Dutch Housing for Expats: What 150 Research Cases Taught Us

Because after 150 pre-purchase research projects for expats buying property in the Netherlands, we became even more convinced that this works.

We always start with a long consultation. Usually 60–90 minutes.

Most of that conversation is not about houses, apartments, neighborhoods, or property prices.

It is about the client.

Where they lived before.
What environments they enjoyed.
What environments drained them.
What “safe,” “comfortable,” “spacious,” “clean,” or “crowded” actually mean to them personally.

Then we move into a different type of discussion:
their Point B.

Where do they see themselves in 5 years?
What kind of environment will surround them?
Will their network be mostly local or international?
What kind of lifestyle are they moving toward?
What sports or hobbies are already part of their life — or may become part of it later?

We try to make this abstract future surprisingly concrete.

Clients often admit they never asked themselves some of these questions before.

Sometimes couples who have been together for 20 years suddenly discover major differences in how they experience places and environments.

“We lived close to beautiful nature in Norway, and you actually felt depressed there? How comes?”

These discoveries happen regularly during our consultations because we ask questions that most real estate agents and buyers' agents never ask.

Only after that do we start discussing locations, property types, square meters, layouts, budgets, and the Dutch housing market itself.

Because the actual property search comes later — after we complete the pre-purchase research and understand what kind of home, in which neighborhood, in which part of the Netherlands, realistically fits these specific people and the life they are trying to build.

For us, buying a home is not a property transaction.

It is a strategic life decision.

In the picture:
Personalized neighborhood visualization for a family with two school-age children.