Jan-Willem(52)

I worked as a logistics manager at a large company in the Port of Antwerp. Every day I drove 50 minutes there, 50 minutes back — through rain, wind and traffic jams on the A4 and E19. Thousands of hours in the car, thousands of liters of diesel. After divorcing my ex-wife and the kids leaving for university, there was no reason to stay in Bergen op Zoom.

The move was pragmatic. I sold my terraced house in Bergen op Zoom for €310,000 and bought an apartment on the Eilandje in Antwerp for €275,000. With the equity I no longer needed a mortgage. Registration duties in Flanders were 3%, and notary costs were reasonable. Financially I came out better than expected.

As a cross-border worker already paying Belgian tax, the fiscal transition was relatively straightforward. I had been paying Belgian income tax for years through the double taxation treaty. The only difference was that I now also lived in Belgium, which changed some deductions. My accountant in Antwerp handled the transition — the first year I filed tax returns in both countries.

What I appreciate most is the time I've regained. No more ninety minutes per day in traffic, but ten minutes cycling to the port. I cycle along the Scheldt, past Zaha Hadid's Port House, and I'm at the office. Those two hours per day I've regained, I spend on sports (I swim at Wezenberg swimming stadium) and exploring Antwerp.

Socially the transition was harder than expected. In Bergen op Zoom I had built a solid network over twenty years. In Antwerp I had to start over. I joined a cycling club in Schoten and regularly go to the Sportpaleis for concerts. Slowly my Antwerp network is growing.

My tip for cross-border commuters considering making the move: do the math. Add up your travel time, fuel costs and wear and tear. If you already work in Belgium and pay taxes there, the transition is smaller than you think. And the quality of life you gain by living close to work is priceless.