House Hunting in the Netherlands: A Villa With Eyelashes in Rotterdam

Abstract

"It's very unusual for an architect this famous to build a private home. It's like hiring a three-star Michelin chef to prepare a meal." Known for surreal flourishes, Mr. van Egeraat topped the 5,306-square-foot home with an undulating, thatched roof whose supporting beams protrude "Like eyelashes coming from the house," Mr. de Ruiter said. A geothermal pump heats the home, he added, "So heating costs are low." Rotterdam, with about 655,000 residents in the South Holland province of the Netherlands, is home to Europe's busiest port, along with offices for corporations including Shell and Unilever. "There are simply too many buyers for too few homes." Rising bank rates have not tamped demand, she added: "Buyers are just changing their searches, so more of them are competing for lower-priced homes." Rotterdam is bisected by the Maas river. Mr. Schrijver of RE/MAX added that detached homes go for up to 7,500 euros a square meter, "And more for a waterfront property." Mr. De Ruiter of Christie's, who specializes in luxury properties, said his end of the market has soared, with the number of Rotterdam homes that sold for over a million euros doubling over the past five years. Nederlandse Vereniging van Makelaars, the Dutch the real estate association, reported that the national median price for an apartment rose to 4,497 euros a square meter in the first quarter of 2022, with the median price for a detached home soaring to 3,817 euros a square meter. In 2021, to help first-time home buyers, the government exempted home buyers under the age of 35 from the 2 percent transfer tax on purchases up to 400,000 euros. The exemption applies to foreign buyers as well, "As long as you can attest in writing that the home is your main residence," Mr. Klaassen said.