Housing

Before you arrive it is advisable to contact your department and ask for advice and assistance. Here are some further tips which may be of use:

Finding Houses on the Private Market

Here are some useful websites with which to start your search. Most housing listings and the websites themselves are in Dutch.

Pararius: the most comprehensive compilation of listings in the area. To view houses, you will have to contact the estate agency responsible (some will require you to register with them first, often for a fee): www.pararius.com

Kamernet: here you can place an advert seeking an apartment and look at adverts showing apartments/rooms to rent. It largely caters to students, so you will find mostly rooms to rent, bedsits, and apartment shares rather than full, private apartments. It is free to search, but to place an advert and to view listings you must pay for temporary membership: www.kamernet.nl

Funda: has much of the same information as Pararius, but also houses to buy: www.funda.nl

Marktplaats: occasionally also includes advertisements for apartments to rent. Also a good place to look for second-hand furniture and other equipment once you have found a house: www.marktplaats.nl

A few things to note when searching for a room or apartment

kaal/gestoffeerd/gemeubileerd: apartments in the Netherlands are often rented not only unfurnished, but also without appliances or floors (no laminate covering/floorboards). ‘Kaal’ refers to these completely bare apartments, while ‘gestoffeerd’ means these things are in place. ‘Gemeubileerd’ means furnished.
leegstandswet: many houses and apartments are rented while they are on the market to be sold. This can offer nice accommodation at a lower price, but it does mean your apartment may be sold requiring you to move out after just a few months.
sub-letting and municipal registration: be careful in sub-letting situations; sometimes you will find that your landlord doesn’t want you to register with the municipality at the address, which will prevent you from being able to open a bank account.
prices: these depend on size, location, sharing of amenities, and how finished the apartment is. Generally, a finished (unfurnished), independent apartment up to 50m2, located near the city centre shouldn’t cost more than 900 euro/mth (exclusive). Further out from the city, around Nijmegen Midden and the south, this cost can go down to 600-800 euro/mth. It should not be necessary to spend 2/3 of your income on rent alone!

If you are frustrated by the lack of good apartments on your arrival, it may be advisable to find a room or a bedsit to rent on a rolling (non-fixed term) contract, giving you more time to look for a better place and more flexibility in when you move.

New listings appear all the time, so it may take several months to find a place you want to live in for the next four years.

Furnishing

Since many apartments are unfurnished, you will probably need to buy a few things upon moving in. Here are some good places to start looking:

Ikea: the nearest Ikea is in Duiven, near Arnhem. It is also possible to order many items online and have them delivered.

Het Goed: this is a second-hand store. Here you can find lots of second-hand furniture including bed frames, couches, tables, chairs, and bookshelves, as well as kitchen utensils and dishware at very low prices. Their collection changes daily, so it is best to go there regularly to find all the things you need. For a flat fee (currently 17 euros), they will deliver your purchases to the ground floor of your building (you can have several items delivered at once for the same cost). Website: www.hetgoed.nl

Marktplaats: you will find most things you could want somewhere on Marktplaats, but not all of them are for sale in Nijmegen, and you may have to pick them up yourself. The website and listings are also all in Dutch. Website: www.marktplaats.nl

Marketplace Facebook: secondhand furniture is offered via the marketplace function in Facebook.

Moving to the Netherlands

Euraxess makes moving to the Netherlands easier, so you can focus on your research.

Help from the Radboud University

For more tips and help from the RU International Office go to this website.