Advice from our practice
Guides for living, renting and buying in the Netherlands.
Practical, no-nonsense guides to buying and settling in the Netherlands — written by the team that negotiates these deals every week. Natalia, a published housing author, has written about Dutch housing for years.
The Dutch housing market in 2026 — what I'm actually seeing
A buying agent's honest read on the Dutch housing market in 2026: why buyers finally have time to think, why prices aren't falling despite more supply, and what 'the right time to buy' actually means.
"We negotiated down. The house sold for €250,000 more." The story of one deal.
The real story of one deal: our client negotiated down from €2,750,000 — and the house sold to someone else for €3,000,000 in the meantime. On why there's no such thing as "the right price," and how an agent makes decisions without knowing the future.
"Why do I even need an agent? I can buy a house myself."
Anyone can open Funda and book a viewing. The VvE minutes, the maintenance plan and the small print in the contract are exactly what a buying agent is for. An honest look at where the real risks of buying a home actually hide.
How Russian-speaking IT expats buy their first home in the Netherlands
Notes from an estate agent who can no longer look at a flat like a normal person: from the first mortgage calculator to the signature at the notary — how Russian-speaking techies find their first home, and how not to.
How Russian-speaking expats sell up in Amsterdam and go off to live a 'normal life'
After 7–10 years in Amsterdam comes the moment: 'we've decided to move.' On the great Dutch exodus to the suburbs, the new cult of the home office, and why real integration is selling your Amsterdam flat of your own free will.
A Dutch mortgage through an expat's eyes, or how the bank decides whether you deserve a home
The real question isn't whether the bank will give you a mortgage, but how much. Why a permanent contract is worth hundreds of thousands, whether you can buy with nothing down, and how the bank actually counts your income.
Renting as a student in the Netherlands (without losing your mind)
A practical guide for international students: when to start looking, where to register, what hospiteren really is, what a room costs — and why your first Dutch address is almost never your last.
A Russian-speaking expat hunts for a rental in the Netherlands: a tragicomedy in three acts
Thousands of specialists arrive every year and make the same mistake — they think the hard part is behind them. On the act of optimism, the reality of the Randstad, the 'prove you're rich enough' ordeal, and why the flat goes to the least troublesome applicant.
Buying a home in the Netherlands, step by step
From the first mortgage conversation to the keys at the notary: how the Dutch buying process actually works — and where each step can go wrong.
Bidding on a Dutch home: compete without overpaying
Why the asking price is a strategy, what a strong bid is made of, and the two Dutch rules — written form and cooling-off — every buyer should know before offering.
Kosten koper: what buying a home really costs
The purchase price is not the whole price. A clear breakdown of Dutch buyer’s costs — transfer tax, notary, valuation, survey — and which of them are tax-deductible.
From Natalia’s library
Natalia has written about Dutch housing for years. Her earlier guides are published in Russian on rabotaem.nl — her selection will move here over time. A note on the numbers: those articles date from 2021, and the market has moved on since — read them for how the situation has changed, not for today's figures. The starters' transfer-tax exemption, for example, is €555,000 in 2026, rising to €615,000 in 2027.