We spontaneously had a recent email come through from a repatriated family from Vaud. Lucy G. writes, "I just wanted to drop you a line as I know you are able to recommend certain companies in the La Côte region, and we have been extremely impressed with this one in particular. I have written a recommendation for them and I am hopeful that you can work your magic to "spread the word" in whatever way that you can!"
Lucy continues, "We are a British family who quite suddenly had to relocate back to the UK, and we found ourselves in the unenviable position of having to get out of our rental contract early. Upon a friend's recommendation, we sought help from Roberta Genini, from AGOODDAY relocation & beyond, and we were so glad we did. Roberta is a consummate professional who takes everything in her stride, and as a result, we are now in a good place with all the details tied up nicely, and we can move on with our new life abroad.
"Roberta was clear and up front about how the process would work, and the costs involved, which we appreciated. She worked with us on a daily basis to help guide us through the complexities of notifying the Commune, finding suitable tenants for our rental home, informing the utility companies amongst other things. In our case we had a particularly difficult check out process, and although we had built up a good working relationship with our landlords, it is amazing how conversations can turn difficult when there is a deposit involved. At one point during the checkout walkthrough I got a little emotional and Roberta calmly took over the process, ushering me into another room where I could compose myself. Throughout the check out she was happy to take on the difficult conversations, both face-to-face and via email, and she did so in a direct but professional manner.
"At every step of the way, Roberta displayed a "can do" attitude, whereby she encouraged me to take it one step at a time, and gave me sound and logical advice on how to take each step. I honestly do not believe we would be in such a good position now, had it not been for Roberta's calm, professional and informed assistance.
Special offer for knowitall.ch readers (see conditions below)
The biggest problem with your own mess is taking the leap to let someone else see it! Some people are naturally tidy, clutter-less, and organized. Some are overwhelmed by other happenings in their life, so much so that they don't see the build-up of items around them. Shoved behind closed doors, hidden under beds, objects inserted in every nook and cranny... they know it isn't good to have so much stuff... but where to start?
Virginie Dor, founder of Space of Mine, offers a professional organizing service designed to help individuals without judgement, without criticism, without pointing fingers or blame. Virginie holds a degree in psychology and is the vice-president of the Swiss Association of Professional Organizers (Swiss-APO) and is a Golden Member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She not only is an expert in clutter control, work flow, space planning, and time management, but she also uses proven organizing principles to make the process as painless as possible.
The award-winning interior designer, Stephanie Kasel, is offering knowitall.ch readers a generous 5% discount on all services booked through her before the end of May 2018.
Given the glowing recommendation that we have just received about her services, and the fact that Stephanie has recently received an award in the Interior Design Private Residence category of the prestigious 2017-2018 European Property Awards, this is a wonderful opportunity for anyone seeking inspiration for an upcoming home renovation project.
Recent client, Gaby Cissé, was so impressed with her work that she wrote to us and said, “I usually don't do this but I am so pleased with her work on our house I wanted to see if I could recommend our interior decorator based in Geneva and Nyon to Know-it-all. She's English speaking and just a pillar of efficiency and taste!”
© Laura Jeffreys
10% discount for knowitall.ch readers on upcoming integration workshop
It is five years since Aislinn Delmotte launched her new business, Settling Here, to help new arrivals settle into the Pays de Gex region and surrounding areas of France.
Since that time, frontaliers have been hit hard financially with changes in health care (elimination of private insurance in France) as well as Geneva taxes for working spouses. Many redundancies in the private sector have also resulted in expats moving back to their home countries or elsewhere for work. Despite this, the area still attracts new arrivals and there is a constant flux of international families moving in and out of the area.
We spoke to Aislinn to find out what impact this has all had on her business and see how she has adapted her services to meet the changing needs of the expat community.
Aislinn told us, "Finding a house in Geneva and dealing with regies can be very tricky, especially for new recruits, and those with a smaller relocation budget. On the French side, there is still a limited number of relocation agencies on the ground with a real understanding of setting up home in the Pays de Gex. Finding the right place to set up home is key to a successful relocation. Many people arriving in the area have to choose between establishing themselves on the Swiss or French side. Having someone to guide you through that decision process even pre-arrival is very important. To enable me to provide the best possible advice, I have now extended my services into the Geneva and Terre-Sainte regions too! Located in the canton of Vaud, between Nyon and Versoix, Terre Sainte is very popular with expats because of its proximity to international schools."
Looking for a new home in Geneva, Vaud or neighboring France has never been easier than on the newly revamped housing section of the Expatica website!
Their Find a House channel has recently been updated to include a wealth of new features for expats looking to buy or rent a property in this region.
For both Switzerland and France it is possible to access a number of guides relating to buying or renting a property, plus advice on where to live in each of the countries.
For example, in the Buying section of the Swiss portal, there is a guide on Swiss mortgages, as well as tips and mistakes to avoid when buying a house abroad. In the Renting section there are articles offering useful information about frontaliers, and others that provide advice on what needs to done before you move out of a rented apartment. For those unsure about where to live, there is a great article, contributed by Know-it-passport, which details all the best places to live in Geneva, Vaud and neighboring France!
For those who know exactly where they want to set up home, there is an extensive Search facility on the website, which enables users to browse according to the type of property they wish to buy or rent, or according to region.
