How do I buy a house or apartment in the Netherlands?

Especially for expats and starters it is important that you seek professional help and experience. Buying a home is probably the biggest purchase you will ever make. Therefore, be well advised and certainly also look at the disadvantages of buying a house. First of all, it is important to determine the requirements of your future home. There are more than seven million homes in the Netherlands, so how do you find the right one?

It starts with answering the following questions. The real estate agents at Van Bruggen Adviesgroep can help you to find the answers.

1. Where do you want to live? Do you have a specific region in mind? Or, do you even want to live in that one neighbourhood. How flexible are you in this?
2. How many people will you live with in the house? And, will that change in the near future? For example if children are expected or if the children are leaving home on their way to university.
3. How long do you plan to continue living in that house? Is it an intermediate step until you can afford your dream house? Or, do you expect to live here for the next 30 years.
4. What is your maximum lending capacity? And, more importantly, what would you like to lend? Quite often that is not the maximum mortgage.
5. What kind of house are you looking for? Do you go for an apartment, semi-detached house or rural villa. Or, do you go for something very special like a houseboat.
6. Are you looking for a new house? Or are you, like many of the Dutch, in love with the 1930s style? Does the house have to be ready for living? Or, are you looking for a house that needs to be renovated?
7. How much of a hurry are you in? When do you want to start living in the new house? Is there a fixed date that the property must be available?

Only when you have answered these questions are you ready to start searching effectively. This is therefore the right time to acquire the services of a professional real estate agent. These professionals can protect you from emotional decisions. Especially in an overstrained housing market, as we now know in many urban areas in the Netherlands, is it important to be able to count on someone with experience and knowledge of the local housing market.  Especially for expats and starters, it will pay off to get professional help of an experienced real estate agent. The aid of an agent obviously will come at a price, but they are worth the money because the real estate agent will carry out critical research into the property and will negotiate a good and fair price. With a real estate agent at your side you will not be confronted with unexpected surprises afterwards.