Tips & Tricks - LETTING

In The Netherlands tenants are protected by law. Many lessors are anxious because of this protection. Below are some Tips and Tricks for letting your house.

• Don't over rush. Make a checklist for yourself. What are you looking for in a candidate?
• Start letting with a short term contract. Be sure in Dutch Law how the contract be led. A new law was introduced July 2016 for temporary contracts.
• Is the property in good condition? Does it only need re-painting or total redecoration? Make sure that the property is in good condition and that it is clean and tidy.
• Make sure you know the Dutch Law before renting out your property.
• Renting the property fully or partly furnished? Most expats would rather have fully furnished houses. Decorate the premises to the desired wishes of the desired lessee.
• Make sure you are prepared for property management. As an owner you are responsible for maintenance and services to your property, all day and every day.

Tips & Tricks - Renting 

• Are you renting a house or other apartment, please continue reading for some Tips and Tricks for renting a house.
• Don't over rush. Make a checklist for yourself. Consider what is essential. 
• Before you search for houses, know your budget and the financial possibilities. Don’t search for houses far over budget. 
• Make sure what kind of contract you want and have it checked by a professional. Check the general terms before renting.
• Take a walk around the neighbourhood. Are you comfortable walking there? And also in the evening? Is it a quiet neighbourhood or is it crowded? Visit the residence at different points of time.
• House rules? Make sure you know what is in the contract or use the help of a real estate agent.
• Please make sure that your house is fully secured when you go on a holiday. Burglars don’t go on vacation. Not at home? Leave some lights on and close your windows and doors properly. Click here for some useful tips for leaving your home when going on vacation. 

TIPS & TRICKS - PURCHASE 

• Make a wish list for you new home. Consider what is essential.
• Take a walk around the neighbourhood. Are you comfortable walking there? And also in the evening? Is it a quiet neighbourhood or is it crowded? Visit the residence at different points of time.
• Before you search for houses, know your budget and the financial possibilities. Don’t search for houses far over budget.
• Compare houses with each other. Not yet found your dream house? Use this knowledge as comparison to find properties that do meet your wishes.
• Plan a house hunting session and use the services of a real estate agent.
• Make a rational decision. Stick to your requirements and wish list. 

Tips & tricks - Sales 

Coming soon!

TIPS & TRICKS - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 

• Are you prepared for managing your property? As an owner you are responsible for maintenance and services to your property, every day and all day.
• Managing your property yourself? Make sure you can trust the companies you hire.
• You can outsource property management. Then you don’t have to worry about the financial, administrational and technical management of your property. 

TIPS & TRICKS - IN GENERAL 

• Follow your heart as it comes to making a decision.
• Don’t over rush. Double-checking is better than not checking.
• Make a checklist. What do you consider as essential. 
• Find a real estate agent you are comfortable with.
• Think about your financial situation now and the preferable situation. 

TIPS & TRICKS - DISCOVER THE HAGUE 

• Get to know The Hague by boat or tram. Take a tour through the canals of The Hague or through the city centre with the tourist tram.
• Go to one of the most famous beaches in The Netherlands. Take a walk on the beach and eat a Dutch herring.
• Go to the political centre of The Netherlands, the Binnenhof with its 'Hofvijfer'.
• Shopping in The Hague? Go to the pretty City Centre, the Denneweg, Fahrenheitstraat, the well-known Fred, the Keizerstraat in Scheveningen and many more!
• The Hague often organizes festivals and things to do, especially during summer, such as Jazz on the Canals, the yearly firework festival in Scheveningen, many food festivals and The Hague’s Out festival.
• For more ideas and things to do in The Hague, click on the following link http://denhaag.com/en/#slideshow.

Tips & Ideas – summer vibes

Leaving for your holiday safely?

It is summer time and that means: nice weather (if we are lucky, this still is Holland), going on a holiday and excursions. That means that you might be away from home for quite a while. How do you take care for your property when you are away, and keep the property safe from burglars? We hereby give you 6 tips and tricks to keep your home holiday-safe.

1. Choose for certified locks. Make sure you have certified and approved locks for windows, (garage) doors and perhaps light domes. Also on the first floor if there is easy acces from for axcample an expension or bay window.
2. Always lock your doors and windows. Do not forget to close all the doors and windows, especcially the small lavatory windows and garade doors.
3. Don’t leave keys in locked doors. Burglers can open locks easily by smashing the window and then revolve the keys, or by drilling a holes in the locks.
4. Social security. Arrange social security. You can do this by asking your neighbours or family members if they would keep an eye on the property. When you are away for longer time: ask them to empty the mailbox and to put the mail in a non-visible place, for instance in a closet.
5. Don’t put your information our there. Social media is for everybody and most people don’t have wrong intentions, BUT burglers also have Facebook and Twitter. Do not update a holiday status when you are away and don’t change your voicemail that you are on a holiday.
6. Keep an inhabited impression. Ask the people who keep an eye on your home to change the position of some stuff. Perhaps ask them to close and open the curtains from time to time, and place some cups on the table.

A cool home?

During the summer, the temperatures can rise up high. That seems nice for a beach day but the temperatures inside are preferably a little cooler. Please read following 5 tips and tricks to keep your house chilled without an airconditioner.

1. Keep doors and windows locked during daytime. On a warm and sunny day, the best thing to do is to keep doors and windows locked and curtains closed. When the sun is set, open the windows and doors as far as possible and preferably sleep even with windows open.
2. Avoid electonical devices. When it is warm weather, you of course don’t need your tumble dryer but try to use other devices only in the evening. The less electricity has been used, the less heat comes free.
3. Ventilators to keep your cool. If you use a ventilator during day time, the only thing it does is to blow warm air trough the room. It is more efficiently to put the fan at the leeward of your house (the side where th wind blows to) and let it blow outwards.
4. Chill the air. When the sun sets, you can use the fan inside. But the most effective way to use it inside is to put frozen bottles of water in front of the fan so it blows chilled air.
5. Summertime is perfect to cook outside. Its a perfect excuse to barbecue or cook outside! When you cook outside, you’ll produce less heat. 

TIPS & TRICKS - IT'S SPRING WEATHER

It's spring again. The nice weather makes people get spring fever and it is nice to go out again. Spring is the ideal time to do maintainance of your property and your exterior and garden. Here you will find some tips and tricks for the maintainance of your property and garden in spring. 

• Are the wooden outside frames of your house provided with a good coat of paint? Repairation of the painting is needed about once every five years. This may be even shorter if you live near the coast, the salty sea breeze ensures quicker damage of your paintwork. When blisters or cracks are developing in the painting or as the upper layer is discolored or torn the paint must be repaired.
• The fine spring weather is perfect for being outdoors and your garden or balcony is the place to be. Unfortunately it also needs maintencance for example pruning plants and trees. It is best to prune plants and trees in the beginning of the spring because the plant can cure the best. Note: this can vary by species. 
• Now it's spring, your pipes and faucets can't freeze again so now is the time to clean the taps, check for leaks and if necessary repair. This can easily be done by pouring a mixture of water and soda in the pipes. 

Tips & Tricks - Winter tips

Protect your pipes from the cold!

Make sure to protect your pipes from the cold weather. When left unprotected, your pipes can freeze when it’s less than 5 degrees Celsius, or a long period of frost. This can cause a lot of damage, inconvenience and costs. You will find some tips and tricks to protect your pipes below.

• Empty the pipes that are no longer used. Also think of outside taps for instance.
• Make sure that there is no draft.
• Isolate the pipes, water taps, water meters and unheated areas.
• When possible heat areas with pipelines.
• Make sure to keep the contact details of the water company and the plumber ready in case of emergency. 

Prepare your house for the coming storm!

The Dutch weather can be turbulent. Rain, thunder, storms and heavy snow and hailstorms cause damage to buildings. The biggest chance of stormy weather is between October and March. Of course, you can’t stop the storm but you can prevent your house from damage with simple measures. Underneath are some tips and tricks to help you keep your house damage free during storms, and what you can do when your house is damaged.

• Close doors and windows properly.
• Check your sunscreens, awnings and blinds. Are they properly attached, coiled, collapsed and closed?
• Remove old and unhealthy trees and prune overhanging branches. This will prevent them from falling or hitting your property.  
• Store loose garden furniture inside or sheltered so they can’t blow away.
• Check your roof: Are the roof tiles steady? Is the gravel evenly spread? Are the edges of the roof properly attached? This will provide the roof from loosening.
• Maintain flat roofs properly and have them checked by an expert.
• Make sure the masonry of the building and the chimney is still sufficiently strong. Ensure that there are no cracks in it and that the jointing is good.
• Is your house severely damaged? Call the fire department at 1-1-2. If the damage is severe they will call in the salvage company.
• Is your glass broken? Call a glass repair company.