First home in Amsterdam: how to choose a neighbourhood

For a first home in Amsterdam, the budget usually decides more than taste does. That is not bad news: it narrows a city of hundreds of neighbourhoods down to a list you can actually visit. The trick is to make the trade-offs on purpose rather than by accident, and to check each area on data before you fall for a listing.

Start from what you can borrow, not from the map

Get a rough idea of your maximum mortgage before you browse. Your income, your savings for the buying costs, the energy label of the home and the current lending rules all play a part, and the rules change every year, so ask a mortgage adviser or use a lender's calculator. Buyers under 35 may be exempt from transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting) on a home below a price limit that is set each year. Check the current conditions with the Belastingdienst.

Turn your budget into a list of areas

Where can I afford to buy? groups every neighbourhood by its average WOZ value and lets you set a budget. Read it with its caveat in mind: WOZ is a tax valuation at a past reference date, and asking prices are usually higher. An area whose average sits well below your budget is a realistic place to look. Where the average sits right at your budget, expect to afford a smaller home than most in that area.

Decide what you will trade

• Space or location. The same budget buys a small flat near the centre or more rooms further out. Decide which you will regret less in five years.
• Commute. Look at real travel time to work by bike and public transport, not distance on a map. A metro line can make a further area quicker than a nearer one.
• Homes for sale at all. In some areas most homes are social rent, so few come up for sale. The affordability page shows the share of owner-occupied homes per neighbourhood.
• Character. Lively streets with bars and shops, or quiet ones with green space and parking. Both have a price, and only one fits your evenings.
• Future plans. New construction can bring better facilities and years of building work. Check what is planned near any address you consider.

Check the shortlist on data

Open the page for each area on your shortlist in the neighbourhood index: crime per 1,000 residents, income, housing mix, amenities within 500 metres and the WOZ trend. The crime rate by neighbourhood shows how an area compares with the rest of the city.

When a home comes up, search the exact address on 500meters, download the free PDF report for it (free during the beta) and take it to the viewing. The neighbourhood check before a viewing lists what to look at. Torn between two homes? Put them side by side in the address comparison.