{"id":6805,"date":"2024-09-10T16:12:29","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T14:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/why-are-homes-so-expensive-in-the-netherlands\/"},"modified":"2024-09-10T16:12:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T14:12:29","slug":"why-are-homes-so-expensive-in-the-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/why-are-homes-so-expensive-in-the-netherlands\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are homes so expensive in the Netherlands?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Homes in the Netherlands are more expensive than in Belgium, but why are homes so expensive in the Netherlands? Houses, apartments, buying or renting. Purchase and rental prices are climbing the highest heights. Here you can read all the reasons.   <\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reason 1: Population figures are rising<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Netherlands has a high population density. Municipalities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht are the most densely populated. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rising population is creating a rising demand for housing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The population is increasing due to good birth rates and immigration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of international companies and expats is increasing in these major Dutch cities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indexmundi.com\/map\/?v=21000&amp;r=eu&amp;l=nl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IndexMundi<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the Netherlands had 416 inhabitants per square kilometer and Belgium 384 in the year 2020.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reason 2: Lifestyle is evolving<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Netherlands, we see the phenomenon of household dilution occurring. This means that, on average, there are fewer people in one household. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Older people are living at home longer.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of people living alone is on the rise. According to the   <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbs.nl\/nl-nl\/visualisaties\/dashboard-bevolking\/regionaal\/alleenstaanden#:~:text=In%20Nederland%20woont%2019%20procent,procent%20van%20de%20inwoners%20alleen.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Central Bureau of Statistics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (CBS), 19 percent of residents live alone in the year 2024.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to CBS, the average living area per person was 53 square meters in the year 2017. In 1900, it was 10 square meters per person. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reason 3: The Dutchman is investing more in real estate<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Real estate investors buy up cheap housing, renovate it, and then sell or rent it again for a (much) higher selling price. Thus, fewer low-cost homes remain. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are more and more (private) investors, because savings rates are very low. These investors sometimes do not know what they are doing and buy apartments and houses at too high prices. Private home seekers cannot box in these prices.  <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We do see lower mortgage rates, which means you can borrow more from the bank. On the other hand, of course, the investor can do the same and start overbidding. It remains difficult to &#8220;win&#8221; as a home seeker.  <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4236\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4236\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4236 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Vastgoedinvesteerders-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Why are homes so expensive in the Netherlands_ Real estate investors\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Vastgoedinvesteerders-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Vastgoedinvesteerders-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Vastgoedinvesteerders-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Vastgoedinvesteerders-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Vastgoedinvesteerders.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4236\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Real estate investors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reason 4: People are not building enough houses<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Netherlands did not feel the 2008 economic crisis in America until the year 20211:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of the housing crash, houses were worth less. In addition, there were many floods that year, flooding and damaging homes. Thus, houses were worth less than the original mortgage they took on their home. If you sold or had to sell your house then, you had a residual debt. As a result, people sold their homes less (quickly).    <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As fewer houses were sold, people also built fewer houses. This meant that construction workers were retrained and construction companies often went out of business. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back then, fewer building materials were available, so it took longer to build a house and consequently made housing construction more expensive.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From 2013 through 2023, if you owned more than 50 rental units, a landlord levy applied on top of the corporate income tax. Housing associations with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/sociale-woning-of-sociale-bouwgrond-kopen\/\">social housing<\/a> also had to pay this and passed it on to their tenants. As a result, &#8220;cheap&#8221; social housing was no longer so cheap.  <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reason 5: Regulations are tightening<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dutch (local) regulations are getting stricter, forcing construction companies to make investments and driving up home prices:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Construction produces nitrogen emissions. Nitrogen gets into the water and soil and is harmful to nature and humans. The government aims to    <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onslevendlandschap.nl\/maatregelen\/bouw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emission-free Construction<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is PFAS in a lot of soils in the Netherlands. You can&#8217;t just dump PFAS-containing soil anywhere. You have to put it in a    <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rijksoverheid.nl\/onderwerpen\/pfas\/verruimde-pfas-regels-voor-bouw--en-baggerprojecten#:~:text=Locaties%20waar%20baggerspecie%20met%20PFAS%20kan%20worden%20gestort\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State Dredging Depot<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dumping.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must pay attention to the noise you make while building. You must not cause noise pollution. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, you have to comply with a lot of rules and laws:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Environment Act (2012 Building Code and 2012 Building Code Regulations).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Environmental Regulation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Built Environment Decree (incl. Durability Requirements).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your municipality&#8217;s local rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reason 6: Available building lots are scarce<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Netherlands, government policy is strongly focused on preserving natural areas and limiting urbanization.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, the amount of available building land is limited, creating scarcity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With scarcity, housing prices are rising.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4238\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4238\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4238 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Rijtjeshuizen-Amsterdam-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Why are homes so expensive in the Netherlands_ Row houses Amsterdam\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Rijtjeshuizen-Amsterdam-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Rijtjeshuizen-Amsterdam-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Rijtjeshuizen-Amsterdam-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Rijtjeshuizen-Amsterdam-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Waarom-is-vastgoed-zo-duur-in-Nederland_-Rijtjeshuizen-Amsterdam.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4238\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Row houses in Amsterdam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sources: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbs.nl\/nl-nl\/visualisaties\/dashboard-bevolking\/regionaal\/alleenstaanden#:~:text=In%20Nederland%20woont%2019%20procent,procent%20van%20de%20inwoners%20alleen.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Central Bureau of Statistics.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indexmundi.com\/map\/?v=21000&amp;r=eu&amp;l=nl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IndexMundi<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-S5IopCV0Ro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NOS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Youtube), <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rijksoverheid.nl\/onderwerpen\/pfas\/verruimde-pfas-regels-voor-bouw--en-baggerprojecten#:~:text=Baggeraars%20en%20bouwers%20moeten%20zich,handelingskader%20voor%20PFAS%2Dhoudende%20grond.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Central Government<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you like to cite this article as a source? Then use: <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Stiasteny, L (2024, Sept. 10). Why are homes so expensive in the Netherlands? Apartment.be. Consulted on (date XX\/XX\/202X), from https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/waarom-zijn-woningen-zo-duur-in-nederland   <\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/sociale-woning-of-sociale-bouwgrond-kopen\/\">Buying social housing or social building land<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/voorwaarden-voor-sociale-woning-huren\/\">Conditions for renting social housing under 2024 legislation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/inschrijven-voor-een-sociale-woning\/\">Registering for social housing: complete guide to quick housing offers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wonen-op-een-woonboot-volgens-wetgeving\/\">Living on a houseboat according to legislation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/flexwonen-betaalbaar-en-snel-tijdelijk-wonen\/\">Flex living: affordable and fast temporary housing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Waarom zijn woningen zo duur in Nederland\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/ext\/embed.html?id=657947826843349794&#038;src=oembed\" height=\"775\" width=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" ><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Homes in the Netherlands are more expensive than in Belgium, but why are homes so expensive in the Netherlands? Houses, apartments, buying or renting. Purchase and rental prices are climbing the highest heights. Here you can read all the reasons. Reason 1: Population figures are rising The Netherlands has a high population density. Municipalities such [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6384,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1150],"tags":[1966,1964,1967,1965,1968,1411],"class_list":["post-6805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration-en","tag-apartments-netherlands","tag-dwellings-the-netherlands","tag-house-prices-the-netherlands","tag-houses-netherlands","tag-housing-expensive-netherlands","tag-inspiration-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6805"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6805\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}