“Is it a good idea or not to sell our home now that Brexit is a fact?”. We hear that question a lot. Does Brexit affect the Utrecht housing market and, if so, how? Read here how we at Gusto Casa see it.
The No deal BREXIT signed in January will in any case change little at first. Only by 31 December this year must a trade agreement have been concluded between London and Brussels.
Consequences of Brexit for the housing market
And what will the influence on the housing market be after that? The Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, are very popular with British companies. There are currently about 250 companies considering a move to the Netherlands. Amsterdam is the favourite, but internationally speaking the distance to Utrecht is negligible. So it's to be expected that many home-seekers will extend their search area to include Utrecht.
Higher housing segment
If you compare London prices with those in Utrecht, most of them can afford a home fairly easily. The expectation, though, is that it will mainly be about rental homes. If the British settle in the Netherlands more permanently, they will increasingly resemble ‘ordinary’ Dutch home-seekers. We expect the pressure to increase mainly in the higher housing segment. For many people from London, Utrecht prices are peanuts, and we'll certainly notice that at the top end of the market.
From Amsterdam to Utrecht
At the moment we notice that we have many searchers who want to make the move from Amsterdam to Utrecht. This has less to do with BREXIT and more to do with the fact that, compared with Amsterdam, you can still find affordable (family) homes in Utrecht.
In short For now, Brexit will not have a big influence on the Utrecht housing market. So at the moment you don't need to take it into account when you're thinking about selling your home. If the pressure on the Utrecht housing market increases, partly because of the many Amsterdammers, and this coincides with the search of British newcomers who have settled here by then, Brexit could start to count. But we think that will mainly be in the higher segment.
Hard Brexit
If at the end of next year, after 11 months of negotiations, there is no prospect of a trade agreement, that will in practice amount to a no-deal Brexit. In a no-deal Brexit, the consequences of Brexit for the Utrecht housing market will be much greater. More Britons are then expected to settle in the Netherlands, and we will notice this in the housing market.
A good time to sell your home?
Is it a good time to sell your home, Brexit aside? Absolutely. House prices are still rising. Curious what we can do for you? As your selling agent, we can work with you to present your home in the right way. Whether it's expats or other home-seekers, at Gusto Casa you've come to the right place!
