moving to holland.. advice needed

Moving to Randstad/Holland or just Netherlands in general? If you only speak English, then try Undutchables.nl

davemc180 wrote: »

hi thanks for the reply, well netherlands in general anywhere really thats on the commuter routes to the main cities.. was thinking of utrecth or haag..

but anywhere will do really, wen i land im going to look for casual bar work etc, any tips on living there??

Den Haag is nice and has a nice beach but is quieter than more northern cities (by that I mean 20 minutes north, so not like, the FAR north!).

If you are in the randstad, getting around is easy by train and bike, you won't need a car. Leiden and Utrecht are university cities with a good student population, and also a very quick 20-25 mins by train (very cheap) to Amsterdam if you decided you wanted something more.

Not sure about bar work, you need more Dutch outside of Amsterdam if you are working not in a multinational. Den Haag is the the longest journey to the airport and Amsterdam (~ 50 mins) so I would not recommend it if you fancy travelling around a bit. If not in Amsterdam, I would recommend Leiden or Utrecht. Leiden is near the water, Utrecht is inland and much closer to Germany, it's also the main train hub for the country so again, location for living depends on what you like to do.

davemc180 wrote: »

thanks for the help i think were goin to go and stay in amsterdam.. can you give me any tips on renting as all the sites iv been on charge a month rent as a fee for arranging everything, thats a bit harsh, im on expatriates.com but im a bit worried about dealing with someone threw emails incase i get there and they dont show up???

any tips on what way you got set up...

thanks for all the advice really means alot

OK here goes, and probably will be a little long but others might find it useful as well:

Summary: it's quite hard (too many renters too few places) and time consuming (~months) to get a rental place in Amsterdam.

Basically: without having lived or payed tax in the country, you will have access primarily only to the private sector rental market which is effectively only around 10% of the total market in Amsterdam - the other 90% is heavily regulated and controlled. A canal hosue apt might go for €300 a month to a Dutch long term resident, and the private sector apt in the same building might be €2000. Sort of like rent-control like in New York (unsurprising given the background to New York, perhaps!).

You need to rent with a proper contract which allows you to register with the Gemeente (civic authority) for any particular city. If you are in a sublet or illegal sublet (and you might not know you are), the gemeente can evict you within days. So, the solution is a regulated private sector market - the Makelaars (Estate Agents).

I have found that the normal setup is like this:

1. Old apartments: (e.g., canal houses and so on)
unfurnished - 1 months deposit + agency fee of 1 month (a fee, not a deposit) + first months rent
furnished - 2-3 months deposit + agency fee of 1 month + first months rent

2. New apartments:
- usually unfurnished
- may also have no floor (i.e., just concrete)
- agency fee of e.g., only 200-300 up front, and then first months rent. I.e., no deposit, you just payt first month and the relatively small agency fee


You will find it difficult to get a private sector rental under €1250 or so. It's not a real floor, but the competition is huge and many apartments are gone before the advert goes online. Remember though, the makelaars are workign for you as you are paying the fee - you register with one, tell them what you want, and then they find it. They do actually work, but it's pricey and discourages regular moving.

There is also an insanely detailed housing commission which can adjust your long term resident rent it seems based on how many bricks are in your south facing wall and if you used a particular paint thickness (I am exagerating) (mostly). This is for long term residents though.

The easiest way is to get a short term apartment which will run you €1200 or so for a month. Use that month to find a place. They go so fast it takes e.g., 2 months unless you ahve a lot of money to spend (i.e., over €1500, there is less competition, so more choice) (but remember, many companies pay for people's rent who are expats so that adds to competition as well). EDIT: actually you could get that much cheaper maybe€600-700 for a basic studio - there are a lot of short term month to month legitimate lets and local B&Bs will often negotiate weekly or monthly rates. BUT - they go way way in advance (months) so plan ahead. Hotels are really expensive.