“An inspiring and rewarding experience”: Exchange Programme

30 June 2025

Recently, two colleagues from Varbergs Bostad (Sweden) participated in the Eurhonet Exchange Programme. Martina Claesson and Linnea Herlöv headed to Germany to explore how Münchner Wohnen GmbH work with property maintenance, with a specific focus on gardening and biodiversity. We caught up with Linnea and Martina to find out how it went!

Linnea: I work as a Team Leader responsible for the maintenance and development of our outdoor environments. My role includes everything from team leadership and operational planning to hands-on work in our property areas. It’s a dynamic position that combines administration with practical tasks. I have been at Varbergs Bostad for 17 years.

Martina: I work as a Property Maintenance Worker at Varbergs Bostad and have been here for two years. My job mainly involves taking care of the external environments.

Martina: I wanted to see the differences between Sweden and Germany. And also to listen to their challenges and learn from them.

Linnea: … and to gather inspiration! I was also curious about their work with biodiversity.

Linnea: We received a very warm welcome from München Wohnen and were well taken care of!

Martina: .. and we saw so much! Both new and old – and everything from outdoor environments to rooftops. We visited many different places and residential settings.

Linnea: We experienced all of Munich as a ‘calm big’ city. It felt very clean and fresh. In the evenings, it was quiet and peaceful. We had hoped to visit a ‘problem area’, but there simply wasn’t one. They’ve worked extensively with issues related to segregation in their neighbourhoods, which they say is the reason things look the way they do.

Linnea: We got to see new perspectives on working with property maintenance. We could see many differences from Sweden – and it was educational. There were, for example, different ideas regarding plant choices and landscaping. We had differing views on functionality versus creating pleasant environments. They had a different approach to their roofs – they use rooftops the way we in Sweden use our outdoor areas. On the rooftop, there were patios and grazing animals.

Martina: I agree! We were constantly learning. Lots of dialogue and exchange of best practices.

Linnea: Energy into the work. Especially in continuing the work with biodiversity – which we had many discussions about during the week. We were able to share our experiences while they told us about their work.

Martina: I was very impressed by how clean their residential areas were. That’s something we could learn from in Sweden.

Martina: They focused more on planning than execution and instead brought in contractors. That’s different from us, as we do a lot of the work in-house.

The drive to work with biodiversity was similar to ours. We look forward to being able to show them our work someday.

Linnea: We saw many differences – which made the exchange even more exciting. We have closer contact with our tenants, which they noticed as a major difference. But on the other hand, they offer different services to their tenants, such as homework help or language courses.

Martina: That there weren’t any problem areas.

Linnea: Agree! And that there was a limited opportunity to choose plants. They had clear guidelines to follow, which made the residential areas very consistent and uniform.

Linnea: GO! We had a very inspiring and rewarding week. It was developing both professionally – but even more personally. You step outside your comfort zone and it gives you so much.

Martina: Just give it a try! When I look back on the week, I see a fantastic week with great mentors, valuable exchange and meaningful discussions.

About the Exchange Programme

The Exchange Programme gives employees of our member organisations the chance to spend 3-5 days working alongside their counterpart in another member organisation. During this time, they learn different approaches and methods to tackle similar challenges in another cultural context.

We believe that all employees should have access to learning opportunities and be encouraged to grow professionally. Employees at all levels of an organisation and in all roles are eligible to take part in the Exchange Programme.

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