‘If only I had accepted that previous offer’
In a cream-coloured, relaxed outfit, Stefan Hille (35) stands at the doorway of his house on the Hoofdweg on Saturday afternoon. He has been asking 360,000 euros for the 47 square meters he has to offer for eight weeks. Hille herself, who comes from Germany and works for Philips, will live a little further away in Bos en Lommer.
Hille had expected to sell faster. “I have had offers, but no one has offered my asking price of more. Five people have already come to see it today. I don’t know if they’re going to make a good offer, but I’m in no rush either. If I don’t get it sold by December, I’m going to rent it out. I then ask 200 euros per night via Airbnb. Another option is to rent it out to expats for shorter periods.”
Wait and see attitude
It has been different in Amsterdam. Less than a year ago, the housing market was received that was a challenge. According to mortgage advice chain De Hypotheker, the housing market has reached an ‘impasse’ due to rising mortgage interest rates. Many home seekers take a wait-and-see attitude, resulting transactions sink further.
Real estate association NVM is holding Saturday for the first time in two years another Open House Day. On the housing site Funda.nl you can see which houses are participating; there are 379 homes to visit in Amsterdam.
In addition to Hille’s house, Inge’s house (66) at Admiraal de Ruijterweg is also for sale. She doesn’t want to be presented in the newspaper with her, but she does want to tell her story.
Inge decided the house of 87 square meters almost seventeen years ago for her then still studying children. When they finished their studies, the mother started renting out the house to students.
sorry
“There are four rooms and four students lived there. Until the municipality came up with rules about housing sharing. The students had fun with each other and given the house they would have stayed here, but it was not allowed. Actually, I am forced to sell this house.”
The house has been for sale since August for 475,000 euros. Inge had expected that she would soon be rid of it. “I think there are a lot of insecurities that keep people from buying this. Mortgage interest, war, those are uncertainties.”
She previously received an offer of 485,000 euros. “I should have accepted that offer. I thought, maybe I can get more for it. Now I do regret, yes. I’ll take another look.
In theory, renting out would also be an option. For 1500 euros a month I can afford it, but that is not good for me from a moral point of view. Asking 1500 euros for rent, that’s crazy, isn’t it? Then I ask a couple like I asked four people. No, I don’t.”
less mortgage
It is not even yet what will happen to the houses. At the beginning of this year, house prices in the center of Amsterdam fell by 3 percent. Many home seekers hoped for a trend, but new figures are coming into the market.
This is the National Institute for Budget Information. Home buyers spend too much money on energy and living expenses. It is still unclear how much less can be borrowed. It is certain that the lending standards will be adjusted downwards. What will happen to house prices remains to be seen.