Some are even being sold over the asking price
Translated by Thomas Ansell
The number of holiday homes being sold across the Netherlands has risen extremely sharply in recent months, reports the Omrop Fryslân. This has led to prices also rising quickly, with demand sometimes meaning that properties sell over their asking price. Henk Aukema, an estate agent with Waterrijk Wonen says that there’s a “madness” occurring, leading to auction style sales.
Theo Groen, an estate agent with Wonen aan Water has also seen a significant surge in sales: “we have a portfolio from Earnewâld to Stavoren, and there is interest increasing for everything- and also for expensive properties. A new-build project in Heeg has, for example, houses for over 500,000 euros. Since the Coronavirus outbreak we have sold five properties there.”
There are several possible reasons for this uptick in demand: having somewhere in the fresh air, a shorter travel time for holidays, and uncertainty around overseas holidays in the next few years. At the moment, rental prices for holiday properties are also very attractive. “We also hear that some people are just living in their holiday home and working from it. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, lots more people are working from home and for some it’s much nicer to work remotely from their holiday home”, says Groen.
Demand has shot up to the extent that previously non-viable projects are now becoming viable through pre-sale financing. One of these is the Elfstedenart in Witmarsum, which had been delayed for several years. However building will soon be underway, says Gaby Broekhijsen of Parc Estate: “in the last two months we have sold 15 properties in the region of 200,000 to 300,000 euros. That’s above expectations, and we’re already looking for our next small-scale project to follow!”
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