Completely changing
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From The Hague to Balham: Martijn and his family are enjoying their new life
artijn Proos is a 39-year-old executive director of a small fund management company. He moved to London from The Hague, in the Netherlands, seven years ago with his then girlfriend – and now wife – Babette, and daughter Charlotte, who is now seven. Their son Tijmen, who is five, was born in the UK. ‘Initially we moved for my work as part of a three-year secondment and we enjoyed living here so much, we decided to stay. Before we moved, I asked a colleague to advise on nice places to live and he recommended Fulham, Chiswick, Clapham and Balham. We then drove over for a long weekend to visit those neighbourhoods in person and decided to live in Clapham. ‘Back in The Hague we set up flat viewings. We flew back to London and ended up taking the first one we saw in Clapham South, which had a large communal garden and off-street parking. We have since moved to a house in Balham. We love the area: the kids go to school on Northcote Road and it’s 20 minutes by Tube to the centre of town. ‘Settling in was easy. In London you never feel like a foreigner as almost everyone else is a foreigner. There’s a great buzz and always something to do; people are very friendly. Even public transport isn’t as bad as people say. Another upside for us is the children get to learn perfect English. ‘The first year felt like a long holiday – we didn’t have a lot of social plans yet, so instead we visited lots of places in the UK and acted as a B&B for visiting friends. ‘I miss a little bit the Dutch efficiency. When you move abroad, you learn more about your own country than when you live there.’
‘SETTLING IN WAS EASY. IN LONDON YOU ALMOST NEVER FEEL LIKE A FOREIGNER AS ALMOST EVERYONE IS A FOREIGNER’
Tips for relocating… • Set a budget and include everything from monthly
property costs (council tax, TV licence, bills etc.) to the cost of commuting. • Identify what you want from your time in London and balance this with commuting times and local amenities. Narrow your choice down to a maximum of three areas – it will make finding a new home all that much easier.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward
• If you are struggling to find a property that fits your
criteria, compromise and make a list of your ‘must haves’. • It’s important to find an agent that understands UK lettings legislation and the rental market. A dedicated KFH Corporate Relocation account manager can assess your exact requirements to find the right properties for you. Contact homesearch@kfh.co.uk