That’s It, Folks

Forewarned is Forearmed By Wijnand de Gelder Don’t forget that you are making things easier for potential burglars if you leave a door or window open to a room that you are not in – if even for a few minutes. Be sure to shut them, even if you are only going to take a … Continued

Champagne’s Rising Superstar   This tiny champagne house was founded back in 1872. It remained a small house until Pascal Leclerc, who had a profound interest in organic viticulture, took its reigns. He began cultivating his vineyards with biodynamic techniques and was widely regarded as one of the pioneers of biodynamic Champagne.   In the … Continued

From National Bank to International Top Hotel   At the heart of the Parliamentary District of The Hague, located in a prestigious spot opposite the Royal Palace Noordeinde, you will find Hotel Indigo The Hague – Palace Noordeinde occupying a former bank building of the Nederlandsche Bank. The stately building has been here since 1833, … Continued

Each Comes With Its Own Rules   Whether you want to buy or sell a house, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind. In this article, a few words of advice for you, tailor-made to which side of the negotiating table you are sitting on.   Negotiating a Real Estate … Continued

It has been more than 32 years since ACCESS was founded, but still, Community Education plays a similar function; that of offering something to help internationals, expats if you will, from feeling isolated in their new surroundings, or offering them different opportunities to improve upon skills, learn new ones, or prepare for their new lives … Continued

When you move to another country, you are faced with its rules and idiosyncrasies. Not only in daily life and at work, but also when it comes to other, more formal rules. The author has learned that many of her expat clients are not aware of the myriad Dutch tax rules that apply to them … Continued

It was early November. The leaves had turned yellow and were, with their last strength, still hanging onto their branches. The day was another record-breaking one, with temperatures soaring to a wonderful 15 degrees centigrade. The sun had just crawled above the buildings along the Prinsengracht and played a final trick with me. I cherished … Continued

Heading toward Winter   It’s that time of the year again. We’ve put the clock back one hour (more about that later), it’s cold outside, dark when you wake up, and dark when you come home. But then there is the so-called Dutch gezelligheid. The famous untranslatable word, that comes closest to ‘coziness’. And winter … Continued

By Robin Pascoe   Group by group, we filed out of the room and went our separate ways. I was left feeling enormously humbled. There was me, loud-mouthed Brit with my cynicism about the whole process, surrounded by people who had gone through so much to get here, who were refugees, or partners who had … Continued

Last summer DutchNews.nl editor Robin Pascoe wrote about how the fire brigade took down the drainpipe attached to the front of her house in their hunt for a baby duck. But the story was far from over. “Regular readers of this column may remember our dispute with the animal ambulance people, two fire engine crews … Continued

When relocating anywhere in the world, for an extended period of time, finding a place to live is among the first steps which need to be taken. Intuitively we know this can be of vital significance in getting settled. More often than not, though, the urgency of having to find a place overrides moments of … Continued

Financial Asset and Emotion   The song Driving home for Christmas probably expresses best that a house is much more than a pile of bricks. That it is, in fact, a vital part of one’s wellbeing.   When preserving the family home is the goal, it might be advisable to work together with a notary … Continued