A holiday home, where you can get away from everyday worries for a while, is becoming increasingly popular. Yet there is a lot involved in buying such a second home. ‘An NVM purchase broker can advise and relieve you of these worries,’ said NVM chairman Ger Jaarsma.

The market for second homes in the Netherlands has been growing strongly in recent years. In 2017, a total of as many as 4,330 recreational homes were sold. An increase of 15% compared to the previous year. This is according to research carried out by Bureau Stedelijke Planning for the NVM. What could be nicer than being able to leave the delusion of everyday life behind for a while from time to time and enjoy your own holiday home in a beautiful nature area, at the coast or in the woods? Nice walks, cycling and enjoying nature and each other.

Zeeland

According to NVM chairman Ger Jaarsma, Zeeland in particular has been popular in recent years. Moreover, more recreational houses are being built there than in other regions. ‘Demand for recreational houses is increasing there, while supply is rapidly decreasing. Only in the higher segment is there still enough for sale. Of all recreational houses in the price range above €500,000, almost half are offered in Zeeland.’ Although the Wadden Islands remain the most expensive region: with an average transaction price of €351,888 in 2017, recreational homes there cost more than double the Dutch average.

Investment

A holiday home is not only a wonderful place for yourself, but also to rent out to others. Increasingly, the second home is therefore seen as a good investment. According to Jaarsma, homes between 250,000 and 500,000 euros are then particularly interesting, depending on the location. ‘The overall demand is also increasing most strongly in that price range. This certainly applies to attractive areas, such as the Zeeland coast.’ If you buy a holiday home as an investment, you should look carefully at rental possibilities, the quality of the house and location, financing and annual costs (see box Tips for buying a holiday home).

Holiday park

It is also possible to buy a property in a holiday park. Here, according to Jaarsma, it is good to look at the quality of the park and the homes. Indeed, more and more outdated holiday parks are being remediated or transformed. Projects such as the Vital Holiday Parks programme on the Veluwe are clearly bearing their first fruit, according to Jaarsma. This programme aims to realise a diverse and high-quality supply of holiday parks on the Veluwe. ‘Other provinces such as Noord-Brabant and Zeeland are also preparing policies to remediate or transform outdated supply. In particular, the big players in the leisure accommodation market are investing heavily. For example, Landal GreenParks has earmarked €300 million for the coming years, largely for quality investment.

In the exclusive top segment, as we see in Zeeland, permanent residence is allowed. Living and recreation come together in these small-scale luxury projects. ‘This trend is becoming increasingly visible in two manifestations,’ Jaarsma knows. ‘On the one hand, we see an increase in holiday parks at, for example, the Efteling, the Beekse Bergen and Slagharen. On the other hand, holiday parks are increasingly offering day attractions and new facilities. ‘Water fun investments’ are a clear observable trend and ‘family entertainment centres’ we see more often as part of resorts.’

Future

So the future of the recreational home looks bright. Although the NVM does expect the supply in the lower segment in particular to continue to fall and the average transaction price to rise as a result. Jaarsma therefore advocates more new construction. Transformation and redevelopment of existing parks is also important, according to the NVM chairman. ‘NVM brokers can have an excellent advisory role in this, as they know what the market demand is and what the trends are. In addition, NVM brokers advise consumers when buying a recreational home.’

Source: NVM