Schmid & Hoppler Relocation
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Schmid & Hoppler Relocation markets itself as "your specialists for the perfect expat service." The firm is run by Sandra Schmid and Cornelia Hoppler from Wollerau, on the Zurich side of the lake. The site divides services into two tracks: relocation proper (the arrival process) and concierge (the ongoing lifestyle support), which is an explicit positioning choice that separates logistics from luxury. Both tracks claim to draw on "long experience in serving expats, enabling a smooth and efficient process."
The relocation track
The relocation side covers the arrival process in six headings: home search, work permits, registrations and permits, car import and registration, school placement, and departure. Home search is listed first, consistent with how other firms prioritize it. The site does not detail whether Schmid & Hoppler conducts apartment searches themselves or consults on strategy, whether they have partnerships with landlords or real estate agents, or whether their value is in vetting prospects and negotiating terms with landlords. Work permits and registrations are grouped separately from home search, suggesting they are distinct services, which is accurate: Swiss work authorization and cantonal residency registration follow different timelines and involve different agencies. Car import and registration is named explicitly as its own service, which is specific and practical: Switzerland has particular rules for importing a vehicle from abroad (customs duty, emissions standards, registration), and many relocating professionals need guidance on whether to bring a car, what it costs, and what paperwork is required before arrival. School placement is listed without elaboration on public versus private, language of instruction, or whether the firm assists with applications or merely recommends schools based on the family's priorities. Departure is the exit counterpart to arrival: assisting with finding a replacement tenant or buyer, cancelling contracts, deregistering from cantonal authorities, and recovering deposits.
The concierge track
The concierge services are defined as finding replacement tenants or property buyers, property maintenance, household management, finding household staff and nannies, event organization, and administrative support. This is luxury-tier support: not all expat firms offer to find you staff or organize your parties. The positioning suggests Schmid & Hoppler aims at expat professionals in senior roles or finance, where a spouse might want domestic support and where entertaining (client dinners, social events) is part of the job. The breadth is unusual. Some of these services (property maintenance, household staff recruitment) are so specialized that the firm either has deep networks or acts as a broker to local vendors. The site does not clarify which.
The proprietors and their backgrounds
Cornelia Hoppler has "long professional experience in Wealth Management and Executive Search." She is described as "experienced in dealing with international clients and government matters," and characterized as "professional and straightforward." This background suggests experience placing and supporting senior-level expats, possibly in finance. Sandra Schmid started her career "in the luxury goods and tourism industry," with "numerous private moves within and outside Switzerland," which is distinct: it suggests comfort with travel, relocation as a way of life, and the hospitality side of things. She is described as creative and enthusiastic, with the intention of ensuring "every individual customer wish is addressed and carefully executed."
The website emphasizes that this is a small firm, not a large operation. The page features the two principals by name and background rather than listing a team. This positioning is honest about scale and also a signal about how you will be served (you work directly with one of them, not with a junior coordinator).
What the site does not publish
The site publishes no pricing for any service. Is work-permit assistance an hourly consultation, a flat fee, or a success fee tied to obtaining the permit? Does home-search assistance include a commission split with agents, and if so, does that affect your cost? The concierge services (event organization, household staff recruitment) could range from hundreds to tens of thousands of francs per engagement depending on scope and sophistication, and the site does not hint at the range or what to expect. No timeline is given: how many days to process a work permit, how many weeks to place a child in school, how long the home-search process typically takes. The site does not state whether they work primarily with corporate employers providing relocation budgets or only with private individuals, though the emphasis on expats and the breadth of concierge services suggest they have experience with both.
The site does not clarify whether Schmid & Hoppler is licensed or regulated in any way, whether they have professional insurance, or what qualifications they hold. They describe "long experience" but not how long: is this a five-year-old firm or a twenty-year-old operation? The site does not state what languages they serve beyond German and French. There is no discussion of geographic scope: is their expertise limited to the Zurich region, or do they work across Switzerland? Do they have partner networks in other cantons?
Who it suits
Schmid & Hoppler suits expat professionals with resources, including corporate expats with relocation budgets, who want more than logistics and value the concierge angle (household help, event planning). The emphasis on Wealth Management clients and the breadth of concierge services suggests they aim at upper-income expats. Someone relocating on a modest budget with a straightforward arrival (no car import, no household staff needed, child already enrolled in school) will find the offering over-engineered. Someone in a senior role at a financial firm, arriving with family, needing school placement and entertainment logistics, will find a match.
The site's emphasis on personal engagement and custom service suggests Schmid & Hoppler does not operate on a high-volume, standardized model. This is a bespoke relocation and lifestyle service. The site does not publish whether there is a minimum project size or how pricing is structured.
Schmid & Hoppler Relocation is a complete arrival-and-lifestyle service for expats in senior roles. The site is refreshingly honest about scale (two people) and positioning (luxury expat support). The lack of pricing means arriving at the firm requires a conversation, which is consistent with how bespoke services operate. For a straightforward, budget-conscious arrival, this is not the firm. For someone who wants school placement, car import, work permits, and household management bundled with one trusted contact who has done this many times, it is precisely the positioning you would look for.