House value up by fifty percent

House value up by 50 percent

On 1 January 2005 the average value of a house in the Netherlands was 202 thousand euro, an increase by51 percent compared to the previous year.

New price evaluation, sharp increase

The increase in the average value of houses is mainly caused by the recent evaluation of property on the new reference date 1 January 2003. The average value of houses in the previous year was still based on the reference date 1January 1999. The most recent price revaluation in 2001 averaged 66 percent.

Most substantial price rise in Groningen

In the province of Groningen the average value of a house was 60 percent upon 1 January 2004, whereas the lowest price increase (35 percent) was recorded in the province of Limburg. Although the most substantial price increase wasrecorded in Groningen, this province, with 142 thousand euro, has still the lowest house prices in the Netherlands. In the provinces of Gelderland, North Holland, North Brabant and Utrecht, the highest average house value is recorded:more than 220 thousand euro.

Value of houses by municipality

In 55 municipalities the average house value rose by more than 60 percent on1 January 2005. In eight municipalities, all situated in Limburg, the average house value increase was less than30 percent.

Average house value highest in Bloemendaal

There are significant disparities in the value of houses across municipalities. In four municipalities the average value of a house exceeds 500 thousand euro. In the municipality of Bloemendaal, the average price of a house is 578 thousand euro, in Blaricum 530 thousand euro, in Wassenaar 520 thousand euro and in Laren 518 thousand euro.

Lowest value in North Netherlands

There are seven municipalities in the Netherlands where the average value ofa house does not exceed 130 thousand euro. The lowest average house price wasrecorded in Leeuwarden: 107 thousand euro. The other six are situated in theprovince of Groningen, i.e. Appingedam, Groningen, Delfzijl, Pekela, Reiderlandand Hoogezand-Sappemeer.

Cees Steijn