House to huis: signing a lease

What do I need to know about signing a lease?
We had, overall, very positive experiences negotiating and signing our leases. I'm lucky that I have a very precise and organized husband who reads (and rereads) things like leases, doesn't hesitate to ask questions, and doesn't care how much time it takes. Trust me, he goes slow. But he's caught so many errors! 

First of all, I don't know all the answers but we've been through it twice so we've had some practice. All you need to sign your lease is your passport and cash/wire transfer. Your agent should have an English version of the contract for you to keep (you need it!). Make sure you read it very carefully. If you want a sample, email me and I'll send you an old one of ours. 

Here's my list of top "do's"...

Negotiate. Utilities/TV/Internet are sometimes included and can cost about €150-200 per household. Consider that TV/internet set-up can take weeks, who knows why. What about water and garbage levies, which can run you €300 per year? And definitely negotiate rent. At least €100 under the asking price. Don't be afraid to chase down some neighbors and ask what they pay (they're probably Dutch and don't mind telling you!).

House to huis: the decision

How did you decide to move to Holland?

The weather of course! Ok, no, not really. Holland was an easy choice. We wanted to be in Europe and we wanted to speak English, for the most part. Plus, my dad is Dutch, but moved away when he was little. I have great memories of visiting Oma and Opa in Holland and jumping on the trampolines in Scheveningen. I thought it would be nice to return to a family root. 

House to Huis: finding a house

Ever since Copenhagenize featured my post (!) about Dutch-style school pick-up and since I started blogging for Amsterdam Cycle Chic, I've been getting more emails from curious readers. I love it! I thought I'd share some of their questions and my answers as part of weekly post about relocating. Hopefully it will be helpful to many more people! So the first question is....

A place to call home

So, yes, it's been over a month with no word from the pancake! It's been super busy with moving in to our new place, seeing friends, buying bikes, checking out the crazy summer festivals (Pride!), exploring a new city, lots of bike rides, starting Dutch lessons, job interviews and other networking, and trying to get settled. I love finally having a home and not living out of suitcases any more!

a quest for a home...

... can be exhausting in another country. Its been so cold here (25ish) and snowy but check it out: we found a place! The hard part was choosing between neighborhoods: 'burbs or city center? When I say 'burbs, I really mean its only about 10 by bike to the city center or a 10-15 min walk to most life's essentials (only some restaurants and bars, but grocery store, bookstores, cafes, etc). After seeing eight apartments it came down to three places: two in the city center and one in the ‘burbs. Both city center apartments are a stone's throw from a major grocery store, an organic grocery store, TONS of shopping, restaurants, bars, the metro (at which to meet guests!!), etc. So here were the final 3 contestants: