In the inimitable words of the Dutch revenue service: We cannot make the process “nicer”, but we can assist you in making it easier.
Homing Service
I am a proper real estate junky and interior design addict and not even moving to a different country stopped me from pursuing this passion.
My Amsterdam B&B
I bought my first house in the Netherlands within 2 years of arriving in the Netherlands, in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam. Following a nightmare renovation, I opened a B&B (called Sjudoransj) on the first floor of the house. I am proud to say that the B&B was rated under the top 10 B&Bs in Amsterdam by Tripadvisor within 6 months of opening its doors (if you are curious to know what it looked like, click here for some pictures).
Free State Holiday Home
In 2016, even though by then I was already a Dutch citizen, I decided to build a holiday home in Msanzi’s Free State province – a place to retreat and spend time with my South African family and friends (if you are curious to know what it looked like, click here for some pictures).
Haarlem Home
By 2018 I had had enough of the overcrowding and bustle of Amsterdam, so I sold the house in the Jordaan and - buoyed up by the handsome profit - bought a property in quietly distinguished Haarlem. Having learnt some very valuable (and hard) lessons from the B&B renovations and the building of the house in SA the renovation of the Haarlem house was a lot easier and the result was a design-dream come true for me (if you are curious to know what it looked like, click here for some pictures).
But no rest for the wicked, just 1.5 years after moving to Haarlem I stumbled upon the most beautiful little century-old house between Bloemendaal and Santpoort-Zuid. The big garden, spacious interior, and privacy reminiscent of SA was just irresistible; and so - renovation burn-out be damned - this is my home since August 2020.
Throughout all my many relocations around the Netherlands, buying and selling houses and sampling different areas, I often wished that I had a Dutch cousin that understood where I came from and who I could ask for advice or who could point out the obvious (and not so obvious) pit falls.
In fact, the above is true of the whole process of relocating to the Netherlands. Moving to a new country is a complicated and sometimes difficult exercise, having done it myself I know the struggles and the issues involved.
And that my cousin is the reason is why we offer a homing service. Giving people the benefit the benefit of having a “cousin” that can guide them through the process of finding a new house and making it a home. In the inimitable words of the Dutch revenue service: We cannot make the process “nicer”, but we can assist you in making it easier.
Because every person has different needs our home service is tailor made for every client. For most clients it includes looking for and finding a house or apartment in the Amsterdam; negotiating the terms of the lease agreement on their behalf; checking the final lease agreement and helping them to furnish it and make it a home. (Note: Furnishing a house in the Netherlands so that it has a beautiful and comfortable interior does not have to cost an arm and a leg. Dutch courage is coupled with the love of a bargain and the country boasts a fantastic second-hand interior market. Believe it or not, but most of the furniture that you saw on the photos of my houses was bought second hand).
Our Fees:
Our fee for searching and finding a rental home, viewing the home with you (in person or via video call), negotiating the terms of the lease agreement on your behalf and checking the final lease agreement is cost at 50% of your first month's rental with a minimum fee of €850.
