IJburg

IJburg is Amsterdam built from scratch on the water. A cluster of engineered islands in the IJmeer, it has grown since the 2000s into a genuine community of spacious modern homes, a city beach at Blijburg, marinas and wide skies, all a quick tram or cycle ride from the centre. For families squeezed by the prices and tight apartments of the historic core, it offers room to breathe. For investors, IJburg pairs Amsterdam's better-value pricing with competitive yields of around 4.5-5%, helped by lower rents per square metre and modern, low-maintenance stock. The caveats are structural: the district is still being built out, so new supply keeps arriving, and the citywide self-occupancy rule and Box 3 tax restrict buy-to-let. The result is primarily an owner-occupier and family-housing market with steady growth, best suited to buyers who intend to live in their property.

IJburg in Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands