How to find student housing in the Netherlands
H ow nice that you have decided to study in The Netherlands! One of the important things to do now is to find you a room. It is very important you start on time because a lot of international, but also Dutch students are looking for a room at the same time.
Be on time
Most Dutch students start searching for a room after their graduation. So in order to get a headstart, start your search before they do. Being on time is also an advantage because then you will have enough time to find out in what kind of housing you want to live. Knowing with whom you want to live is also important to think about before you search. If you prefer living alone, a studio would be more suitable for you than a student house with twelve others. Moving before the semester starts is also a good chance to explore the city and the rest of the country. This also gives you the chance to get to know other students and perhaps your housemates if you move earlier.
Complete your Kamernet account
Completing your Kamernet account could help you find your room. You can set your private profile to public so tenants can easily find you. Make sure your profile is 100% complete. Tenants can get a lot of information about you on your profile. It is the first impression so make it a good one. You can also link your Facebook account with your Kamernet account. Then tenants can see whether you share interests and friends. To be kept updated about the new rooms advertised in your favourite city, you can set up some alerts.You can add filters to the alerts so that you will only receive a notification when a new room is placed that suit your specific wishes.
Start your search
Increasing your chances is very important. You can easily add the rooms you are interested in to your favourites list. When you have a list of favourites you can send a message to the tenants. This message is as important as an application letter. So be original, do not make grammatical mistakes and most important: Show your personality.
Prepare for a viewing
After you sent a message it is possible you get an invitation for a viewing. Going to the viewing might not always be possible for you. Instead, plan a Skype moment to meet the tenants. Now you will have a good first impression without having to go to the Netherlands. But, if it is possible for you to go, you should. Seeing the room for real is more reliable than seeing the room on Skype. Preparing well is important because this evening tenants decide who to pick as a new housemate. Luckily, there are some tips about preparing for a viewing on the Kamernet website. See this evening as a whole new experience. You will meet new people and this should be fun. So do not be afraid and show your personality.
