Family of five relocation from Amsterdam to Little Chalfont.
The Initial Enquiry
We received a call from Holland last August from a couple who knew they would be relocating to the UK this summer and were sensibly planning ahead. The couple had three children and would be based in the UK for a five-year work assignment. One child would need a Reception age school place and nursey places for the other two. The couple were familiar with the area and were keen to look at Gerrards Cross, Amersham the Chalfonts and surrounding towns.
How we helped
We set up a call on Skype to meet the family and discuss locations in more detail. The couple had family in Buckingham so were wanting to be within striking distance. They also needed to be based within easy commuting distance of London, near good schools and with a semi-rural feel. Importantly, the requirement was for a substantial sized property over 7,000sqft. However, given our search was taking place during the pandemic, there was a noticeable property shortage in the upper end bracket. With very little for Chiltern Relocation to view on their behalf we started to put out feelers with our trusted local contacts as to what properties were likely to be coming onto the market and when. Local agents kept us in the loop as to when tenants may give notice so we could be first to view.
Problems we faced
Ideally the couple would have liked their son to go to a well rated state primary school. However, securing a Reception school place in a state primary without a local UK address and within the necessary council timeframe rendered the goal unachievable. The only option for a state place would be to apply when they had a UK address and then to be placed on a waiting list as an ‘out of year application’. With so much uncertainty, the couple appreciated that they would need to consider private school options. They were quite taken by the excellent and numerous private schools in the area and were particularly impressed by The Beacon School in Amersham. The admissions department normally invite potential new students for an informal play session with their Head of Early Years and offers are sent in registration date order. However, given the COVID travel restrictions in place, The Beacon kindly arranged a virtual meeting with their son which went very well and he secured a place for a September start.
Conclusion
We were kept informed about a stunning house coming to the rental market in Chalfont St Giles. As soon as a viewing was possible, Chiltern Relocation were first in and took a comprehensive video tour of the house. The couple loved it and we immediately put in an offer which was accepted. The couple were thrilled to arrive in mid-August ahead of school starting in September.
‘Thank you again for your assistance and advice with our relocation, it made such a big difference to have you on the ground helping us and we really appreciated your prompt responses to our queries’.
