Planning to move to Munich late summer 2008

Hi all,
I'm new to posting on TT but have been reading on and off for a while. My husband, daughter and I are planning a move to Munich late next summer. My company has an office there and I should be able to transfer. My husband is planning on working with a headhunter or someone similar to help him line up a job (he's a native english, second-language German Electrical Engineer with technical German language certification). We spent 9 months living in Stuttgart as students, but obviously that's quite different from living in Germany as adults with a family. I speak German as well, though not what I'd call "highly fluent." Our daughter (almost 5) doesn't speak any yet.

We're looking at hiring someone to help us navigate the apartment-finding, school-finding, doctor-finding, stuff-shipping, paperwork-handling parts of this process. Basically, to help us make sure we're doing the right steps in the right order, at the right times. Has anyone used any of these services, or have one to recommend (or stay away from?). For $1500-2000, that's a bit of money without knowing any personal experiences. Also, if you used a service like this, how far in advance of the move did you get in contact with them?

The second question I had was whether anyone has thoughts on dual-language vs. standard German schooling for the first year for a child who doesn't speak the language at all yet. We're hoping to do some German-language groups or hire a native German-speaking baby-sitter some between now and next summer, but obviously that's not the same as being fluent. Our daughter is generally fairly adaptable and gets on well with people, and is not particularly shy, but I don't want to traumatize her (nor set her back) by making an ill-informed choice in this. Again, a hard choice to make without more info.

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom you might have! Here's hoping to be toasting a successful move, hopefully with some TT'ers by this time next year! Lynz

Before incurring the full wrath of the board's luminaries, may I humbly I suggest that you do a search. All these questions have been covered in depth already...

Hello Lynz-

I moved to Munich from the US last year, and though I did not use a Relocation agent for the initial move, I did use one once I arrived to help with work/residence visas, as well as all the other beauratic stuff that one encounters when moving to Germany. I highly recommend getting help even if your husband speaks German. There are just so many tricks to getting the right results. My boyfriend moved here 7 years ago and he also used the same woman to do all of his paperwork, help him find a flat, interior decorator, etc... I don't know her rate to handle a full move for a family, but I can give you her number and email address and you could inquire with her. She is very friendly and efficient. Her name and info are as follows: Theresa Hiltl relocation@theresa-hiltl.de , Relocation Theresa Hiltl, Mariahilfstr. 1, 81541 München

Tel.: +49 (089) 62 50 91 65. Fax. +49 (089) 62 50 91 45

www.theresa-hiltl.de, eMail: relocation@theresa-hiltl.de

In regards to the information for your child(ren), I can't help you there as I haven't any of my own! I hope you get responses from other TT'ers- I'm sure you will, there are a lot of people here in the same situation eager to share their experiences.

Best of luck to you and your family! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!

Rebecca

I am not an accountant or tax professional, so do not take this as professional advice, but before you come over you may want to look into tax breaks on your US taxes for the costs of moving to Germany if you move specifically to take a job here. You have probably already looked into this but, if you have not, make sure that your husband's credentials and any licenses he may have as an engineer will be recognized here.

Thanks, Rebecca. Jules, appreciate the words of wisdom, and will look around a bit more...

Taxes for the move, not something I'm familiar with (yet...). Will look into that, as well.