Decision 2012!

Apparently there's some sort of contest taking place back in the States. Which is unfortunate because this is distracting from the real debate...which home should we choose to live in for the next three years?!

With Jeni out of town training for her new job, you, dear reader, are in for a real treat...a rousing game of Home Hunting International*

**Note** I don't want any push-back from the Scripps people** 

She can even make Kevlar look good!

Not to reopen old wounds, but I must reiterate how tricky the real estate market can be here in Luxembourg. It is also quite pricey. Most rental properties require three months rent deposit. The deposit plus the first month's rent plus the realtor's fee (equal to one month's rent) plus the Value Added Tax (TVA) of 15% requires renters to pony upwards of €10,000 just to move into an apartment that goes for €2,000 per month!

Since the plane landed, Jeni has been constantly working. My main mission, therefore, has been to find a place to live.  I've spent my days walking the city which is comprised of 24 individual districts in order to get a feel for the 'lay of the land'. I've pretty much seen them all in some capacity...yes even Pfaffenthal and Hesperange! All the guide books (and even the City's own tourism website) mention only the few they feel are noteworthy. I can assure you there are things to see in nearly every corner of this lovely Ville. That said, we decided to narrow our search to a few preferred neighborhoods.

Our criteria for the Luxem-Home are quite simple;

1. We want a place with at least two bedrooms so that guests have a place to stay when visiting.
2. The neighborhood should be walkable with shops, cafes and restaurants nearby.
3. Must be near public transit.
4. And, there must be some open space nearby for the dogs to get their exercise.

We quickly realized that neighborhoods closest to the City Center would be the most appealing.  We decided to look at places in Belair and Limpertsberg due to their proximity to Jeni's office in Capellen. We absolutely fell in love with Bonnevoie, a 'working class' (not my words) neighborhood bordered by the Gare Centrale (main train station in Luxembourg City) and the River Alzette. Other hot-spots would be the Ville Centre itself, and Clausen or the Grund in the Ville Basse. Sadly, limited inventory and high prices make these last three areas a bit difficult at this time. I intend to describe in detail our favorite spots here in town soon, so standby while I compile this post :)

View from above the Grund. Ville Centre is to the left and Clausen in around the bend behind the rock ledge in the background. The glass skyscrapers are EU offices, etc on the Kirchberg Plateau.

I won't feign brevity here...I know this will most likely be the longest post ever. Please bear with me as we go on to the house hunt! 

We further narrowed the search to three potential places:

 The Apartment in Belair

First we found a move-in-ready two bedroom, 1.5 bath apartment in Belair. The Belair address is really in name only as this part of town is just now being developed. Since this and the surrounding buildings are quite new, there hasn't been time for any of the amenities to arrive. There is ample open space here, but the area is quite isolated. There are no real shops or cafes within any comfortable walking distance.

Here's the building - nice and brand new! Note the wide streets.

Plenty of green space but the view is of the neighboring units.

Lots of storage - There's even a third bonus room to act as a walk-in closet!

Amazing open concept apartment with a slick modern kitchen. 

The rooms aren't huge, but a queen bed will fit nicely.

Tidy bathroom - good size as well for Luxembourg

The Townhouse in Bonnevoie

Next we take you to the largest quarter of Luxembourg, Bonnevoie. This three bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse is by far the biggest of the top options. This home has a great garden space (perfect for the dogs) with many updates including hot water supplied by solar panels on the roof. Built in the 1950's the house has both charm and quirks. There's a bonus room on the top floor. The bonus room is fully fitted, but you have to go through Nunny's Attic to get there. This home is also just on the edge of town. There are a couple of restaurants nearby, but most of the amenities are about a 20 minute walk toward the Gare.

Super cute - and BIG!

Fully updated kitchen.

Private, fenced in rear garden.

Clean and renovated bathroom.

Water closet on the first floor - check out the tiny sink?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the basement. Jeni thinks this looks like an autopsy room :-O

I did mention this is at the edge of the city...this is the end of the road. Great place for the dogs to run.

The Duplex in Bonnevoie

Let me begin by translating 'Duplex'. Here in Luxembourg this means a two story apartment. This duplex has two bedrooms and two full baths with a huge terrace! The building sits far from the main road and there's loads of grassy space in the common courtyard for the boys. The first bedroom and bath are on the main floor and have access to the veranda. The kitchen and 'great' room are more or less an open concept that also spill out onto the terrace. The second bedroom and bathroom are on the upper floor with a loft / landing at the top of the stairs. This home has its quirks as well. The roof lines add a challenge for furniture layout, but the neighborhood has everything you can think of; groceries, pharmacy, cafes, restaurants, bars, etc and it's a quick walk to the train station.

It the upstairs unit on the left corner of the building

Nice open kitchen with loads of storage.

Immense grassy courtyard

The view from the terrace.

Bedroom 1 - note the roof line. Wait there's more...

Downstairs bath with 'Italian Shower'

Upstairs bedroom - yes that's about 18" of clearance along the far wall!

Loft / landing area

Upstairs Bath  - nice tub and shower. Along the back wall is a glazed glass insert to allow in more natural light.

So...which shall it be? I will tell you that all three options have designated covered parking, will allow the dogs, have additional storage on site (known in Luxembourg as a 'cave' - pronounced "caahv") and all are just about the same relative price. But wait...since I've already wasted so much of your time, I think it's worth bringing in a wildcard - Rollingergrund!

 

 

 The Duplex in Rollingergrund

I must admit that I didn't even know this district existed until recently. Rollingergrund is literally a deep valley - gorge almost - that divides Belair from Limpertsberg. It has the Medieval village charm of the Ville Basse but not as many amenities. This two bedroom 2.5 bath duplex has a large patio and a semi-private garden only accessible to the other tenants of the building.  Both bedrooms have on-suite baths. Bedroom #1 has a walk-in closet while bedroom #2 boasts a private balcony. There is also a 1/2 bath (water closet) on the first floor.

The 'village' of Rollingergrund is really just a ribbon of homes and shops along the valley road.

Another slick modern kitchen...

...with an open concept living area.

The large patio area.

The patio stretches onto the common area - good news for the dogs.

Nice bathrooms and even...

a walk-in closet! Quoi?! That never happens here!

Now we have a real dilemma on our hands. Which do we choose? Will it be the finished space in a new section of town? Will it be the older home with lots of space? Perhaps the Duplex in a great area with an awkward roofline? Or will we choose the wildcard in the gorge?

As of the writing of this post, there has been no committed lease, so you'll just have to wait along with us to see how things turn out. 

STAY TUNED!!!