This is the country's most expensive residential municipality

Where can you still find a villa at a reasonable price? Not in Laren and Bloemendaal. These two municipalities lead the country in residential property values.

Where can you still score a villa for a low price? Well, not in Laren and Bloemendaal. The two municipalities have been in a neck-and-neck race for the title of 'most expensive residential municipality in the Netherlands' for years. This year, however, the Gooi village officially dethrones the chic coastal town. Which municipalities complete the top five? MASTERS lists them.

5. Rosedale

Those looking for peace and exclusivity will find what they are looking for in Rozendaal. This small castle village near Arnhem is not called the 'Green Heaven on Earth' for nothing. With only around 700 homes and 1.758 inhabitants, Rozendaal is one of the smallest and most exclusive municipalities in the Netherlands.

And that exclusive character is reflected in the prices: with an average house price of €802.862, Rozendaal rose by 8,5% this year compared to 2023. You don't have much choice—on Funda There is currently only one house for sale: a charming 126 m² house on a 405 m² plot, with four bedrooms, for €795.000.

4. Wassenaar 

With an average transaction price of €849.805, house prices in Wassenaar rose by 6.2% this year. The chic village centre and wooded surroundings remain popular, and not without reason: Wassenaar combines the tranquillity of the green with the proximity of both The Hague and the coast. Even the royal family felt at home here—until 2019, Willem-Alexander and Máxima lived with their family on the Eikenhorst estate.

And for those who really want to live big? The most expensive villa on Funda is offered by Christie's International Real Estate. With 1.128 m² of living space, 11 bedrooms and a plot of over 41.000 m², you have to pay € 12 million for this home.

3. Blaricum 

Blaricum was once a beloved retreat for painters, writers and musicians, and that artistic charm still lingers. 

However, house prices took a hit: the average house price dropped by 7.1% and is now just under €1 million. The most expensive home on Funda is well above that. For an estate on the Bierweg with 600 m² of living space and a plot of almost 5.000 m² you pay €5.7 million.

2. Bloemendaal

Bloemendaal's appeal goes back centuries: as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, prosperous Flemish entrepreneurs and craftsmen moved to the region, making Haarlem a centre of the linen, silk and damask industry. Bloemendaal and Overveen profited greatly from this economic boom and specialised in bleaching works, where textiles were washed and bleached.

Although the glory days of Haarlem's textile industry are over, Bloemendaal has retained its chic image. With an average house price of €1.043.333, homes here remain in demand. 

1. Laren

With the arrival of the tram line to Hilversum and Amsterdam in 1892, Laren became a magnet for artists. Anton Mauve, Jan Sluijters and Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig painted their masterpieces here, and even Piet Mondrian took his first steps towards abstract art in this village.

The old farms have now made way for chic villas and exclusive boutiques, and that is reflected in the house prices. With an average transaction price of € 1.047.685, Laren can officially call itself the most expensive municipality in the Netherlands in 2024.

At the Raboes there is a villa for sale of 690 m², with a plot of almost 3.000 m² and seven bedrooms. Price tag? €6.98 million. But then you do live in the most expensive municipality in the Netherlands…

The house prices in this article are based on the most recent figures from the CBS.

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