You may have set your heart on that pretty little canal-side apartment in the centre of town, but if you’ve been looking to buy for a while, you’ve probably realised it is not going to be easy in today’s market.

More than that, the low energy label, the council restrictions on what you can do with your property and the noisy neighbours may turn your dream home into more of a nightmare. The solution? Start looking at new property developments. A new home may be a little more expensive, but you will cut out a lot of the headaches associated with buying an older property with problems.

Expat Mortgages and developer Ballast Nedam are joining forces to explain the ins and outs of buying a new home in the Netherlands to internationals who may never have thought about it before. First off is a special webinar on January 24, during which you will find out all there is to know about new build.

Advantages

Did you know, for example, that you don’t have to pay property transfer tax or for a valuation if you are buying a new home? And you don’t need to fork out for an estate agent either. You’ll also get a very high energy label – which means you will be able to borrow more from the bank, and you’ll have lower energy bills as well.

During the seminar you will learn about the process of buying a home which might only exist on paper, the financing options and how to make sure you know what is actually being built.

City planners are keen to encourage diversity of supply and you will find new properties in every type of location – whether you are looking for a family-friendly detached home in a leafy part of town, or a lively city centre apartment block close to restaurants, bars and culture.

Design options

Ballast Nedam project developer Tessa Haarler will be on hand to talk about the design process and how companies are putting the environment first in new homes. She’ll be joined by designer Kamil Boynuegri, himself an expat, who understands buying a home in a strange country first hand.

They’ll also talk about some of the advantages to buying a new property – such as being able to choose the bathroom tiles and kitchen cabinets – as well as all the latest energy saving innovations that today’s new homes are incorporating.

You’ll also be able to put your finance questions to Expat Mortgage’s senior advisor Wouter Hofstee Holtrop, who specialises in more complicated situations – not, he says, that buying a new home is more difficult than buying one which already exists!

If buying a new property might seem like the right option for you, sign up here for the seminar, on January 24 at 7 pm.