Renting or Selling?

22-7-2020 — 

What is the forecast for the Dutch housing market?

According to their most recent figures, NVM (association of real estate brokers and appraisers) commented that the Dutch housing market "has suffered little to nothing from the corona crisis. More properties were sold above the asking price than ever before ”. NVM chairman Onno Hoes told Dutch newspaper, de Volkskrant that: “Due to the structural housing shortage, the rise in house prices is unlikely to come to an end in the long term. Not even if a second wave of the corona virus puts the country into another lockdown. ”

Hans van der Ploeg of VBO (association of real estate agents and appraisers), observes the same. “During the [corona] crisis, buyers still demonstrated a lot of interest in sought-after properties and bids were still firmly above the asking price. Let's be clear, the housing shortage we had before the crisis has still not been resolved. ”

According to the Vereniging Eigen Huis' third corona poll among their members, homeowners also seem to be less concerned about the fall in house prices, . The percentage of homeowners concerned about a possible fall in house prices due to the corona crisis, fell from 50% to 22% in the period April through July. And expectations of a declining demand for housing also fell spectacularly from 72% at the start of the crisis to 32% in July.

Other experts expect a (slight) price correction. The Dutch Central Bank, for example, is still counting on an increase in prices this year, but expects a small decrease of 2.1 percent for 2021 and 3.7 percent in 2022.

Rental prices are still rising

According to Pararius, the online home rental platform, the average square meter price of rental homes above €750 per month rose by another 2.4 percent in the second quarter of 2020. Large cities, which are highly dependent on tourists and expats, saw the the average rents fall slightly. Haarlem and its surrounding areas, however, saw the average rental income per square meter continue to increase slightly during the past quarter.

Record numbers of rental transactions in greater Haarlem area

The figures presented by VBO, NVM, Pararius, and also the Netherlands’ Central Statistics Agency (CBS) confirm what we, at Lighthouse Property Services, experienced over the second quarter of this year; the rental market for housing properties with a monthly rental price above € 2,500 in Haarlem, Bloemendaal, Aerdenhout, Bentveld and the surrounding area continues to be strong and resulted in a record number of rental transactions in June and July.

Request a free consultation

Choosing between renting or selling your home depends on your personal situation, your financial goals, the location of your property and many other factors. If you are looking for professional and clear answers to your questions, make an appointment for an obligation free consultation with Lighthouse Property Services’ Renée Hanssen, Vivian Donders or Alison Mills.

About Lighthouse Property Services

Lighthouse Property Services is a recognized and specialized (rental) housing broker with specific and in-depth knowledge of the housing market in Haarlem and the surrounding towns of Aerdenhout, Bentveld, Bloemendaal, Heemstede, Overveen and Vogelenzang.