Advice on buying a house (Netherlands, Amsterdam)

[bigtimespaghetti]

what an interesting thread, I also looking at amsterdam and also possibly thinking long term house but haven't started looking at any details yet. I am still a brit in the UK lol

glad you like it beak. As you have read there are a lot of factors to consider in the Netherlands- perhaps more than in the UK in terms of regulation and also in regards to any tenants you may rent a property out to. The standard BTL mortgages are also pretty tight in the terms (I think 40% deposit is required for any rental mortgage).

The difference in price is ridiculous when compared to the UK, but salaries are lower here so that is reflected even in the centre- there is a pretty exponential curve on the canal rings where all the million euro luxury apartments are though, but if you're an expat I think that most earn above average and it seems most people live comfortably here, at least in Amsterdam.

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[bigtimespaghetti]

Useful interactive house price chart:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/11/global-house-prices

[greBit]

I am glad you are considering much more economical and social reasons as also a scale to measure the pros and cons and not just the finance and cost of living there is, this is how a mature long term investment decision is made, I'm proud of ya. The cons are considerably alright and you can get through that easy peasy. The pros are strong and if I was in the scenario as yours, I wouldn't mind taking that decision

[TPTB_need_war]

Useful interactive house price chart:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/11/global-house-prices

My gosh look at India, Brazil, and Hong Kong; huge bubbles in developing markets going to crash hard in coming years.

[TPTB_need_war]

Read the blog post:

http://www.armstrongeconomics.com/archives/34811

Real Estate – the Peak is Here

[Miracal]

Amsterdam is one of the nicest cities I've been to, and would love to go back there, even to live for a year or two.

I'd do a quick financial scenario analysis between renting and buying and keep an eye on what's available for sale on the market.

Amsterdam is a fine city, and it is also popular for its economy. Flow Traders, a Dutch high-frequency trading firm, will list on the Amsterdam stock exchange today at 32 euros ($35.28) per share, valuing the company at around 1.5 billion euros. There are slightly more than 16 million shares involved, which means they invested 35 % of their business in it. Amsterdam is my dream city to live in, man.

[bigtimespaghetti]

Read the blog post:

http://www.armstrongeconomics.com/archives/34811

Real Estate – the Peak is Here

I did read that. It's a worrying forecast indeed.

Amsterdam is one of the nicest cities I've been to, and would love to go back there, even to live for a year or two.

I'd do a quick financial scenario analysis between renting and buying and keep an eye on what's available for sale on the market.

Amsterdam is a fine city, and it is also popular for its economy. Flow Traders, a Dutch high-frequency trading firm, will list on the Amsterdam stock exchange today at 32 euros ($35.28) per share, valuing the company at around 1.5 billion euros. There are slightly more than 16 million shares involved, which means they invested 35 % of their business in it. Amsterdam is my dream city to live in, man.

Yep, I try to appreciate it everyday- it is stunning in the summer.

[MF Doom]

I didn't read through this whole thread, so I apologize if this was already asked.  But one thing I realized after buying my house is that it pays to be able to do work yourself.  Such as, doing minor electrical work (installing light fixtures, etc), doing minor plumbing (installing new kitchen faucet, new toilet, etc), carpentry work if needed (new steps, etc).

I realized quickly that hiring someone to do all these things make home ownership much more costly.  So if you are handy and can teach yourself these skills, you will be much better off as a homeowner.  If you cant, then I wish you luck because hiring an electrician, carpenter, plumber, etc can be very costly.

[JarvisTechnology]

Real estate is on an all time low period. So it doesn't really matter where you put your money to. Since , Berlin is the new hotspot of investors ,go for it. Also you should compare the construction rates , and mobility from your property. Real estate will take up some time to grow , but gradually it will climb up. Amsterdam also has a few rules , which were liberalized recently.

[MF Doom]

Real estate is on an all time low period. So it doesn't really matter where you put your money to. Since , Berlin is the new hotspot of investors ,go for it. Also you should compare the construction rates , and mobility from your property. Real estate will take up some time to grow , but gradually it will climb up. Amsterdam also has a few rules , which were liberalized recently.

I agree, I think real estate prices are low, probably cant go too much lower.  Also interest rates are at historic lows.  A house is a long term investment, for me it was a no brainer.  Good luck with your house hunt.

[freeyourmind]

Amsterdam is one of the nicest cities I've been to, and would love to go back there, even to live for a year or two.

I'd do a quick financial scenario analysis between renting and buying and keep an eye on what's available for sale on the market.

I think I'm in a little bit of a middle class bubble here compared to the rest of the Netherlands, despite the crime being highest here compared to the rest of the country I haven't had much trouble, but I am lucky enough to live in the centre right now.

Is crime an issue there?  I was only there for a week a couple years back, but every interaction I had with anyone was pleasant.

So are you currently renting the place that you're in?

Another option would be to entertain the thought of buying a place with income producing potential.  I'm currently searching for this type of property in Toronto.

[TPTB_need_war]

Real estate is on an all time low period. So it doesn't really matter where you put your money to. Since , Berlin is the new hotspot of investors ,go for it. Also you should compare the construction rates , and mobility from your property. Real estate will take up some time to grow , but gradually it will climb up. Amsterdam also has a few rules , which were liberalized recently.

I agree, I think real estate prices are low, probably cant go too much lower.  Also interest rates are at historic lows.  A house is a long term investment, for me it was a no brainer.  Good luck with your house hunt.

I'm sorry to tell you guys that you are so wrong that it is going to hurt you very much.

Again you better not ignore Armstrong. His models have never been incorrect.

Also your logic on interest rates is inverted. Low interest rates means more demand for houses thus higher prices. Interest rates will start rising after October 2015 (the global sovereign debt BIG BANG) which will drive demand for real estate down. Also property taxes will rise because governments are bankrupt and this will drive real estate into the abyss.

Those of you who buy real estate are going to be paupers by 2033 when real estate finally bottoms in price.

Liquidate all real estate immediately and before the BIG BANG contagion kicks off in October.

Real Estate – the Peak is Here

[MF Doom]

Real estate is on an all time low period. So it doesn't really matter where you put your money to. Since , Berlin is the new hotspot of investors ,go for it. Also you should compare the construction rates , and mobility from your property. Real estate will take up some time to grow , but gradually it will climb up. Amsterdam also has a few rules , which were liberalized recently.

I agree, I think real estate prices are low, probably cant go too much lower.  Also interest rates are at historic lows.  A house is a long term investment, for me it was a no brainer.  Good luck with your house hunt.

I'm sorry to tell you guys that you are so wrong that it is going to hurt you very much.

Again you better not ignore Armstrong. His models have never been incorrect.

Also your logic on interest rates is inverted. Low interest rates means more demand for houses thus higher prices. Interest rates will start rising after October 2015 (the global sovereign debt BIG BANG) which will drive demand for real estate down. Also property taxes will rise because governments are bankrupt and this will drive real estate into the abyss.

Those of you who buy real estate are going to be paupers by 2033 when real estate finally bottoms in price.

Liquidate all real estate immediately and before the BIG BANG contagion kicks off in October.

Real Estate – the Peak is Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRZTyaJvOk4

amazingly enough, just last month Martin Armstrong gave an interview where he talks about his sister recently BUYING a house. (Around the 1:09 mark)

I'm not sure why he would allow her to buy a house if real estate is such a bad investment.

Anyway, he does seem to speak a lot of truth and has a good grasp on why the monetary policies of the world are all FAILING.

[bigtimespaghetti]

Real estate is on an all time low period. So it doesn't really matter where you put your money to. Since , Berlin is the new hotspot of investors ,go for it. Also you should compare the construction rates , and mobility from your property. Real estate will take up some time to grow , but gradually it will climb up. Amsterdam also has a few rules , which were liberalized recently.

I agree, I think real estate prices are low, probably cant go too much lower.  Also interest rates are at historic lows.  A house is a long term investment, for me it was a no brainer.  Good luck with your house hunt.

Thanks MF.

Amsterdam is one of the nicest cities I've been to, and would love to go back there, even to live for a year or two.

I'd do a quick financial scenario analysis between renting and buying and keep an eye on what's available for sale on the market.

I think I'm in a little bit of a middle class bubble here compared to the rest of the Netherlands, despite the crime being highest here compared to the rest of the country I haven't had much trouble, but I am lucky enough to live in the centre right now.

Is crime an issue there?  I was only there for a week a couple years back, but every interaction I had with anyone was pleasant.

So are you currently renting the place that you're in?

Another option would be to entertain the thought of buying a place with income producing potential.  I'm currently searching for this type of property in Toronto.

Crime isn't really an issue, no. Crime is highest in Amsterdam in all the netherlands. If you are wise you will not put yourself in harms way. Junkies and criminals are not a major worry, I do not go out late or wander the city in the early hours so I almost never encounter them. There are plenty of gross men out and about of all nationalities, which accost any women. It's pathetic behaviour and gives extremist feminists more ammunition, from the way I've seen some disgusting assholes act I almost don't blame them.

[freeyourmind]

Amsterdam is one of the nicest cities I've been to, and would love to go back there, even to live for a year or two.

I'd do a quick financial scenario analysis between renting and buying and keep an eye on what's available for sale on the market.

I think I'm in a little bit of a middle class bubble here compared to the rest of the Netherlands, despite the crime being highest here compared to the rest of the country I haven't had much trouble, but I am lucky enough to live in the centre right now.

Is crime an issue there?  I was only there for a week a couple years back, but every interaction I had with anyone was pleasant.

So are you currently renting the place that you're in?

Another option would be to entertain the thought of buying a place with income producing potential.  I'm currently searching for this type of property in Toronto.

Crime isn't really an issue, no. Crime is highest in Amsterdam in all the netherlands. If you are wise you will not put yourself in harms way. Junkies and criminals are not a major worry, I do not go out late or wander the city in the early hours so I almost never encounter them. There are plenty of gross men out and about of all nationalities, which accost any women. It's pathetic behaviour and gives extremist feminists more ammunition, from the way I've seen some disgusting assholes act I almost don't blame them.

When I first got to Amsterdam, it was around midnight and I didn't really know what it would be like.  Anyways I went for what I thought would be a short walk around the area by myself, which turned into a long walk because I got lost lol.  I found it to be very safe, and most nights we walked around for hours.

As long as the more negative interactions are exceptions, you can find that even in the best of cities.  The canal houses we saw were absolutely beautiful.  Do you know the price range for the ones on the canal, and maybe on smaller streets?  I saw a show that had some Americans moving to Amsterdam in houses ranging from 600k a little further out to 2.2MM on the canal.

[bigtimespaghetti]

Amsterdam is one of the nicest cities I've been to, and would love to go back there, even to live for a year or two.

I'd do a quick financial scenario analysis between renting and buying and keep an eye on what's available for sale on the market.

I think I'm in a little bit of a middle class bubble here compared to the rest of the Netherlands, despite the crime being highest here compared to the rest of the country I haven't had much trouble, but I am lucky enough to live in the centre right now.

Is crime an issue there?  I was only there for a week a couple years back, but every interaction I had with anyone was pleasant.

So are you currently renting the place that you're in?

Another option would be to entertain the thought of buying a place with income producing potential.  I'm currently searching for this type of property in Toronto.

Crime isn't really an issue, no. Crime is highest in Amsterdam in all the netherlands. If you are wise you will not put yourself in harms way. Junkies and criminals are not a major worry, I do not go out late or wander the city in the early hours so I almost never encounter them. There are plenty of gross men out and about of all nationalities, which accost any women. It's pathetic behaviour and gives extremist feminists more ammunition, from the way I've seen some disgusting assholes act I almost don't blame them.

When I first got to Amsterdam, it was around midnight and I didn't really know what it would be like.  Anyways I went for what I thought would be a short walk around the area by myself, which turned into a long walk because I got lost lol.  I found it to be very safe, and most nights we walked around for hours.

As long as the more negative interactions are exceptions, you can find that even in the best of cities.  The canal houses we saw were absolutely beautiful.  Do you know the price range for the ones on the canal, and maybe on smaller streets?  I saw a show that had some Americans moving to Amsterdam in houses ranging from 600k a little further out to 2.2MM on the canal.

When did you come? The city has cleaned up considerably in the last 5 years. It is very easy to get lost in the centre if you are not familiar with it, the islands and canals all end up looking the same! I'm talking about being outside of the centre specifically, but even that is relatively safe when compared, for example with New York or London.

The most expensive canal ring is Herengracht (pronounced Heragrach, if my dutch serves me). I linked a fun study earlier in the thread about the prices on there. If you want a look, check out www.funda.nl- it has an english option and see prices for yourself. You can find studios on the outer canal rings for as little as 120k eur- granted they will be rabbit hutches, but probably not a bad long term investment. I recently saw a 135k 20m square studio on the canal ring after Herengracht- extremely nice finish (wasn't even freehold, was on a municipal lease), went in less than a week. I actually live in a canal house (again I consider myself extremely lucky), it's pretty cool! Apart from the general noise at night it's a beautiful view when it's not raining- actually sometimes even when it is too

But yeah 2 million euros isn't even the lowest end of what large apartments in the more beautiful parts of the centre can cost. There are some truly incredible properties available. Another anecdote- a corner house on Herengracht facing the Amstel river was renovated, and all of the flats went in less than a week. Some property developers are making out like bandits right now.

[freeyourmind]

When did you come? The city has cleaned up considerably in the last 5 years. It is very easy to get lost in the centre if you are not familiar with it, the islands and canals all end up looking the same! I'm talking about being outside of the centre specifically, but even that is relatively safe when compared, for example with New York or London.

The most expensive canal ring is Herengracht (pronounced Heragrach, if my dutch serves me). I linked a fun study earlier in the thread about the prices on there. If you want a look, check out www.funda.nl- it has an english option and see prices for yourself. You can find studios on the outer canal rings for as little as 120k eur- granted they will be rabbit hutches, but probably not a bad long term investment. I recently saw a 135k 20m square studio on the canal ring after Herengracht- extremely nice finish (wasn't even freehold, was on a municipal lease), went in less than a week. I actually live in a canal house (again I consider myself extremely lucky), it's pretty cool! Apart from the general noise at night it's a beautiful view when it's not raining- actually sometimes even when it is too

But yeah 2 million euros isn't even the lowest end of what large apartments in the more beautiful parts of the centre can cost. There are some truly incredible properties available. Another anecdote- a corner house on Herengracht facing the Amstel river was renovated, and all of the flats went in less than a week. Some property developers are making out like bandits right now.

I was there in the spring of 2011, after visiting France, Spain and Portugal.  We stayed very close to Prinsengracht...spelling might be wrong, but you'll probably know what I'm talking about.  Yeah when I first got there, it was already dark and you're right in that many of the street corners looked very similar.  It was a very mind opening trip...and I look forward to another Eurotrip including Amsterdam again.

Thanks for the link...I checked out a few properties but will need to spend some more time on the site to see what is available at different price ranges, but the properties that I saw look nice for the price.

[bigtimespaghetti]

When did you come? The city has cleaned up considerably in the last 5 years. It is very easy to get lost in the centre if you are not familiar with it, the islands and canals all end up looking the same! I'm talking about being outside of the centre specifically, but even that is relatively safe when compared, for example with New York or London.

The most expensive canal ring is Herengracht (pronounced Heragrach, if my dutch serves me). I linked a fun study earlier in the thread about the prices on there. If you want a look, check out www.funda.nl- it has an english option and see prices for yourself. You can find studios on the outer canal rings for as little as 120k eur- granted they will be rabbit hutches, but probably not a bad long term investment. I recently saw a 135k 20m square studio on the canal ring after Herengracht- extremely nice finish (wasn't even freehold, was on a municipal lease), went in less than a week. I actually live in a canal house (again I consider myself extremely lucky), it's pretty cool! Apart from the general noise at night it's a beautiful view when it's not raining- actually sometimes even when it is too

But yeah 2 million euros isn't even the lowest end of what large apartments in the more beautiful parts of the centre can cost. There are some truly incredible properties available. Another anecdote- a corner house on Herengracht facing the Amstel river was renovated, and all of the flats went in less than a week. Some property developers are making out like bandits right now.

I was there in the spring of 2011, after visiting France, Spain and Portugal.  We stayed very close to Prinsengracht...spelling might be wrong, but you'll probably know what I'm talking about.  Yeah when I first got there, it was already dark and you're right in that many of the street corners looked very similar.  It was a very mind opening trip...and I look forward to another Eurotrip including Amsterdam again.

Thanks for the link...I checked out a few properties but will need to spend some more time on the site to see what is available at different price ranges, but the properties that I saw look nice for the price.

Glad to be of help, send me a message if you're ever in Amsterdam

[ThEmporium]

Hope, so far you have come to an conclusion with more than hundreds of comments as suggestions and solutions for your Query regards to buying a house in Amsterdam. Wish you Good Luck in your purchase deal, stay sweet and happy at Home

[Miracal]

So if you are handy and can teach yourself these skills, you will be much better off as a homeowner.  If you cant, then I wish you luck because hiring an electrician, carpenter, plumber, etc can be very costly.

That's a practice every man should do, it is a major skill for men to acquire, girls love a man who could fix things I have been fixing things around my house since 13 cuz living with siblings, everything was always broken so I had to fix it first to use it. I am a self taught electrician, plumber and carpenter. Youtube is also a helpful aid, so get a wifi and learn from internet and save bills