Renovation contractor in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel Renovating Ouderkerk along the Amstel

One of the oldest villages on the Amstel

Ouderkerk grew where the Bullewijk flows into the Amstel, and until the fourteenth century it was the administrative centre of Amstelland. The old core lies on the east bank around the Kerkstraat, with the Amstelkerk from 1773-1775. Across the water, the Buurt over Ouderkerk was the village's market place from the fourteenth century, with inns for the peat skippers, some of which are still in business. South of the village lies the Rondehoep polder with its old farmhouses, and the Benning neighbourhood was added in the 1990s, between the Bullewijk and the Burgemeester van Sonweg.

A protected village view since 1990

In 1990 the village was designated a protected village view (beschermd dorpsgezicht), and the Buurt over Ouderkerk is part of it too. Ouderkerk counts dozens of rijksmonumenten, most of them on the Kerkstraat and the Amstelzijde. Some show how the village used to work: the pastorie next to the Amstelkerk was given a monumental façade on the river side as well, because traffic over the water was once as important as the road, and the diaconie houses beside it have their show façades facing the Amstel.

What it means for your renovation

Inside, the protected status changes little: a new kitchen, bathroom or floor usually needs no permit, unless the house itself is a monument. Outside, it matters more. In the protected area, window frames, roofs, dormers and façades need approval and are judged on how they fit the village. In Ouder-Amstel the Adviescommissie Ruimtelijke Kwaliteit assesses building plans against the Nota Omgevingskwaliteit, and you can explain your plan to the committee in advance. For the Buurt over Ouderkerk, Amstelveen's design criteria rule out materials such as concrete roof tiles and plastic sheet cladding, and ask for great care with roller shutters, trickle vents and roof windows.

What we do in Ouderkerk

• Complete renovations of village houses, dike houses and apartments, with one site manager from start to handover.
• Kitchens: bespoke, or IKEA kitchens fitted with premium fronts and stone worktops.
• Bathrooms with walk-in showers, underfloor heating and natural stone.
• Floors, stairs and built-in cabinetry made to measure.
• Windows and doors that suit the character of the house.
• Extensions and loft conversions, including the drawings and the permit application.

Permits and practical rules

Internal renovation usually needs no permit. An extension, a dormer or a change to the façade does: you apply through the national Omgevingsloket, and we prepare the drawings and the application. Check first which gemeente your address belongs to: most of Ouderkerk is Ouder-Amstel, but the Buurt over Ouderkerk, between the Amstel, the Amstelslag and the Oranjebaan, falls under Amstelveen.

In Ouder-Amstel a skip, container or crane on public ground needs a permit for using municipal ground. The gemeente decides within eight weeks, and for a crane it asks for extra drawings, such as the swing radius and the axle load. Noisy building work of 60 dB(A) or more is usually only allowed on working days between 7:00 and 19:00.

Living in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and planning a renovation? Ask for a free visit - we reply within one working day. For a first price range, try our online renovation calculator.