Moving from the UK to Switzerland

[TheChestnutThing]

Unsure where to post this so here goes…

Hubby is Swiss and has been desperately trying to get me to move to Switzerland for the last 6 years. We had a short stint before we moved to the UK where I considered it and then said no and we moved to the UK instead. Now 5 years of living in the UK and he is pushing the The Great Swiss Move on me again.

I’ve thought about it and to be honest (I won’t admit it to him just yet), I’m quite open to it. I miss the wide open spaces and mountains and access to a lifestyle that we do not have in the UK but previously had in SA. And I know (again not admitting it to him yet) that we can have this again in Switzerland.

Thing he has promised me if we moved:
Living on the Swiss Germany or the Swiss France borders so it’s cheaper for me to keep my horse

I would sell my horse in the UK for various reasons, and would look for a new one if we moved.

I guess what I want to hear from fellow posters is: those of you who have moved from the UK to Switzerland (any part of Switzerland) and how you are finding riding and costs for full livery as well as the work/life balance (I’ve a very good work/life balance here and am very flexible and work fully remote and wouldn’t really want that changing. I can take my job with me but the amount of money I earn I £ would not keep me in horses in Switzerland). I’m an engagement manager (HR/recruitment/client relations/community management) if that helps.

 

[Highmileagecob]

No help with anything, I'm afraid but I'm assuming this is meant to be permanent. Would a second home be at all possible as a compromise whilst you look at the realities?

 

[Gloi]

Good luck. I'm rather jealous.

 

[eggs]

Not a lot of help but I lived in and around Zuerich for 5 years in the late 80's early 90's. I was employed as a local hire (HR Manager) in Switzerland so earning a Swiss salary and as a result had a lot more disposable income than I was used to as salaries were much higher and taxes much lower.

I also sold my horse when we moved but then somehow never got round to buying another one in Switzerland although I did as soon as I returned to the UK.

It is certainly a lot easier to live in Switzerland now than it was then with the internet, satellite TV, etc. I really appreciated being able to get up into the mountains each weekend.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

No help with anything, I'm afraid but I'm assuming this is meant to be permanent. Would a second home be at all possible as a compromise whilst you look at the realities?

Sadly not. However his parents live in Basel so we do have that option however would not want to stay with them more than a week.

I didn’t want to go the first time due to the language barrier (I’m super crap with languages) and I just didn’t like the Swiss cities, I found them quite pre-war if that makes sense. Once in the mountains I absolutely love it.
Language will still be an issue, but after having lived in the UK for the past 5 years (I did live here as a teenager aswell), I’ve learnt to like my own company and doing things myself.

 

[AmyMay]

No help whatsoever, but it’s certainly a country I think I’d be happy to live in - the scenery- wow!

 

[TheChestnutThing]

No help whatsoever, but it’s certainly a country I think I’d be happy to live in - the scenery- wow!

Everyone we know there is out and about all the time. Weekends they hike or ski or drive over the border to Italy or France or Germany. There doesn’t seem to be this inside life of TV and couch like we have in the UK. I mean I know they do watch TV and sit on the couch, but not like we seem to do. I would rather snow and mountain over mud and field for a dog walk in winter.

 

[Nicnac]

Lived South of Geneva for a while so very easy pop over border to France to livery which is far cheaper. I prefer the French speaking areas just because of the language. Spent quite a bit of time in Basel for work and quite liked it as lots of French speakers - again easy pop across the border to France.

It is beautiful. Depends if you are moving from London or from a more rural environment as to whether you'd find it boring or not.

 

[lauragreen85]

Unsure where to post this so here goes…

Hubby is Swiss and has been desperately trying to get me to move to Switzerland for the last 6 years. We had a short stint before we moved to the UK where I considered it and then said no and we moved to the UK instead. Now 5 years of living in the UK and he is pushing the The Great Swiss Move on me again.

I’ve thought about it and to be honest (I won’t admit it to him just yet), I’m quite open to it. I miss the wide open spaces and mountains and access to a lifestyle that we do not have in the UK but previously had in SA. And I know (again not admitting it to him yet) that we can have this again in Switzerland.

Thing he has promised me if we moved:
Living on the Swiss Germany or the Swiss France borders so it’s cheaper for me to keep my horse

I would sell my horse in the UK for various reasons, and would look for a new one if we moved.

I guess what I want to hear from fellow posters is: those of you who have moved from the UK to Switzerland (any part of Switzerland) and how you are finding riding and costs for full livery as well as the work/life balance (I’ve a very good work/life balance here and am very flexible and work fully remote and wouldn’t really want that changing. I can take my job with me but the amount of money I earn I £ would not keep me in horses in Switzerland). I’m an engagement manager (HR/recruitment/client relations/community management) if that helps.

This sounds fab, your very lucky to be able to do it

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Lived South of Geneva for a while so very easy pop over border to France to livery which is far cheaper. I prefer the French speaking areas just because of the language. Spent quite a bit of time in Basel for work and quite liked it as lots of French speakers - again easy pop across the border to France.

It is beautiful. Depends if you are moving from London or from a more rural environment as to whether you'd find it boring or not.

Thank you for this!

We aren’t in London but do live in a town here.

However, our weekends are spent with the dogs doing long walks and riding/competing (me). Evenings we find ourselves just sitting on the couch after CrossFit (him) and riding (me). Unless we get onto the A12 or similar and drive for at least an hour, there aren’t many lovely walks.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Nothing has to be set in stone. No harm in giving it a try, as long as it won't lead to divorce if you are not settled!

 

[nagblagger]

Just my thoughts;
Could you rent out your house here and rent a property in Switzerland with a time limit eg a couple of years to then decide whether to make the more permanent move. However, it doesn't sound as if you are settled where you are living the moment or you wouldn't be contemplating it.
I too would be concerned about the language.
Would you be happy selling your horse or always 'hold it against him'?

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Just my thoughts;
Could you rent out your house here and rent a property in Switzerland with a time limit eg a couple of years to then decide whether to make the more permanent move. However, it doesn't sound as if you are settled where you are living the moment or you wouldn't be contemplating it.
I too would be concerned about the language.
Would you be happy selling your horse or always 'hold it against him'?

We currently don’t own. And haven’t since we moved here. Not found a place we really want to buy yet (read as hate the small rooms that most houses we see have).

As for selling horse…tbh it’s something I’ve been toying with, I mean I could take him. But he’s most definitely not a clear round machine and 3 years of competing has lead to only one CR…I think I would like a horse who is more careful. As much as I love him.

 

[nagblagger]

Sounds like you are ready to try it..

 

[Janique]

Bienvenue en Suisse !

i wouldn't worry about the language, most people speak English.

The swiss German are much better with languages than the swiss romand ( la romandie est la région ou l'on parle le Français ) , they are usallly reluctant to speak swiss German, although everyone has
at least 5 years to learn German at school.

Everything is expensive around horses, France is much cheaper, if you leave close to the border, you can buy rugs and other items in France.

For full livery with good facilities, indoor school, walker, paddocks and so on, it can go up to CHF 1400.- depending of where you are.

Most yard have good facilities because of the weather and indoor school are everywhere.

Turn out is more complicated in the winter, people tend to have small single paddock.


in le Jura, where i keep my horse in a herd, it's much cheaper and it's great, big fields and good care.

People are nice in general and if you leave in a small town or village, you will soon find some friends.

In big cities, you will find many expats and English speaking people.

Good luck !

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

If I had the opportunity to leave the UK with things as they are at this moment …then I would go.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

So we are heading over in April for a week (to visit his family but also to look at a few areas near Basel) and then we are going to probably drive over for 2 weeks in July (so we can take the dogs and don’t have to worry about house sitters etc) and do a bit of a road trip and look at other areas.

I’ve got some costings on bringing my horse with me but still need to make that decision and if I do would probably leave him here until we are settled (chatting on the phone with a transporter today to ask some questions).

I think the one thing that is stopping me is that my parents have just moved to the UK from SA, and they have made it quite clear that they moved to be closer to us (even though we actively tried to discourage them), and the guilt trip and anger from them would be very real!

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Bienvenue en Suisse !

i wouldn't worry about the language, most people speak English.

The swiss German are much better with languages than the swiss romand ( la romandie est la région ou l'on parle le Français ) , they are usallly reluctant to speak swiss German, although everyone has
at least 5 years to learn German at school.

Everything is expensive around horses, France is much cheaper, if you leave close to the border, you can buy rugs and other items in France.

For full livery with good facilities, indoor school, walker, paddocks and so on, it can go up to CHF 1400.- depending of where you are.

Most yard have good facilities because of the weather and indoor school are everywhere.

Turn out is more complicated in the winter, people tend to have small single paddock.


in le Jura, where i keep my horse in a herd, it's much cheaper and it's great, big fields and good care.

People are nice in general and if you leave in a small town or village, you will soon find some friends.

In big cities, you will find many expats and English speaking people.

Good luck !

May I ask how much you pay for herd livery? I’m not against this at all!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I think the one thing that is stopping me is that my parents have just moved to the UK from SA, and they have made it quite clear that they moved to be closer to us (even though we actively tried to discourage them), and the guilt trip and anger from them would be very real!

That’s a very tricky one. Family dynamics, eh?

It might look like you are actively trying to move away from them even if you aren’t.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

That’s a very tricky one. Family dynamics, eh?

It might look like you are actively trying to move away from them even if you aren’t.

This is my thought aswell. Tbh I know that we shouldn’t let it stop us and it’s not like they moved down the road (they moved 2.5 hours away), so we won’t be seeing them anymore than once a month if that as it is…but still, family can get tricky and complicated with things like this.

 

[Janique]

I paid CHF 260.- a month, the farmer goes there every day and check them. 17 horses in the herd, all getting on great.

I go once a week to give my TB 12 years old gelding a feed and check him but he doesn't really need any food.

In the summer, they have 20 hectares to roam and lots of forest where they go to rest in the heat and to get away from the flies.

Mine is the only TB, all the others are Franches Montagnes, a rustique breed typical of Switzerland.

I would really recommand the place, it's in Chevenez, close to Porrentruy in Jura, maybe half an hour from Basel.

Pension du Moulin, Chevenez.

 

[Janique]

The CHF 260.- a month, include feet trimming and wormers so it's good value for money.
All the horses are looking well even in the winter, we now have minus 15 at night.

 

[Clodagh]

As for family. It’s your life… live it!
If your parents didn’t move back to live in your annexe then you have no obligation to them.
If you draw up a pro/con list then be selfish.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

The CHF 260.- a month, include feet trimming and wormers so it's good value for money.
All the horses are looking well even in the winter, we now have minus 15 at night.

That’s insane value for money!

Thank you!

I also have a TB and I’m leaning more towards bringing him with me even if it means maxing out my credit cards.

 

[MagicMelon]

Everyone we know there is out and about all the time. Weekends they hike or ski or drive over the border to Italy or France or Germany. There doesn’t seem to be this inside life of TV and couch like we have in the UK. I mean I know they do watch TV and sit on the couch, but not like we seem to do. I would rather snow and mountain over mud and field for a dog walk in winter.

As above. My OH's brother moved to Switzerland and loves it. He sends us photos all the time of him up crazy mountains, skiing etc. every single weekend. Seems like a very expensive place to live (food etc.) but at the same time looks to offer a more outside style of life.