Moving to Antwerp

Hi Majella,

Welcome to Antwerp
The postcode for central station area is 2018, but the best areas to live in are Eilandje and Zuid.
You can try the website (immoweb.be), you can set appointments before you come to Antwerp (that's what I did).
Apartments can be rent furnished or not, it's up to you.
There's also a bus (airport express), straight from Brussels airport to antwerp, every hour.
Hope this help

What is wrong with Mol?

Here is a list of all post codes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_po … 9:_Antwerp

Anwerpen also has its own airport, but only for flights from Manchester and London. Brussels international (Zaventem) has direct trains to Antwerpen Berchem and Central in 30 minutes. Amsterdam is also very convenient and has direct trains from Antwerpen. Eurostar from London + local train in under 3 hours.

If you type in "postcode 2018" or another post code into google.be, you will get a link to the map of that post code.

2000
2018
2060
2140

These are the post codes for the "inner" part of Antwerpen.

Then there is 2600 for Antwerpen Berchem nearer to Mol, but still pretty central in Antwerpen.

Most apartments are rented unfurnished and you will limit your search if you only look for furnished.

Always go for a 9 year contract, NEVER a fixed contract.

Hi Nagami!

Thanks for your reply!  What postcodes are Eilandje and Zuid in?  Are both of these close to the city centre and how far are they from the railway station?  It's great getting some concrete info at last!

Thanks again!

Majella

Hi schoolmum!

Nothing wrong with Mol, I have never been there either!  I was just advised by my employer that most employees live in Antwerp!

Does a 9 year contract mean that you have to keep the lease for 9 years?  I doubt I will be there that long!

Thanks for your help!

Both Zuid and Eilandge are under postcode 2000.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuid_%28Antwerp%29)

For rental contracts, you can have 2 kinds : short terms contract (up to 3 years) and long term contract (up to 9 years).
Of course, you can leave if you you want, but there's a notice period (from 6 to 8 weeks) it should be mentioned in the contract.
You an also start with a 6 months contract, and extend it to a 3 years one.

You can leave both types of contracts at any time.

However, with a fixed 1/2/3 year contract, it means exactly that, you pay EVERY MONTH FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD, whether you still live there or not. It means you could sign a 3 year contract, change your mind and never move, you still have to pay for 3 years. I would advise against this sort of contract. There is NO NOTICE PERIOD on a fixed contract, unless you can actually get a landlord to include one which is very very rare. You move out with notice or without, you still are obliged to pay the rent for the whole period of the contract (unless you can persuade the landlord to put a notice period / diplomatic clause which defeats the object of giving you a fixed contract). If you can get a landlord to give you a 6 month contract, then you're lucky, but expect to pay more for the privilege too. These contracts are often offered to expats because landlords know they are in a win win situation with these contracts and the tenants often lose big time on them.

A 9 year contract is the one most people have. You cannot be easily evicted, unlike with a fixed contract. You must give 3 full calendar months notice counting the 3 months from 1st of month, best to sign for 1st of month as if you sign for 31st month, then notice period is 3 months and 31 days.

The penalties for leaving a 9 year contract are in the first 3 years only. Years 1/2/3 penalties are 3/2/1 months rent.

You normally give a deposit which can never be more than 2 months rent.The deposit is either put in cash into a bank account and you need the signature of the landlord to withdraw it when you leave (account is at least interest bearing and you keep the interest), or you can pay a fee to a bank to supply the "guarantee". Don't be surprised that you lose a great part of this deposit when you leave - you will either have to agree to an informal exit inspection and agree on a price for any damages, or  you share the cost of an "expert" who will assess any damaged for you, cost of this is shared. An entry inspection is obligatory and cost is shared between tenant and landlord. Try to mutually agree the "expert" for this entry inspection and ask for the qualifications of the "expert". You might find a landlord waiving the obligatory entry inspection, hard to know the consequences.

I would go and see Mol and Antwerp and anywhere in between. I am assuming this is European School Mol which is several kms from the train stations of Mol and Geel, so check out the public transport there and the time taken from somewhere like Antwerp, before considering where to live. If it really is European school Mol, then there is only one bus to school in the mornings and one in the afternoons in to Mol.
http://appl.delijn.be/dienstregelingen/ … 120501.pdfhttp://www.delijn.be/images/Netplan_Lim … -29589.pdf

The train between Antwerpen Central and Mol is 52-56 minutes and it's trains every half hour. There is also Antwerpen Berchem station which is a little furth south of the centre, should still be in 2000 post code, time to Mol is 50 minutes from there and again trains every half hour to Mol.

Hi Schoolmum!

Thanks for your advice on renting, it will undoubtedly be very helpful to me.

Do you know the European School in Mol?

I haven't been there, but you can google it

Europese School ‎
Europawijk 100
2400 Mol
014 56 31 11
esmol.net‎

You can also locate it on google map

Sorry I only know where the European school is located. It's small compared to the other European schools in Belgium and has more fee paying children there plus the only one where children can board at a Flemish Community Schools boarding around Leopoldville. The English section I was told by the secretary has only 1 class per school year.

I've only been to Mol once, small town, several lakes around with  good recreational facilities and campsites, Mol even has an open air 50m pool. Remember the European School is a few kms outside the town centre.

If you don't have a car, I'd seriously consider the consequences of the 90 minute train and bus commute from Antwerp being rather a long commute, when you could live nearby at lesser cost and cycle, walk or take the one bus of the day to school.

The post code for Mol (and Geel which is just as near to European School Mol) is 2400.

Hey!

Thanks for all your advice but I think I would rather live in a city than a town the size of Mol.  I will buy a car but will have to commute for a couple of months.

Thanks again!

Things to consider if you are going to commute from Antwerp :

From the centre of Antwerp to European school, the quickest commuting time is around 50 minutes and then you will have to take into account rush hour traffic.

The ring around Antwerp which you have to cross gets quite clogged up at rush hour.

You are going to struggle to find parking right in the centre of Antwerp around Central Station area, you will definitely pay a premium for somewhere with parking.

If you looked at the Berchem area, post code 2600, you will be more likely to find parking, it will be a quicker train and care commute, you still get the tram links into the centre of Antwerp.

You will pay quite a bit more in Antwerp than Mol or Geel for accommodation (sorry stating obvious there).

Here is a map of tram, bus and train routes in Antwerpen.
http://www.delijn.be/images/Netplan-Ant … -16716.pdf

Here is an example apartment in Antwerpen which is 620 euro a month, tiny charges of 20 euros a month, tram stop right outside the door for 1 stop to Antwerpen Berchem station or a short walk to the train station, supermarket less than 1 minute away across the road, parking just along the street. Take a look on google. Not the prettiest street, but everything you'd need on your doorstep.
http://www.immoweb.be/fr/Rent.estate.cf … ngletphoto