Housing is set to be the biggest topic of the general election later this month, and every party is coming out with plans to boost the number of affordable homes. In the meantime, house prices continue to rise but the number of homes on the market is increasing, as more landlords sell off rental property to avoid higher taxes. Here’s our quarterly round-up of the latest housing news.  

House prices rise
Repeated figures from economists and Dutch banks show that house prices in the Netherlands are still going up and will continue to do so for some time, rising 9.7% in the second quarter of the year.  In the meantime, however, the government has pledged to build 100,000 new homes a year for the next 10 years in an effort to meet demand.

That means the competition to buy an affordable home remains intense. “The underlying problem is not yet being solved,” says Richardo Cruz Fortes from Expat Mortgages. “There simply is a shortage of housing.”

Newly built property
New figures from national statistics agency CBS earlier this month showed that price increases for new homes are slowing. In the second quarter of the year, they were up an average of 7.8% on the same period in 2024 but in the first quarter the difference was 9.4%. The average price of a new home is now €495,000.

More newly built property might be coming on the market but there is a catch for internationals, Richardo points out. “You need to be sure that you are planning to stay here for a few years because if you buy a new home, you buy it before it has been built and that can take a while.”

Room for optimism
In the second quarter of this year, 57,000 homes in the Netherlands changed hands, and that is up 20% on the same period last year. “People are still able to buy houses and they are doing so,” Richardo says.

“This is partly down to new measures that have been introduced to help people to buy – such as the cancellation of property transfer tax for the under-35s. But it really all boils down to being persistent. Persistence does pay off. And it is about managing disappointment and not giving up when you don’t get that home that could have been perfect.”

A key part of this, says Richardo, is about getting properly prepared. You can get a rough idea about how much you can borrow if you use an online mortgage calculator, but you need to do more than that. A mortgage advisor can help you get ready to be able to move swiftly as soon as that perfect property comes on the market.

“And banks are becoming more flexible about doing a pre-check on your finances, to give you more certainty about how much you can borrow,” he says. “Although we still have some way to go.”

Rental property sell offs
New figures published by the national statistics agency CBS in October show that the number of rental properties in the Netherlands has gone down by 3,000 because landlords are selling up to avoid new rental contract rules and higher taxes. In particular, smaller flats in the big cities are being sold and that does open up new opportunities for buyers.

“If you have a temporary rental contract, don’t wait for your landlord to tell you what they are going to do and if they are going to sell or not,” Richardo warns. “You need to be aware of your options as early as you can. So ask your landlord what their intentions are. If you come to me in October and tell me you have to move out in December, it is going to be very difficult to find you a new place to live – whether you want to rent or buy. You need four to six months at least.”

Ask you landlord
One option is to ask your landlord if they want to sell to you, which can cut your costs to some extent. However, says Richardo, “I would always recommend that you do involve a third party – a real estate agent or a notary – to look out for your interests. You might get on very well with your landlord but you should always have an independent person on your side to make sure there are no nasty surprises waiting for you.”

Changes for 2026
Looking ahead to next year, the government has agreed that the threshold for property transfer tax for the under 35 will go up to €550,000 in 2026. The national mortgage guarantee scheme will also cover a home costing up to €470,000 or €498,200 if you plan to take out energy saving measures.

Mortgage tax relief is likely to come under discussion after the general election at the end of next month, with several parties calling for it to be phased out. The impact on home buyers will vary, depending on how much they have borrowed, but it will not be stopped overnight and is likely to take a couple of years at least to be implemented if at all.

The Hague and Eindhoven
Expat Mortgages will be at the IamExpat Fair in The Hague this weekend and at the  Eindhoven fair next month if you want to meet the team in person. And if you are looking to buy in Eindhoven, there is a special event at the West Cord hotel at 6pm on October 30 where you can ask all your questions.  Sign up here

You can also always check out the FAQs on the Expat Mortgages website to see if they have the answers or why not make an appointment to talk directly to an advisor. And do this, says Richardo, even if you are only just thinking about buying a home.