An Expat Talks about Moving to Wengen, Switzerland

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Wengen

Name three things that you wish you had brought and three you wish you had left at home.

This is crazy but Miracle Whip, Saltine Crackers, and KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce are things I can't live without. When we shipped our goods to Switzerland we included about 15 bottles of hair shampoo! Unless you are addicted to a specific kind/type--leave those kinds of things at home.

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What type of housing do you live in? Is this typical for most expats in your area?

It's a ski chalet, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath with a large loft. It can easily sleep 8-10 people. The shower (and when the electricy turns off and on) is the pacing item here.

How did you choose your neighborhood and find your home or apartment?

We wanted the 'vacation home' type of chalet. We opted for view, ease of access to town, friendliness of townfolk and one of the most important--are they willing to speak English. Since we don't speak another language, this was very important.

Are your housing costs higher or lower than they were in your home country? What is the average cost of housing there?

About the same as in the San Francisco Bay Area. A nice small (100 sq. meters) ski chalet is about USD 450,000. I think that's because it is in a tourist area. I know that some places of comparable size are less expensive in Interlaken.