Tell me about living in Zurich (and surrounding area)

[bluecoconut]

DH spends a lot of time travelling to and from Zurich and Germany (2-4 nights weekly). When not travelling he works from home although he is based at the nearest UK site.

He has a new role and will be spending more time travelling.

DH thinks that it is only a matter of time before he is asked to relocate as it has been mentioned.

The thought of living in Switzerland is appealing, but I don't know anything about the practicalities. I know Zurich itself is very expensive so we would probably have to live outside it.

As there is a high probability of this happening, I have decided to research into it now so I can be somewhat prepared. This is where I need your help.

What areas do you recommend? Why?

Do people tend to buy or rent?

What is the average rental/purchase price of a 3 bed home? (as in average home not luxurious)

How does the school system work?

How does the Healthcare system work?

Positives and negatives of living in Switzerland.

Would he be employed by a Swiss company ? It is likely they will soon return to a permit system as not part of EU which creates a lot of bureaucracy.

The area around the lake is lovely but the nearer the lake and private schools, more so on East "Gold" coast, the more expensive property is. Most expats rent unless there long term (again you may find restrictions on buying as an expat) and it will cost £££ - immo.ch and homegate are equivalents of Rightmove.

Quality of life can be great but everything is more expensive , international schools cost as much as a good public school in UK, and you need a good wage to sustain the lifestyle. If you live among the expat community you have to get used to having friends come and go each year, which can be especially hard on children.

Healthcare is private , you need a good insurance package but can self refer to specialist doctors - your dc would register with a paed and you a general family doctor for everyday ailments. Some will have an excess for each claim - you are charged per visit and for any medicines.

Be prepared for a very traditional if sexist society . As a trailing spouse you may not be able to have your own bank account , put your name on a mobile contract etc,. There are also lots of regulations to understand and odd public holidays which are inconsistent across the cantons and even towns within!

Hi LIZS, it is a multinational so not sure how that affects things?

I did find homegate but everywhere I looked at (right on the lake) was very expensive.

May I ask what wage minimum you think is needed to live there?

Appreciate your comments on living in an ex pat community as it is not something I had considered.

Am super shocked at maybe not being allowed to have my own bank account etc. Wow!

Am a bit out of touch with current cost of living and wages . When we lived there it was 2.5chf to the £ ! Pretty much the only thing cheaper in CH was petrol. Some rentals will include utilities and apartments are more common but much more spacious than UK equivalents and often have a terrace or garden so don't rule those out. Some areas carry lower taxation but higher rents ! The area known as the Zimmerberg is popular with expats, which lies between Zurich and Zug. Would the company fund a relocation agent to assist you ? You could join the yahoo group expat moms in Switzerland or the englishforum.ch to get a feel for finances and trends (interestingly Zurich International School is closing one of its campuses which may indicate a downturn in demand after many years of influx).

Hi blue. Some good websites to find out things are comparis.ch, homegate has a tax calculator. The englishforum.ch is also a useful resource, but people can be a bit fierce. So google it before asking a question. Ppl don't respond well to can I live on x amount a year and tend to be a bit mean!
We live near the lake, it's lovely but yes rentals are expansive.
Maybe find out where your husband will be working and then look on sbb.ch the train website and see which lines are direct. Further away from the lake you go it's cheaper but also less international.
If you Pm me I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.
Heather