9 Unusual Housing Standards Surprising for Many Travelers

This is where the so-called ‘passive houses’ have become really popular. There is no need to consume heating energy as it all comes from renewable resources (sun, ground heat and the heat coming from household appliances). Nobody uses coal, oil or natural gas. The houses have got glazed walls exposed to the south. On their northern side there are toilets and bathrooms, as well as windowless halls and corridors. There are no balconies.

The floors in bedrooms are often covered tiled or covered with marble. This helps to survive the extremely hot summers.

Most apartments do not have halls. Through the front door you enter a ling room combined with the kitchen. Right at the door there is a mat to leave your shoes.

Rented apartments are normally very expensive. The cheapest option is a small room called goshiwon (something like a room in a student campus). Their floor area is usually about 10 square meters.

Dutch houses have got large windows without any curtains or blinds. Where does this custom come from?

According to a legend, this has got to do with the seamen. As they were away for a long time, large and uncovered windows were an incentive for the ladies to stay faithful. Of course neighbors were always there to monitor them.

There is a practical aspect, too. As most houses have got very narrow staircases, the furniture is often carried inside through the large windows.

Japanese apartments have got really tiny balconies (0.5 – 1.0 square meter). It is really common that the only view you can ‘admire’ is the wall of the block in front of you, just a couple of meters away.

Rarely will you see a washing machine in a private apartment. Public laundries, however, are really common. Usually they are open 24/7 and apart from washing machines they also offer driers and ironing stations.

You must not throw toilet paper into the toilet. You have to put it in the garbage can. This is to protect some very old sewage systems against clogging. A number of them can’t be modernized as they are located on areas under archaeological supervision.

The Spanish kitchen is hardly ever equipped with a kettle. They drink very little tea and if there is something to be heated, they will use a microwave oven.

In India or Burma it is pretty normal for the doors to have no handles. Instead, you will see a shutter slide or a padlock.