9 things you need to know about buying a house in the Netherlands in 2022

The challenge of buying a house in the Netherlands has become, well, exactly that, a challenge. So, what do you need to know about housing in 2022? 

The year 2022 is beginning with a new cabinet in parliament and housing has become one of its key topics. 

So what’s actually changing with the Dutch housing market this year? Turns out, a lot!

1. 🐝  People are flocking to the countryside

Many of us have spent the past two years stuck indoors a lot more than we would like. And as a result, some people in the Netherlands are itching for a bit more space — and a switch to remote work means that’s more possible than ever. 

The result? Many people have moved outside of the Randstad to stretch their legs — which means housing prices are rising in the Dutch countryside.  

2. 📈 House prices are going up

So the new cabinet now needs to set up some new measures due to a mammoth of a crisis that the Netherlands is currently facing — nope, not the pandemic: the housing crisis.

The Netherlands is still in a situation where too many people are looking for homes when there simply aren’t enough. The result? Prices are skyrocketing. In 2021 alone, the Netherlands saw housing prices increase by a whopping 20%, and this rise isn’t expected to slow down in 2022. 

3. 👋  Hugo de Jonge becomes housing minister

Former Minister for Health Hugo de Jonge has hopped from one crisis to another, this time tackling housing. 

As part of the Rutte IV cabinet, his official role will now be that of Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning. So what can we expect?

4. 👍 More houses are about to be built 

Rutte IV’s cabinet has taken shape and with it, some new housing goals for 2022. The cabinet is aiming to build 100,000 homes in the Netherlands every year. It’s not close to the 900,000 homes that need to be built to supply demand, but it’s definitely a start. 

READ MORE | From minimum wage to childcare: a roundup of Rutte IV’s proposal

Meanwhile, a reduction in the landlord levy will ease the tax burden for housing associations, freeing up more money to build more houses. This will all help to combat the current housing shortage that the country faces. 

5. 💶 And the new houses are going to be more affordable 

These new builds won’t be taking the form of inaccessible swanky mansions. At least most of them won’t. The Dutch cabinet has claimed that of these 100,000 homes to be built per year, two-thirds must be considered “affordable”. 

6. 👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 The self-occupancy obligation will be implemented in more cities

A self-occupancy obligation essentially means that houses for sale may not be purchased in order to just be rented out — but that the owners will actually have to live in them. 

This will discourage cashed-up investors from buying up the available housing and blocking first-home buyers from the housing market. The investors won’t be able to rent out their housing investments to make money off them.

Cities such as Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam have already announced that they will bring in a self-occupancy obligation — so step back, landlords. 

READ MORE| Where to live in Rotterdam: the ultimate guide to Rotterdam’s neighbourhoods

7. 🌳 There will be a subsidy for more sustainable renovations

Speaking of renovations, for those of us who’ve decided it’s time to make our homes more sustainable, the Dutch government wants to give a hand. 

The Dutch cabinet has announced that it will put half a billion euros towards a National Insulation Programme (Nationaal Isolatieprogramma). 

Through this programme, anyone who wants to better insulate their home or install a hybrid heat pump will now receive a subsidy to cover 20-30% of the costs.  

8. 🔺 The National Mortgage Guarantee limit has gone up

The National Mortgage Guarantee is a protection against any debt that still stands if you can’t pay your mortgage due to involuntary unemployment, divorce, or the inability to work. 

You can opt for the National Mortgage Guarantee (or NHG as Dutchies lovingly call it) when setting up your mortgage and it will cost you 1% of the mortgage amount. 

READ MORE | 7 questions answered about getting a Dutch mortgage in 2021

However, you’ll earn your money back quickly. Lenders offer much lower interest rates (typically 0.50% lower) and on top of this, the fee to set up the NHG can be deducted from your taxable income! 

In 2021 you could apply for the NHG when buying a house of up to €325,000, in 2022 this limit is raised to €355,000.

9. 👩‍🎓 Only the real value of your student loan will be considered when applying for a mortgage

Back in the day, the Dutch government claimed that students who had student debt would not have to worry about it being considered debt when applying for a Dutch mortgage. 

However, this quickly proved to be false, with many hopeful home seekers being asked about their student loans by their bank when applying for a mortgage. 

READ MORE | Can you get a mortgage in the Netherlands as an international? With college debt? Or as a freelancer?

This became a hurdle for many because the full value of the initial debt was being factored in with no consideration for what had already been paid back. 

The cabinet seems to want to correct this misgiving (slightly), announcing that only a person’s current student debt will be taken into account when applying for a mortgage. We know, having student debt sucks — but at least this is a step in the right direction. 

Are you thinking of buying a house in 2022? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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