More and more Dutch people are choosing to buy a second home. Whereas owning a vacation home used to be reserved for a select group, nowadays buying a second home is quite normal. Exact figures are not kept, but it is estimated that about one in twenty Dutch families own a vacation home at home or abroad.

The Netherlands is not a leader when it comes to owning a second home. In Norway, owning a vacation home (Hytta) is almost commonplace. As many as half of all Norwegians own a second home, particularly in their own country. Second homes are also popular among the English. About 1 in 10 English people own a vacation home as an investment, for their own use or a combination of these.

Second home: the search for yield

The search for yield and an aging population are increasing popularity among the Dutch. For many (potential) owners, a second home is an attractive alternative to bank savings. Foreign real estate is also gaining in popularity. This is partly due to the favorable tax rules. Properties in countries with which the Netherlands has a tax treaty are taxed locally, in the country itself and not in the Netherlands. Several countries, including Austria, Bonaire and Germany have no or significantly lower taxes on assets than in the Netherlands.

Visit the Second Home Expo

Five times a year the Second Home Expo is organized. The place to start the search for a second home! Tom van den Brink, exhibition manager Second Home: “More and more people are orientating for a second home. It is important to be well informed before you buy. For example about legal and tax matters, but also about management, returns and of course the enormous choice of beautiful dream homes. The Second Home Expo is an excellent opportunity to attend over 20 seminars in one place and discover the offer of providers from more than 25 countries. We notice that the second home is unprecedentedly popular, for this weekend we have already issued over 15% more tickets than our previous edition.”