Relocation Case Studies

Case Study 2

A Move From Down Under And An Encounter With Wasps!

We had been asked by one of our corporate clients, an international medical manufacturing company, to provide a relocation service to one of their key director level employees.  The employee, who was based in Sydney, Australia, perceived her forthcoming long assignment in the UK as a great opportunity, and was looking forward to her move.

In their initial research, the family had identified Surrey, in south east England, as a possible target location. The employee was moving with her husband, their two school-age children and their two pets, an 18 month old shiatsu dog and a two year-old tabby cat.

We assisted the family with area orientation, a school search, a home search, removals, the PETS Scheme, opening a UK bank account and NI number application.  The challenge was to co-ordinate these service elements, considering that our always-in-demand transferee had an extremely busy work schedule and made frequent business trips around the world.  However, our team of professional Relocation Counsellors successfully handled the job, providing the transferee with the required flexibility.  

After initial area orientation and school visits in and around Guildford, the transferee was concerned about the overall quality of education on offer when compared to the Sydney school system. We discussed this in detail with her, and recommended a change in target area to Buckinghamshire, which has retained its selective system at secondary school level. An orientation trip helped the family to get the feel for the area - which they liked very much, and we arranged school entrance testing for the children, to be administered in Australia.

We provided a full Home Search service, and carefully shortlisted properties according to their requirements. From a large selection they were able to finda perfect family home in peaceful surroundings in Buckinghamshire.  We placed an offer with the agents, successfully negotiated the terms of the tenancy agreement in favour of the transferee, and achieved an amazing rent reduction of £750 per month! We attended the check-in on the transferee's behalf, set up all the utility accounts and connected a phone line, so everything was ready for the excited family to move in.

However, things took an unexpected turn after the family decided that they want to have an additional phone line at their property.  It turned out that the second line installation required digging, ducting and laying.  Eager BT contractors, digging their way through the front garden, were aiming to put 27 meters of underground ducting at the property in a single afternoon.  Little did they realise that they would soon strike "gold" - a massive underground wasp nest!  The swarm of the unhappy disturbed insects were now obstructing the contractors and they refused to proceed with their job until the nest was removed.

An unexpected "surprise" for the transferee who was away in Europe on yet another business trip.  The Relocation Bureau to the rescue!  We promptly sourced an experienced pest controller and arranged for him to attend the property and remove the nest.  Once the site was clear, we arranged for the BT contractors to resume their job and made sure that they finished it and put the garden back to its original state.

The transferee, who by then had returned home, happily informed us "garden fixed, phone working, bees gone, husband here, kids here..."  A week's holiday in Spain and ... a peaceful start of new life in the UK!  The family thereafter invited us to their new home for a BBQ, to celebrate their successful move and happy settlement in the UK.