Anton and Ida: Skövde Is the Perfect Fit for Us!

For Anton Grönqvist from Hova and Ida Andersson from Essunga, Skövde became the perfect compromise when, after a couple of years in Lund and Gothenburg, they started looking for a place to settle down and start a family. Today, they thrive in their townhouse, with playgrounds, nature, and preschool just around the corner. And biking distance to work.

Anton and Ida come from opposite ends of Skaraborg, and the distance between their hometowns is 130 km. So it’s not surprising that it wasn’t until they both moved to Lund to study for a Master of Science in Land Surveying that they finally met.

“We started in the same class and connected over the fact that we were both from Skaraborg. We kind of stood out among all the people from Stockholm and Skåne,” Anton laughs.

It took them a little while to realize they were more than just friends, and once they finished their studies, there was no doubt they would move on together. This time, they moved to Gothenburg and ended up working at the same company.

“We were used to spending five years in the same class, so working together went smoothly. But then the pandemic hit, and being cooped up in an apartment made us reflect on our options. We started thinking about our next step and felt that starting a family and buying a house was becoming relevant,” Ida says.

Jobs came quickly

Since both of them are from Skaraborg, it felt natural to start looking for work in the area.

It didn’t take long before Ida was offered a job with Skövde Municipality. Anton was able to continue working in Gothenburg at first, thanks to convenient train commuting and the possibility of working from home. But soon he also found a job, in the neighboring municipality of Skara. Today, Anton has switched jobs once more and now works in property valuation at the company Svefa, which has recently established an office in Skövde.

“Before we moved, we were a bit unsure about what the job market in Skaraborg would be like, but it has actually exceeded our expectations. Sure, not all big companies are here, but both businesses and the municipality are investing a lot - there’s construction and development everywhere. It’s clear there’s a strong sense of optimism about the future, and that’s really great!” Anton says.

House and children

Buying a house was one of the couple’s goals, and today they live in a townhouse in one of the city’s residential areas. Here, nature and the city’s amenities are close by. They also have playgrounds and no fewer than three preschools within walking distance, convenient now that the couple has two children.

At the moment, Ida is on parental leave with their eight month old son. Their 2.5 year old daughter is also home most of the time. The plan is to spend the summer off together, and then Anton will take over at home while Ida returns to work.

“There’s a lot to do when you’re on parental leave! We spend a lot of time at the playgrounds around the neighborhood, go to open preschool, visit the library, and go to baby swim classes. Skövde is a really great city for children!” Ida says.

Anton agrees.

“Skövde feels like a perfectly sized city. We had gotten used to living in bigger cities, but Skövde still has a lot to offer. We’re a bit restless by nature, so having restaurants and good cultural options nearby feels important. Right now, the kids set the agenda, but there are plenty of activities for families. It suits us perfectly!”

At the moment, Anton and Ida agree that being close to the conveniences of the city is what matters most, but they don’t rule out living even closer to nature in the future.

“We’ve been tempted by the idea of living in the countryside, but that’s something for when the kids are older. Skaraborg offers great flexibility, if we ever want to move, we’re still never far from the towns here. We’ll see what happens down the road,” Ida says.

This text has been translated with the help of AI.