1 Euro. Cute right!? Just the right size to go to the supermarket or to put your laundry in.
Germany is all about recycling.
Supermarkets strongly suggest customers to bring their own shopping bags to pack their goods. But if you don't have your own bag, you can buy a plastic bag for 10 cents. Isn't it funny, how those simple plastic bags - usually free at a supermarkets can be taken for granted.
Anyway, the IKEA bill came up to 133.37! Thank god we're getting reimbursed by the dad. It was already 7pm and it was pitch dark outside. The sun usually starts setting around 5pm now.
I suggested we take advantage of IKEA's bright car park lights and switch the direction that the fridge door opens there. The apartment doesn't have any electricity and trying to find a lost screw with only a battery-operated lantern can be a bitch.
Yes we came prepared with our bag of tools and necessary whatnots.
Yes, the block of flats have a lift. Can you imagine having to carry all that shit 4 flights of stairs? It would have been absolute hell. The lift was so small, i could barely fit. Beggars can't be choosers. Did i mention i was grateful that there was an elevator.
Here's J looking very pleased with himself that 1) the fridge was the correct size and fit exact, 2) he was able to switch the door and 3) was able to install it.
Trying to scrub off 4 years, if not more, worth of caked on fat and food bits off the stove top can be a bit challenging. But with a bit of Scheuermilch; a scrubbing milk used to clean the bathroom, it worked wonders.
We're not being paid for our effort spent cleaning the ungrateful person's apartment but i found a jar of coins he left behind which i fully intend to bring to the bank to get exchanged and keep! It ain't much but at least it's something.
You can't really see the dodgy paint job near the window but during the day it's really visible. It was already past midnight and we still had to make the hour and a half journey back home. I think the new IKEA carpet gave the place a homey touch.
Lucky for us there was no traffic and we were able to pretty much drive straight through and where there was no speed limit we cruised at 153km/hour.
The car rental place included 300 km into the rental price but with all the detours and pit stops we went over. Every km we went over costs 15 cents and so that's an added 6.30 Euro to my card.
By the time we returned the van and reached our front door it was 2:20am. We were so exhausted but so relieved to be finally home. J had to be up for work at 6am, which would only give him 3 hours of sleep.
I really feel sorry for him.
I, at least, managed to get 3 hours extra sleep after he left but was soon up to run some errands. Yes, i even braved the outside world and rode my bumble bee bicycle to save me some time. There's a little store up the road, one that doesn't require me to cross any traffic lights, just a few side roads.
I then spent about 3 hours altering and ironing the dark turquoise coloured curtains. And finished them just in time so J could take them with him in the car. It so happens that today J has to work in Hamburg for an all day event catering for 15,000 people.
Hamburg is about 3 hours away from where we live. So instead of driving at 6 in the morning this morning, he left last night. His plan was to drive to Hannover - where the apartment is and try and paint the walls, then drive back to where his grandmother lives which is half the distance of driving back home. But apparently the traffic was so bad last night, he was delayed by 2 hours and so he decided to just drive directly to the grandmother's place. That way he could at least get some 6 hours sleep.
J's event today runs until midnight, so we're hoping J's little brother was able to do the painting today.
Then tomorrow morning, J will drive back to Hannover which is less than an hour away from his grandmother's place, to do the finishing touches like hang the curtains, mop the kitchen and scrub down the oven. Then wait for the landlady to arrive to do the final inspection.
I've also given my camera to J so he can take photos of the place, proof that we've given the apartment back in a good state as well as a reminder of all our time spent and the hard work.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the paint is dry and that everything runs smoothly. But more importantly that the landlady takes back the apartment as it is and doesn't expect us to pay for anything more. We're supposed to be receiving a bill from her lawyers but it hasn't arrived yet.
Let's hope we're not in for another big surprise.
I reckon if we did find him, it would have just ended up in an argument and added to the whole stress package.
We were better off doing it on our own even though a little help would have been much appreciated and would have saved us a shit load of time. Never mind.
So J organised a van to transport the 2nd-hand fridge all the way from our place to the apartment since J's Audi wasn't big enough. We needed one that was high enough to stand the fridge and the only car available at short notice was a 9-seater Mercedes van.
Yes, that's us before the stress of the day began, looking all fresh and eager to get the job done.
The van was massive and the fridge only took up the area where the boot was. There was heaps of space and tonnes of leg room. It felt like we were traveling in first class except we weren't going on a holiday. And neither was there any champagne or an endless supply of honey roasted peanuts.
Anyway...
We were just about to get onto the highway and the traffic radio tells us that there's a massive jam on the exact highway we want to go on, so J decides to drive inland and go around it. There's a strip in between Guetersloh and Bielefeld, which only days ago the trees were full of autumn coloured leaves. But the weather's been so crap lately that all the leaves have fallen.
Now they're just naked - signs of Winter temperatures approaching.
So after a 25 minute detour we get to the A2 highway and we're faced with a long line of trucks and random cars. Great another traffic jam! It's not even the weekend, why are there so many cars on the road? I blame the road works for this delay. Three lanes merging into two, sometimes even into one lane.
So we decide to go off the highway and cut through some other little town. Passing through more fields and hoping to get back onto the A2 somewhere.
An hour later we get to Hannonver and the locksmith guy calls to say he's already at the apartment and is waiting.
The balcony door is broken and we thought we'd get it fixed before we hand over the keys to the landlady. Half an hour later the guy dismantles the lock and tells us that he has to get back to the store to see if he can find a replacement.
Which is fine since we have to run some errands anyway.
He later tells us that the door is too old and can't be fixed. And goes on to say, the heavy wooden doors and locks must have been installed back during the Hitler days and they don't make those lock mechanisms anymore.
All we're thinking is oh fuck, the door's not fixed and there's still so much to be done to the place.
The paint job on the wood panel was streaky and desperately needed a second coat - the results of painting under very poor lighting. And there's no way we could hand over the apartment to the landlady at 5pm as promised.
It was 1.45pm already and we arranged to meet up with J's friend for lunch but were already half an hour late.
Why is it when you need to get somewhere fast, every traffic light has to go red? And why do people drive so damn slow!? Our day was getting more stressed by the minute. Hello bald patches! And as we stopped at each traffic light some kind of swear word would come flying out of J's mouth.
Seriously.
At that point we were so pissed off at everything, more so at the certain person who remains unnamed.
But then J manages to call the landlady and made up some story that he was on a business trip and wasn't able to be in Hannover as planned to hand over the apartment. So they arrange for Sunday at 2pm. Which should give us some breathing space to sort out all the things that need to be fixed.
And we're able to enjoy our spring rolls and Vegetarian tofu dishes in peace, without worrying that we need to be back at the apartment for a show and tell.
Time escapes us and before we know it, it's past 4pm. We head to OBI - a hardware store to buy ourselves a ladder and a brush so we can reach the dodgy paint job. Plus whatever items we need to beautify the place.
And 63.55 Euros later we're back into the car trying to find IKEA to buy 4 heavy curtains. J ended up throwing the old ones away cause they were in such bad condition. Plus it would have been better to just buy new ones.
The contract clearly states that curtains are part of the apartment, along with a 6 sets of cutlery and random dishes. Some have gone missing and needed to be replaced. We also included other kitchen items like a pot and a set of pans to at least make the kitchen look a little more impressive. And even added even a small carpet to the list for the main room, so that the legs of the glass table wouldn't scratch the newly laid laminat flooring.
We aren't taking any chances. Attention to detail is vital at this point.
We don't want any reason for the landlady to bitch at us if anything is missing, broken or scratched.
Oh and those gnome printed paper bags have nothing to do with this story, i just thought they were cute. I can't believe Christmas is next month! I can't even think straight let alone figure out what to buy for presents.
Oh and did you know IKEA bags are made in Vietnam? They're now available in a Medium size. I couldn't resist, i had to buy one for 1 Euro. Cute right!? Just the right size to go to the supermarket or to put your laundry in.
Germany is all about recycling.
Supermarkets strongly suggest customers to bring their own shopping bags to pack their goods. But if you don't have your own bag, you can buy a plastic bag for 10 cents. Isn't it funny, how those simple plastic bags - usually free at a supermarkets can be taken for granted.
Anyway, the IKEA bill came up to 133.37! Thank god we're getting reimbursed by the dad. It was already 7pm and it was pitch dark outside. The sun usually starts setting around 5pm now.
I suggested we take advantage of IKEA's bright car park lights and switch the direction that the fridge door opens there. The apartment doesn't have any electricity and trying to find a lost screw with only a battery-operated lantern can be a bitch.
Yes we came prepared with our bag of tools and necessary whatnots.
Yes, the block of flats have a lift. Can you imagine having to carry all that shit 4 flights of stairs? It would have been absolute hell. The lift was so small, i could barely fit. Beggars can't be choosers. Did i mention i was grateful that there was an elevator.
Here's J looking very pleased with himself that 1) the fridge was the correct size and fit exact, 2) he was able to switch the door and 3) was able to install it.
Trying to scrub off 4 years, if not more, worth of caked on fat and food bits off the stove top can be a bit challenging. But with a bit of Scheuermilch; a scrubbing milk used to clean the bathroom, it worked wonders.
We're not being paid for our effort spent cleaning the ungrateful person's apartment but i found a jar of coins he left behind which i fully intend to bring to the bank to get exchanged and keep! It ain't much but at least it's something.
You can't really see the dodgy paint job near the window but during the day it's really visible. It was already past midnight and we still had to make the hour and a half journey back home. I think the new IKEA carpet gave the place a homey touch.
Lucky for us there was no traffic and we were able to pretty much drive straight through and where there was no speed limit we cruised at 153km/hour.
The car rental place included 300 km into the rental price but with all the detours and pit stops we went over. Every km we went over costs 15 cents and so that's an added 6.30 Euro to my card.
By the time we returned the van and reached our front door it was 2:20am. We were so exhausted but so relieved to be finally home. J had to be up for work at 6am, which would only give him 3 hours of sleep.
I really feel sorry for him.
I, at least, managed to get 3 hours extra sleep after he left but was soon up to run some errands. Yes, i even braved the outside world and rode my bumble bee bicycle to save me some time. There's a little store up the road, one that doesn't require me to cross any traffic lights, just a few side roads.
I then spent about 3 hours altering and ironing the dark turquoise coloured curtains. And finished them just in time so J could take them with him in the car. It so happens that today J has to work in Hamburg for an all day event catering for 15,000 people.
Hamburg is about 3 hours away from where we live. So instead of driving at 6 in the morning this morning, he left last night. His plan was to drive to Hannover - where the apartment is and try and paint the walls, then drive back to where his grandmother lives which is half the distance of driving back home. But apparently the traffic was so bad last night, he was delayed by 2 hours and so he decided to just drive directly to the grandmother's place. That way he could at least get some 6 hours sleep.
J's event today runs until midnight, so we're hoping J's little brother was able to do the painting today.
Then tomorrow morning, J will drive back to Hannover which is less than an hour away from his grandmother's place, to do the finishing touches like hang the curtains, mop the kitchen and scrub down the oven. Then wait for the landlady to arrive to do the final inspection.
I've also given my camera to J so he can take photos of the place, proof that we've given the apartment back in a good state as well as a reminder of all our time spent and the hard work.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the paint is dry and that everything runs smoothly. But more importantly that the landlady takes back the apartment as it is and doesn't expect us to pay for anything more. We're supposed to be receiving a bill from her lawyers but it hasn't arrived yet.
Let's hope we're not in for another big surprise.
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