What you can borrow, what you should bid, what to look out for at a viewing and which conditions you should never leave out. For first-time buyers, movers and anyone looking for a home in Helmond or Eindhoven.
The short answer. Arrange your financing first, and only then start viewing. What you can borrow determines where you search, not the other way round. Expect buyer's costs (kosten koper) of around two per cent for an existing home, on top of the purchase price. Never bid without a financing condition unless you have the amount available in cash.
And remember that the estate agent at the viewing is friendly, is helpful, and does not work for you.
Buying is harder than selling. That sounds odd, because as a seller you have something people want. But as a buyer you have to decide on the basis of half an hour of walking around, against people who do this every day, about an amount that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
This page sets out what you need to know before you do that. Without the optimism you read everywhere, because that costs you money.
The order most people get wrong: first fall in love with a house, then find out whether it is possible. That is the reverse order, and it costs you a disappointment or, worse, a rushed decision.
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Gross annual income | The basis. With two incomes, the second income largely counts too |
| Permanent or temporary job | Temporary is possible, but then the bank wants a declaration of intent from your employer |
| Student debt | Lowers your maximum. It is the original debt that counts, not what is still outstanding |
| Loans and BKR | A car loan or a revolving credit significantly reduces your borrowing capacity |
| Alimony | Payments you make are deducted from your borrowing capacity |
| Own funds | You can borrow up to 100% of the home's value. You pay the buyer's costs yourself |
| Energy label of the home | With an energy-efficient home you may sometimes borrow a little more |
| Interest rates | A higher rate means a lower maximum loan on the same income |
The point that surprises people: you can borrow up to one hundred per cent of the home's value. The buyer's costs come on top of that, and you need to have them yourself. For a €350,000 home, that means around €7,000 of your own money, and you still do not have a sofa or curtains.
If you buy above the appraised value, which happens when you overbid, you also have to cover that difference yourself. That is why overbidding is not just a question of nerve but above all of liquidity.
A couple in Helmond bid €25,000 above the asking price, without conditions, to be sure. The formal appraisal came out at the asking price. They had to make up the difference themselves and did not have it. The purchase fell through and the ten per cent penalty came into play. That is €35,000 for a house they never got.
Overbidding without a financing condition is not bold. It is a bet with your savings at stake.
Buyer's costs (kosten koper) are not a fixed percentage but a collection of items. For an existing home they usually come to around two per cent. Below is the breakdown for a €350,000 home.
| Item | Guide amount | Tax-deductible |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting) | 2%, so €7,000 | No |
| Notary: deed of transfer | €600 to €1,000 | No |
| Notary: mortgage deed | €500 to €900 | Yes |
| Formal appraisal (taxatie) | €500 to €800 | Yes |
| Mortgage advice | €2,000 to €3,500 | Yes |
| NHG guarantee fee | 0.6% of the loan | Yes |
| Building survey | €350 to €600 | No |
| Buying agent | €2,500 to €5,000 | No |
| Kadaster | approx. €150 | No |
If you are between eighteen and thirty-five and buy a home below the first-time buyer exemption threshold to live in yourself, you pay no transfer tax, on a one-off basis. On €350,000, that saves you seven thousand euros. The threshold and the conditions change regularly, so check the current position with the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) before you do your sums.
If you buy to let or as a second home, a considerably higher rate applies. That is not a detail: the difference runs into tens of thousands.
What people forget to factor in: the move, flooring, paint, curtains, adapting the kitchen. Expect five to fifteen thousand euros that you cannot borrow and so must have yourself. That comes on top of the buyer's costs.
Funda lists everything that is for sale, and that is exactly the problem: everyone sees the same thing at the same time. If you wait until Saturday to call, you are usually too late.
View the home twice. The first time you are impressed, the second time you see the house. Go the second time at a different time of day, ideally in the evening or at the weekend, because then you hear the surroundings as they really are.
The estate agent showing you round is friendly, knows the neighbourhood and answers all your questions. He works for the seller. His fee rises with the price you pay. That is not a criticism, it is his job. The problem is that buyers forget this because the conversation is so pleasant.
The question everyone asks: how much should I bid? There is no percentage. There is a method.
Not what the asking price is. Look at what comparable homes in the same neighbourhood have recently sold for. That is publicly available. The asking price is a marketing tool, not a valuation.
Two different figures. What you can pay is a calculation by the bank. What you want to pay is what still lets you sleep at night. Write it down before you start bidding, because in the moment it shifts.
Negotiation, sealed bids (inschrijving) or open bidding? With sealed bids you have one chance and your first bid counts. With negotiation there is room to manoeuvre. That changes your strategy completely.
A seller does not always choose the highest bid. Handover date, certainty and conditions also count. A bid that is €5,000 lower but hassle-free regularly wins.
There will be another house. Always. That feeling that this is your only chance is exactly the feeling the whole system runs on.
| What you can offer | Effect on your chances | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Higher amount | Large | You pay more, and must cover anything above the formal appraisal yourself |
| Flexible handover date | Large | None, just inconvenience |
| Shorter period for dissolving conditions | Moderate | Limited, if your financing is in place |
| No building survey | Moderate | Substantial. You are buying blind |
| No financing condition | Large | Very high. Penalty of ten per cent |
| Personal letter | Small to medium | None |
The bottom two rows are where things go wrong. Dropping the financing condition is the tool with the greatest effect and the greatest risk. If your mortgage does not come through, you lose ten per cent of the purchase price. On €350,000, that is €35,000 for nothing.
Dissolving conditions (ontbindende voorwaarden) are your way out if something goes wrong. They are not automatically included in the purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst): you have to stipulate them when you make your bid.
| Condition | Protects against | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Financing | Mortgage does not come through | Usually 4 to 6 weeks |
| Building survey | Defects above an agreed amount | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Sale of your own home | Your own home does not sell | Often 2 to 3 months |
| NHG | NHG is not granted | Same as financing |
| Permit | Your renovation plan is not permitted | Variable |
In addition, as a private buyer you have a statutory three-day cooling-off period after you receive the signed purchase agreement. During those three days you can withdraw without giving a reason and at no cost. This right cannot be waived.
Watch the deadlines. A four-week financing condition sounds generous, but if the bank asks for additional documents in week three, it gets tight. Ask for six weeks, and ask for an extension as soon as you notice it is not going to work. Do so in writing and on time, because a day late is too late.
Costs €350 to €600 and is almost always worthwhile for an existing property. Not because there is always something wrong, but because otherwise you are buying on the basis of half an hour of walking around.
As a buyer you have a duty to investigate. The seller has a duty to disclose: he must tell you what he knows. But anything he does not know and you could have discovered is at your own risk. The survey is how you fulfil your duty to investigate.
| Does | Does not |
|---|---|
| Identify visible defects | Open up walls |
| Estimate repair costs | Guarantee that there is nothing wrong |
| Provide a maintenance schedule | Find hidden structural faults |
| Give you room to negotiate | Force the seller to do anything |
For a home built before 1970, I would never skip it. For a new build with a warranty, it is less necessary. For everything in between: €500 against a €15,000 defect is a ratio that speaks for itself.
In practice: include a condition with a threshold amount in your bid. For example: dissolving if repair costs exceed five thousand euros. That way the seller knows where he stands and you have a way out if it turns out to be serious.
We offer this service ourselves, so bear that in mind as you read. We have set it out here as honestly as possible.
| With a buying agent | Without | |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | €2,500 to €5,000 | None |
| Valuation | Backed up with comparable sales | Your own gut feeling |
| Negotiating | Someone without emotion | You, with emotions |
| With several bidders | Knows the set-up and the other side | You guess |
| Conditions | Properly arranged as standard | You have to remember them |
| Access | Sometimes hears about listings earlier | Funda, like everyone else |
When it pays off: if you have little experience, if you are searching in a tight market, if you come from outside the region, or if you notice you get emotional when bidding. That last one is not a weakness, it is normal. It is your home.
When it is not necessary: if you know the market, can negotiate with a cool head and know which conditions need to be included. Then you save four thousand euros, and that is real money.
A buying agent costs four thousand euros. If he gets five thousand euros off the price, he has been free. If he saves you from a home with foundation problems, he is the cheapest four thousand euros you have ever spent. If you already negotiate well yourself, he is four thousand euros.
Your advantage: no home that has to be sold first. That makes you an attractive buyer. Your disadvantage: no home equity to overbid with. Look into the first-time buyer exemption and keep an eye on your student debt, which reduces your borrowing capacity more than you think.
First homeYour advantage: home equity. Your disadvantage: you also have to sell. The main question is whether to buy first or sell first, and watch out for the additional borrowing rule (bijleenregeling): your home equity has to go into the new home, otherwise you lose tax relief.
Next stepYour advantage: often plenty of home equity and little debt. Your disadvantage: a lower income after retirement limits what you can borrow, even if you have assets. Look at single-storey living and at how close amenities are.
Future-proof livingAn employer's statement, residence status and the 30% ruling determine what is possible. The market around Eindhoven is tight and fast-moving for internationals.
English informationYou are now buying on your own what you used to buy together. The bank calculates with one income and with any alimony. Have this calculated before you start viewing, not after.
More on thisA higher transfer tax rate, different financing conditions and a calculation based on returns rather than on the pleasure of living there. A completely different market.
Letting and returnsYour bid has been accepted. That is when it really begins. What happens between that handshake and the keys.
Read it. Check the conditions, the handover date, the list of items included and the clauses. Anything not in it does not apply.
Three days from receipt of the signed agreement. Without a reason, without costs. This right cannot be waived.
Submit documents, have the formal appraisal done, sign the mortgage offer. This takes longer than everyone says. Stay on top of it.
If you have that condition. Do it straight away, not in the last week of the period.
Usually ten per cent of the purchase price, to be paid to the notary. Your bank can issue a bank guarantee if you do not have the amount in cash.
You walk through the home with the seller. Does the list of items match? Is nothing broken? This is your last chance to say something.
Two deeds: transfer and mortgage. You sign, the money is transferred, you get the keys. It usually takes an hour.
For an existing home, usually around two per cent of the purchase price. The largest item is the transfer tax of two per cent. On top of that come notary fees, a formal appraisal (taxatie), mortgage advice and possibly a buying agent and a building survey. You cannot include these costs in your mortgage: you need to have them yourself.
There is no percentage. First work out what the home is worth based on recent sales of comparable homes in the same neighbourhood. Then work out the maximum you can and want to pay, and write that down before you start bidding. Above the appraised value, you have to cover the difference yourself.
You can, and it significantly increases your chances. The risk is also significant: if your mortgage does not come through, you lose ten per cent of the purchase price. On €350,000, that is €35,000. Only do it if your financing is in place or if you have the amount in cash.
For an existing home, it is almost always worthwhile. It costs €350 to €600 and protects you against defects costing thousands. As a buyer you have a duty to investigate: anything you could have discovered but did not is at your own expense.
If you are between eighteen and thirty-five and buy a home below a certain threshold to live in yourself, you pay no transfer tax, on a one-off basis. For a €350,000 home, that saves you seven thousand euros. The threshold and the conditions change regularly, so check the current position with the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration).
Three days, counted from the moment you receive the signed purchase agreement. During those three days you can withdraw without giving a reason and at no cost. This right applies to private buyers and you cannot sign it away.
Usually €2,500 to €5,000, often a fixed fee. If he negotiates five thousand euros off the price, he has been free. Especially worthwhile if you have little experience, come from outside the region or notice you get emotional when bidding.
Yes. The bank calculates with the original debt, not with what is still outstanding. So making extra repayments does not automatically help your mortgage capacity, unless you pay off the debt in full.
At a viewing, the selling agent stands beside you. He is friendly and knows everything about the home. He works for the seller and his fee rises with what you pay.
We provide purchase guidance in Helmond, Eindhoven and the surrounding villages. We know what homes are really worth, we negotiate without emotion and we make sure the conditions you need are included. A conversation about it costs nothing.
Discuss your search with someone who knows the market and is on your side. A conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Your language. We speak English, German and French. Write to us in Polish by WhatsApp and we reply in Polish.
No surprises in the contract. The purchase agreement is in Dutch and comes with an English translation, so you understand every clause.
Selling from abroad. We guide the whole sale remotely and arrange the paperwork with the notary.
