Thanks to sky-high rents and limited availability in the Dutch housing market, more internationals are saying “doei!” to landlords and opting to buy homes instead.
If you came to the Netherlands planning to rent a place but ended up buying one, you’re not alone.
Buying is sometimes the only option
A study by the NVM (the Dutch Association of Realtors) found that 60% of internationals initially wanted to rent but felt pushed toward purchasing due to market factors.
In many cases, this decision is also more economical. With the 30% ruling boosting many expats’ borrowing power, buying beats renting for those planning to stay in the Netherlands for longer than three years.
This extra money also gives internationals a leg up when it comes to buying a home, with many willing and able to offer a bid above the asking price.
READ MORE | How much do I have to earn to buy a house in the Netherlands?
According to the study, the average purchase price in neighbourhoods popular with expats is €591,000. That’s about €16,000 higher than the average purchase price offered by other buyers.
Where international buyers are making an impact
Of course, certain regions in the Netherlands are more popular for aspiring expat homeowners than others.
For example, nearly 50-60% of all home buyers in some neighbourhoods of Eindhoven and Veldhoven are internationals, while 75% of Hoofddorp’s Hyde Park project is owned by expats.
READ MORE | Moving to the Netherlands: all you need to know
But are internationals really buying up all homes in the Netherlands? We’ll let the figures speak for themselves:
| City | Percentage of expat home-buyers |
|---|---|
| Amstelveen | 20% |
| Veldhoven | 14% |
| Ouder-Amstel | 13% |
| Eindhoven | 12% |
| Amsterdam | 11% |
| Uithoorn | 10% |
| Haarlemmermeer | 9% |
| Geldrop-Mierlo | 7% |
| Aalsmeer | 7% |
| Waalre | 7% |
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