Living in De Bothoven
De Bothoven is city living in its most compact form, and this is apartment territory: only about 1 in 6 homes is a house.
At 8,759 residents per km² the buurt is busy without being packed.
Enschede is a university city near the German border with some of the lowest big-city prices in the country. The technical university sustains steady rental demand, and cross-border shopping in Gronau is a genuine local perk.
The housing market in De Bothoven
At €240,000 average WOZ value, De Bothoven ranks 46 out of 65 Enschede neighborhoods on price — 20% below the city median, which makes it one of the more approachable entry points into the city. For scale: Enschede's cheapest buurt averages €147,000 and its most expensive €860,000, so De Bothoven sits in the middle band of the city.
Average WOZ value per year (CBS). The reference date lags the current market by ±1 year.
The direction of the market: between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €124,000 to €241,000, up 94% — slower than the city as a whole (+100%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.
Only about 1 in 4 homes here is owner-occupied (46% is social housing) — supply on Funda is structurally thin, which concentrates bidding on the few listings that appear. If you find a home here you like, being prepared (financing check done, valuation lined up) is worth more than in neighborhoods where something new lists every week.
Who lives here
Demographically, De Bothoven is shaped by people in their late twenties to early forties (28% of its 5,670 residents), followed by over-65s at 28%. More than half of all households (66%) are single-person — this is a neighborhood of independents, not minivans. The average household counts 1.5 people.
As for who your neighbors would be: incomes skew modest — 70% of households are in the lower national bracket; average income per resident is €27,000 a year.
Daily errands, coffee and dinner
Day to day: groceries are a non-issue — 6 large supermarkets within a kilometer; with roughly 41 cafés and restaurants within a kilometer, you will never cook out of necessity.
The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 8 min walk · GP 12 min · hospital 1.5 km · library 1.2 km · 2 cinemas within 5 km. None of these will decide a purchase on their own, but a GP taking new patients nearby is the kind of thing you only miss after moving.
Families and schools
For families: the nearest primary school is 6 minutes on foot; daycare is well covered (2 locations nearby) — though Dutch waiting lists mean you register the week you know you're expecting, not the week you need it; secondary school is a 6-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.
Getting around
Getting around: the station is an 11-minute cycle, standard Dutch commuting range; the nearest highway on-ramp is 2.1 km away; and at 0.6 cars per household, most residents simply don't own one — if you do, factor in permit costs and waiting lists before you buy.
Energy and running costs
86% of homes were built before 2000. Two identical-looking houses on the same street can differ by hundreds of euros a month once heating is counted — the energy label tells you which one you're looking at, and lenders increasingly price it into your mortgage too.
Before you bid in De Bothoven
Before you bid in De Bothoven: listings are scarce here, which pushes bidding above asking more often — decide your maximum before the viewing, not during it. Also, the price gap with the rest of Enschede is real, but so is the reason for it — walk the neighborhood at different times of day before committing. Beyond that, with many older residents, more homes will come to market here over the coming years than the recent past suggests — patience can pay.
None of these averages can tell you whether the specific house you found is fairly priced — that depends on its size, energy label, state of maintenance and the recent sales around it. That is exactly what a free HomeReview report checks, in about 10 seconds, for any Dutch address.
Frequently asked questions
Is De Bothoven a good neighborhood to live in?
That depends on what you're looking for. De Bothoven suits first-time buyers and buyers after city buzz best; it's a weaker match for families with children and buyers after peace and space. The average home value is €240,000 (20% below the Enschede median) and the neighborhood has 5,670 residents. Ultimately the specific street and home matter more than the neighborhood average.
What is the average home value in De Bothoven?
The average home value (WOZ waarde) in De Bothoven, Enschede is €240,000, based on the official CBS neighborhood statistics.
Is De Bothoven mostly owner-occupied or rental?
26% of homes in De Bothoven are owner-occupied and 73% are rentals, of which 46% of all homes are social housing (woningcorporatie).
Are house prices in De Bothoven rising?
Between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value in De Bothoven rose from €124,000 to €241,000 (+94%); Enschede as a whole moved up 100% over the same period. WOZ values lag the current market by about a year.
How old are the homes in De Bothoven?
86% of homes in De Bothoven were built before 2000 and 14% after. Older buildings can mean higher maintenance and energy costs — check the energy label before bidding.
How far is the nearest train station from De Bothoven?
The average distance to a train station from De Bothoven is 2.7 km; a large supermarket is 0.3 km away on average.
Is De Bothoven an expensive part of Enschede?
No — average home values are 20% below the Enschede median, making it one of the more affordable parts of the city.
Is De Bothoven good for families with children?
The nearest primary school is 0.5 km away and there are 2 daycare locations within a kilometer. 12% of households here have children at home.
Similar neighborhoods in Enschede
Closest in price — worth a look if De Bothoven is out of reach or you want alternatives.
Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (buurt BU01530003) · Data updated 2026-07-11. WOZ values are neighborhood averages; individual homes vary.