Dordrecht Real Estate: Family Houses in the Oldest City of Holland

The historic centre around the Nieuwe Haven, the Grote Kerk and the Voorstraat shopping street is full of canal-side houses and the highest per-square-metre prices. Stadspolders to the east is a newer residential district with modern family homes, while Sterrenburg and Dubbeldam are green suburbs with detached and semi-detached houses and cycle paths. Crabbehof and Krispijn have a mix of older terraced housing, and Wielwijk and Zuidhoven are more affordable.

The train to Rotterdam takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and a water bus connects with the Rotterdam harbour area. The Biesbosch National Park, a freshwater tidal landscape, lies on the doorstep and provides kayaking and wildlife-watching. Dordrecht has a lower profile than its neighbours, which keeps the market less competitive than in the Randstad core.

The city's identity is built on its harbour and its trading past. Weekend markets, a lively café culture on the Nieuwe Haven and festivals on the water give the historic core a social life that outweighs its size. Because Dordrecht is outside the Randstad core, you will also find more parking and more detached garages than in Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

The Netherlands is open to foreign buyers, but the process runs on strict timings.

1. Registered viewing and bid. You bid via the seller's broker. In popular areas, expect competition from local buyers.
2. Purchase contract. After signing you have a three-day reflection period.
3. Conditions. Ask for a financing condition and, for older houses, a structural inspection condition.
4. Deed at the notary. The notary registers the transfer. Transfer tax is about 2% for owner-occupiers and more for investors. Check the current rates.
5. Water and soil. Dordrecht sits within a dike-protected area, and parts of the Biesbosch and island edge are low-lying. Ask about subsidence, wooden foundations and flood insurance.

Our Netherlands buying guide and Netherlands mortgage guide explain more, and you can plan repayments in the mortgage calculator.

The nearest big market is Rotterdam, with The Hague, Utrecht and Amsterdam further north. For technology jobs consider Eindhoven, and for newer homes Almere. See property for sale in the Netherlands.