Selling your expat property in the Netherlands

Property-owning expat professionals in the Netherlands about to be badly hit by the Dutch government’s reduction of the time element in the 30 per cent tax break may be considering selling their homes and relocating elsewhere.

Selling a house in the Netherlands isn’t all that different than selling elsewhere in Europe, but it’s important to get every nuance of the process set up before the ‘for sale’ sign is erected. The first step is to have a registered estate agent value the property and recommend a suitable price. Agents nowadays also create an effective online marketing strategy as well as a sales strategy. In order to avoid problems, your house or apartment will need to be measured in line with the Dutch NEN 2580 standard.

Setting the right asking price is essential, with competent, experienced estate agents also providing sellers with an analysis of local market conditions. This should give examples of similar, recently sold homes to ensure you’re not overpricing, thus making it difficult to attract buyers. Pricing too low can often result in a buyer bidding war, good news for the seller as it can drive up the price considerably.

These days, almost all home buyers go online as a first step towards real-time viewing of suitable properties. As a result, listings with professional images attract more genuine interest, selling faster and achieving a better price. Detailed floor plans and a digital brochure are other sales aids made easy by today’s almost universal internet access, as potential buyers can plan their possessions into your property as well as having all relevant details within easy access.

Listings on all the major home-finder websites as well as on your agent’s site give full access to international as well as local buyers. ‘Open Houses’ are trending, but individual viewings overseen by your agent are safer and more effective. Once you’ve received an offer, your agent can manage further negotiations on your behalf, leaving you to breathe a huge sigh of relief and get on with planning your relocation.