Buying a home in the Netherlands broadly involves financial preparation, searching, investigating, making an offer, arranging finance and completing the transfer at the notary. This overview covers the purchase of an existing home. New-build homes involve different agreements, payment dates and inspection stages. These steps do not always happen neatly one after another: searching, investigating the home and arranging finance often partly overlap.
You should therefore do the most important preparation before making an offer. By then, you need to know what you can afford, what further investigations are needed and which conditions you want to include.
1. Set your budget and work out how much of your own money you need
Do not start with the maximum purchase price. Start with the monthly costs that suit your income and plans. Have someone calculate how much you can responsibly borrow and take other financial commitments into account, such as student debt, a personal loan or private lease.
In principle, a mortgage cannot exceed 100% of the home's market value. This value is usually determined by a valuer after your offer has been accepted. If you offer more than the appraised value, you generally cannot finance the difference with your standard mortgage.
You will also need your own money for purchase costs, such as advice, the valuation, the notary and possibly property transfer tax. List your savings in advance and keep a financial buffer for moving, maintenance and unexpected expenses.
2. Search for homes that suit your budget and plans
With a realistic budget, you can search more effectively. Look beyond the floor area and number of rooms. Location, maintenance, energy costs, leasehold (erfpacht), the VvE and possible renovations can significantly affect your monthly costs and future expenses.
Also check whether the home suits your plans for the next few years. A home that is affordable today may not be practical if your family situation, workplace or income changes.
3. Use the viewing as your first investigation
A viewing is not just about deciding whether a home feels right. It is your first opportunity to identify risks and ask specific questions.
Look for cracks, damp, window frames, the roof, installations and the general state of repair. Ask about known defects, previous renovations and available permits. Also look at the street and surrounding area, returning at a different time if necessary.
You do not need to understand every technical detail during the viewing. But you should be able to recognise where further investigation may be needed.
4. Investigate exactly what you are buying
As a buyer, you have a duty to investigate. The seller must share relevant information they know about, but that does not mean you do not need to check anything yourself. The investigations you need depend on the home.
For example, consider:
- the ownership situation, plot boundaries and easements;
- the leasehold conditions and the amount or review of the ground rent;
- the financial and technical position of the VvE when buying an apartment;
- foundation risks and the structural condition;
- the energy label and expected energy costs;
- questionnaires, drawings, permits and other documents relating to the home.
A valuation is not a full structural survey. The valuer mainly determines the market value for financing purposes. If you want more certainty about visible defects and repair costs, you may need a structural survey.
5. Decide on your offer and your conditions
An offer involves more than an amount. You will usually also state your preferred transfer date, arrangements for movable items and any conditions.
A financing condition can protect you if you cannot obtain the mortgage you need. If the structural investigation has not yet been completed, you can include a condition for a structural survey. Sometimes a more specific condition is needed, for example for a foundation investigation or permission for a renovation.
Conditions may make your offer less attractive to the seller, but they also limit your risk. Do not base your decision only on what seems necessary to secure the home. Also consider the consequences if the financing or investigation does not go as expected.
6. Check the purchase agreement carefully
Once you have reached an agreement, the arrangements are recorded in the purchase agreement. For the usual private buyer of a home, the purchase must be agreed in writing. The term provisional purchase contract is misleading: after you sign it, the agreement is binding in principle.
Before signing, check at least the purchase price, transfer date, conditions and the related deadlines. Also review the list of items included in the sale and the agreements concerning defects, rights, obligations, the deposit or bank guarantee.
After receiving the agreement signed by both parties, you have a statutory three-day cooling-off period as a private buyer. This period starts on the day after you receive the agreement. At least two of the days may not be a Saturday, Sunday or recognised public holiday. During the cooling-off period, you can withdraw from the purchase without giving a reason and without paying compensation.
The cooling-off period is different from a condition in the agreement. After the cooling-off period, you can only withdraw from the purchase if an agreed condition can validly be invoked or if there is another legal basis for doing so.
7. Arrange the mortgage, valuation and any survey
Several processes often run at the same time after you sign. You complete the mortgage application, have the home valued and, if necessary, arrange a structural survey or another investigation. Also arrange the deposit or bank guarantee before the deadline in the purchase agreement. This is a separate step after signing, not just something to check in the contract.
Keep all deadlines from the purchase agreement in one place and regularly check that everything is submitted on time. A financing condition does not take effect automatically. If you need to invoke it, you must meet the conditions and provide the evidence specified in the agreement.
If an investigation reveals problems, immediately check what your purchase agreement says about them. Do not let a deadline pass while you are still waiting for a report, quotation or decision from the lender.
8. Prepare for the transfer at the notary
Before the transfer, you will usually receive draft deeds and a completion statement. Check your personal details, the purchase price, taxes, adjustments and any special rights or obligations. Ask questions if a description or amount is incorrect or unclear.
If you are buying the home to live in yourself for the long term, the property transfer tax in 2026 is generally 2%. Buyers aged 18 to 34 can, subject to conditions, use the first-time buyer exemption once if the home's value in 2026 does not exceed €555,000. These rules are adjusted periodically.
9. Carry out the final inspection and sign the deeds
Shortly before your appointment with the notary, you inspect the home one last time. Check whether the home will be transferred as agreed, whether items that should remain are present and whether any damage has occurred since the purchase. Also record the meter readings.
At the notary, you sign the deed of transfer. If you are financing the purchase with a mortgage, you also sign the mortgage deed. The notary arranges the payment and registers the deeds with the Kadaster. Legal ownership is transferred through the deed of transfer and its registration. You will then normally receive the keys.
