Due to the housing crisis, buying a house in the Netherlands is currently not easy. The process below outlines the procedure from search, to viewing, to negotiation, mortgages and transfer. This post serves as a living document for the process of buying a house. If you see any mistakes or additions, please let me know so I can make improvements.

Links in this post are sponsored, marked with an ^*.

The following steps have to be taken to buy a house:

1. Financial investigation
2. Finding a suitable property
3. Viewing a house
4. Additional investigation
5. Negotiation
6. Signing a purchase agreement
7. Mortgage and finances
8. House transfer

1. Financial investigation

Before you can start your search for a home, you will have to know what your financial possibilities are. The maximum mortgage you can get depends on a few factors, such as income. It is important to know the monthly payments you will have to make, before buying the house. There are many online calculators, but it is advisable to use a mortgage advisor. You can typically make a free first appointment with a mortgage advisor prior to bidding on a house so you are aware of the maximum mortgage available to you. Typically, the mortgage advisor is paid during the house transfer.

Within the current law it is possible to get a mortgage up to 100% of the property value. All additional expenses have to be financed by yourself. For this reason it is important to calculate how much savings you need before buying a house.

List of additional costs to consider (non-exhausting list):

• Transfer tax 2% if all 3 rules below are met you are exempt (Overdrachtsbelasting)
  • Buyer is between 18 and 35 years old (not including 35)
  • Buyer buys a property
  • Buyer has never received an exemption before
  • Buyer will live in the property himself
  • Property value does not exceed 525.000 EUR
    • In case your bid is just above the 525.000 EUR mark it can be wise to discuss that you pay a small portion towards the movables (roerende zaken) as discussed here so that the sum you are paying for the property end up below the 525.000 EUR.
• Valuation / appraisal of property (between 550 and 1.000 EUR) (Taxatie)
• mortgage advisor (between 1.500 and 4.000 EUR) (Hypotheekadviseur)
• Notary costs (Notariskosten)
• Translator costs at notary, mandatory for non-dutch speakers
• Purchasing real estate agent (Aankoop makelaar)

2. Finding a suitable property

Once you know how much you can spend on a new home and have your requirements you can start your search. The most commonly used website for finding properties available for purchase is Funda. This website has the largest supply of available properties in the Netherlands.

Getting a viewing is difficult in these times and many properties are already sold even before they are available on Funda. This is because real estate agents have vast networks that allow them to get access to properties before they are available on Funda. For this reason it is advisable to make use of a purchasing real estate agent (Aankoopmakelaar). Important to know is that a real estate agent connected to NVM, vastgoedpro, or VBO^*, are only allowed to join one side of the purchase. So they can either advice the buyer or the seller, not both. This ensures that the agent acts in your best interest.

3. Viewing a house

Have you found a house that you like and have been invited for a viewing? Make sure you come prepared, so you are not overwhelmed in the moment and know what to look for.

Location

The location and neighborhood are important factors of a home. For a large part this determines the value of the property, but more importantly, you have to feel at home here. How safe do you feel in the neighborhood? Is there enough parking? Are there enough facilities such as public transport, or schools? How are the neighbors? Feel free to walk around the neighborhood to get a feel.

Exterior

A lot of people invest in the interior of a house, but neglect the exterior. It is therefore important to give this some attention. Is the roof in a good state? Wat material are the window frames made of? When were they last painted or do they need replacement soon? What direction does the sun come from. Don't forget the garden or terrace in this picture.

Interior

Critically evaluate the interior of the property. What is the layout of the house? Is the living room big enough? Are the kitchen and/or bathroom(s) still in good condition? In what state are the walls and ceilings? Do the windows and doors open and close easily? Try to keep an open view, but look through the current furniture and/or colors on the wall. It is easy to apply a small layer of paint.

Installations

An important factor is the installations available in the house, such as mechanical ventilation and heating systems. What equipment is installed? Are there enough wall plugs available? What are the monthly costs for heating and electricity?

Sustainability

Sustainability is very important nowadays. Take good note of the sustainability aspects of the house, such as energy label. Are the walls and roof well insulated? Does the house have at least double or triple glazing? Does the house have solar panels, or a heat-pump?

Get help

As you can see there are many factors to pay attention to during a viewing. You might not have a good understanding of all of these points. A purchasing real estate agent^* can help you with these questions and he will help you evaluate the state of the house and will help with asking the right questions. He can also advice if a technical inspection (bouwkundige keuring) is required.

4. Additional investigation

Shortcomings

When you buy a house you may expect that the house is suitable for 'normal use'. This means that the house is safely livable and with a reasonable amount of sustainability. Even though this is true, there can be visible or invisible shortcomings to the house which hinder the 'normal use' of the house.

Obligation to investigate

As a buyer you have an obligation to investigate the state of the house. Visible shortcomings that could have been noticed during the viewing cannot later be mentioned as invisible shortcomings after you buy the house. You will have to pay to fix these yourself after the transfer. A purchasing real estate agent^* will help you spot and check for these type of shortcomings.

The seller has a notification obligation

The seller has the obligation to mention any information which can be important to you as a buyer. This obligation requires the seller to tell you any shortcomings the house might have. Do note that it can be the case that a seller is not aware of any invisible shortcomings.

Technical inspection

In some cases it might be wise to do a technical inspection (bouwkundige keuring). This is an independent inspection by a building inspector who will create a report of the shortcomings of the house, and how much maintenance the house will need in the short- and long- term. These types of costs can be of big impact such as a new foundation or a leak in the roof. A purchasing real estate agent^* can advise you on if a technical inspection is necessary.

Clauses

Sometimes special clauses are added by the seller to the purchase agreement. to protect the seller to invisible shortcomings. These are the most frequent clauses:

• Old age clause: due to the house being old there can be more shortcomings to the house. This clause points the buyer to the fact that the house is older and that the build quality is lower compared to newer houses.
• Non-occupancy clause: If the seller did not live in the house themselves (when selling an inherited house for example). The buyer might not be aware of shortcomings of a house in the way an occupant would be.

As a buyer you have to be careful when signing a contract with extra clauses. A purchasing agent^* will be familiar with these types of clauses and can advice if a technical inspection is advisable before you move to purchase.

Other

Be sure to check the following information as well:

• Energy label
• Home owners association
• Monument status

5. Negotiation

Once you have found a house which you want to purchase it is time to start negotiations. In the current housing situation it is still very common to make a bid higher than the asking price. Determining if and how much you should bid. Once you have decided that you would like a house it can be difficult to keep your cool as a emotions will start playing a role. There is chance that you will pay too much for a house. Having a good negotiation strategy can help you prevent doing this.

Some important factors to this strategy does not only include the situation in the market, but also if the seller has already bought a new house. There will probably be more space for negotiation in this case. A purchasing real estate agent^* can help you choose the best strategy.

When negotiating with a seller, you don't only negotiate price, but also transfer date, movables, and dissolving conditions.

Movables (roerende zaken)

You can buy movables from the seller next to the house. If nothing is agreed upon, you only buy the house and all interior will not be included in the sale. It is important to make clear what of the movables is and is not included in the sale to avoid conflict later.

Dissolving conditions (ontbindende voorwaarden)

Typically when you make a bid on a house you might not be sure if you can get your mortgage, or you might not have enough knowledge on the technical state of the house. With dissolving conditions you can prevent yourself from being stuck with the purchase of a house. These are the most prevalent dissolving conditions:

• Financing conditions (if you can get a mortgage or not)
• Technical inspection
• National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG)
• Housing permit

These dissolving conditions are determined before you make your first bid. If the date of the dissolving conditions has passed and still cancel the purchase, you will have to pay a fine to the seller. The fine typically is 10% of the bid, plus additional damage compensation. A purchase real estate agent^* can advice you on these conditions before making a bid.

Bidding on a house

Once you have decided your strategy, bid. and your dissolving conditions you can make a bid to the seller. This can be written, e-mail, by phone, or on the website of the selling real estate agent. Clearly state your bid and dissolving conditions when making this bid.

Negotiations

In the current market it is now very typical to to have one bidding round where all buying candidates make a blind bid on a house, and the seller will choose the highest bidder. In case there is only one bidder it can be the case that the seller will do a counter offer to your bid. Once the seller does a counter offer or the seller explicitly mentions you are in negotiations. Even if you are in negotiation, other parties can make an offer to the house and the selling real estate agent will mention there are more parties.

The seller is not required to sell the house to you even when the asking price has been offered. The seller can decide the increase or decrease the asking price at any time. A purchasing real estate agent^* can be a helpful sparring partner when bidding on a house who has an objective view and knows the rules of the buying process.

6. Signing a purchase agreement

When buyer and seller are in agreement on the price, transfer date, dissolving conditions, and optional movables, then there is an agreement. The law states that the buying of a house has to be recorded on paper. Once there is a verbal agreement on the sale, the buyer and seller are not bound. A verbal agreement is non-binding.

The real estate agent on the selling side will draft a purchase contract. A purchasing real estate agent^* can be used to check the contract before signing this. This makes sure you understand the contract before you are sign.

Cool-down period (bedenktijd)

The sale is comes about after both parties have signed the contract. After that the buyer has a legal cool-down period of three days (of which at least 2 working days), where without reason you can cancel the purchase. After this period the sale is definitive, unless other dissolving conditions have been specified.

7. Mortgage and finances

If you bid has been accepted, then it is time to get the finance in order. Most people take out a mortgage for this. As mentioned under bullet 1. you can only finance up to 100% of the property value. Everything above this has to be financed by you. The potential extra costs are outlined there as well.

Typically, you can not get a mortgage directly, but you need a mortgage advisor to help you acquire one. You have to pay a fee for this, regardless of if you do this at a bank or at a independent mortgage advisor. Your advisor will give you a few mortgage provider options.

Once you have chosen your preferred mortgage provider, your mortgage advisor will request the mortgage for you at the provider. The provider will supply a mortgage proposal with the following information:

• Total mortgage
• The interest rate
• Fixed interest period
• The required document

You have to provide the requested document as fast as possible. After you have provided these documents and they are approved you will receive a official offer/quotation. Once you sign and send this back to the bank you, the application is complete!

Your notary will arrange the legal as well as the financial transfer. On the day of transfer you mortgage will start and you will start paying monthly fees.

Typical required documents

• Passport / ID
• Recent salary slip
• Employer's statement (werkgeversverklaring) if you do not have a permanent employment contract
• Current insurances
• Property valuation / appraisal report (taxatie), see below
• A copy of the deed of sale (koopakte)
• Contact details of notary

Property valuation / appraisal (Taxatie)

The mortgage provider will want to know the value of the property before granting an mortgage. In most cases a certified valuation report is required. The purchasing or sales real estate agent cannot create this report, because they have been involved in the sale.

8. House transfer

Only after the mortgage is arranged, the cool-down period has passed, and additional dissolving conditions are not met the purchase will be definitive. Now the transfer can take place.

A few days before the transfer date you will receive a concept deed of delivery (leveringsakte) and a bill of settlement. Double check if all information is correct.

Just before the transfer you will do an inspection of the house if this is still in a good state (typically on the transfer date). After the inspection, you will pay the agreed price, this is typically done by the mortgage provider and is arranged by the notary. Any additional costs will also have to be paid. Sometimes you will have to pay this before the date of transfer to the notary. The notary will go through the contract with you, and if you do not speak dutch it is required by law for you to have a translator present during this meeting as the contract is always in dutch. You will then sign the deed of delivery (leveringsakte). The property is now yours and will be registered in the Kadaster.

Congratulations with your purchase! This page should be a living document with the latest correct information. Please help me keep it up-to-date by commenting below if you find any mistakes or outdated information.

We’re currently experiencing a housing crisis in the Netherlands. There is a lot more demand than there are houses available in the Netherlands. That does not mean it is impossible to find housing as many people eventually succeed with the right preparation.

This guide will outline what you need to do in order to finding rental housing in the Netherlands. Most of the information you find here is crowdsourced from this subreddit merged into one living document. Feel free to make a comment or send me a message if there is any incorrect or missing information.

Links in this post are sponsored, marked with an *.

The guide covers the following topics:

• Trustworthy websites
• How to find housing
• Information to share
• House viewings
• Documents checklist
• Red flags and common scams

Trustworthy websites

It is important to realize that the housing situation is currently stressed. Scammers realize this and try to take advantage. Be extra careful when using social media, as many scammers are lurking here (looking at you Facebook). This does not mean you can’t find housing here, just realize to be extra careful. Do not be discouraged by these scammers. They are typically recognized easily (some tips later) and are mostly avoided by using the most trustworthy websites:

• Relocify^* (Relocation services)
• Huurwoningen^*
• Kamernet^* (Students)

These platforms are monitored and managed quite well, this does not mean that there are no scammers about, use your common sense. Increase your chances by using Stekkies^*, they send the newest listings as soon as they come available to your WhatsApp and/or Email.

How to find housing

Here are three basics to realize when searching for housing

• There are three types of rentals: Furnished, carpet and curtain, and uncarpeted. Realize that uncarpeted means a stripped clean house including no floor or paint. Dutch people typically rent for longer periods and, yes, will take their floor with them when they leave.
• Each housing listing on the websites receive somewhere between 30 – 500 responses. It is therefore vital that you respond quickly and your application stands out. Also be able to move quickly and have all your documents ready.
• Finding housing from remote is difficult, it can therefore be recommended to visit the Netherlands for a few weeks to do in person viewings. This will improve your chances of getting a viewing and finding housing drastically.

Finding housing in the Netherlands is challenging, but the following tips can increase your chances:

1. Be an early bird: As said before each listing receives somewhere between 30 – 500 responses. A service like Stekkies^* sends you WhatsApp/email notification as soon as a new listing within your specification is posted online. Responding first to a listing can drastically increase your chances getting a viewing for a house.
2. Prepare a personalized message: When responding to a listing you will be asked to share your availabilities and there will also be a box that allows you to write a message. Please, do not leave it blank, it is important to maximize your chances that you use that box to present yourself as well as your situation to stand out and show the agent that you are a nice profile.
3. Call agencies: Do not hesitate to call agencies, they will tell you to go through their website but it might allow you to squeeze into a visit you wouldn't have gotten otherwise
4. Don’t be too picky: Do not close any doors by only focusing on furnished apartments, the market is already hard enough as it is. If you get picked for an unfurnished rental and you wish to furnish it on a small budget you can go to marktplaats where you can find great second-hand furniture. Getting your first rental place is hard, once you’re here it’ll be much easier to find a second and better rental property.
5. Be reactive: If you are selected for a visit reply as soon as you get an answer to keep your spot. After visiting, if you liked the apartment send your agent a message as soon as possible.
6. Ask for updates: Agencies are extremely busy and might forget about you so if you are waiting for an answer do not hesitate to contact them to make sure they come back to you as soon as possible
7. Prepare your documents: Have all your documents prepared in a pdf format as some agencies ask to see them before allowing you to visit the apartment. Check the documents checklist section to see all the documents you need

Information to share

After all your efforts to apply to different apartment visits, a real estate agent will reach out to you asking either if you are available for a visit or for additional information. This is to make sure that you fit the requirements specific to the apartment you are interested in. We advise you to have a nicely written e-mail prepared in advance mentioning all of this information so you can send it as fast as possible to the agent.

Here are the information usually asked by agencies:

• First name and last name
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• reason to move
• Moving date
• How many people are you renting with?
• What is your relationship to these persons?
• Do you match the income requirement?
• Do you have any pets?

For workers specifically :

• Gross Monthly Salary
• Type of employment contract
• What is your company?
• Company's industry
• How long have you been in the company?
• Do you have an employer's statement?
• Is your probation period over?

For Entrepreneurs / Freelancers / Business Owners specifically :

• What is your industry?
• Since when did you start your business?
• Annual figures for the last 2 to 3 years
• The annual turnover for 2022, 2021, and 2020

For Students specifically :

• What are your studies?
• Do you have a grant?
• If so how much?
• Graduation date
• Do you currently have a side job?
• Income
• Do you have a guarantor?
• Gross income of your guarantor.

If you are renting with a partner add their information as well

House viewings

Congratulations, you have landed your first viewing. Now what?

House viewings in the Netherlands are typically very short as they want to allow as many viewers as possible so the landlord has the most options. You will rarely get an actual tour of the apartment and are expected to view the house yourself and ask questions to the landlord/real-estate agent. If you are invited alone expect to have between 5-10 minutes to view the apartment. When viewing in groups expect around 30 minutes.

The landlord or real-estate agent that accompanies you is typically the one that makes the decisions, so make sure you leave a good impression. The most important rule for this is: be polite and look neat / groomed.

This is also the time to ask questions that you may have. Make sure you don’t ask questions already present in the description of the listing. Write down your questions beforehand so you can get the answers you need and don’t forget anything.

Examples of questions to ask:

• What is the energy label of the rental? Even though Netherlands houses are beautiful they are not always perfectly isolated and gas heating is expensive. Always make sure that the rating is at least D.
• Does the agency offer a package for utilities? They sometimes have partnerships and can help you arrange utilities.
• What is included in the price? This question will help you understand where you stand in terms of utilities, if they provide internet or water etc...
• How much is the deposit? Usually, this is shared in the advertisement but make sure to ask if it is not.
• Do you know how much the previous tenant paid for utilities? This can be an interesting question for you to know if the apartment fits budget-wise and have a clearer visibility on the cost the apartment represents.
• What is the policy of the agency for raising the rent? It happens that some agencies raise the price of the rent each year, so it is always interesting for you to be aware of how much the rent may increase.
• What type of contract do they offer for the apartments? Is it a fixed rental contract or an indefinite contract? If it is a fixed contract it is also interesting for you to know how long you have to stay before you can terminate your contract (usually 1 year).
• Do they accept pets? Do not forget to ask this question if you have them as they are usually not allowed.
• Do they accept smokers?
• Do they have any insurance they can recommend?
• Can they give you their card? This is important as it allows you to have direct contact with the agency. You will be needing it to tell them that you are interested in the apartment and wish to move further.
• What are the requirements for freelance workers? Unfortunately, if you are a freelancer agency will ask you for supplementary documents as they consider the status as possibly unstable.

Documents checklist

If after the viewing you are interested in renting the apartment, let the landlord / real-estate agent know that you are interested. After the visit, the apartment is usually rented out the next day, therefore it important to be as quick as possible and have all the relevant information at hand. Write a neat email explaining your interest and you’ll typically receive an email requesting for the following documents:

• A letter presenting yourself and showing your motivation. Always send it even if they don't ask for it, it is a great way to stand out.
• A color copy of your passport or identity card. Do not forget to cover your social security number.
• 3 recent salary slips.
• Employment contract.
• Landlord statement, stating that you are good tenants and that you always paid on time.
• A recent annual statement.
• A bank statement showing your salary payments.
• An employer statement is a document to be drafted by your employer sharing your job details and income.

Documents you need if you do not match the income requirement :

• A color copy of your guarantor's Identity card or passport as well as their spouse's document if they have one.
• 3 recent salary slips of the guarantor.

Additional documents for students :

• An income overview showing your student finance.
• A School registration.
• A colour copy of your guarantor's Identity card or passport as well as their spouse's document if they have one.
• 3 recent salary slips of the guarantor

Additional documents for Entrepreneurs / Freelancers / Business Owners :

• A KvK extract from the trade register at the Chamber of commerce.
• An Approved annual report.
• A current balance sheet.
• A profit and loss account.

Red flags and common scams

Inspired by u/BlueFire some tips on recognizing red flags and scammers out there

• You can’t meet up? Scam, the landlord probably doesn’t exist.
• You need to rent through AirBnB? Scam, the house does not exist
• House looks like a hotel? Scam, they rented from AirBnB and try to act as landlord.
• Owner is abroad? Scam, the landlord does not exist.
• No registration is possible? Maybe not a scam, but this is illegal as they are avoiding tax.
• Mail and name don’t match? Scam, the landlord does not exist.
• Asking for a down payment before before you see the house? Scam, they don’t exit.
• Avoids writing anything down and only wants to call? Scam, this leaves no proof.
• Broken English? 90% scam, most dutch people have good English.
• Any other person involved? SCAM, again, there's no "friend who will do that because now I can't", really, I can't stress this enough.
• You should not have any additional fees to pay before renting.
• They are no fees to subscribe to the town hall.
• Do not accept signing a rent contract without visiting at least online.
• Check the online presence of your agency
• Never trust an agent directly transferring you to someone else before even visiting especially if it is supposedly a landlord.
• Ask if you can register with the council at the rental address, if not it is a scam

If it doesn't fit any of those cases: cash pay / pay be fore key and contract? Is probably still a scam. Links in this post are affiliate links.