Red_Wine_Fairy

Just a thought: at 28 you should be able to study here and get a student grant. Age 30 is the cut off level for student finance (so don't think too long about it). That will bring you a small income while you get yourself some Dutch qualifications, and even a career change if you wanted one.

You'd also get to improve your Dutch alongside other international students, and with an EU passport, you'd be free to get an evening job to supplement it, and nobody's going to ask you why you gave up a business to work in a bar or supermarket in the Netherlands when they see it on a future CV - they'll just assume it was student job.

Red_Wine_Fairy

If you have no or low income, there is a free advice service for tax matters in Amsterdam (staffed by tax law students from the Uni, I believe, and works similar to a citizens advice bureau in the UK). Google 'Belastingwinkel Amsterdam'

Cynic

I found this on the Internet; I can't recommend them (never used them); there are probably more.

Cynic

OK - Rental benefit, I just read it (it's in Dutch), basically, what it is, it's called "huurtoeslag" (used to call it huursubsidie) and as the name hints, it's only available if you rent (not own) a free standing place (so you can't get it if you rent a room). Assuming you qualify:

• Your rent has to be between 231.87 and 710.68 p/month
• your total household income has to be below 30k
• Your total assets are not more than 24,437

How much you can get depends on your circumstances; obviously, the nearer you are to the bottom end, the more you'll get.
Maybe somebody on here claims it and can tell you more.

Just to add - I recall something about you could only get it, if you lived in a Housing Association property (socialwoning) , so not if you rented privately. Not sure if this is still the case.

James707

Ah right I see the propertys we have been looking at are a fair bit more expensive than 710.68 per month as we need to be close to Centraal for my partners work.

Study?
Haven't thought of that it's a option I suppose.

I would need help with tax etc so places like could be very helpful.

Sorry for all the questions but what is the best way to approach renting somewhere.
My partners firm supplies a apartment for free but only for a period of 3 months after that we have to find our own place which is fine, but is it better to approach a rental agency or find it ourselves through online websites?
Is there any bartering when it comes to rental prices or are landlords pretty much the lowest they will go?
Is utilities set up automatically through the land lord or do you have to do it yourself?
What could you expect to pay a month on utilities?

Sorry for all the questions I know I can Google this information but I would rather trust you guys on the subjects as you have done it before and know what it's like.

Casa Santo Estevo

James707 have you read the wiki at the top of the forum covering The Netherlands? In the information is a link to a website which lists areas of work which need specific qualifications for many professions.
I added the two professions you have written about and there are no formal qualifications needed, for either.
However the stumbling blocks you may have to overcome are
1) Language skills.
2) Obtaining the right certificates from your education in the UK and seeing how they fit into what the Dutch are looking for.
As you can appreciate the Dutch system is very different to the UK, in two areas. One is ranking of certificates/school levels are different. Two the skill sets you learnt during your education.
The next is to a link to a Dutch website which details out the basic skill sets and education to start vehicle damage assessment person in NL HERE
The next link for you to undertake some training to obtain a certificate as a FLD. HERE I expect there are many similar companies all over the country.
So your quests is not impossible, if you can obtain the stands the Dutch are looking for. Add with that some good references you should be on you way to getting that all important first step of living your dream. Even if it is a zero hour contract. It unfortunately seems the way of the world at the moment.

James707

Hello thank you for that no Ive got to be honest I haven't looked at that I will read it now.

Have you got any comments on my questions re finding rental properties.

Thanks again for the information.

Cynic

The only thing I can offer is if possible, stay away from the expat market place; as soon as they realise you're a foreigner looking to rent, the price will go up. It may well be you have no choice, but I reckon you'll pay at least circa 2k p/month for a small apartment in Amsterdam and you'll struggle to find something long-term, it's a popular place; this link pretty much sums it up for you. You may want to try looking further away, NL has excellent public transport and it's reasonably priced (in comparison to the UK). How to find it - either wait till you get there, or look on the Internet. Anything you see now won't be there in a months time (if it is, you need to ask yourself why).

Here's a link to a site that talks about all type of costs. For what it's worth, my wife (who's Dutch) tells me that NL is cheaper than UK, but she shops at the farms and markets and the low-end supermarkets (Aldi/Lidl). If you use places like Albert Hein (kind of like Sainsburys), you'll pay more, but the standards are very high; I love their food.

James707

Oh yes I've been in Albert Hein lots of times and I think it's resonably priced on par with sainsburys like you say.
I'm general I found that things like meals out, shopping, alcohol etc to be far cheaper than than London or Cambridge.

We did find somewhere for 1300 a month which seemed reasonable giving it's location, bear in mind that we don't want anything larger than a 1 bedroom apartment, neither of us like's big living areas for various reasons but quicker to clean being my main motivation.
What about utilities is that site correct €150 a month for bills that seems cheap?

There are plenty of websites expat and normal and the properties that are listed on both are the same price.
But would you recommend finding it ourselves or through a estate agent?
Is haggling on the rent price something that happens or is it fixed in stone?
Pararius we found is the most useful.

Casa Santo Estevo

Please read the Wiki.

Cynic

I've never lived in Amsterdam; this link has information regarding what you're looking for (at the bottom of the page is a further link to some cost tables).

IMO - If you use an agent for anything, there will be a cost associated with that - costs are usually passed on to the buyer. If you're looking for a life-investment, then I'd use an agent, if you're not, I'd try it for yourself first. I suspect you won't get much truck in trying to negotiate a reduced price, it's a sellers market place, but you can always try - the Dutch have a saying, you have no, you may get yes.

James707

Ok will re read the wiki thanks.

Thanks for the help, there's no harm in trying to get a lower price!

TribalHusqvarna

I've just made a thread because I have a similar issue with no qualifications but pratical skills although I do have a job there if I want it which you don't and I'm on my own so no wife or anything.
I'm also quitw a bit younger than you which might go for me or against me I don't know yet.
I'm looking at the warehouse job in the airport like you said so if I take it I'll let you know what it's like
Best of luck if you do go

Cynic

James - one last thing, please do let me know how you got on and if the advice you got worked for you?

Red_Wine_Fairy

If you are looking for an unfurnished rental, and are happy to stay outside of the city centres, you can get a place for less than 1300. Rooftrack lists vrij-sector rentals (these are homes owned by housing associations above the social housing rent limit of 710 pm. and there are no waiting lists). To qualify for one in the social housing category (which you need to qualify for huurtoeslag), you are looking at a wait of around 9 YEARS in Amsterdam, not sure what the average waiting list is in Utrecht, so you can pretty much rule that out. Remember that the taxman will count your girlfriend as your fiscal partner, and so any benefits you get would also include her income as well as yours.

If you require furnished accommodation, you are at the mercy of the landlords. These landlords won't even entertain you until you're in the country, so your first three months will be your hunting time. You're very luck to have the luxury of a paid-for place at which you can register for three months while you sort your affairs out

Bear in mind always that parting expats from their money is a national sport here, they will use your naivity to their advantage and even tell you blatant lies in order to squeeze as much cash out of you as they possibly can. For example, if you find a house yourself, the agent might try to get a fee out of you as well, even though he's already been paid for his services by the landlord - this is illegal but many still do it. If you appoint an agent to search for you, then they will be entitled to their fee because they are acting on your behalf, but with one of you not working and able to do the groundwork, this is really unnecessary. Other sites to try are funda.nl (national association of estate agents), perhaps Marktplaats.nl, and sometimes you can find small studios on kamernet.nl (don't bother to pay for premium membership).