Figures from the Dutch land registry (Kadaster) have revealed that more first-time buyers purchased a home in the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the same period last year. Almost half of all Dutch housing transactions were completed by so-called "starters", while in the four major Dutch cities, it was almost two-thirds.
51.500 housing transactions took place in the Netherlands in Q1 - nearly 16 percent more than in the same period last year, making it the quarter with the highest number of transactions since 2021. The number of transactions involving first-time buyers also increased by 17 percent to 23.000, making up for 45 percent of all transactions.
However, the number jumps even higher if you look at the number of transactions that took place in the four largest cities, namely The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Amsterdam. 62 percent of Dutch homes were bought by starters in these cities, while in the next 40 largest municipalities, it was 50 percent. There was also a 23 percent increase in the number of first-time buyers submitting applications for mortgages.
According to NOS, the main reason that this is occurring is down to the surge in the number of investment properties being sold off due to recent changes in legislation, most notably the Affordable Rent Act. These properties are often smaller apartments that are more affordable in larger cities and fit the needs of most starters.
Housing prices and rental costs were expected to rise sharply this year, and the figures from Kadaster for the first quarter reflect that. In the months of January to March 2025, the average house cost 470.000 euros, 9 percent more than a year earlier. In the same period, first-time buyers paid on average 385.000 euros for a starter home - 6 percent more than in Q1 of 2024.
This means that the salary and savings of a potential buyer are major factors in whether they will be able to afford a home on the Dutch housing market. "That's bad news for people with a salary just above the social rent limit," TU Delft professor of housing systems Peter Boelhouwer told NOS. "You see this development blowing over from England: the phenomenon of intergenerational home ownership is becoming stronger, so parents who grew up in an owner-occupied home lead to children who will also own a home."
Research from earlier in the year supports this, as it was shown that starters have to pay 90.000 euros out of pocket to be able to buy a house in the Netherlands. "So there are still many more people looking for a home than there are available, and especially affordable homes. And although the jubelton no longer exists, financial assistance from family is still often required," said Boelhouwer, referencing the tax-free gift option many parents used to use to assist their children in buying their first home.
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