Hi all,

My husband just accepted a position near Zurich, in Opfikon. I will myself most likely be getting a job in Zurich. We have a daughter who is less than 2 months and we are not looking for nightlife... more nice scenery, access to outdoor activities, low taxes, and an overall good place for families. Any suggestions on where to look for a house/apartment to rent?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks!

Look at Horgen.....easy commute and good outdoor access

you might want to check out some options for daycare for your little one first - a lot of places have long waiting lists unless you are going to be able to pay for a nanny who will come to your place. Might make the location of where you want to live change a bit depending on where you can find a spot for an infant...

might be a worthwhile investment to hire a relocation agent to help a bit as it's not the easiest thing to find either an infant spot or an apartment in Zurich! All things are possible, but having some local knowledge working just for you might make things a whole lot easier, especially for sleep deprived brains with a newborn

How far is your husband willing to commute?

My hubby wanted a 10min bike ride. Luckily he didn't work in the city.

I live in Stäfa which is down the lake from the city. On the opposite side of the lake from Horgen. It is a fantastic place for kids. Safe, easy to get around. Great english speaking mothers group to make new friends. The commute to the city will be the big question mark though. Stäfa has one train every 30 mins to zurich. There is a bus near our house that connects to the train. But a couple of stations closer has another train service, so about every 15 mins to Zurich. We have a forest behind us which is excellent for jogging or family walks. The lake is also wonderful.

How long are you planning to live in Switzerland? If it is more than 5 years then think about how far your house will be from the local Kindergarten.

Also, regardless of where you live be aware that there are a couple of nuances with regards to swiss living. Well I call them nuances. I guess it depends where you come from...
(1) Do you want to live on a 5th floor apartment with no lift and the laundry in the cellar? You might think that is OK, until you have to carry one child, the laundry, shopping, and you are pregnant again.
(2) Do you want to share a washing machine with your neighbours and be on a weekly roster? I have used laundromats before but this is special. One machine, one specific time to use it, no one will clean up your laundry dust, and neighbours bear grudges.
(3) Do you want a car? Then where are you going to park it? There is no street parking. You have to pay for a parking space. Do you want to dig your car out of the snow in winter or drive into your underground secured garage?

gotta go

Oddly enough, for you maybe, I look upon points 2 and 3 as positive.

There's nothing worse than having to wash in the flat and then tumble all that stuff dry which could be out-of-sight for a while. There is also the added advantage of getting to know your neighbours down in the washing room instead of 'noticing' that 'the Swiss aren't friendly'. I've never had any trouble.

We are all happy that parking in the road here is an exception. England, as an example, is frustrating, dangerous, and is a sight for sore eyes. Roads are meant for driving on, not for parking.

Opfikon is a nice place, there are many English speakers living there; within a radius of say 5 kilometres there is a wide choice of various homes. But note that the centre of Opfikon is under the flight path from the airport in Kloten so avoid that. The nearer your husband is to his work the more time he'll have for everything else. Daycare will be a problem wherever you are.

Hello

I am planning to move to Zurich with family.

I am looking to move to family friendly areas with good state schools. I would be looking for a 4 Zimmer apartment upto CHF 2000 per month.

Please suggest which areas should I be looking at.

Regards

Don't know about the schools here, but you could look in Adliswil/Thalwil. The rents are a little lower than in Zurich proper. The commute to central Zurich is usually 20 mins or less from where we are in Adliswil.

Hi all

Any feedback about schools in Uitikon.

Regards

Hi Dietiker,

My husband's goddaughter lives in Uitikon, and her parents are very happy with the school there. That said, it is an expensive area and it will be difficult to find a flat within your budget. Good luck with your search!

Hi all

Any feedback on schools in Urdorf.

Regards

Am looking for the same feedback on Birmensdorf ZH.

Excellent primary schools in Urdorf, and the regions premier Gymnasium.

We live in Neuaffoltern (belongs to Oerlikon). I also work in Opfikon and it's reasonably close to the centre. We are moving flats withing Oerlikon. Private Message me if you are interested in details.