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As an owner of an apartment, you pay monthly or periodic service costs. These service costs are used for things like building maintenance, cleaning costs, collective insurance, and contributions to the reserve (maintenance) fund. During the budget determination in the annual Home Owners Association meeting, the amount of service costs is decided together with the other owners. The board of the Home Owners Association is responsible for the collection and settlement of the service costs. But which costs can and cannot be passed on to the tenant?

It’s most likely that you are not thinking about it at all. These months just before the summer holidays hit off are very hectic and you find yourself in between your busy work life and planning your well-deserved summer break.
But when summer ends the hectic life starts all over again. And for those whose jobs demands them to relocate to The Hague, The Netherlands: it’s go time! 

Let me explain why now it’s the best time, for you as an expat, to start acting.

Recently I moved, which meant a change of address for my internet connection. You would think that's a piece of cake, but unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. It was a complete drama, and I was getting desperate, but at the same time, very happy...

De woningmarkt is grillig anno 2023. Denk jij erover om in een woning te investeren en die te kunnen verhuren, dan moet je weten dat dit minder makkelijk is geworden. De overheid heeft een aantal maatregelen ingesteld die het rendement van je investering drukken. Dit kan er bijvoorbeeld op je pad komen als nieuwe investeerder in Den Haag.

HouseScout is your real estate agent for your “home sweet home”. That’s  why, we consider it important not only to be aware of current affairs related to real estate in and around The Hague (think of... supply, demand, legislation, facts). We may even consider it more important that you are aware of this. And that you are immediately informed, so that you can (together with us?) directly respond to the market.

Like for example the drama of contracts in incomprehensible language, causing many people to sign blindly (!).

I am proud to announce this anniversary! For 15 years NOT being a real estate agent!

The last fifteen years I have brought together many tenants and home owners, and doing this with such a pleasure. For fifteen years I provide expats a home away from home. In this blog I share what I have learnt about this business and what I have discovered about myself. And how I, because of that process, could facilitate tenants and expats/ landlords better and better in their joy for living abroad/renting out their properties.

HouseScout is your real estate agent for your ‘from house to home’. And we consider it important to not only be informed about current affairs related to real estate in and around The Hague (think of... supply, demand, legislation, tidbits). We might even consider it more important that you are informed about this. And that you are immediately informed, so that you can (together with us?) respond directly to the market.

Read here why HouseScout is so pleased with Minister de Jonge's stricter rules!

Huurders die door de uitbraak van het coronavirus hun inkomen verliezen en hun huur niet kunnen betalen, mogen tijdelijk niet uit huis worden gezet, schrijft minister voor Wonen Stientje van Veldhoven in een donderdag verzonden Kamerbrief. De minister heeft hier met verschillende verhuurdersorganisaties en brancheverenigingen afspraken over gemaakt.

Terrible conflicts and fraud. Yes, that's what you get when you get involved with such a shady character!

International trading increases more rapidly than before and borders seem to disappear. It is more and more common to start working abroad. Did your employer informed you that you will have to leave the country for a certain period? Good for your career, but financially it can be tough if you have to pay the housing costs of your property here in The Netherlands. In that case it can be a good idea to (temporarily) rent out your house. And HouseScout is happy to help you out!

The number of foreign employees looking in the Randstad for quality (furnished) apartments and houses is increasing. If you are thinking of renting out your property, it can be financially attractive for you.   However, make sure that everything has been taken care off. Here are some tips for you to take into account:

Terrible tenants are already a nightmare, but what if it turns out you can't do anything about it...

The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands and has a massive expat population and an intriguing history. As well as being the seat of government, it’s famous for being an international hub, due to the United Nations, the headquarters of the International Criminal Court, the Peace Palace and many other important landmarks that put The Hague on the world map. 

Interesting buildings in The Hague

In The Hague, there are buildings that broke new ground in Dutch history due to their social and political context, others for their visual aesthetics, as well as buildings with royal status. The skyline of the Hague and its surrounding areas is easy on the eye and some of the buildings would surprise you. It’s easy to spot interesting buildings on any given day out in The Hague, whether modern skyscrapers or royal palaces. Here are a few fascinating ones:

It was time to tidy up my desk again. Sometimes, it's just necessary. If only to give my eyes a break from staring at my computer screen. And as I was tidying up, I stumbled upon a surprise, one whose existence I knew of but hadn't thought about in a long time. I pulled open a drawer and discovered that it was full of keychains!

Even kort maar krachtig!

Wordt of bent u een huiseigenaar die een woning of gebouw wil verhuren? Tegenwoordig is het verplicht een energielabel te leveren bij verhuur. Een energielabel geeft aan hoe zuinig het huis is met gas, elektriciteit en warmte. De overheid heeft meer mogelijkheden om sancties op te leggen wanneer dit energielabel ontbreekt bij verhuur. Deze sancties kunnen ingrijpende gevolgen hebben. Zorg er daarom voor dat uw panden te allen tijde voorzien zijn van een energielabel. Dit label moet u immers aan de huurder ter beschikking kunnen stellen. Zo niet, dan kan in het uiterste geval een bestuurlijke boete of last onder dwangsom volgen.

Neem contact op met HouseScout om je te laten informeren en ontzorgen!

Typical…

Do you know the joke about the carpenter and his home where the shelves fall off the walls? Apparently this applies to more than just carpenters.

Je wilt graag jouw huis verhuren aan expats. Eén van de eerste beslissingen die eigenaren moeten nemen is: verhuur ik mijn huis gestoffeerd of gemeubileerd? De meeste expats zijn op zoek naar een gestoffeerd huis. Er is echter ook een kleinere groep expats op zoek naar een gemeubileerd huis. Dit zijn expats die over het algemeen voor een kortere periode willen huren.

Indien je de woning gemeubileerd verhuurt aan expats houdt dan rekening met de volgende tips:

Did you also think during or after your vacation, 'It's time for a new house'? That's not surprising! With your mind momentarily free from work and other concerns, you suddenly have the opportunity to ponder other matters. Such as, 'does this home still suit me and my family?' In recent years, you've literally been more present in your home. So, you now have a clearer view of annoyances and shortcomings in and around your house that you quickly overlook in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Read in this blog the 5 reasons to sell your house.

Is je huis nog niet geïsoleerd? Zonde. Want woningisolatie is een effectieve en rendabele manier om de stookkosten te verminderen. Daarnaast zijn er nog andere voordelen van een goed geïsoleerde woning. Er is minder vocht- en schimmelvorming in huis en het levert simpelweg een behaaglijkere woning op. Ook daalt het gasverbruik en daardoor stoten we minder CO2 uit. Een goed geïsoleerde woning krijgt een hoger energielabel, hetgeen leidt tot waardevermeerdering van de woning. En is makkelijker te verhuren!

Hieronder vind je 3 goede manieren om je woning te isoleren:

Een scout is iemand die je helpt de juiste weg te vinden. De ‘weg’ kan dan geïnterpreteerd worden als route, maar ook als werkwijze. En in de eerste maand van het nieuwe jaar waarin we gebrand zijn op het realiseren van onze goede voornemens, kan iedereen wel een pad-vinder gebruiken.

The Hague is 1 of 43 cities worldwide to score an ‘A’ grade on its climate policy. The Hague was featured in the ‘A List’ of cities released in May by environmental impact non-profit CDP at the start of EU Green Week.