Why renting is the smartest choice when changing jobs

In the dynamic labor market of 2026, the “job for life” has become a rarity. Professionals are changing roles faster than ever before, driven by new opportunities, personal growth, or the rise of hybrid working. When your career is moving, so is your form of living, ideally. While buying a home is often presented as the ultimate milestone, a mortgage during a career change can feel like an anchor holding you back, rather than a foundation that supports you.

Renting offers a level of agility that is essential for the modern employee. Whether you're getting a promotion on the other side of the country, switching to an international startup, or deciding to work as a freelancer, renting gives you the freedom to organize your life around your ambitions, instead of adapting your ambitions to where you live.

Geographic freedom: Follow your opportunities

The biggest advantage of renting during a job change is the ability to quickly move to where the action is.

Shorter travel times, higher quality of life

Imagine: you live in Groningen and are offered a dream job in the Brainport region of Eindhoven. As a tenant, you can terminate your contract and find a new place in the south within a month or two. As a homeowner, you are facing a logistical nightmare. You have to get your house ready for sale, hope for a good price, arrange the transfer and stay somewhere temporarily in the meantime.

That is why many people with a home for sale choose to commute. The hidden costs of standing in traffic or on the train for three hours a day are enormous: not only in money (fuel, car depreciation), but especially in time and mental energy. As a tenant, you live where you work, so you can invest those lost hours in your new job or leisure time.

The stress-free trial period

Every new job starts with a probationary period. It is the period in which you get to know the organization, but the organization also gets to know you. It is a risky time to buy a home. If the match does not appear to be there after two months, you are left with a home for sale in a place that you may not be further connected to. Renting gives you the opportunity to “test run” first in both your new position and your new place of residence.

Financial flexibility in times of transition

A career change often involves uncertainty, including financially. Renting here offers a buffer that a home for sale cannot match.

No “Buyer costs” that consume your capital

When buying a house, you immediately lose thousands of euros in transfer tax, the notary, valuations and brokerage fees. You will never see this money again. If you change jobs again after two years and have to move again, you have not yet recouped these costs through the increase in the value of your home. When renting, you keep this capital free. You can use this money as a bridge between two jobs, as an investment in an education or simply as a “screw you money” that gives you the freedom to say no to a job that doesn't suit you.

Easier to get approval

Applying for a mortgage with a brand new contract (or even worse: during your probationary period) is a bureaucratic maze in the Netherlands. Banks want security and often see a new job as a risk factor. Landlords in the free sector are often more flexible; they look at your current paycheck or employment contract. This means that, as a tenant, you can switch faster and move into a home immediately, while a buyer is still working on financing for months.

Psychological rest: Focus on your performance

A new job requires all your attention. You have to learn new systems, find your way into the company culture, and prove yourself to your new colleagues. The last thing you want at that moment is the stress of a renovation, a leaking roof, or worries about falling home prices in your neighborhood.

Maintenance-free living

As a tenant, you outsource the maintenance of your home. Does the boiler break down in your first week of work? The landlord will arrange it. This carefree living ensures that you can really relax in the evening, so that you can return to your new work refreshed the next day. Your focus is on your career path, not on the condition of your windows.

The disadvantages: When is renting less ideal?

Of course, renting isn't all roses and moonshine. There are situations where the flexibility of renting conflicts with the reality of the market:

• Long-term uncertainty: In a tight market, a landlord may decide to sell the home, so you have to search again (within the legal frameworks).
• No participation in your environment: You can't fully adapt your home to your needs, which can be frustrating if you're working from home a lot in your new role.
• Rising housing costs: As your salary grows in your new career, the rent often rises nicely, so you don't take full advantage of your promotion.

Renting as a strategic move

Renting should not be seen as a lack of ambition or a financial mistake, but as a strategic choice for mobility. At a time when your career is on the rise or you're experimenting with new professional directions, the flexibility of renting is worth its weight in gold. It allows you to seize the best opportunities, no matter where they are, without the logistical and financial chains of owning a home.

Only when you know you want to stay in the same place and in the same sector for the next five to ten years does buying become a serious option. Until then, renting is your biggest ally in your professional success.

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