What to expect when becoming a house owner in the Netherlands?

“You should write a blog about what it is to be a house owner in the Netherlands.” An Indian man said. That was a comment during an information evening about renovating your house in the Netherlands, I organized. “Because I would have loved to know...

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. ...

Renovating your house? Check for subsidy

“I recently renovated my house. The roof, floor and wall are insulated, and the windows are renewed. The next step is to apply for subsidies. However, on your website, it seems so easy”. That was what Oliver* told me last week. ​ It’s all in the...

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. The house was within our budget, everything looked nice. But before, we had a second viewing planned. And it was time...