Does Vastu work in the Netherlands?
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Amstelveen as in Ahmedabad, so its guidance applies to a Dutch home. The compass correction is small here, about 3° east in Amsterdam. Two things matter more. Dutch homes are compact and laid out their own way, with a separate toilet by the front door, steep stairs and a berging outside, and Dutch listings already tell you which way the garden faces, which is half of a Vastu reading before you even upload the plan.
"Tuin op het zuiden": garden orientation and Vastu
Dutch listings usually say which way the back garden faces (ligging tuin), because a south-facing garden gets the most sun. Vastu reads the same compass from another angle. Classical Vastu prefers more open space, and lighter, lower parts of the home, to the north and east, and heavier, closed parts to the south and west.
Open space on the north or east side is what the texts ask for. The garden gets less sun in a Dutch winter, so that is the trade-off.
Tradition prefers the south and west closed and heavier, so the report suggests keeping that side planted and furnished rather than bare, and leading with fixes inside the home.
Either way, what decides the score is inside: where the front door sits on its wall (its pada), and where the kitchen, the bedrooms and the toilet fall. Separately from Vastu, in the Netherlands the midday sun is always to the south, only about 14° above the horizon in December in Amsterdam.
Dutch homes, read correctly
The report uses the names on your plan and reads them the way a home here is built:
Woonkamer, keuken, slaapkamer, badkamer, toilet, hal, overloop, berging, bijkeuken, studeerkamer and tuin are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, hall, landing, storage, utility room, study and garden. You can change any of them on the confirm screen.
Many Dutch homes have the toilet in a small room off the entrance hall. It is scored by its direction like any toilet; the north-east and the centre of the home are the places tradition avoids.
The staircase is read by its position. Traditionally best: South, South-West or West. A staircase in the centre or north-east is traditionally discouraged; stairs are rarely moved, so the fixes below are the practical route.
A berging (storage room or shed) is read as storage, and the meterkast as a utility cupboard. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Gardens, balconies and roof terraces are read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
An attic used as a bedroom or study is uploaded as its own floor and each room scored by its direction.
New to Vastu? What it is, in brief
Vastu Shastra is a traditional Indian system of architecture and home layout, set out in Sanskrit texts such as the Mayamata and the Manasara. It divides a home into eight directional zones around its centre and suggests which rooms and activities suit which zone. Many Indian families use it when they buy, build or arrange a home, and so do people of other backgrounds who are curious about how a home is laid out.
Kept the lightest and least cluttered part of the home; a good place for prayer or quiet.
The zone traditionally linked with Agni, fire, so it is the classical place for cooking.
Linked with weight and stability; tradition places the main bedroom and heavy storage here.
It is a cultural tradition, not a science, and it does not promise outcomes. VastuIQ shows what the classical texts recommend, measured accurately for your home and your city, and you decide what to do with it. Most of the report's fixes need no building work: they are about how rooms are used and arranged.
Renting in the Netherlands, or owning with a VvE
Many homes are rented, from a housing corporation or a private landlord, and changes to the fabric need the landlord's consent. Choose Renting in the tool and every fix in the report is one you can make yourself: how rooms are used, where the bed and the desk go, colours, lighting and keeping the right zones clear. If you own an apartment, the owners' association (VvE) has rules for the outside and the shared parts: choose Own it (building rules) and anything structural is marked "If renovating".
Compass vs true north in the Netherlands
Across the Netherlands a compass points about 2½–3½° east of true north, a little more in the north-east of the country. Your score uses the exact figure for your own city.
| City | Compass vs true north | Daylight, mid-winter to mid-summer |
|---|---|---|
| Groningen, Groningen | 3.3° east | 7.5 – 17.0 h |
| Leeuwarden, Friesland | 3.0° east | 7.5 – 17.0 h |
| Zwolle, Overijssel | 3.1° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Enschede, Overijssel | 3.4° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Almere, Flevoland | 2.9° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Haarlem, North Holland | 2.7° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Amsterdam, North Holland | 2.8° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Amstelveen, North Holland | 2.7° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Hoofddorp, North Holland | 2.7° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Utrecht, Utrecht | 2.8° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Amersfoort, Utrecht | 2.9° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| Leiden, South Holland | 2.6° east | 7.7 – 16.8 h |
| The Hague, South Holland | 2.6° east | 7.7 – 16.7 h |
| Delft, South Holland | 2.6° east | 7.7 – 16.7 h |
| Rotterdam, South Holland | 2.6° east | 7.8 – 16.7 h |
| Arnhem, Gelderland | 3.1° east | 7.7 – 16.7 h |
| Nijmegen, Gelderland | 3.0° east | 7.8 – 16.7 h |
| Eindhoven, North Brabant | 2.9° east | 7.8 – 16.6 h |
| Maastricht, Limburg | 3.0° east | 7.9 – 16.5 h |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey) and NOAA solar equations. "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
Check one home, or compare your shortlist
- Score out of 100 and its band
- Your top three issues
- True north correction for your city
- Every room scored, with no-cost and low-cost fixes
- Your floor plans with the zones at true north
- Centre, front door and pada
- Action plan, 90-day plan and checklist
- Two or three homes side by side
- Which home fits Vastu best, and why
- Plus the full report for the home you choose
Prices are charged in US dollars and your bank converts them; local amounts are a guide.
Vastu in the Netherlands: questions people ask
Does Vastu work in the Netherlands?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in the Netherlands as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Dutch home. What matters is setting north correctly on the plattegrond and reading Dutch rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Can I upload a Dutch floor plan from a listing?
Yes. Save the plattegrond image or PDF from the listing and upload it. Dutch room names are understood, and on the confirm screen you see how each room has been read and can change it. Listing plans often have no north arrow: turn the arrow on screen to match the street on a map.
Is a south-facing garden bad for Vastu?
No. Tradition prefers open space to the north and east, but a home with a garden to the south can still score well: the front door's position and the placement of the rooms matter more. The report suggests ways to keep the south and west of the plot fuller, for example with planting and garden furniture.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in the Netherlands?
A little: about 3° east in Amsterdam, 3° east in The Hague, 3° east in Rotterdam, 3° east in Eindhoven and 3° east in Groningen (World Magnetic Model). That only matters for a room near a zone boundary, and VastuIQ applies it automatically.
The toilet is next to the front door. Is that a problem?
It depends on its direction. Tradition avoids a toilet in the north-east or the centre of the home; elsewhere it is usually acceptable. The report scores your toilet by its direction and, if it falls in a weak zone, gives no-cost fixes such as keeping its door closed.
Can I compare houses before making an offer?
Yes. Use Compare 2–3 homes: the side-by-side comparison is free, and Home Buyer Compare (US$79, about €70) adds a PDF that ranks the homes and includes the full report for the one you choose.
Vastu for homes in other countries
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 20 October 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.