If you are looking to put down roots in Eindhoven, buying a house could be the perfect investment. The city is proving so popular with internationals that the experts behind the Expat Housing Seminars are holding an event in the city on May 29.

Just last month, the Eindhoven region was revealed to have the sharpest increase in economic growth in the country, thanks to its numerous high tech industries, many of which have sprung up around Eindhoven University of Technology.

The city is surrounded by rolling countryside, its football team PSV Eindhoven has just taken the league title for the 10^th time this century, it has its own airport and you snap up a big new family home in a nice area for under €500,000.

Hardly surprising then, that more and more international workers are opting to stay on and settle down in this Noord Brabant city of 230,000.

Settling down

Olivia van den Broek-Neri, the project coordinator for communications and events at the Holland Expat Center South, says she has noticed a rise in the number of people settling down in the region and buying a home.

‘A lot of people are choosing to live in Eindhoven for longer, for example, PhD students settle down and get a job after they’ve finished their research,’ she says. ‘We want people to stay and invest in their future here.’

So where to look?

‘It can be hard to find a place to rent here, but of course, house prices have also risen a lot,’ says Olivia. ‘Meerhoven is one place where homes sell very quickly and has a lot of expats. But I’d recommend people get on their bikes and look at other places too.

‘Eindhoven has a lot of great places to live but you need to think about where you work as well. Can you cycle to work easily, for example? Look north as well as south and check out the villages.’

Chris van Maasdijk, one of the founders of Expat Mortgages, which has just opened an office in the city, agrees.

‘Look at places like the suburb of Veldhoven and the village of Waalre,’ he says. ‘It is always worth looking at more rural areas, when you are still so close to the city centre. In fact, the whole south of the Netherlands is becoming more popular with international workers.’

Son en Breugel, Best, Nuenen and Helmond are other towns worth checking out when you are looking for a new home in the area, and want to avoid the overheating which has hit the city centre itself.

Knowing the best places to look requires research, says Van Maasdijk. ‘That’s why it is always good to talk to experts on the ground.’

The popularity of the south of the country among the international community is one of the driving forces behind Expat Mortgages’ decision to open up its own office in the region. Now, local expats can benefit from the team’s years of expertise in helping international workers get the best possible deal.

‘I was born and raised in the south of the Netherlands and I know almost all the estate agents, valuation experts, construction companies and civil law notaries in this area,’ says Roy Schreurs, who heads up the Eindhoven operation.

‘Eindhoven provides more value for your money and offers a different way of living. It is more laid back, more Bourgondian. But there are also lots of concert venues, cinemas and theatre. My secret tip – if you like water sports, then you must head for nearby Roermond, where there are several beautiful lakes for boating, windsurfing, or simply relaxing.’

If you are in the Eindhoven region and are thinking about buying a house, feel free to get in touch with Roy Schreurs via info@expatmortgages.nl

Find out more about the Expat Housing Seminar here

You can also meet the Expat Mortgages team at the I am not a Tourist expat fair in Eindhoven on June 10.