Buying a home in Amsterdam: the neighbourhood check before a viewing

A viewing lasts half an hour and shows the home at its best: tidied, well lit and quiet. What you buy along with it is the street. The bar that fills up at midnight, the empty plot with a building permit, the tram stop that is further away than the listing suggests. All of that is public record, and you can check it before you set foot inside.

What to check before the viewing

• Complaints and nuisance nearby. Residents report noise, rubbish and nuisance to the city. One report means little. The same complaint at the same spot, week after week, is the signal. Look at what is reported around the building itself, not the neighbourhood average.
• Crime and its trend. Read registered crime per 1,000 residents, separate bike theft from burglary and street robbery, and check whether the rate has been rising or falling over the years. The crime rate by neighbourhood puts every buurt side by side.
• Planned construction. A permit for the plot across the road can mean years of scaffolding, noise and a different view. Check what is planned within a few hundred metres, not only on the street itself.
• The building's energy label. It shapes your energy bill and what you can borrow, and an older label can rest on an estimate. Note the label and the build year, then ask what has been insulated since.
• Walking distance to essentials. A supermarket, a tram or metro stop, a GP and, if it matters to you, a school. Real walking time counts more than a circle on a map, because canals and railway lines force detours.
• Horeca and noise. Bars, restaurants and terraces close by are lively in the day and loud at night. See what is within a few minutes' walk and come back on a Friday or Saturday evening before you bid.

How to check a specific address

Type the street and house number into 500meters. You see what is within 500 metres of the door: complaints, registered crime in the neighbourhood, the average WOZ value over time, the energy label, amenities by real walking time, bars and restaurants, and planned construction. Two homes on your list? Put them side by side in the address comparison.

Then download the free PDF report for the address (free during the beta) and take it to the viewing. Keep it on your phone or print it, so you can ask about what you found: the complaints in the street, the label, the plans across the road.

Still choosing an area? Start wider

If you have not picked a neighbourhood yet, begin with the budget. Where can I afford to buy? groups every neighbourhood by its average WOZ value, with the caveat that WOZ sits below asking prices. The neighbourhood index has a page for every buurt with crime, income, housing mix and amenities, and the crime rate by neighbourhood shows where registered crime is high and where it is low.

At the viewing itself

• Ask how long the sellers have lived there and why they are moving. Then ask about the neighbours and about noise.
• For an apartment, ask for the recent minutes of the owners' association (VvE), its long-term maintenance plan and its reserve fund. They show whether a big bill for the roof or the foundations is on its way.
• Check whether the land is leasehold (erfpacht), which is common in Amsterdam, and on what terms. It changes the monthly cost of the home.
• After the viewing, walk to the tram stop or the supermarket yourself. It is the quickest way to test what the numbers suggest.