neurotic

Please help me... I accepted a fantastic job offer in Amsterdam, but everything else is not fantastic and the more I search and the more info I find, the more I burst out crying or have a panic attack....

I was offered the job very quickly so I have to work my notice in the UK, but that means that I'll only have four full days in Amsterdam, before I have to turn up at my new workplace. It also meant that cheap temporary accommodations were already full so I only booked 2 weeks at an AirBnB (with a nice host so hopefully she'll be also able to help...)

(I know 2 weeks is ridiculous but I want a place before Christmas, it's another crapfactor!)

Trouble is, I won't get paid too much (about €1900/month net), so I don't know what my chances are to get a furnished studio? I don't care how small or minky, and I don't care about commuting times either, I'm fine with suburbs or other towns (as long as the train doesn't add too much extra costs).... I just don't really fancy sharing because I want my boyfriend to visit me often... and I think the job will be stressful and I want to be able to relax at my own place... am I being unrealistic?

I'll try to organise some flat viewings for those four full days, but do you think I have a chance? I tried to write to some rental adverts already but not with a lot of luck.... On one hand, all the viewings are very soon so I'm not able to attend, on the other hand they are advertised for rent starting from January! I don't understand? I need it before January but I also can't view them personally just yet so what can I do apart from screaming and crying? I'm totally willing to pay for makelaars to find me a place for me, but will they even take me seriously?

(I responded to a rental advert placed by Randstad Wonen (Haarlem), who advised me to seek help from "Relocate Me", so I registered with them (good reviews on Google), but they haven't replied yet and I don't know if they will reject me for too low income or other reasons? Do you have any experience with them?)

I'm so scared, and I think I'm too weak for this but I really wanted that job, please help, any advice is appreciated.... I keep crying so much about this

calman014

€ 1900 (net) is a good wage if it is accurate!! I would say don't panic and wait till you are actually there...pretty sure you will find some helpful people once you are there...good luck.

neurotic

Thank you! I try and have faith but it's hard. Emotionally too, I'm leaving my man behind and the Scottish seaside.... On the other hand, the job is once in a lifetime opportunity and of course I am very excited about working in Amsterdam too.

I would think that the salary was good too, but what scares me about it is that it does not seem to meet the "minimum income requirement" criteria for many of the rentals I have been looking at... Perhaps I've just not been savvy enough to look at cheaper rental places or something (I really don't have high requirements otherwise). But I really really do not want to end up sharing. So here's another question for the more experienced: how common are these minimum income requirement things and is there any way round them?

Pulaski

I never seriously considered moving to the Netherlands despite working for a Dutch company, but it would have required more than €1,900/mth net for me to consider it, and that would have been 20 years ago. I am not even sure what I would expect today ..... a good bit more.

Hypothetically, if I was moving to the Netherlands today on such income I would expect to live in shared accommodation, if only to leave enough money each month for everything else in life.

Moses2013

That's the reality for many these days and just depends what kind of job . Be it France, Netherlands, Germany €1900 would be considered a good salary if your in an office (Admin, a bit of IT etc.). Unless you have years of experience, you can expect anything between €1550 - €2000. Everything above that would be a very good salary, unless you are a manager or in a higher skilled position (Developer, Sales and so on). I wouldn't want to live in Amsterdam on that money or in general but many do.

dmu

Hi from the France forum - it's the norm in France for landlords to require that potential tenants have a regular income of 3-4 times the monthly rent. Failing which they choose some one who does.
Aren't there any studios in or around Amsterdam with a rental of about 500€?

neurotic

I don't either lol! I'm totally OK to commute from whatever arse-end little village. I live in rural Scotland right now, distance is no problem.... but sharing would be and I don't know my chances, I'm very worried.

neurotic

Thanks for your reply. 3-4 times? Jeezo, but why? What if I have some inheritance money or savings, or my parents send me money every month, or I'm just willing to live in pot noodles for the time being? What's that got to do with anyone lol?!

As for studios for €500, I found some adverts for around 6-700, which would just be suitable if they don't look for a salary more than 2.5 or 3 times the rent but generally, furnished ones don't come much lower than that, and I need it to be furnished because I'm only contracted until the middle of the year and if I don't get a renewal then it's not worth investing into furnitures and appliances and the rest of it.

But I still don't want to shaaaaare

neurotic

Nooo... Please don't say that... do you really think it would have to come down to sharing...?

But I don't have an expensive lifestyle. I don't really know anyone to go or eat out with anyway, and I already shop at Aldi lol. I can live without buying new clothes for a while, and public transport seems inexpensive too. I think about this adventure as an investment into my career rather than an opportunity to get rich.... and that's why I just want to spend on my comfort a bit, the thought of sharing terrifies me Do you really think I don't stand a chance?

dmu

Tenants are legally protected in France and are difficult to evict. Landlords want reassurance that their tenants' income is sufficient to pay the rent. It makes no difference if you've got stacks of money in your bank account, it can be spent from one day to the next....
In France, parents often act as Guarantors (we did for our daughters) but still have to prove that THEIR regular income is sufficient!
If you're only contracted until mid-2018, I think you'll be obliged to share! From what I heard from my daughters, there aren't any problems with "visitors" and I'm not sure why you're so against flat-shares...
Just checked your other posts - why would your bf often visiting you be a problem? It surely wouldn't bother the other flatmates and if he becomes a permanent fixture, he would contribute to the rent...

neurotic

"Obliged to share" oh god pleaase nooo *sobs*

I'm not against flat-shares in general lol I just don't want to take part in one. Maybe they're OK in France but I imagine Amsterdam attracts a lot of stoners and "party folk" that I don't have a lot in common with. I've never done sharing with strangers (if you don't count my family and my boyfriend) so I don't even know what kind of roommate I would be... a grumpy one I guess!

I think the job will be stressful and when I'm home I just want to relax. I live quite rurally now and I got used to my peace and quiet, that's the only thing I'm not willing to give up. (Not to mention the comfort of going to the toilet when I need to lol.)

I've just turned 30 so I don't see why they would want to choose me anyway. You have to queue and interview with your potential roommates to be even considered and... well I'm not a particularly fun person.... My boyfriend is the same, not really a people person, and he is 38 and would be even less welcome I suspect.

I just don't like the idea that's all and I'm willing to turn a lot of stones to avoid it.

Moses2013

We recently had a person in Ireland thread complaining about rents in Dublin but I said it's an issue all over Europe, especially in the cities. Amsterdam is no different and probably even worse if you look at square meters.


Have a read
https://nltimes.nl/2017/10/13/amster...-first-decline


It's also not just price but the competition you have for a nice affordable apartment. Most single people can just about afford a studio in the city or they share. It's all about priorities and I'd personally rather be poor and happy near the Scottish seaside than poor and unhappy in Amsterdam

Pulaski

Honestly, I don't know, but I shared in London for a number of years, mostly with people I didn't know previously, and never really had an issue. Think of it as part of the experience, and you might be surprised, you might even make a new friend or two. I still keep in touch occasionally with a former housemate from a house I moved out of more than 20 years ago.

I also wouldn't worry too much about the "stoner culture" in Amsterdam, as most Dutch people are as abhorrent of it as everyone else, and they are pretty disgusted with the "stag party" visitors from the UK who think that it is cool to visit Amsterdam just to get stoned. I think it was worse before the iron curtain came down as at least now those idiots also have the choice of Prague and Budapest to go and get hammered.

So, honestly, I don't know if your desire for a cheap studio is achievable, or not, but of it is I don't think it would be the best use of your limited income, and I say that as a Yorkshireman. .... Doesn't the saying go "A Yorkshireman is a Scotsman with all the generosity squeezed out of him."

neurotic

I read that poor guy's story yesterday, from Dublin I think? I felt for him. I'm aware of this global crisis unfortunately, it's just general urbanisation I guess. I just wish that there were global business incentives that support companies to relocate outside big cities to ease off the pressure on them, or some kind of other incentive that encourages investment into housing or something.... There needs to be clever and thought through response policy to this quickly. It's just not natural that people in their 30s and 40s are expected to live with randomers to earn some living (and then they are labelled selfish and childish for postponing having children or never starting a family and all that crap too!)

"It's also not just price but the competition you have for a nice affordable apartment" >> That's why I've registered with a relocation agency to find me a place.... Yeah I know, the one month's rent + VAT fee is expensive, but my comfort is worth this much, I really hope they'll find me somewhere. I know there's no guarantee but I'm trying to increase my slim chances....

It's not about being poor and happy in Scotland unfortunately, but poor and unhappy, or at least, having low self-esteem and feeling like wasting my time in a job I don't really like. I love my boyfriend and the seaside, but I'm a driven person and I want a proper career. I wouldn't do this if I had a chance of that here either but Scotland doesn't have a lot of the industry I want to work in unfortunately, and nobody else even considered me for an interview apart from this Amsterdam company so I have to make this move.

neurotic

Yeah I'm trying to think about that too, that "what if my flatmates could actually be nice" lol but I just can't imagine myself being able to fully relax with other people around, even if they aren't drunk or stoned... What if their cooking stinks or they think mine does and will hate me for it? What if we have to fight for the bathroom or what if I suddenly get IBS and they'll hate me for taking ages on the toilet? (Yes, I'm really that neurotic)

It is a dream job of course, but having to move is already quite a sacrifice (considering leaving my partner behind for a while at least), and there are limits to what else I'm willing to compromise on.