• My husband and I appeared on an episode of HGTV's "House Hunters International" in 2023.
• As a fan of the show, I was excited to be selected and encountered lots of surprises during filming.
• I was surprised by how long the pre-production process was and how many takes some scenes took.

It was always a dream of mine to move to Europe, so when the opportunity to relocate to Germany for work presented itself, my husband and I didn't hesitate to say yes.

As I was scrolling through an expat Facebook group, I came across a dream opportunity posted by a casting director — the chance to star in an episode of HGTV's "House Hunters International."

I messaged the casting director to express my interest and was given a form to apply. As an avid fan of the show, I was thrilled when we received an email stating we had been selected.

Now that our episode has aired, I've had some time to reflect on what wasn't seen on camera. Here are five things that surprised me most about the filming process.

The pre-production process was lengthy

The application process included several forms and a lengthy pre-filming questionnaire asking us to detail how we met, why we were moving, and what we did for work. I was also asked to send some photos to represent our story.

Then, we had virtual interviews to share more about ourselves, our lives, and our apartment preferences.

Luckily, this process didn't delay our move since we were concurrently filling out documents for our visas.

My hair, makeup, and jewelry had to be consistent throughout filming

On the first day of filming, I was informed that I'd need to maintain the same hair, makeup, and jewelry for the next three days — a detail I hadn't considered but was crucial for uniformity in the episode.

I did my own hair and makeup despite hoping a professional would do it. To maintain outfit coordination for each scene and day, we took photos and were meticulous about remembering our looks.

Filming was done out of order

To create a 30-minute episode, my husband and I filmed for four days. However, once we began, I was surprised to learn that filming wasn't done in chronological order.

For example, the apartments we saw were shown in a different order on TV than we saw them in real life.

My husband and I had to repeat some scenes multiple times

Because the director wanted our genuine reactions to the apartment showings, we weren't scripted to say, touch, or do anything. However, we did have to repeat some dialogue, movements, and expressions multiple times.

There was only one camera person on the shoot, which meant we needed to retake every scene at least four times so he could capture our individual reactions and our reactions as a couple. He also had to zoom in on any details, such as us touching an object or moving our hands.

For the scenes to remain consistent, we had to remember exactly where we stood, what we touched, what we said, and how we reacted.

Filming was a lot of fun

One of the best parts of the filming process was sharing our love story on camera. It was so exciting to have a big milestone in our lives documented — it's something we'll always remember.

Overall, we had a great experience filming our episode. The HGTV crew and staff were kind, helpful, and sincere in their desire to showcase an accurate reflection of us as a couple and our journey relocating to Germany.

This story was originally published on October 25, 2024, and most recently updated on May 14, 2025.

• My husband and I went from the US to Berlin for a work opportunity two years ago.
• Renting in Berlin was incredibly difficult, and the city would get a bit too packed with tourists.
• We moved south to Dresden and have been so happy with its greenery, architecture, and nightlife.

Two years ago, my husband and I (along with our two cats) made the big move from Massachusetts to Berlin for a work opportunity.

We were excited to live in a capital city for the first time, as we'd always resided in the suburbs around Boston. Although the German city was beautiful, we had a tough time living there.

In February, we left Berlin and moved about two hours south to Dresden. It's been one of the best decisions we've made since arriving in Germany.

Here are a few things that pushed out of Berlin, plus a few ways Dresden really won us over.

Rent in Berlin skyrocketed, and finding housing became incredibly competitive

Berlin is known to be fairly affordable, especially compared to other European capitals like Paris or Amsterdam.

Still, over the last few years, it's become one of the most expensive cities for renters in Germany as housing costs have gone up.

Many projects to build more housing have been placed on hold as renters struggle to find apartments — the German capital had a vacancy rate of less than 1% as of 2023.

We've had far better luck finding a place to live in Dresden, probably because it's not a major city. Rental prices have also been more affordable for us.

Dresden gets less crowded with tourists

Berlin is one of the most visited cities in Europe, attracting millions of visitors each year. While we lived there, popular areas like Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Gate, and Museum Island appeared to be constantly bustling with tourists.

During peak travel seasons, this led to overcrowded trains, buses, and trams along with delays for regular commuters like us.

In comparison, Dresden draws millions fewer visitors a year. We still get some tourists (particularly for its famous Christmas markets) but at a smaller volume.

Plus, since we can now afford to live in the city center, we can walk to most places and avoid crowded public transit and traffic congestion.

Dresden offers us better access to nature — and its architecture is beautiful

As nature lovers, we appreciate the green spaces and large parks in Berlin, but they don't compare to what we have in Dresden.

More than half of our city is covered in green spaces and forests. We love the beautiful Elbe River, which goes right through Dresden.

Plus, we're only about an hour from the gorgeous Saxon Switzerland (Saxony) National Park — a trip there could take about three hours from Berlin.

We also have access to paved paths along the river for biking, plus many beautiful hiking trails.

The city holds its own when it comes to architectural ambiance, too. While Berlin has many impressive landmarks, Dresden is also renowned for its architecture and cultural monuments, like Zwinger Palace and the Saxon State Opera.

We especially enjoy walking through its Old City to admire the intricate and opulent buildings with lavish sculptures and terraced gardens.

Berlin has a famous nightlife scene, but Dresden's is a better fit for us

Berlin's nightlife is legendary and filled with variety, especially compared to what you might find in Dresden.

Its techno clubs like Berghain and Sisyphos draw in international crowds with their parties and long opening hours — some go entire weekends without closing.

We're not big club people, so we prefer Dresden's laid-back bars and slightly quieter nightlife scene. Our smaller city has fewer clubs, and many of the ones we have feel more intimate.

Overall, we're happy with our choice to move

Dresden has been more affordable than Berlin, and our access to nature and stunning architecture has blown us away.

It feels like home to us now, and we're happier living in such a beautiful city.