Netherlands - anyone got any info to share?

[DeckTheHallsWithHollyhobbie]

Hello,
We're very seriously looking at moving to the Netherlands (specifically Amsterdam area) next year for work, but want some info about cost of nursery schools/childcare so that we can use this in the process of negotiating salaries.
DD will be 3 in April and DS will be 1.

Any other info anyone has would be gratefully received too.

dank u!

[DeckTheHallsWithHollyhobbie]

bump

[TheHollyhobbieAndTheIvy]

hmm. no dutch expats out there then?

[Anna8888]

My sister moved to Amsterdam one year ago.

Her children are at the International School of Amsterdam (IB curriculum) (were previously at the International School of Madrid, so continuity). Fees are very high - they are paid by my BIL's company, but are in the region of 60,000 euros a year for three children (one pre-school and two primary). School is very good and provides lots of useful services, like a bus from her front door and back again, dentist and vaccinations at school etc.

However, my sister has found childcare and cleaning help very difficult to find.

[TheHollyhobbieAndTheIvy]

Thanks Anna.
Wow- good to know what kind of costs we would have to negotiate!

[Anna8888]

My sister also has 4000 euros of rent - for a half of a nice 1930s house in a very good area.

Rents are high in Amsterdam - my sister has half as much space as she did in Madrid (same price).

[Anna8888]

4000 euros a month btw

[TheHollyhobbieAndTheIvy]

Aiiie! I think I'm going off the idea! Good to know - thanks again.

[katje]

Just want to say that International School in Amsterdam is right at the top of the price range. Loads of cheaper nurseries, esp if you don;t mind it being in Dutch. And cheaper areas too.

[slim22]

hi,
lived in Amsterdam for year, 3 years ago.
We also had half a house (that's about 300 sqm on 3 floors) in top neighborhood for a bargain 3000 euros.
Like Anna's sister i guess, this is leafy bourgeois old south of Amsterdam, below the museumplein/vondelpark where most expats on packages live. That's where the british school is (bethovenstraat).

There is alos a bilingual dutch/english pre-school (two voices) with 2 locations (north and south of the vondelpark)

A lot of expats live in Amstelveen (mainly US as that's where the US school is). It's a 10 mn drive south of Amsterdam.
Very suburban. A bit less expensive. Modern flats and lots of pretty houses.

Amsterdam is big and there a lot more really charming more affordable neighbourhoods. Transport is very easy.

Suggest staying near a park or the river to get breathing space because winter is bleak and you can get a bit claustrophobic.

In package you need to factor in school fees + housing allowance + health insurance. Everything else is quite good value.
You can find lots of info on the expatica website.
When renting, beware. The dutch are ruthless businessmen. Get contract translated.

Anna, for housekeeping and childcare there is a vast phillipino connection. Tell her to look up the message board at the british school and ask neighbors about au-pair agencies.
They are usually quite mature and speak good english + some dutch.
How is your sister doing? Hope things settled.

[alipiggie]

DeckTheHallsWithHollyhobbie I lived in Holland for ten years and speak fluent Dutch. Please don't go and live in Amsterdam. There are much nicer places when you have children outside. I lived in Almere which is great, Weesp, Bussum and other areas outside Amsterdam.

You will need a residency card from the Police, the driving licence is reciprocal, but Dutch drivers are very very aggressive and more often than not shoot red lights.

You can email me on alison smits @ gmail dot com (no space between my names). I am (although not for much longer) married to a Dutchman and can give you a great deal of advice if you would like to make contact with you.

[slim22]

at drivers being aggressive.
Not only drivers.......
When you get past that first shock coming from the Uk where people are much more civil, the" what you see is what you get" attitude does grow on you though!

[katje]

Amsterdam is great though, we loved it. Slim22, we must have lived very near you.

[slim22]

It is. My parents used to live in a very pastoral area near the Hague and in comparison I had a real dislike for Amsterdam at that time.
When you live there it's a whole different story. Only a very little part of town is seedy and busy and you hardly ever go there.
The rest is quite picturesque and the people are are a very interesting mix.

[YeahBut]

Hi, I live in Holland just outside The Hague which is very nice. Do you have to live in / around Amsterdam?
60, 000 Euro for 3 children sounds a lot! Our children go to the British School in the Netherlands here in Den Haag which is good. Costs seem to be average for private international education in Holland - 11K for junior and 15K p/a per child for senior school. school
In The Hague, the expat housing market seems to be fixed at around 3500 euro per month for your average Dutch 3 storey, 4 bed house. Dutch houses tend to have tiny kitchens and gardens. Places where the American expats tend to congregate to be closer to the American schools are more expensive as they tend to get higher housing allowances.