Living/housing

For the first time in years, the average mortgage for first-time buyers has stopped growing, signaling that new buyers have hit their financial limit. With property prices up 5% this March, many are forcing themselves into smaller homes or cheaper areas just to get a foot on the property ladder. Meanwhile, existing homeowners are using their equity and higher incomes to buy bigger properties, widening the gap between those buying their first home and those moving up it.

Financial pressure on Dutch homeowners is rising, with more people struggling to cover housing costs and falling behind on mortgage payments, NHG reports. Concerns about energy costs are also increasing amid higher gas prices. The organisation warns that problems are now spreading to middle-income and younger households.

Demonstrations and counter-protests were held across several Dutch cities on Saturday, focusing on asylum policy and public spending cuts. Organisers described the events as peaceful, while progressive groups also mobilised in support of refugees and against what they called far-right actions.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Commission has issued a stark warning that the government’s new flight plans for Schiphol Airport fail to guarantee adequate protection for local residents. In a critical advisory report, the commission highlighted significant "shortcomings" in the research, suggesting it downplays the true scale of noise and environmental damage while giving the aviation industry too much leeway. Urging a total revision of the report, the experts noted that health risks remain uncertain and that alternative solutions—such as banning night flights—were overlooked, though the Ministry maintained that the final level of protection remains a "political assessment."

The Dutch regulator ACM is assessing a proposal to change how households pay for electricity. The plan would introduce higher charges during peak usage and lower prices at quieter times. A decision is expected later this year, with possible changes by 2029.

The caravan is enjoying a significant resurgence in the Netherlands, with new sales figures from trade associations BOVAG and KCI showing an 18 per cent increase in registrations this spring. While caravan sales are currently declining across the rest of Europe in favour of motorhomes, the Dutch market is bucking the trend, driven largely by young families who see them as an ideal way to holiday with children. Industry experts note that since the pandemic, caravans have firmly returned to the radar of younger generations, resulting in over 2,100 new units being sold in just two months.

ABN AMRO reports that the gap between renters and homeowners is widening. Existing owners benefit from stable costs and rising incomes, while young renters and first‑time buyers face higher prices, smaller homes, and growing barriers to entering the housing mar

ING predicts that house price growth will stall for the remainder of the year as an influx of former rental properties boosts market supply. Higher taxes and stricter regulations are prompting private landlords to sell up, particularly in major cities, while rising mortgage rates have made buyers more cautious. Although total growth for 2026 is still expected to reach 1.5 per cent due to gains made earlier in the year, the bank suggests the long-standing boom is finally levelling off.