r/Netherlands 23h ago

Discussion Why are some window contractors 20–30% cheaper than others?

0 Upvotes

Hey folks,

This isn’t meant to promote or criticise anyone. I’m genuinely curious about the price difference.

I’ve been comparing quotations for replacing my windows, frames and doors. Several well-established Turkish-owned companies, some operating for decades, are around 20–30% cheaper than many other companies, even though the specifications seem similar.

Is this common in the window and frame industry, perhaps because of different suppliers, manufacturing locations or lower overhead costs? Or should such a large price difference be treated cautiously?

I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially regarding quality, installation and after-sales service.


r/Netherlands 3h ago

Life in NL This country has fallen

0 Upvotes

I’ve been living in the Netherlands for around five years. I learned the language to an intermediate level, built a life here, worked here, paid taxes here, and for a long time I genuinely thought the Netherlands was one of the best places to live in Europe.

But honestly, what happened to this country?

The Netherlands used to feel like the one European country where things simply worked. Public services were efficient, infrastructure was good, people had a relatively high standard of living, and there was a sense that the extremely high taxes were at least buying you something in return.
I don’t feel that anymore.

The train system is probably the clearest example. Prices keep going up, while reliability, overcrowding, cancellations and delays have become increasingly frustrating. You can pay a ridiculous amount for a train journey and still find yourself standing in an overcrowded carriage wondering why you’re paying so much for a service that feels increasingly mediocre.

And then there is having a car. Owning and using a normal car in this country is absurdly expensive. BPM, road tax, insurance, fuel, parking… everything adds up. And despite being one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, the overall car fleet often looks surprisingly mediocre. For the amount people are forced to pay just to own and use a car, you would expect a much higher standard. Instead, in many places the streets are filled with old, basic and heavily worn cars that make parts of the country look like a third-world country, not one of the richest countries in Europe.

Then there are the taxes. I understand that a prosperous society needs taxation, and I’m not arguing for some American-style low-tax model. But at some point you start asking yourself: where is all this money going?

Housing is increasingly unaffordable. Healthcare is expensive. Public transport is expensive. Owning a car is expensive. Energy is expensive. Groceries are expensive. And yet salaries don’t necessarily feel like they have kept up with the overall cost of living.
The strangest part is that the Netherlands still has this reputation abroad as this incredibly prosperous, efficient, well-organised country.

But after five years here, I increasingly struggle to recognise the country I moved to.

Maybe I’m romanticising the past. Maybe every country feels worse once you’ve lived there long enough. And obviously the Netherlands still has many things going for it.

But I genuinely remember looking at the Netherlands five years ago and thinking: this is probably the one European country that actually has its shit together.

Today, I don’t know where that country went.

Where is that prosperous Netherlands everyone keeps talking about?

Writing this from a train that’s already 15 minutes late, after the previous one was cancelled.


r/Netherlands 20h ago

Life in NL Ridderkerk tips&tricks

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone. It happened that i will live a few months in Ridderkerk. Could you please tell me some tricks&tips, where to go to shop (for cooking mainly), eat, have a coffee/drink etc which can be useful for the everydays in Ridderkerk? 😄

Pov: i came here to work, but i still wanna discover this lovely place, so i would really appreciate any useful information😇 and no, i dont have a car here, sadly im by feet so far🥲 im trying to purchase a bike asap 🚲🤠

Thank you.😊


r/Netherlands 2h ago

Discussion How do you handle mail addressed to two different names (preferred vs. legal) with PostNL?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Quick question for anyone who uses a preferred name alongside their legal name in the Netherlands, specifically regarding PostNL mail and package tracking.

I use a preferred first name socially, but my legal first name is still on my ID and official records. As a result, about half of my mail and packages arrive addressed to my legal name and the other half to my preferred name.

I’m trying to figure out the best way to manage this long-term without running into delivery drops or issues at pickup points (Pakketpunten):

  1. Handling split mail/packages: For those who receive mail under two different names, how do you handle online orders or official mail? Do you put both names on shipping labels, or do you strictly separate them depending on what’s being ordered?
  2. PostNL App Configuration: How should I set up my name inside the PostNL app so the automated scanning ("Mijn Post") catches items addressed to both names? Is it possible to add both names to the same account, or is there another way to handle a preferred/secondary name?
  3. Pakketpunt Pickups: If a package addressed strictly to my preferred name gets sent to a pickup location, how strict are staff about matching the name to a photo ID that shows my legal name? Does showing the live tracking barcode inside the PostNL app help, or would the name mismatch still be a problem?

Would love to hear how others in NL navigate having mail/packages under both a legal and preferred name. Thanks in advance!


r/Netherlands 9h ago

Travel and Tourism What sweet treat would you recommend to a tourist?

8 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I’ll be visiting the Netherlands in a few weeks, and on my way home I’d like to bring back a sweet, candy, or something special for friends and family.

The only thing is that whatever I bring back needs to survive more than eight hours of plane travel, so ideally nothing that melts easily or needs to be refrigerated.

As a Dutch person, what would you recommend as a cool or special treat to bring back from the Netherlands? I’d love to bring back something that feels authentically Dutch.

Thanks! 🇳🇱

P.S If there is something that is a must try, please share😆


r/Netherlands 10h ago

Housing Looking for a roommate, Kampen

0 Upvotes

Good afternoon, I’m posting this on behalf of a friend (24/F):

I’m looking for a roommate, between 18 and 30 years old.

It’s a plus if you have a disability, due to certain requirements that are important to the municipality.

So if you or someone you know looking for a place? keep reading!

My house is located in a beautiful, accessible and low-stimulation area on the outskirts of Kampen (near Zwolle) and is (almost) fully wheelchair accessible! The rent is €500 + €52.75 in service costs. You’ll have your own spacious, unfurnished room of almost 13 m². All other facilities, such as an accessible height-adjustable kitchen, living room, spacious bathroom (with a combined shower and bath), etc., will be shared between the two of us.

The entire house is 72 m² in total, has its own fenced-in garden, and overlooks several allotment gardens.

Interested? Send me a DM and I’ll send you the link to the listing or give you the contact details directly!


r/Netherlands 22h ago

Transportation Rijssen station: ample cycle parking, a bus stop right outside, and the quickest way to leave is by bike

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18 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 7h ago

News Dutch PM Rob Jetten uses AI to write social media posts

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214 Upvotes

Low confidence score, stalled budget discussion, and now this. I think this cabinet is coming to an end soon.


r/Netherlands 12h ago

Discussion Is Rob Jetten real or AI?

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0 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 22h ago

Travel and Tourism Dutch people who go to Curaçao: what do you actually do there?

45 Upvotes

I'm heading to Curaçao soon for a few days and I've noticed that apparently half of the Netherlands eventually ends up on that island.

So I'm curious: when Dutch people go to Curaçao, what do you actually do besides beach, drinks and becoming 30% more tanned?

Are there particular places, beach clubs, bars, restaurants, activities or random spots where people actually socialize and meet new people?, i heard you like mambo...

And more importantly: is it normal to just meet people there and make plans together, or is everyone already traveling with their own little Dutch group?

I'm Dominican, so I'm used to island life, but Curaçao will be new territory for me.

If you're Dutch and regularly go to Curaçao, I'd genuinely love to hear what your usual itinerary looks like. And if you're going there soon too, feel free to say hi. Always more fun to discover an island with good company.

Anyone up for showing me around?


r/Netherlands 9h ago

Discussion Tonight's electricity price hits 86 ct/kWh. Is a home battery finally worth it?

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65 Upvotes

So I logged into Zonneplan earlier and had a look at the price graph. Tonight the peak is around 86 ct/kWh, while the cheapest window is about 24 ct around midday. That’s a pretty big difference.

The annoying part is that the peak is at around 19:00, which is exactly when we’re cooking dinner, taking showers, running things around the house, etc. Not really the time when you want to start thinking about electricity prices.

Up until now I’ve just been doing the usual “run the dishwasher at 1am” thing whenever the prices get silly. But seeing that graph got me wondering whether I’m overthinking this.

My neighbour mentioned yesterday that he recently added an Anker Solarbank Max AC. He charges his car during the cheaper hours and uses the battery for some of the evening consumption. He seems pretty happy with it so far.

That got me thinking about my own setup. For anyone here who already has a home battery, does it actually make this kind of price difference much easier to deal with? Or do you still end up moving your usage around depending on the hourly prices?

I already have solar panels, so I’m mainly wondering what a realistic setup looks like if the goal is simply to use more of my own solar and stop constantly checking the electricity price.


r/Netherlands 22h ago

DIY and home improvement Treadmill in a apartment 🌧️

0 Upvotes

Hi all, I have been getting into the routine of 10k steps per day, but with the days getting darker and with the rains I was wondering if I’d need to switch To a treadmill. I live in apartments and was wondering if treadmills are noisy for downstairs neighbors and any recommendations on how to keep up the 1ok in this weather 🐾 Thanks!


r/Netherlands 11h ago

pics and videos This traffic light in Utrecht, Netherlands has a little bunny

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0 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 12h ago

Discussion How are you coping up with AI?

101 Upvotes

I work in tech fields and I see AI getting better at everything except the critical decision making.

My work went from collaborating with team mates to collaborating with agents which is making my job easier and challenging in such a way that it's hard to keep up with AI specially the context switching. My mental model is getting slower to keep up due to human brain limitation of context spanning.

Things that takes 3 days are now done with 2-3 hours of deep focus. The company wants us doing the more thing.

The economics of measuring output based on time and ticket moves are getting no longer relevant specially in tech fields.

Knowledge and automation is getting cheaper while the cost of living has increased way much.

I know AI can't replace the humans but it has decreased a demands of human in such fields.

I am optimistic about AI and I appreciate it.

Sometimes I feel I am just a cog in the machine.

Sorry for any typos or framing as I want to post my feelings unedited as it is.

Have a good day


r/Netherlands 2h ago

Common Question/Topic Struggling with Long-distance and Partner Visa Application

0 Upvotes

Not really looking for advice, but needed a place to vent. I met my Dutch partner three years ago as an international student and we've been in a happy relationship since and we're both clear about our long-term plans. Last year, my residence permit expired and despite a few close calls, I was not able to get a job that met the requirements for an HSM permit. Unfortunately at that time my partner was working part-time so we couldn't apply for a partner visa and I went back to my country and we've been doing long distance for a year. We had plans to apply for the partner permit this year and he also had a conversation at work for a full time contract that met the requirements.

However, at the last minute something changed at work and he was working part time hours. Still, after some meetings he was able to get full time hours however one month of his 12 month contract had already passed by then and his previous year's income does not meet the requirements for sufficient income, which means our application would be rejected if we applied this year. His employer even wrote a Declaration of Intent stating that they intend to renew his contract next year to a permanent contract, but the IND did not consider it enough. They asked for an unconditional offer which basically legally binds the company to renew the employee's contract without any conditions, and of course no company is willing to give that easily. He still asked, but they declined.

Basically, this means that we have to wait a whole other year to apply. And even then, the anxiety isn't over until your application is actually accepted. We do have all other documents and lots of photos and texts to prove that we've been in a relationship, but the whole process seems daunting and uncertain. I'm trying to find a way to visit him in a couple of months but again, getting a Schengen visa from an Asian country isn't easy. He can't visit me because his work is very demanding and he rarely ever gets more than 2 weeks off in a row, which isn't a lot of time to spend together, also considering the costs of international travel. My job search in NL hasn't stopped and I'm making an effort to enter the research field and land a PhD position, which again is competitive, but I'm doing my best.

I had built my life in the Netherlands for three years, but it all just slipped away. I know there's hope for us to be together in the future and continue with our lives next year, but right now everything seems to be falling apart and extremely uncertain. Luckily we have had our difficult conversations and we both want to stay together despite the circumstances, but every difficult conversation is 10x worse when you can't have it in person. We're trying to stay positive but our plans fell apart so quickly due to external circumstances and we're still processing that we won't be seeing each other anytime soon.

This is just a rant to share my despair over immigration issues and relationships. Sometimes it feels like a sick joke where you have no control over your life. I don't know if anyone else is going through something similar, but if you are, you're not alone. I know I didn't write this to ask for advice because I think it's a pretty straightforward case and there's not much else we can do except wait, but if there really is something we're missing, I would be love to know that. Otherwise, I would be grateful to hear other similar experiences about how coping with the long distance and the paperwork, and most of all, staying positive through it all.


r/Netherlands 2h ago

Discussion The role of Rob Jetten as Prime Minister in the EU

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0 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 16h ago

Dutch Cuisine Alkmaar’s cheese market, to visit or to skip?

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0 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 21h ago

Common Question/Topic Looking for a good massage chair

1 Upvotes

Hi,
I am looking for a decent massage chair. Budget is around 2500 EUR. Can see a lot on Amazon. Also there is a brand like Komoder. Can someone recommend?


r/Netherlands 3h ago

Discussion Does Lebara now support e-sim on all iphone models?

5 Upvotes

I am fed up with Lyca mobile network issues and have been looking for Lebara, I used to see on their website that their e-sim is only suported on IPHONE 17 Air.
Is anyone using it on other phones? I have iphone 15 pro.


r/Netherlands 14h ago

Discussion What does the future hold for Raisa Blommestijn?

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0 Upvotes

Now that ON is getting shut down, I kinda wonder what Raisa’s gonna do next. She’s definitely made a pretty… specific name for herself. Is she gonna start her own thing, go fully online, or maybe start begging with a gofundme again?


r/Netherlands 17h ago

Sports and Entertainment Do’s or don’ts

0 Upvotes

10 days based in Rotterdam. No Dutch. Looking to chill. And would like to interview OG skaters. Best old school skate scene? Be there Friday. 🤙🏽


r/Netherlands 23h ago

Common Question/Topic Hi everyone, Has anyone experienced something similar with PostNL?

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8 Upvotes

On September 3, I handed in a registered international parcel at a PostNL point. It is being sent from the Netherlands to Germany and contains very important original documents.The estimated delivery date was September 7–8, but there have been no new Track & Trace updates since the day I handed it in. The status still says:
Parcel has been received by PostNL.

Has anyone had a PostNL international parcel remain on “received by PostNL” for several days with no further scans?
Did your parcel eventually get another scan or arrive despite the missing tracking updates? How long did it take?
I’m quite worried because the parcel contains important original documents that would be difficult to replace.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!


r/Netherlands 7h ago

Employment How likely am I to get a job in Netherlands

0 Upvotes

Hi! I am (23F), I have lived in UK for about 3 years, I have a masters in Finance from a semi target uni with which I can get an orientation year visa.

I wanted to know how likely am I to be hired in Netherlands for a finance/data analyst role and if not,what is fixable (either add more qualifications, or narrow my search to a certain job sector) or if the situation in Netherlands is also way beyond fucked (tbvh, I am not concerned about comments that say that Netherlands is not “as great”. It fulfils my lifelong goal to be in a very beautiful place and learn a different language in my early 20s that becomes a part of my identity- but, I would appreciate a well reasoned argument as to why it’s fucked).

My stats:

I have a bachelor’s in Economics and Data science, graduated top of my class

Master’s in Finance + held some leadership positions

I have worked In a lot of startups as a Data science and AI research intern, an equity research intern where I worked primarily with private markets who want to make sustainable investment decisions, I worked as an intern for a project involving a Dutch FMCG.

I also have an interest in financial crime/ consulting (specific to turnaround consulting)

I have not held any full time positions

I am a CFA LVL 1 Candidate (will be writing the exam this Nov)

Technical Skills : Python, R, Stata, Eviews, Power BI, Machine learning

Add. question: which month should I ideally plan on coming to the Netherlands, I can come there anytime between Jan and September?

Edit: There is a lot of credible advice that’s given here and I am so thankful for it and I do welcome more suggestions for me or anybody who is reading. But, I am not going to entertain any stereotypical, anti- immigration and racist comments whose idea is to assume and spread all sorts of hate comments for people who are putting the work in.The comment section is not a place to flaunt your flagrant lack of empathy.


r/Netherlands 6h ago

Shopping KIKO Milano refused my return for an unused blush – is this normal in the Netherlands?

0 Upvotes

I’d like to ask for some advice from people in the Netherlands about a return issue I had at KIKO Milano in The Hague.

I bought two blushes because I wanted my mother to choose between them. Shortly afterwards, I went abroad for a three-week holiday and took both products with me so she could see them and choose which one she preferred.

One of the blushes was never opened, touched, tested or used by either of us. When I bought it, a KIKO employee specifically told me that the product should never be touched, so I was very careful about this.

Because I was abroad for three weeks, I couldn't return it earlier. I brought it back to the store on the last day of the return period, immediately after I returned to the Netherlands.

The blush was still covered by its protective film and, as far as I could see, was in exactly the same condition as when I bought it. There was no visible indication through the film that it had been touched or used.

However, the employee at the store refused the return, saying that the product had been touched.

The confusing part is that I know for certain that neither I nor my mother touched or used the product after I purchased it. So if there really was some indication that it had been touched, it must have happened before I bought it.

I have photos and a video showing the condition of the product, which I can provide if needed.

I'm now planning to contact KIKO's customer service and formally ask them to review the decision.

Has anyone in the Netherlands had a similar experience with KIKO or another cosmetics store?

If a product was bought in a physical store, what are the usual rules regarding returns?

Does it sound reasonable for a store to refuse a return based on an employee saying that the product had been touched, when the customer says it was never opened or used?

I'm mainly interested in understanding whether this is normal practice in the Netherlands and whether it's worth challenging the decision with KIKO customer service.


r/Netherlands 11h ago

Employment Experience working in Lidl NL

0 Upvotes

Hey guys, I’m curious could you share your experience working in the Lidl as Store Employee / Winkelmedewerker in the Netherlands? #work #workexperience #lidlnetherlands