Looking back now, the two years between buying our apartment and finally moving in feel both long and surprisingly short. At the time, the waiting felt endless. There were months where nothing seemed to happen, followed by periods where everything suddenly moved very fast.

Buying a new-build apartment was not our original plan. At first, we were looking in a different region, hoping to find a house that we could renovate and slowly turn into our home. But the offer was limited and interest rates kept rising. After a while, it became clear that waiting longer would only make things more uncertain.

So in October 2022, we made a decision rather quickly: instead of a renovation project, we chose a new-build apartment — the apartment we now live in.

It felt like a leap into the unknown.

Living in between

When you buy a new-build apartment, there is a long period where you technically have a home — but nowhere to live.

While the apartment was being built, my fiancé and I each stayed with our parents. During the weekends we alternated: one weekend at my parents’ house, the next at his parents’. It meant constantly packing bags, planning ahead and never fully settling in one place.

Those two years sometimes felt hectic and temporary, as if life was on hold while we waited for something permanent to begin.

In the end, we moved into the apartment in July 2024, almost two years after making the decision to buy.

And the timing could not have been more precise.

My parents had decided to move as well, to a smaller house with fewer bedrooms. If the delivery of our apartment had been delayed by only a few days, I would quite literally have had no roof over my head.

Sometimes things fall into place at exactly the right moment.

Saving for the unknown

Buying a new-build apartment involves more than just the purchase price.

There are the notary costs, mortgage costs, VAT, registration duties and countless smaller expenses along the way. But what surprised us most were the extra works, which ended up costing significantly more than we had expected.

For nearly two years, we set aside almost all of our savings to make sure we could cover those additional costs.

Looking back, it required discipline — but it also gave us peace of mind during the construction process.

Decisions without something tangible

One of the hardest parts of the process was making decisions without having anything concrete to see.

We had to choose materials, colours and finishes based on small samples and technical plans, trying to imagine what everything would look like once finished. During the entire construction period, we were only allowed to visit the site twice.

That made the process feel strangely abstract.

Because of that uncertainty, we often chose safe and timeless options in our interior. Only now, after living here for some time, we slowly dare to add more personality — especially through wall decoration and small details that make the space feel truly ours.

A crash course in decision making

Some decisions had to be made very quickly.

At one point we had barely two weeks to choose both the kitchen and the bathroom. It felt overwhelming at the time, but it also showed us something reassuring: we discovered that we share the same taste and that we work well together under pressure.

Those moments taught us a lot as a couple.

The apartment was not just being built physically — in a way, we were building something together too.

Unexpected setbacks

Not everything went smoothly during construction.

The winter of 2023/2024 was exceptionally wet, which caused many days of weather-related delays on the construction site. And as if that was not enough, the kitchen supplier went bankrupt during the building process.

That period brought quite a bit of stress and uncertainty. Fortunately, we had included a price guarantee clause in the contract. In the end everything worked out and we received the kitchen we had originally chosen.

Still, it reminded us how unpredictable a building process can be.

The provisional acceptance itself also did not go entirely smoothly — something I wrote about in more detail in this article.

A home that feels like ours

Despite the long wait and the occasional setbacks, we are incredibly happy with where we live today.

Over time the apartment has slowly become more personal. We continue to add small touches — especially wall decoration — that make the space feel warmer and more complete.

We also decided early on to do many things ourselves: painting the walls, installing lighting, placing skirting boards, assembling custom cabinets and hanging window coverings.

Because of that, the apartment contains a great deal of us.

And perhaps that is what makes it truly feel like home.

Stronger after two years of waiting

Waiting for a new-build apartment is not always easy. It requires patience, flexibility and trust in a process that you cannot fully control.

But looking back, those two years shaped us in unexpected ways. The experience made us stronger as a couple and taught us how to make decisions together — even under pressure.

The waiting felt long at the time.

But now, when I unlock the door and step inside, it feels like those two years led exactly where they were meant to.