Blog
Heat pump in the Netherlands
High energy prices Our house is heated by district heating. This way of heating is getting more common in the Netherlands. There is no connection with gas in our house. Although wood is used to heat our house, the prices in 2022 went up. For me, the energy prices are...
Renovating your house? Check for subsidy
In a lot of blogs, I mentioned that you can apply for subsidies. But what kind of subsidy is available when renovating your house? It is time for a new blog. Why would the Dutch government give you a subsidy? Most of us agree that climate change is a problem. And,...
Turning your house into a zero-emission house?
Fairy tail or future? What do you think? Is a zero-emission house the future, or just a fairy tail? Something you can never for your house in your situation? To help you out of your dreams: every new house which is build in the Netherlands has to be zero use of...
Housing in NL
Costs for a house owner in the Netherlands
Every year, around February, I expect a bill is coming to our house. It's not a surprise any more, but every year I think: which amount would it be this year. And then, in May, the next one is coming. Of course, it is easy to complain about this, but I choose to be...
Renovating your house? Check for subsidy
In a lot of blogs, I mentioned that you can apply for subsidies. But what kind of subsidy is available when renovating your house? It is time for a new blog. Why would the Dutch government give you a subsidy? Most of us agree that climate change is a problem. And,...
11 questions to ask your real estate agent
Let's start with a story. A few years back, we were planning to buy a house. In the third house we visited, we were thinking to start bidding. But before, we had a second viewing planned. And it was time to ask the real estate agent some extra questions! What happened...
Buying a house in Eindhoven? 9 things to consider
What if the perfect house exists? You only don't know where and when you get to see it. In your mind, it is already existing. Or, it is just a vague idea. Buying a house in or around Eindhoven always begins with a thought or a dream. In this blog, some ideas to start...
Water in the Netherlands? There is always enough or not?
Water in the Netherlands. As a little girl, it was so normal to have water everywhere around our house. In the village, I grew up every street had its own ditch. And we lived closed to a large river, called "de Lek". As the seasons went there was always water,...
Increase the value of your house? Make it sustainable.
Do you have too much spare money? Invest in making your house in the Netherlands sustainable. The advantages are: 1. You will pay less money on energy and gas. 2. Comfort. When it's cold, you don't feel the cold rushing through your house. 3. Making your house more...
Let’s use colours in your house! 5 steps
Why is colour important? Imagine, you work in a grey room the whole day. How would you feel at the end of the day? Yes, this example is a bit extreme. But how are you feeling when you walk through nature? So, let's use some colours in your house in this grey period of...
What says the energy label about your house?
An energy label for your house in the Netherlands? What is the difference between a B-label and a D-label? That was what somebody asked me this week. Good subject for this blog. A house is not a car or electrical device. But they have in common that they all have an...
Tiny house in the Netherlands in 5 steps
Why this blog? A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Facebook. An international couple was asking for help because they dreamed of a tiny house in the Netherlands. They read already some things, but it was complicated to oversee the process. Everything was written in...
8 Villages around Eindhoven to live in
Houses are so expensive in Eindhoven. What about the villages around Eindhoven? It is a sentence I heard a lot last year, followed by a sigh. Do you recognize this? Read on. In the Netherlands, we had a lockdown in spring 2020. In this time, the kids were of course...
8 ways to heat your house in the winter
What do you need to know about maintaining your house in the Netherlands?
New or renovated house vs DIY house
A new house vs DIY house What do you prefer? Where do you see yourself living the next few years? Do you know I prefer a DIY house before a renovated house or a newly built house? Here is the reason: I like a building where you can feel and see that there has been a...
Neighborhoods in Eindhoven
As a student, I cycled through a lot of neighborhoods in Eindhoven, because I did everything by bike and visit almost every member of the student association I was involved in. Which was a very good life, of course. The members were located all around Eindhoven and...
Documentation about your house
Learn everything about the documentation of your new house.
Estate agents in Eindhoven with English website
Several types of estate agents A real estate agent or broker is called "makelaar" in Dutch. Read on for a list with real estate agents in Eindhoven. There are two kinds of brokers. "Aankoopmakelaar", which will help you to buy a house, and a "verkoopmakelaar" will...
Buying a newly built house – the advantages
Out of my own experience, buying a newly built house in the Netherlands can be quite challenging. For me, the most challenging was that I had an idea in my mind, but it didn't always was the reality. For example: we waited a lot longer before our house was ready, due...
Purchasing a house in the Netherlands
I have a hobby which I didn't know I had. It's called "Funda". And it works like this. First you go to the website Funda, and then you select which houses you want to see. Do you want to see every house above €2.000.000,00, no problem! And the interiors? It's like...
Expat rental housing in Eindhoven
In preparation for starting Settle Down Support, I did some research on expat rental housing in Eindhoven. In interviews, I asked people how they found a place to live. And what experiences they have in finding a house. Renting a house When internationals stay the...
Best places to live in the Netherlands
As a Dutch, I lived in several places throughout the Netherlands. Wassenaar (near The Hague), Kinderdijk (the windmills) near Dordrecht and Eindhoven. I also spend several weeks in Leiden and Delft and every year I visit at least 5 new places I have never been. I...
Living in NL – service costs of your house
Last year I got the interesting question from an international friend: “We received a letter and it said: “afrekening service kosten” (reckoning service costs) we will get a refund, but have we not paid too much? And what is in there anyway? Is that common of living...
Our own experiences
How to maintain a house in the Netherlands?
You buy a new house, so you don't have to do much to maintain. May I tell you a story? It has been 3 years since we moved into our newly built house. And we received a binder full of information on how to maintain the house. After half a year they advised to clean the...
Safe house in the Netherlands? Keep burglars out!
As a student I lived half a year in a caravan. One weekend I was visiting my parents, and I received a phone call. The caravan was a ravage. The cause: burglars. I never felt so unsafe in my life. That's the reason why I write this blog. So let's start to make your...
Which flooring do you choose? Laminate, tiles or …?
Many ex-pats are surprised when they notice that many Dutch houses are sold unfurnished. And even when you rent a house, you probably need to think about curtains, flooring and furniture. In this blog more information about flooring in the Netherlands and the costs...
Handyman, construction company or architect?
When you just bought a house, your house is too small, or you just want to adjust your house, this blog is written for you. Because who do you need in which case? What does a handyman, construction company or architect in the Netherlands? In general, you can say: a...
Solar panels on a Dutch house – worth investing?
Solar panels, what a difficult subject. When we bought our new house, we knew that the next step to make our house more sustainable would be placing solar panels on the roof. At that moment we hesitated. Why? One of the neighbours had a lot of trouble with leakage...
After moving – part 1 maintaining a house
What do you need to know about maintaining your house in the Netherlands?
Making my house a home – part 3 settling down
Settle down in my new house Of course, it took a while before I settled in my new house in Eindhoven, more specifically Meerhoven. (You can read about the previous phase here). What really helped was finishing the rooms one by one and just being together as a...
Making my house a home – part 2 implementation
Handover day The day we got the keys, I was nervous. We had only been able to visit the house in Eindhoven on three previous occasions. I was well aware that building projects of this nature being what they are, mistakes were bound to have been made, but it takes a...
Making my house a home – part 1 preparation
A new house, a new start After two years of waiting, we received the keys to our newly built house in Eindhoven. As is normal here in the Netherlands, it even smelled new. No floors had been laid; no kitchen had been installed. The walls were bare and there were no...
Practical blogs
What you need to know about undeclared work in the Netherlands
Not a fancy subject this time: undeclared work or working black in the Netherlands. However, an important one. If you are thinking about renovating your house, you may phase this question: Do you want the work done partly undeclared or not? Why this blog? The answer...
What’s your energy and water consumption?
Energy and water consumption is a hot item these last months. It is a life necessity, which we take for granted in the west. A year ago, the market for energy was stable, now the market is crazy due to the war. And, most of us will think: what can I do to reduce the...
How to clean your house in the Netherlands?
Like in many families, in my family some stories are told over and over again. And, one is about the way of cleaning which was normal in my grandmothers' young years. When she was running her family, people judged her by how clean her house and wash was. If I think of...
Reading a Dutch quotation from a company
Every holiday, I make a list of what needs to be done in the house. Odd things like cleaning the ventilation system or painting the stairs. As a result, the last one is now on my list, and it takes good planning with a family who walks the stairs daily! Next time I...
Heat pump in the Netherlands
High energy prices Our house is heated by district heating. This way of heating is getting more common in the Netherlands. There is no connection with gas in our house. Although wood is used to heat our house, the prices in 2022 went up. For me, the energy prices are...
11 easy ways to reduce energy use this winter
When I was a teenager, I studied behind my desk in my bedroom. Sometimes it was so cold, that I used a little electrical heater. Especially warm feet helped. Saving money on your energy bill is difficult? The prices for gas and electricity increased a lot last months....
Maintenance calendar for a Dutch house
On Dutch television, there is a programme which is called "Wie is de mol?". A favourite of many people. In this programme, the attendees are doing a lot of games. One attendee is sabotaging the whole game in secret. And you need to guess who that is. However, that is...
Turning your house into a zero-emission house?
Fairy tail or future? What do you think? Is a zero-emission house the future, or just a fairy tail? Something you can never for your house in your situation? To help you out of your dreams: every new house which is build in the Netherlands has to be zero use of...
What to do with asbestos in the roof, wall or flooring?
Imagine, you find the house of your dreams. You investigate the condition of the house and see that there is asbestos in the roof. What to do? This situation may sound weird, because asbestos is not something to worry about in the country you grew up. Or you panic,...
Wallpaper, the endless possibilities
Heavy and hot. That's what I remember of a summer job in a paint shop. The buckets full of paint, the books full of wallpaper. But I also remember the endless possibilities of wallpaper, paint and curtains together. Why would you choose wallpaper? For me, wallpaper...
Insulating your house in 6 steps
When I was a student, I lived in a house that is built in the 1920s. In the winter the heating was full-on, and I always wore a thick jumper. But still I didn't feel comfortable. In the summer, I studied in the living room because it was too hot. For many of you, this...
Why a technical inspection when you buy a house in the Netherlands?
When you buy a car, you normally look at the state of that car. Right? Or ask someone to come with you with some knowledge. But when you buy a house? Are you planning a technical inspection for your new house in the Netherlands? In this blog, you will read more about...
10 things ex-pats forget when moving house in NL
Have you ever received a letter because you forgot to inform the electricity company about your move? Well, I did. And it was a few hundred euros. Moving is one of the busiest times of your life. And to help you as an ex-pat, here is a list of 10 things not to forget...
Finding a good contractor in the Netherlands
Your house is too small. Or you need one more room because you work at home. Maybe you think about insulating your old house. Buying another house is too expensive. You can think about a lot more reasons, but you require a contractor. A very good and capable one. But...
Ventilating your house in the winter
Do you recognize this? Once there was a time that meetings took place at the office. After half an hour a headache comes up. And after an hour you are completely worn out and happy that you could leave the room. That is what bad ventilation do to you, also on a...
8 things to add to your budget for moving house
Imagine, you bought the house of your dreams. In that house, a few things need a change. The bathroom requires a replacement and the walls require a new layer of paint. But then, the hot water boiler requires replacement too. So a part of the budget for moving house...
Let’s use colours in your house! 5 steps
Why is colour important? Imagine, you work in a grey room the whole day. How would you feel at the end of the day? Yes, this example is a bit extreme. But how are you feeling when you walk through nature? So, let's use some colours in your house in this grey period of...
How to reduce noise in your house. 9 tips
Working from home Is it a challenge for you to work from home? In our house, the tumble dryer is a discussion point. Why? The 6-year-old tumble dryer is very noisy. I measured it: 68 dB. You can compare it with driving in a car at the highway or vacuum cleaner in the...
How to buy a bathroom in the Netherlands
A new bathroom Sometimes, you have the feeling that you are overwhelmed because there are too many choices. If you are planning to buy a bathroom in the Netherlands, you can have this feeling. Where do I start? What is normal here? What do I need to expect? In some...
Maintaining your Dutch house in the autumn
We still hope for an Indian summer, but the temperatures are dropping now. For now autumn and winter are coming, so we better can get ready for that. We have a sea climate here, so autumn and winter can be very wet. Here some general things, which will work in your...
About the writer
Well, I am Marijke. I lived in several places in the Netherlands and now already for 14 years in Eindhoven. This is the city I love because all the green places and international identity.
At the age of 10 I drew a notebook full of houses at school, because I was so bored. Later on I became fascinated with old houses and the finishing of them. This made me decide that it was time to study further on this subject. And still, the technical and historical aspect of housing is very interesting to me. Combined with the love for other cultures and humans, makes that I love to write blogs. In blogging investigating, storytelling and helping others come together. I hope this will be pleasant to read and helps you further in the housing process. Feel free to contact me with suggestions for blogs or other questions. I love to hear from you!
