2024 Issue 2 – Home is Where the Heart (and Money) Is

Dear ACCESS readers,

Welcome Home!

My family first moved to the Netherlands in the summer of 2010, after spending two years in Liverpool and thirteen years in Valencia, Spain.

Our ferry from Harwich arrived at Hoek van Holland on a warm August afternoon. It had been the longest sea crossing I had ever experienced—over six hours of a very different kind of rocking and rolling than I usually prefer. We were well accompanied on our journey by my mother, our three children (the youngest two would be born in the following years in the Netherlands), my mother’s sister and brother-in-law, and our two dogs.

From the port, we went directly to the garden apartment we had rented (sight unseen) in The Hague’s Laakkwartier neighbourhood, known for its working-class roots and multicultural population (now home to a growing student demographic due to its proximity to institutions like The Hague University of Applied Sciences and ROC Mondriaan vocational school). Owing to time constraints, we were unable to come over and search for accommodation ourselves, so we asked family from Limburg to drive up and look for what they estimated to be a reasonable short-term rental.

We quickly outgrew that space with the birth of our daughter the following summer and moved to another rental in nearby Rijswijk, a quiet municipality of 60,000 inhabitants nestled between The Hague and Delft. We signed a one-year lease, giving us time to begin our search for a more permanent home.

We found that home just a few blocks away on a charming, tree-lined street with a narrow canal running down its centre. The third-floor duplex had recently been fully remodelled—the upper floor, which had not previously been used as living space, now had three bedrooms and a large bathroom, complete with both a shower cabin and a bathtub.

The open-plan downstairs space was sunny and spacious, perfect for our growing family. It included a kitchen, dining area, and a generously-sized living room. There was also a lavatory and an extra room, which I initially used as an office and later converted into a bedroom when our fifth child was born.

For the past twelve years, this has been our home, the place where our family has grown and settled. While the walls could do with a fresh coat of paint and some plumbing and minor electrical work is overdue, we have created an environment that caters to our individual needs and lifestyles. It’s where we work, study, play, eat, sleep, and pass our days and nights together in gezelligheid. By far, the purchase of our home was the most important—and costly—investment we have made, one that, a dozen years on, continues to pay dividends in more ways than one.

In this issue of ACCESS Magazine, our team of writers have explored the themes of housing and personal finance, aiming to provide an overview of useful information, seasoned, as always, with personal stories and thoughtful anecdotes (and even some humour!). As we’ve gone to great lengths to provide useful information, it’s always best to consult with professionals whenever investing money, whether it’s for buying property or building a stock portfolio. A good place to start is with ACCESS-nl.org, where our network of volunteers are ready and able to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Whether you are looking for a new home—to buy or rent—or need useful tips on banking and personal finance, these pages will surely answer some of the most frequently asked questions by those relocating (or considering relocating) to the Netherlands.

Happy reading!