About Marijke

About Marijke

Creative, curious, honest, Dutch, practical, structured, friendly

Vision

In recent years, I have noticed what a struggle it is often for everyone to find a suitable house, especially for expats and internationals. And having found a house, it takes a long time to turn it into a home. Simply because you don’t know where to start in a culture where everything works so differently.

I am convinced that with the right help, you could get through the whole process faster and with less stress. I believe a home to be one of life’s necessities. Once your house is a home, you can relax and devote more energy to what really matters, such as work and family.

Background

As a child, I always had some kind of craft project on the go. Whatever the materials involved – wood, paper, paints – being creative made me happy. From age 16, I trained as a decoration and restoration painter.

Then, eager to learn more, I studied to become a building technology teacher, specializing in building maintenance, management and completion. It was during this period that I first came into contact with internationals. Thanks to them, my world grew and expanded. 

I took a job with a building company. As a construction planner, my day-to-day duties included preparing quotations, making cost calculations, planning projects and purchasing materials and labour. It was always my aim to achieve the best possible balance between time, money and efficiency. That was quite a challenge, requiring a combination of insight, foresight and planning.

After 8 years, I felt it was time for something new – a setting in which I could bring together my experience and talents, my knowledge of buildings/houses and my love for expats and internationals. 

My own experience

A number of years ago, my partner and I bought a newly built home. We prepared by saving money for several years while living in a social rental flat which was too small.

After a long two-year wait, we finally got the keys. By then, I was pregnant and very limited physically. I had prepared as much as I could beforehand and had ordered the materials we needed, but couldn’t do much otherwise. Largely thanks to the help of others, we eventually reached the point where all the boxes were in the right rooms, the floors were in, the walls plastered and painted, the kitchen installed. There was still a lot to do, of course, but from that stage onwards, our house quickly started to feel like home.

My desire is to help others achieve the same goal. This I do by giving advice and practical help, writing blogs and organizing workshops. 

If you want to know more about Marijke, please feel free to contact me.

Contact

Let’s make you a home

Download the renovation guide here

 

By downloading the checklist and agreeing with our Privacy Policy, you also sign up for the newsletter of Settle Down Support. We promise to give you valuable information and handle your data with care.

Take off to a successful house renovation by downloading the Renovation Guide for free.

- Start off successfully by turning your Dutch house into a dream home.

- Stop overthinking the renovation steps and make the best possible renovation start.

- Save your valuable time by using this renovation guide so that you can enjoy your renovated house soon. 

Thank you for downloading the renovation guide. Check your e-mail.