Apartments in Holland
It is not a shock to anyone and if so, then sorry to inform you, that finding an apartment in Holland, more specifically, in cities like Amsterdam or “RANDSTAD” (improving my dutch slangs!) can be a little bit more complicated than expected.
Not to separate international from locals, but usually there is a disadvantage due to the lack of connections, scams online for people looking at English ads, and just a lot of competition in regards to gaining trust from the landlord if you are not a native dutch citizen. However, there are cases on which people with luck do find a beautiful apartment at a lower price, I have not met them yet but I am sure they are somewhere in the country enjoying the beautiful sight of the canal.
What to expect?
If you decided to move to a city like Amsterdam after finishing your studies and the student accommodation is expiring soon, expect to go through a rollercoaster of emotions. Expect to sometimes finish in second place, expect to have some tears, expect to have the “too real to be true” moment and also expect to actually get an apartment at some point in life. The saying “there will be a rainbow after a storm” could not come at a better time for the housing system in Holland. This is mainly due to the little space the country has to build houses (or so I heard, but don’t take my word for it).
What to consider?
As much as every international student dreams of living in Amsterdam in their 20s, sometimes that goal takes awhile to come true. Meanwhile, if you are on a time schedule to move out (as I was, moving things on the train was not as easy as I thought), there are many other cities in this beautiful country to consider, such as Rotterdam, Groningen, The Hague (beach!!) and if you want to live a little close to everything then Haarlem. You don’t necessarily need to live in Amsterdam to move around the country or jobs, people commute all the time because the transportation system is actually pretty amazing here. Although some waking up early might be required, I find it better to live outside of Amsterdam (but that is personal interest!).
Conclusion
Be ready to go through it all. Be ready to outsmart the online sneaky people trying to rip you off. Be ready to network with locals or “dutchies” (but don’t call them that, not their favourite word), and CHECK ALL FACEBOOK GROUPS WITH CAUTION. There are many websites, like Pararius, that have a lot of ads for apartments all over the country. If you are lucky, you may find a nice apartment with a decent roommate at a low price, but be ready to spend some high rent money if you want a single studio or so for your own commodity. GOOD LUCK!! and be STRONG!!
