10 tips for buying a house in Amsterdam

We’re all hearing about it; the Amsterdam housing market is in turmoil, and it’s a huge challenge to find a nice, affordable home within the ring road. But don’t give up - Thoma Post is still helping happy customers find their dream home every single day! That’s why they’re delighted to offer these 10 tips to help you find the home of your dreams in no time.

From search to winning bid with Thoma Post!

Find your dream home with these 10 tips!

1. Check out your financial options

This is the most important first step in which you check how much you actually have to spend so you know which price bracket you should search in. It’s a good idea to make a no-obligation appointment with a mortgage adviser. This will give you a good idea of your maximum mortgage as well as a real estimate of any financial risks.

2. Find yourself a good real estate purchasing agent

To be frank, there have been easier times to buy a house. You see a nice house on Funda and hope you’re in time to get a viewing. And if you do manage to get a spot, you have to decide in 10 minutes whether it’s your future dream home and then make an offer within a few days. That can be difficult. How much should you offer above the asking price? And under what conditions? Will your offer just end up under a whole pile of other offers?

Emotions can run high, making things harder if you end up feeling you’ve paid too much. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a real estate agency like Thoma Post to guide you; an agency with a critical eye that can assess the condition of a house but can also be objective about what will make a good offer.

3. Widen your housing options

Always wanted to live in Amsterdam Zuid? It is, of course, a stunning place. But it’s also one of the most expensive areas of the city. Amsterdam is developing fast and there are many other nice areas. Consider taking a look at the parts of Amsterdam you’ve maybe excluded in the past. Try cycling through Nieuw West or pop on the ferry to Amsterdam Noord. You might even find a house with a small garden there. What about that cool new-build project with a roof terrace? It’s not a bad idea to consider a doer-upper either.

Also try clearing some other filters, the number of bedrooms, for instance. Go for three rooms instead of four and you can maybe still divide a larger room into two with a partition wall. And do you really need a Jacuzzi and open fireplace? Perhaps you can make a compromise there too.

4. Compare!

A long search isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the more comparisons you can make, the better. The more houses you see, the easier it is to work out what you do and don’t want. For instance, maybe you’ve always dreamed of a roof terrace, but you may then discover that you have to walk up too many stairs all the time. It’s also rather windy up there, isn’t it?

Make as many appointments as you can so you end up in neighbourhoods you’ve never visited before. You may suddenly discover that you really don’t want to live opposite a school or on a busy road where it would be hard to park your car every day.

5. Don’t give up

Everyone finds their home in the end, Thoma Post notes. Sometimes they manage that in one go, sometimes it takes longer. But hang in there!

6. Make it personal

Send a nice letter about yourself with the offer saying why you fell in love with this home. Sellers like to know who will be taking over the home they’ve enjoyed living in for years. Maybe their own children grew up there. They’re certain to like hearing that someone will enjoy their home just as much as they did.

Don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm during the viewing as the selling agent is more likely to remember you then. If it comes down to looking for a favourite, they might very well choose you.

7. Be flexible

Sellers can sell their homes easily in this market and they’ll get a lot of offers. This means you need to try to stand out as much as possible. Maybe the home is only available after 10 months? This could form an obstacle for many people. But not for you - just make sure you can find a creative way to bridge that period.

8. Are your finances arranged? Remove the cancellation conditions

Why? Because sellers then have the certainty that they’ve sealed the deal. If there’s a financial condition, the sellers have no certainty until the mortgage is arranged. Sellers will always prefer an offer without any financial conditions, but make sure you only do this if your finances are already arranged.

9. Keep a cool head

If you’ve completely fallen for your future home, you may get carried away by the pressure of overbidding and registering for a certain period. Fortunately, you have a real estate agent for this, such as Thoma Post. It’s good to know you can rely on someone who can really estimate whether the house is worth your investment. It’s important that you have a good feeling later on about the purchase of your home.

10. Call Thoma Post!

Thoma Post has two fantastic real estate agents to help you: Marlies Post and Brigitte Klapmeijer. They both have years of experience and a wealth of knowledge of the Amsterdam housing market. The way they work has resulted in so many successful purchases and the office has now formed a winning team, all with the same invaluable Amsterdam housing market knowledge and skills.

They know what is happening in the area and what developments are important for a buyer. They know the prices, the leasehold systems, the foundation issues and the best notaries. They have great relationships with their colleague real estate agents, so they can seal your deal in a professional and harmonious way. That’s why 100 percent of Thoma Post customers recommend their service!