Do you remember that old magician’s trick where Houdini would emerge from a sealed box? For just €200,000, you could relive it daily when exiting your 14-square-metre flat in Haarlem.
That’s right: the apartment of 4.04 metres by 2.74 metres, plus a generous few metres of terrace and storage space, is on the market for a whopping €198,500 — that’s €14,179 per square metre.
The magic behind this special trick is called ✨ the Dutch housing market ✨.
Even the agent is not convinced
The “house” (we use the term loosely) offers its own kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and even overlooks the Spaarne river — but it was literally a storage room.
The agent selling the apartment, André van Regteren, doesn’t sound particularly enthusiastic about the space, either.
The asking price for this Haarlem listing is “a try-out,” Van Regteren tells RTL.
After all, the property has been sold at an unusually high price before.
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Just three months ago, the current owner bought it for €145,000, more than 11% more than the original asking price of €130,000.
It was meant for his daughter, who was supposed to start her studies in Haarlem this September.
However, he decided to sell after a change of plans, and this charming all-in-one living (surviving?) space is back on the market.
Not an isolated case
These numbers would have been unimaginable in the past, but with the current housing crisis, they are not too far off the average asking price in big Dutch cities.
In places like Amsterdam or Utrecht, paying €12,000 to €14,000 per square metre is not unusual.
Apparently, this new normal is spreading to mid-sized cities like Haarlem as well.
Have you come across outrageous housing ads in the Netherlands? Our comment section is spacious enough to fit all your stories.
