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Original poster

Dutch property porn - someone talk me out of moving to North Brabant!

38 replies

LemonCat · 19/04/2023 20:31

DH and I are currently house hunting and I'm beyond frustrated as there's absolutely nothing on the market that I even remotely like. At some point I found myself randomly clicking around the Dutch equivalent of Rightmove and found this absolute gem:

https://www.funda.nl/koop/reek/huis-42186566-monseigneur-borretstraat-7/

This would be my dream house and what an amazing price! Neither of us speaks Dutch and I don't know the area at all, but so tempted to move to the Netherlands now! DH and I can work from almost anywhere, but of course it's a silly idea. Just daydreaming, really, but had to share that gorgeous house with someone!

Je bent bijna op de pagina die je zoekt [funda]

https://www.funda.nl/koop/reek/huis-42186566-monseigneur-borretstraat-7

OP posts:
VivienneDelacroix · 19/04/2023 20:39

That really is a dream of a house. It almost doesn't look real.

GrumpyPanda · 19/04/2023 20:46

You'd get a tiny townhouse for that amount in the Randstad region (Rotterdam/The Hague/Utrecht/Amsterdam.) I did a fair amount of househunting in NL a few years back and a lot of it is really frustrating - you'd get this bowling hall type layout with very long but very narrow living rooms.

undergroundstation · 19/04/2023 20:49

I would loooooove to move to the Netherlands. Am encouraging the kids towards uni there. Go for it!!

CatherinedeBourgh · 19/04/2023 20:51

If you are looking for beautiful houses in random European places you can get better than that for less money in many places in France, Italy, Spain....or Scotland for that matter.

PrancerandDancer · 19/04/2023 20:54

We had dreams of moving to the Netherlands. Fell in love with the houses in Edam. Life got in the way..

Original poster
LemonCat · 19/04/2023 21:00

GrumpyPanda · 19/04/2023 20:46

You'd get a tiny townhouse for that amount in the Randstad region (Rotterdam/The Hague/Utrecht/Amsterdam.) I did a fair amount of househunting in NL a few years back and a lot of it is really frustrating - you'd get this bowling hall type layout with very long but very narrow living rooms.

Yeah, I know, it's the same where we currently are (Munich area). Our budget is close to 2 million and everything we can afford is either really ugly, needs a lot of work or isn't our style at all. It almost seems worse than London which is why I'm so frustrated and daydreaming about moving somewhere with a less crazy housing market (aka the arse end of nowhere in most cases). And I've really fallen hard for that house!

OP posts:
Original poster
LemonCat · 19/04/2023 21:08

CatherinedeBourgh · 19/04/2023 20:51

If you are looking for beautiful houses in random European places you can get better than that for less money in many places in France, Italy, Spain....or Scotland for that matter.

Sadly, my French is terrible and probably always will be. Italy and Spain are too hot for us. We're a German and Danish Couple and probably feel most at home in Northern Europe. I loved living in the UK, but unfortunately can't convince DH at the moment, so the choice is probably between Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

OP posts:
WeAreBorg · 19/04/2023 21:08

That’s a lovely house! I like the apartment linked as well.

Well I’ve found my new hobby of pointless browsing the Dutch housing market, so thanks for that 😂

Crikeyalmighty · 19/04/2023 21:09

When we lived in Denmark- some amazing houses in the hinterland for the money - not so much when you looked in Copenhagen or Aarhus

I'm a devil for these sites- I've spent hours on Idealista (the Spanish version of RM)

Original poster
LemonCat · 19/04/2023 21:11

KnittingNeedles · 19/04/2023 20:59

This looks lovely! I'm a bit done with city living, though, and really want a decent garden and more space. Off to check my lottery ticket now...

OP posts:
Titsywoo · 19/04/2023 21:12

I really want to move to Giethoorn - so pretty!

OP posts:
sjxoxo · 19/04/2023 21:25

Beautiful!!! You could find similar in France.. not to encourage you but just saying 😂 xxx

FlibbertyGibbitt · 19/04/2023 21:25

All that weeding of the block paving including the road ! Fab house though

TokyoSushi · 19/04/2023 21:31

I went down a funda rabbit hole the other day looking at incredible houses on the canal in Amsterdam (£££££££) and some massive houses in Wassenaar, they really do have some beautiful property!

Original poster
LemonCat · 19/04/2023 21:37

sjxoxo · 19/04/2023 21:25

Beautiful!!! You could find similar in France.. not to encourage you but just saying 😂 xxx

I know, plenty of fantastic real estate in France! I spent 9 months in Paris in my early twenties, but my French is still far from good and it just never felt like 'home'. Love holidays in France, but not sure I'd actually want to live there.

OP posts:
bellabelly · 19/04/2023 21:41

I love that Dutch house - so beautiful!

Summerfun54321 · 19/04/2023 21:45

Seeing that house has made me want to move to the Netherlands now!

Madcats · 19/04/2023 21:55

That is so Dutch! It's not too much of a drive from De Efteling if you have kids.

I only know about Den Bosch because it has a fancy solar powered multi-storey P&R that recharges buses.

I have a hazy memory that there are a few rural Airbnb's around that area.

Crissy83 · 19/04/2023 22:01

Italy is too hot?? It's quite a big country with much of the northern bit on Northern European borders. Doesn't have to be Sicily!!

Partyandbullshit · 19/04/2023 22:12

Ohhh, looks a bit damp and cold to me! Love the windows and that watery, weak, Vermeer sunlight though.

Agree re Northern Europe, has a special appeal to me. My daydream is a Swedish summer island. I don’t let details such as a lack of running water / sewage system / electricity figure too much.

WeAreBorg · 20/04/2023 07:30

Love the four linked there. I could move to any of them along with my very tall handsome Dutch husband that I’m hoping to manifest later today…

SparklyBlackKitten · 20/04/2023 08:50

Not sure if I would advice if
Moving to a different country is one thing. But the people in brabant even have their own laguage (dialect) and are very different than the rest of the Dutch.

I mean. Maybe it would be too hard to intergrate is what im trying to say

arabellasdress · 20/04/2023 10:54

@LemonCat
Do you like other places in Germany? Perhaps there's something affordable.

What does your area need to have for you to be happy? City, village, nature, etc?