The Daselaar family’s relocation to Skaraborg – Part 2

Later this year, the Daselaar family will be moving from the Netherlands to Sweden. Their house in Gullspång’s municipality is waiting and the family is busy preparing for the move.

The last time we talked to Anne and Patricia was in February. They had already bought their house and were planning the move to Sweden. But how have things gone with their moving plans since then?

“They’re going well. We’re still in the Netherlands but hope to move in November. If things go really well, we might even be able to move in September,” says Anne.

“We can’t wait,” adds Patricia. 

During the summer, Patricia’s husband and one of their sons will go to Sweden to begin preparing the house. In September, the rest of the family will follow them. If all goes well, they hope to move in already then. But apart from making the house habitable, something else needs to fall into place – jobs.

“We had a meeting with staff at Gullspång’s municipality and they were very helpful. But it’s difficult to apply for jobs when you’re not there. We’ve found that Swedish employers would like us to come and meet them in person; zoom meetings are just not enough,” says Anne.

Today, Patricia works for a municipality in the Netherlands and with people who are far outside the labor market. She is a recruiter for the health and social care professions while her boyfriend, one of Patricia’s sons, is the office manager for a coffee roaster. Patricia’s husband and other son are both painters.

“I’ll be able to continue working remotely for a few months, but then I will need to find another job. But what I do is not so important. We’re not moving for the jobs, but for the nature and tranquility,” says Patricia. 
In addition to learning the ins and outs of the labor market, the whole family is studying Swedish.

“We’re beginning to understand Swedish better and better, but have yet to get used to speaking it. We’re unlikely to make real progress before we move and can begin talking to Swedes,” says Anne.