Instead of worrying about energy bills, how would it feel to live in a house that is energy positive?

That is what is on offer in the picturesque village of Heeze, just outside Eindhoven, where developer Ballast Nedam is building the country’s most sustainable – yet still affordable – homes.

Natuurrijk is a small development of 82 properties in rural Heeze (pronounced “hay-ze”), just 20 minutes by car or train from the bustle of the big city. It’s a popular place for commuters, combining the charm of an authentic village with the proximity of Eindhoven’s facilities.

All the homes in the development are being built with solar panels and green techniques, with prices ranging from an affordable €250,000 to around €800,000 for a large detached house.

Straw as insulation

But eight of the properties will be extra special, built of wood and insulated with straw, with a green roof and walls, built-in nests for birds and insects, and an open outlook on beautiful woods and fields nearby.

“With the current technology, it’s possible to build very sustainably,” says Rosa Bos, a real estate developer with Ballast Nedam. “These will be the most sustainable terraced houses in the Netherlands: more than 90% bio-based, built with wood and straw, and delivering energy. This kind of thing doesn’t often come to the market, which makes it really extraordinary.”

The sale of these properties will start soon, building will start in 2024 and the development will be finished in 2025.  “We want to build together with nature, not just on top of it,” says Bos. “It is nature inclusive, and the houses will generate as much energy as they use.”

Eindhoven

Eindhoven, which is a magnet for new technology firms and a host of internationals coming to the Netherlands, is promoting new housing with the help of a €75 million state budget for 3160 homes.

Another appealing real-estate development in Eindhoven is Berckelbosch – inspired by the Dutch word for “birch tree” – built for both local tastes and expat appeal, within the city limits.

Just 10 minutes from the city centre, but still bordering on a new park and beautiful nature, Berckelbosch is a new neighbourhood of classic 1930s-style houses, complete with solar panels and modern features. The homes, which will be finished next year, have already won an award for nature-inclusive design, preserving the tree structure of the area so that while the houses feel new, the surrounding area does not.

New-build houses such as these are particularly attractive for expats, points out Bos. “Estate agents can help people who aren’t familiar with the process of buying in the Netherlands, and the newbuild market is well regulated. There’s no overbidding and you can have your house made as you want it.

“You also won’t have any maintenance surprises – because in an old house you might well find all the pipes need replacing or the woodwork is rotten and the costs for a plumber in the Netherlands can almost be as high as for a lawyer!”

Story

There are no restrictions on renting out these properties – unlike in other cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam – so even if an international left the Netherlands, it should be possible for them to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage and keep the house as an investment.

And even if a new house doesn’t have a history, the door is open for the buyer to make it part of their own story. “The Eindhoven city poet Iris Penning has written a poem,” says Bos, “and on a bench in front of each house, everyone will have a line.”

For more information please visit Natuurrijk or Berckelbosch or contact the broker, Santvoort Makelaars, on 040 269 2530.