[Lees in het Nederlands]

A trend is visible: People from the Randstad are packing their bags and moving to the North and East of the Netherlands. A movement that has been visible for some time and has been intensified by the corona pandemic, because people working from home have started to value their space in and around the house differently. Other factors also contribute to this. At the invitation of Holland Property Plaza, Alfred Bolks, Managing Director of VanWonen, shares his vision about this trend.

The relocation figures of Statistics Netherlands clearly show that the Netherlands is on the move. In the overheated housing market and limited space that the Netherlands has, it is a challenge to find a home. Certainly in the Randstad area, where complex and expensive inner-city construction is taking place, it is impossible to meet the huge demand for housing. At the same time, customer living preferences have changed. People want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and are looking for affordable housing with a green living environment within reach for the same amount of money.

Footsteps in sandy soil
It is a real challenge for the sector to create enough housing with the available planning and building capacity and within the current laws and regulations. Alfred: “As an area developer, we deliberately put our footprints in the northern and eastern sandy soil. This is an area that lies well above sea level, allowing us to offer sustainable housing solutions. We take into account that there are more and more households, especially one-person households. We take this into account in our planning and offer solutions that are effective for a large population. In this way, we give substance to our vision of creating residential and living environments for the healthiest generation.”

“As an area developer, we deliberately put our footprints in the northern and eastern sandy soil. This is an area that lies well above sea level, allowing us to offer sustainable housing solutions.”

The attractiveness of successful cities
The attractiveness of this area was enhanced by the home-working culture due to the corona pandemic. Other facets acted as a catalyst. For instance, the area is better accessible due to improved infrastructure. The Randstad is now within easy reach thanks to the construction of the Hanze Line, and with the possible arrival of the Lely Line, you can travel from Groningen to the Randstad within an hour. In addition, the road network has been widened and renewed, making the region the highway through the Netherlands and abroad par excellence. Large companies are establishing themselves more frequently in this part of the Netherlands, which gives employment and economic development a considerable boost. Add to this the fact that pressure is increasing on the eastern housing market, causing successful cities such as Groningen, Assen, Zwolle, Arnhem and Nijmegen to grow further. However, here too, the building land released to date has been too limited to meet the large demand for housing, both in the city centre and around the edges of these success cities.

“However, here too, the building land released to date has been too limited to meet the large demand for housing, both in the city centre and around the edges of these success cities.”

Stimulating debate during Provada
The easiest way is to choose high-rise. However, all our customer surveys show that people are looking for more living space, a green living environment that is within easy reach and a climate-conscious investment to relieve the earth. If we do not tackle this together, the problem will last much longer. That is why we are going to engage in a dialogue with each other. In October, real estate fair Provada will open its doors in RAI Amsterdam. On Tuesday 26 October, from 11:30 to 12:30 at the VanWonen stand, there will be a stimulating panel discussion about this migration to the east and the challenges associated with it. Together with five renowned panel members, Sander Schimmelpenninck will address this topic. Fascinated by this topic? Come and visit us at our stand 10 – 27.

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