Thou shalt get door knobs, taps, shower heads, toilet flush handles...

But thou shalt not get light fittings.... Is that how it is in the rest of Europe/US/UK too?

So what happens if you remove all your fittings to a new house, and realise there are more sockets than you have fittings, or more fittings than sockets? Are you always able to run back to the store from 3 years ago and say "I'll take two more of those, please"?

Do veteran expats now own a pile of mismatched fittings?

Sorry, it's just that this is a totally alien concept to me.

No, in the US you tend to get all light fixtures and appliances when you move into an apt.

Indeed.
Indeed not. No. (UK)
Shlt happens. No.
Yes.
Oh, you get used to it (he says, lyingly*).

*Lyingly is a new word I made up on the spur of the texan **, to keep Wollishofener on his toes.

**texan [lowercase-t] is an old Texan word, derived from the verb Guisen ***.

*** the verb guisen is derived from the old Swiss-German guisan, namely "to promise the earth, but never actually deliver a snowball's chance of a fraction of what was promised"; (e.g. "the old residents guisaned the new residents by leaving nothing of any value in the apartment, but also nothing of no value to retain a sense of balance.").

.

In the UK we take our light fittings or agree to leave them, but if we take them we have to fit a rose and crown so the wires are not left exposed. This is pretty sensible stuff i think after walking into my rented apartment here to find wires hanging.Very dangerous !

Quick trip to ikea sorted out the rose and crowns + i bought 2 posh standing lights for lounge which i will take with me!! So no probs when i move on unless i'm told to take the rose and crowns down

Sorted!

We were pleasantly surprised when our new apartment came with light fittings...

So, yes, we do have a collection of light fittings that we no longer use...

And if you are looking for cheap light fittings there are plenty to be found at your local charity/second-hand store (Brockenhaus)...

rose and crown? what is that exactly?

I have to find some light fittings for the wires hanging out in my new apartment, it looks so hideous, not to mention i currently don't have any light once the sun sets.

It's the bit of the light fitting which hides all the wires from the ceiling.

Or a particularly dodgy pub near my ex-boyfriend's place, also known as "The Flying Bottle."

Only for stilt walkers and the very tall.

Think yourself lucky you're not renting in Germany. Most of the places I looked at there didn't come with a kitchen. Just a few pipes and wires sticking out of the wall.

Yep, going through the same thing these days. Lights and fittings and making sure the lights fit and are appropriate for the new place.

Oh, and, Hammer Drills = Super Awesome (minus the noise of course )

When we moved in there were just wires in the ceiling and no hooks to hang a ceiling rose from to take the load, so i was a bit baffled. We spent the first week or so bumbling about in the dark with a couple of desk lamps.

Then I went to a hardware shop and found an evil-looking hook device to do the job. With my very dodgy German skills this involved a lot of mime but it was quite fun and the shop assistant at Blattner AG on Seefeldstrasse (Zürich) was very nice. I then had to drill a great big hole in the ceiling, stick the thing in, and fill all around it with polyfilla. Made an almighty mess but it looks lovely now.

Thanks for the heads up on the NEXT challenge - need to find my own apartment with dangling wiring first. Guh, unbelievable!

I left a box of them back home. Mind you they'd only be rated for 120V.

I understand Swiss wiring is more "up to code" by my standards than what I've dealt with so far in my partner's French flat. That experience has been... Eye-opening? Fortunately not yet electrifying, due to an abundance of caution after I took off the first cover plate. Good god, twice the potential and less than half the safety. Lets dangle 220V in 1mm thick plastic boxes!

Same for my apartment, no light fittings just cables hanging out. One day I bought a helium balloon for my daughter which was made from aluminum....yes you can see ware this is going. She had it inside and it got in contact with two of the wires in the roof and boom! Balloon was no more and the fuse was triggered. This was in our hallway where I did not bother to get a lamp because there ware 1m to the next lamp.

I found it very strange that some things in Switzerland is overly secured while others is totally forgotten.

Edit: Forgot to mention that no one got harmed in this accident luckily

Hi all. Am moving out to Basel in September from UK

I read about unfurnished being taken literally in Ch but is it worth taking out a few ceiling roses, light fittings and light shades, plus a good tool box? Or is it just as likely that these will be included?

We are planning on getting a modern apartment in BL.

I think it's safe to assume there are no light fittings save the cables dangling out of the ceiling. Anything more is a bonus...

You can pick up light fittings at a range of prices from Ikea / supermarket hardware to high-end shops but if you bring your own from the UK, it might be worth checking with the landlord or agency if they will fit.

Yes it is.

Although you only need a screwdriver to install the light fittings, not an entire toolbox.

BTW, it is worth mentioning that most lightbulbs here are screw-in rather than bayonet. This may determine your choice of light fittings, unless you are planning frequent trips back to Blighty to buy lightbulbs.

worst is in my new place where the wires from the roof are just 1cm long making it impossible to fit certain light fittings without first extending the wires.

also, the complete lack of an earth wire...

Wow - just showing my wife this thread. You pay best part of 3K Chuffs for a family pad and they don't even give you lights! Will be fun on move day. I wasn't planning on taking my stepladders but guess I will!

So I should bring one of these for every room except for a screw bulb fitting;

http://www.screwfix.com/p/marbo-6-pendant-set/81470

If they don't do bayonet bulbs then I guess I should bring a few bulbs for all our BC side lamps too.

Thanks all.

And be prepared, some ceiling are made of real hard material and it is impossible to make some whole in them, you need the big drill who can make holes in beton, ciment and bricks.

bring a torch and a few desk/floor lamps with UK converters