Buying a home in the Netherlands, step by step

A plain-English overview of the usual steps, with the Dutch words you will meet. Every purchase is different: read your documents and ask a notary, adviser or lawyer when in doubt.

1. Know your budget

   Dutch terms: maximale hypotheek, kosten koper

   Lenders follow legal lending norms that depend on your income and the interest rate. On top of the price you pay buyer costs (kosten koper): transfer tax, notary, valuation, advice and more. These usually cannot be paid with the mortgage, so you need savings for them.

   Domotra calculates both from the law of the year: open a home's report and enter your incomes, the quoted rate and the price.

2. Talk to a mortgage adviser

   Dutch terms: hypotheekadviseur, NHG

   A mortgage needs advice from a licensed adviser or a lender. Ask whether the adviser is independent and how they are paid. With the National Mortgage Guarantee (Nationale Hypotheek Garantie, NHG) a lower interest rate is often possible up to a price limit. Domotra gives information, not advice, and never recommends a lender.

3. Search and view homes

   Dutch terms: bezichtiging, makelaar

   Homes are mostly sold through estate agents (makelaars). The seller's agent works for the seller; you may hire your own buyer's agent (aankoopmakelaar). Prepare a viewing with Domotra's report for the address: building facts, energy label, noise, heritage status, plot and the neighbourhood.

4. Make an offer

   Dutch terms: bod, onderhandelen, voorbehouden

   You can bid below, at or above the asking price; the seller may counter. Agree on the conditions in your offer: usually a financing condition (financieringsvoorbehoud) and often a structural survey (bouwkundige keuring). A home purchase by a private buyer is only final once it is agreed in writing.

5. Sign the purchase agreement

   Dutch terms: koopovereenkomst, bedenktijd

   The written purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst) lists the price, the conditions with their deadlines, the transfer date and a deposit or bank guarantee (waarborgsom), often 10% of the price. After you receive the signed agreement you have three days to cancel without giving a reason (bedenktijd, Dutch Civil Code book 7, article 2). Domotra can summarise the agreement in English and list points to ask about.

6. Arrange the survey, valuation and mortgage

   Dutch terms: bouwkundige keuring, taxatie, hypotheekofferte

   Within the deadlines of your conditions: a structural survey if agreed, a valuation report (taxatierapport) the lender requires, and the binding mortgage offer. Miss a deadline and the condition may no longer protect you.

7. Final inspection and transfer at the notary

   Dutch terms: eindinspectie, notaris, leveringsakte

   Just before the transfer you inspect the home. At the notary (notaris) you sign the deed of transfer (leveringsakte) and the mortgage deed; the notary registers both with the Land Registry (Kadaster). Then you receive the keys.

8. After you move in

   Dutch terms: inschrijven, WOZ, eigen woning

   Register at your new address with the municipality. The municipality sets the home's WOZ value every year; mortgage interest on your own home can be deductible under conditions of the tax authority (Belastingdienst).

Official sources

• Rijksoverheid: buying a home (Dutch)
• Dutch Civil Code, book 7 (purchase of a home, cooling-off period)
• Nationale Hypotheek Garantie (NHG)
• Belastingdienst (tax on your own home)
• Kadaster (Land Registry)

Information, not advice. Domotra does not recommend lenders, advisers or agents. Look up a home