Debbiej142

My husband has been in negotiations with a company in Oirschot since February, it has come to a point where they are now asking about salary. Initially he was offered €2600 per month before tax but declined this offer and is now proposi€2400 per month after tax. We have 2 young children aged 4 & 6 plus would have a UK income from property rental of approx €1100 per month before tax. My question is - would this be enough to support us in the Netherlands? Also schooling concerns me for the children; any tips? Seriously any advice would be most grateful right now. Thank you for reading

StevieLW

have you read this:
Netherlands - Lifestyle : British Expat Wiki

there are also lots of posts of people in the same situation as you if you read down the forum.

GeniB

Hi Debbie Quite a lot to think about there As to the question of will that income support you and your family? .It depends entirely on what your expectations would be,where you live now,what sort of housing you want. what your lifestyle is.I would have made enquiries about International school fees being partly supported by the company (worth a shot) It's been 5 yrs since I lived near to Eindhoven so not sure how /if things have changed .one group i know can possible help you and thats the International Women's Club of Eindhoven..look them up online..

Pulaski

Less than €30k net doesn't sound like much for a family to live on in the Netherlands.

scot47

International School Fees ? Very high - astronomical seen from the perspective of someone earning 2400 Euros a month.

Red_Wine_Fairy

I'd like to help, but you really need to list your concerns and expectations in more detail first. It would also be helpful for us to know if you intend this to be a short term or (semi)permanent move.

If you're worried he hasn't been offered a decent wage, perhaps with a webpage translator you could check if they've offered him a reasonable salary via: Loonwijzer.nl - Check hier je Salaris, Hoeveel Verdien Je

Casa Santo Estevo

You lived in Eindhoven? So did we.

GeniB

Hi Casa Thats a coincidence..where were you living?

mikelincs

[QUOTE=GeniB;11798339] the quotes.. the quotes.... you will give JG a heart attack..

Casa Santo Estevo

North of you......click the signature.

GeniB

Life too short Mike

mikelincs

I can never understand the type of post from the OP. Would you, or anyone, go up to a stranger in the street and ask that question?, well it's just the same as asking on here, some will have positive advice, others negative, but those will be coloured by their own experiences. Really, the decision is up to the OP, and they could find all the answers they have been given, and more, from internet searches.. but then they are coloured by the experience of the writers.

Cynic

It's more than minimum wage (€1500 p/month before tax); there are Dutch families living on similar or less, so it's doable, but probably not in the ex-pat world.

Holland is a great place, but it really depends on you and your expectations. If you send your kids to an International School in Holland (here's a list of International schools); for example the British School in the Netherlands are charging €14k p/year for Key Stage 1 to 6, p/child, plus a €2k charge p/kid - so there's €32k gone from your salary before you even think about rent and living. I'd seriously consider sending your kids to a local Dutch state School (we did) - they are free, but as they move up into secondary education, you can expect to pay for course books. The added bonus of a state school is they will learn Dutch much quicker and get local friends, you'll also get to meet local Dutch mums and you'll pick up Dutch and make some friends. The down side of local schools is that if you only intend to stay for a couple of years, they'll be out of sync with the UK when you return. When we came back to the UK, our kids needed a special needs teacher in the UK to get them back up to speed with speaking English, but they soon got back into it and went on to Uni in UK.

Housing - I'd recommend renting first, then register with the local housing association, my daughter just got a 2 bedroom house from one in Enschede for €500 p/month, though you'll pay more for 3 bedrooms.

Medical Insurance in Holland is mandatory, my daughter pays €150 p/month just for herself, for doctor and dentist.

If you stay in the ex-pat market place, you'll find everything very expensive.

Whatever else you do, learn Dutch. Although many speak English, you'll find that life around you is all in Dutch, you'll find it much more doable if you can communicate.

One last thing; the "salary after tax" thing. Actual income tax in Holland is very low, but on top of that you have to pay into social funds, which brings it to much more than the UK; I'd get your husband to clarify with his employer just what they mean by "after tax".

Hope this helps.

Best of luck.

Pulaski

They're looking for opinions, as it is outside their experience and they don't know anyone else who has relevant expected. ..... If my employer asked me to relocate to the Netherland on €X salary I would probably post a similar question. I wouldn't want someone to take the decision for me, but just help me with some opinions from people who have "been there and done that".

scot47

It is a bit like asking a stranger, "Should I have bacon and eggs for breakfast ?"
My answer - "It depends."