As part of a new series, our colleagues from RTL Télé visit Luxembourgish families who have moved across the border. For this episode, they travelled to Belgium, where Fanny Schlesser and her family have built their dream home.
For years, Schlesser and her husband lived with their son in a flat in Bettembourg. However, after she found out she was expecting again, they decided they needed more space. They looked all over the country for a small house for their family. But this was financially unfeasible, as the couple was determined not to be shackled by a 30-year loan, to the point where they would have to work just to repay it. Consequently, they thought it might be worth buying a plot of land and building a house themselves. They reached out to farmers asking them to get in touch if they had a plot of land for sale, but received no response.
With limited options within Luxembourg, the couple expanded their search to the neighbouring border regions. As Schlesser's husband grew up in Belgium, the country emerged as a logical alternative. This was not an easy decision for Schlesser, who grew up in Luxembourg and had spent her whole life in the Grand Duchy. Nevertheless, if leaving her homeland was inevitable, she and her husband resolved to do it with the goal of building the home of their dreams. And that's exactly what they did in a small village near Messancy.
Their new residence boasts individual bedrooms for each child, a dedicated games room, and even a swimming pool in the garden. The lower property prices in this region enabled them to afford luxuries that would have remained out of reach within Luxembourg's borders. And all of this was possible without compromising their overall quality of life. The Schlesser family is determined to savour the present, prioritising travel and a comfortable lifestyle over the allure of a big house in Luxembourg. In their eyes, the house in Messancy was a good compromise.
Schlesser's son now attends school in Belgium, has already made new friends, and the couple has seamlessly integrated into their new surroundings. They envision a long-term future in their adopted home, with a possible return to Luxembourg on the horizon, should circumstances permit.
Related
- Luxembourgers living across the border (Part 2): "We viewed more than 50 properties"
- Luxembourgers living across the border: 'I wouldn't have gone abroad if I'd known'
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish)
