What to look for in a Dutch house
Dutch homes are more compact than most international buyers expect, and the stairs are steeper. That is the most common first surprise.
Things that catch people out
Do not convert square metres one to one from your own country. A Dutch home of 100 square metres is often laid out differently, with narrower stairs and a smaller hallway than you may be used to.
Look at the energy label. It says something about your monthly costs and your comfort in winter, and for several years now it has also influenced what you can borrow and at what rate. A property with label F is not unsellable, but you want to know in advance what improving it will cost.
Check whether there is a garden, balcony or roof terrace and which way it faces. In a country with limited hours of sunshine, the orientation of outdoor space is a real part of both the enjoyment and the value.
See the buying processWhat you will come across
In the cities a large part of the supply consists of apartments in converted buildings. You buy not only the home but a share in the building, through the owners' association. The quality of that association partly determines what the apartment is worth.
Then there is the terraced house: narrow, deep, with a garden at the back. It is the most common family home in the Netherlands. Semi-detached and detached houses are found mainly outside the cities and in the higher price brackets.
New build exists too, with better insulation and less immediate maintenance, but often on a smaller plot and with completion months after purchase. We discuss what that means for your planning.
Often yes, and the stairs are steeper. Do not convert square metres one to one.
It affects your monthly costs, your comfort and what a lender is willing to finance.
A terraced house: narrow, deep, with a garden at the back. The most common family home here.
Want a second opinion on a property?
Send us the listing. We will tell you what we see, in plain English.