Housing in TopDutch

©Stella Dekker Fotografie

Finding a home

Most people in the cities of the TopDutch region live in terrace houses or apartments. But, if you prefer to live a little further out - in our picturesque villages or countryside - bigger houses are more easily available. 

Whether you’re looking to rent or to buy, leading real estate websites such as Funda.nl or Pararius.nl, provide a good overview and easy access to the housing market. Often, it’s easiest to go through a real estate agent, or a makelaar in Dutch. They will help you find the right house, work out the contracts and mediate with the landlord or seller.

Buying a home

If you want to buy a house, there’s a few things you should think about:

• We don’t have any restrictions on foreign nationals, residents or not, buying houses, however if you need a mortgage then the banks may have some rules.
• Like in most countries, there are more costs than just buying the house. Transferring deeds come with a tax and usually a fee. Also, fees for the work of the estate agent and the bank should be taken into account.
• If you’re looking to buy an apartment, most buildings are managed by an owners’ society, to whom you pay fees for insurance and maintenance.

Renting a home

If you want to rent, there’s also some important information to note:

• Especially in Groningen, it can be difficult to find rented accommodation on short notice, so try and find a place to stay as quickly as you can after your decision to move. There are, however, a lot of short-term options if you want to look for somewhere when you get here.
• Usually, contracts are for 12 months minimum, although this depends on the type and location of your place.
• Estate agent fees may either be paid by the landlord or by you. If you’re paying (a.k.a. you asked them to help you look for and negotiate a place), then fees are usually around one month’s rent plus 21 percent.

If you’re moving from abroad, you might want someone to help you organize your arrival in the TopDutch region. Relocation agents are professionals who will help you with things like finding a place to live, finding your kids a school and getting all your valuables to the region easily.