When Movers Move | Rory Lautenbach

Coincidence or not? Many movers also happen to be expats who have seen a considerable part of the world during their travels. An interview with Rory Lautenbach about living, quality of life and finding happiness in South Africa and England.

Rory Lautenbach moved from South Africa to the United Kingdom

Rory is a move manager for DT Moving (a Gosselin Group company) in the United Kingdom and has moved more than 15 times in his life, primarily within the African continent. “I am South African and my wife is Scottish. We arrived in London in 2006 with our daughter and six suitcases.”

What is the biggest difference between Cape Town and London?

“Cape Town is international in the sense that you will mostly find people there are from all over the African continent and some from Europe. London is however fully metropolitan with people from all over the world and an amazing experience. For me one of the biggest differences between the two cities are the job opportunities, these are relatively limited in Cape Town but seemed far more abundant in London.”

“Cape Town is a beautiful city with a pleasant climate and is the ideal vacation destination. The city does however have its share of serious crime and growing up in Cape Town meant that I spent much of my childhood living with burglar bars on windows and security gates on doors. Our daughter would never have been allowed to go to school alone on foot or by bike unlike here in London where children are often seen out in communities on bikes or on foot and it’s so nice to see.”

How long did it take for your new house to feel like a home?

“It took me less than a year to feel completely at home in London. I’m one of those people who likes to plan things far in advance, so I didn’t run into that many obstacles during the moving process. The hardest part was securing a property, rents are high and one is usually expected to pay six to eight months of rent in advance which can be difficult. I also had to switch to a new brand of chutney, but apart from that, I didn’t have that many problems (laughs). My colleagues at work however gave me a warm welcome which definitely made the transition easier and smoother.”

“For my daughter the move came at a time when she was switching from junior school to high school, in a way this helped the transition but in another way was very hard for her as she lost many friends when she left SA and I think this made it especially hard for her. That said her school here was fantastic and she soon made new friends and settled in.”

What does quality of life mean to you?

“Quality of life means being happy! My family and I are really happy in London, this much is certain. There’s so much to experience and do here, there are excellent job opportunities for those who wish to improve themselves and also many opportunities to help others for those willing to give up some of their spare time for charities, fund raisers, etc. Feeling safe of course also contributes greatly to our quality of life here, the police force are excellent and we can walk down the street here without constantly having to worry, a very good feeling indeed.”

About Gosselin Mobility

Gosselin Mobility is a leading provider of international moving and relocation services. Our clients are  multinationals, relocation management companies, expats, diplomats, military personnel and private persons. Gosselin Mobility has 56 offices in 34 countries and has a strong presence in Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Gosselin Mobility is a division of the Gosselin Group that has its headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium. The company was founded in 1930 and employs 800 co-workers that generate more than 300 million euro in turnover.