S01E06 Moving to France from the Netherlands: Kim Houben’s Inspiring story

0:00 - Introduction: Kim Steps in Front of the Camera
1:14 - Life Before France: IT Career, Photography & Video Production
4:21 - The Turning Point: COVID-19 & The Decision to Move
8:08 - Finding the Right Location: Choosing France & Moving Rural
16:39 - Unexpected Connections: The Dutch Expat Community in Central France
22:41 - The Music Years: Playing in an 80s Synth-Pop Tribute Band
29:47 - Embracing Rural Life: Vegetable Gardening & Keeping Chickens

Jane: Welcome to another episode of the Sunflowers Podcast! This is quite a rare moment, I have to say. Looking over here, we have Kim—who is normally behind the cameras—joining us today to be interviewed!

I'm really excited, though I know she’s a bit nervous. I want to mention that English isn't Kim's first language—she's from the Netherlands. She speaks really good French and great English, even if she's a bit modest about it. So if we help each other through this, you'll understand why!

Kim, welcome! It’s so good to see you on this side of the camera.

Kim: Thank you for having me!

Jane: Not at all! You’re the person who makes this podcast possible, so it’s wonderful to have you in front of the lens for once. Tell us a bit about who you are and what your life was like before you moved from the Netherlands.

Kim: Well, I’m Kim, currently 45 years old. I spent most of my life in Limburg, in the south of the Netherlands. I started my career in IT and computer science, programming software during the early days before the dot-com bubble.

I met my husband at work about 25 years ago, and we’ve been together ever since. I worked in IT for quite a long time until we eventually moved here. Alongside our jobs, we also started our own company. Initially, we built websites right around 2000, when web development was just taking off. Later, we expanded into photography and video production. We filmed musicals, theater productions, operas, corporate videos, and music videos for musicians. We also ran a photo studio and did wedding videography.

Before the company grew, we also worked freelance contract jobs for other companies three days a week just to cover the bills.

Jane: We all have to pay the bills!

Kim: Exactly. My husband and I do almost everything together, and we’re very close. But over time, we got stuck in a daily routine—working, paying bills, and doing the daily grind. Even though I loved what I did, after paying off 20 years of our mortgage, I started asking myself, "What are we going to do next?"

That was around 2020 or 2021, during the COVID period. With all the restrictions, our work came to a complete halt. We couldn't film on location, photo shoots were canceled, and the entire live music scene was paused. As a musician myself, my income dropped significantly. On top of that, the company I was contracting for decided not to renew my contract. Everything collided at once.

Jane: It sounds like the perfect storm! But perhaps something was telling you it was time to follow your dream?

Kim: Exactly. It was a crucial moment to reflect on life, what I was doing, and what I wanted to do next. My goal has always been to do things I love, and if something isn't working, I try to find a way to make it fun again.

Around 2021–2022, things started picking up again with our business, but it wasn't the same as before. Friends of ours were looking to move abroad—one moved to the south of Spain, another to Hungary. I said to my husband, "Should we consider this as a real possibility? Are we going to pay another 15 years on a mortgage and see what happens, or should we sell our house now and move somewhere less expensive where we can slow down?"

Not that I want to stop doing things—I’m always full of energy for new projects—but we wanted the freedom and option to enjoy country living.

Jane: Did you consider several countries before deciding on France?

Kim: Yes, we looked at Spain, Portugal, France, Hungary, and even further abroad like Canada and the US. But we realized we wanted a place we could easily drive to—within 7 to 8 hours, like a regular workday—so we could easily visit family and friends back in the Netherlands. Since we're both musicians, we also wanted the option to drive back for a gig or a photo shoot and return home. That ruled out places that were too far away.

Jane: We looked at Spain first too, but as you travel further south, it gets very arid and hot. We really missed having distinct seasons.

Kim: Yes! We love Spain, but parts of it feel stuck in one season. As for Hungary, we decided against it because we aren't retired yet and still need to run our business and earn an income.

Eventually, we narrowed our search down to France, specifically this region and an hour or two further south. We had a list of criteria: a house with its own water well, plenty of garden space, an attached outbuilding or cottage for extra workspace, and a rural setting with neighbors nearby, but not in a busy city.

Jane: Well, in central France, we certainly don't have busy cities! Châteauroux is our nearest main town, and that's busy enough for me. Did you realize how large the Dutch community was in this area before moving?

Kim: No, not at all!

Jane: Apart from a few local friends, almost all of our close friends here are Dutch! We certainly didn't expect to come to France to learn both French and Dutch!

Kim: It’s amazing how many Dutch people live here! France is a very popular holiday destination for people from the Netherlands—everyone comes with their caravans.

When we were searching for a house, we found a few beautiful properties and even made an offer on one. However, because our house in the Netherlands wasn't sold yet, sellers here weren't willing to wait three or four months for us to complete the sale. So, we decided to sell our house first, which temporarily made us homeless!

We rented a place in the south of the Netherlands while we looked. But we had a lot of belongings, plus all the equipment from our business. On top of that, my husband is a big tech enthusiast and has a massive collection of vintage retro computers—everything from old Ataris onwards!

Jane: I saw that collection when I visited your house! It’s incredible—I’ve never seen anything like it.

Kim: We actually wanted to open a computer history museum in the Netherlands with his collection. Unfortunately, we had a bad experience with a local mayor, lost our office space, and were unable to realize the project there. That experience made my husband realize that the Netherlands wasn't the right place to build his museum.

So, we loaded everything into a huge moving truck, put our stuff into storage, and continued running our company while searching for our house in France as cash buyers, which made the process much easier.

We viewed a property about 45 minutes from here and instantly fell in love with it.

Jane: Did it feel similar to your old home?

Kim: Yes! Our previous home was built in 1910 with a light facade, and this house had the exact same charm, but with extra outbuildings and a large garden. We looked at each other and said, "This is the one."

The funny thing is, when we pulled up to view the property, we noticed a car with Dutch license plates next door. As we finished the viewing, the neighbors waved and greeted us in Dutch! Of all places, we ended up with Dutch neighbors. It’s a holiday home for them, though they plan to move permanently eventually. Our other neighbor is French, so it's a nice mix.

Jane: There really is a thriving community here. Our mutual friend Chris runs a big group that meets up a few times a year for meals—over a hundred Dutch expats show up!

Kim: Yes, the group is called Buren in het Midden van Frankrijk (Neighbors in the Middle of France). We can share a link for any Dutch or Flemish readers who want to join! It’s lovely to meet up and speak in your mother tongue.

Jane: It really is. I don't meet many Scottish people here, but being able to speak English naturally without translating everything in your head is such a relief.

Kim: Absolutely! Otherwise, you’re constantly switching between Dutch, English, and French, which can be exhausting.

Jane: One of the best parts of moving here is the diversity—meeting people from all over Europe whom you might never have crossed paths with back home. Groups like that, or Sunflowers, are so important for preventing isolation when integrating into a new country.

Kim: That’s very true. Personally, I’m a bit reserved and not naturally an outgoing person. I’d much rather entertain people or work behind the scenes than be the center of attention. That’s why I chose to be a musician on stage or work behind a camera.

Back in the Netherlands, most of my friends were fellow musicians or colleagues. When I studied IT in college, I was one of only three or four women in the program, so I was always surrounded by men. You had to learn to stand up for yourself in that environment! It made me comfortable working independently, so I don't necessarily feel the need to always be surrounded by large groups.

However, since moving here two or three years ago, I’ve realized how wonderful it is to have female friends to talk to. There are certain things in life that only other women truly understand and relate to.

Jane: Absolutely! We love our husbands, but sometimes you just need to talk to another woman who gets it. Now, you mentioned being a quiet, reserved person, but your musical side tells a completely different story! You and your husband played in a major 80s tribute band in the Netherlands. Tell us how you transform from a quiet person into a performer playing in front of hundreds of people!

Kim: When you're performing, you step into a new persona. You’re playing a character on stage to entertain the audience.

I’ve been a musician since I was a teenager, and so has my husband. We used to play in separate bands, but eventually, we decided to form our own group. I play piano, synthesizers, and sing backing vocals, while he plays piano and synths too. Over the years, we did various projects—including a Tina Turner tribute and German 70s Schlager music.

Eventually, we launched our 80s band called The New Sensation (TNS). We had four synthesizers on stage to reproduce that iconic 80s sound authentically. We played large events, city festivals, and even performed alongside brass bands and big bands.

One of our most memorable gigs was during the COVID lockdowns when live performances were banned. We set up our full stage rig with sound and light engineers in a large hall, filmed the performance with multiple camera angles, and live-streamed the concert directly to a cinema a few kilometers away! The audience sat socially distanced in the cinema watching us live on the big screen. It was an incredible experience knowing people were watching and enjoying the music despite the circumstances.

Jane: That’s fantastic! Supporting the music industry is so important. I know you’re hoping to start performing here in France as well, which we’d all love to see!

Kim: We would love to! The biggest challenge in rural France is finding local musicians to collaborate with. In the Netherlands, the network was so dense that if someone was sick, you could quickly find a substitute.

We used to commute back to the Netherlands for gigs after moving here, but spending three days traveling for a single performance wasn't financially or physically sustainable. So, we put the band on hold for now, but we hope to start something up locally when the right opportunity arises.

Jane: Well, now you're settled here with your beautiful garden, growing your own vegetables, and recently adding some new family members in the form of chickens!

Kim: Yes! We had two chickens in the Netherlands, but we couldn't bring them with us. This year, we built an outdoor coop. We went to the local market in Subtray planning to buy two chickens... and ended up coming home with four!

We’ve named two of them Koko and Chanel—Koko Chanel! They started laying eggs a couple of weeks ago, so we have fresh eggs every day now.

Jane: My husband Raymond won't let me have chickens, so I rely on everyone else for fresh eggs! French livestock markets are quite an experience—you can buy everything from knickers to a donkey!

Kim: It really takes you back 20 years. Livestock markets like that aren't common in the Netherlands anymore. Seeing chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs sold alongside fresh produce is such a unique part of rural French life.

Jane: It’s a wonderful lifestyle, and it’s been absolute bliss chatting with you today, Kim. Thank you for stepping in front of the camera and sharing your story!