Our Dutch Home

On February 1^st we were lucky to move into a very nice furnished apartment. The guesthouse we had been staying in was nice enough but felt too much like living in an Ikea display model (and not the lush comfortable ones).

We (meaning 80% Gearoid who looked at housing websites every 5 minutes thinking something might have changed and 20% me with the usual optimistic belief that things will work out) were nervous about finding a place in the month we were at the guesthouse.  We registered with the equivalent of a real estate agent who would then email us apartments that met our qualifications. We would then arrange appointments to look at the apartments. We saw two apartments (one in which we had to share a hallway with neighbors meaning no late night trips to the bathroom in anything less than being fully clothed and another in which you practically had to climb a ladder to the bathroom) before Gearoid’s worries led him to staying up late checking out the equivalent of Craig’s List. This was risky because we didn’t know Dutch laws/regulation on renting.

However, we found this place on the website and set up an appointment. The landlords rent other apartments and the place was furnished and inclusive (meaning all utilities and extra little Dutch taxes are included in the rent).  We only had a couple of hours to decide. Gearoid was nervous but I was pushy and we ended up with a place that we both very much enjoy. The location is close to Gearoid’s work and the center of town. It is furnished just enough- meaning we didn’t have to buy the furniture we don’t have (i.e. kitchen table, bookshelves, living room set up) and had room for the furniture we do own (i.e. bedroom furniture, spare bed, random bookshelves and desks). We were also lucky because we found this place on our own without the real estate agent that we didn’t have to pay them a fee equivalent to one month’s rent.

Most importantly we have space! Typical housing here is small and cramped unless you live in the country. Other places we looked at had a bedroom and a livingroom/kitchen. We have a living room, a bedroom, a spare room, and upstairs office with attic space, a kitchen, and an outside garage.  Plenty of space for Gearoid and me to separate as necessary and still live together!