The one thing we were really worried about when making our move to the Netherlands was finding a flat. We heard and read horror stories about how notoriously difficult this can be as the country is currently going through a housing crisis. What made our search even harder was that our budget was limited. What made it easier was that we were flexible. We both work from home and this meant that we could live anywhere.
All we wanted was to move. Slovakia – with its dismal politics, its harmful populist rhetoric and its shamefully outdated bureaucratic approach to foreigners and the effect of all this – was sapping the joy out of us. We were ready for an adventure. Our quality of life depended on it.
So we drew a circle around the parts of The Netherlands that interested us. My husband, who’s transitioning into Tech, wanted to be closer to Eindhoven while I wanted the opportunity to experience life in a smaller city and be closer to nature. This narrowed our search to North Brabant and Limburg and Limburg is where we ended up.
Although at times it looked impossible, being organised, strategic and flexible really helped us find our home and in the end it all turned out much better than expected. So if you’re in the same predicament, don’t give up.
Here are some of the steps we took and the documents we had to prepare before signing our contract. I think it’s important to state that I’m an EU citizen. The rules maybe a little different if you are not.
Start Early
This goes without saying but it’s easy to get lost in all the preparations and leave the house hunting for last minute. We started about two months in advance but our friends already living in the Netherlands suggested three. This is to give yourself enough time for the search and the paperwork. It took us about a month to go through the whole process of registering, submitting all the paperwork (see below), paying our deposit, and signing our contract.
Documents We Had to Submit
- A copy of our passports / residency cards
- An employer statement
- Our work contracts
- Our last three payslips
The Sites We Used
Our Dutch friends recommended using Funda and Pararius which we did. The good thing is that both link you to various rental agencies. This then gives you the option to write directly to the rental agencies in the area in which you want to live and you can let them know what you are looking for. We avoided using Facebook groups because of the likelihood of scams but we also know people who have found a place that way.
What happened in the End
After doing some research, we decided to rent our flat with Holland2stay. The benefit was that we could do everything online and we loved the scandi-minimalist design of the flat and furnishings. Of course, we were very much aware that we were making a decision before we actually saw the flat but we decided to take the risk. And in the end we are glad we did because the flat turned out to be so much better than we imagined. It was also brand new, with all the dishes, pots, coffee maker, etc. still in boxes. Unpacking felt like Christmas.
