Frequently asked questions about selling, buying and the value of your home

Yes. We handle the entire process ourselves: the valuation, the presentation, the viewings, the negotiations, the purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst) and guidance right through to the transfer at the notary. You always have the same dedicated point of contact.

We tell you honestly what your home is worth and what it will take to sell it, even if that sets different expectations from the ones you had hoped for. We also set the bar high for presentation and marketing. Every home gets the same attention from us, whether it is a small home or a beautiful villa.

Helmond and all its neighbourhoods (including Brandevoort, Dierdonk, Stiphout, Mierlo-Hout, Brouwhuis, Rijpelberg, Warande, Helmond-Noord, Helmond-Oost, Helmond-West, 't Hout and the city centre), plus Eindhoven and surrounding towns such as Mierlo, Nuenen and Deurne.

Yes. We guide buyers in Helmond, Eindhoven and the surrounding area with searching, assessing, bidding and negotiating, right through to handing over the keys at the notary. Also for expats, in English.

In English, German and French, and reasonably in Spanish. Polish-speaking clients can write to us in Polish by WhatsApp and receive a reply in Polish; conversations take place in German, English or French.

Yes. We schedule appointments on weekdays until 21:00, so you do not need to take a day off for it.

With us, nothing. A valuation is free and does not commit you to anything. A formal appraisal (taxatie), which you need for a mortgage or in a divorce, usually costs between €500 and €800.

The WOZ value (the municipal property valuation) is determined by the municipality using a calculation model, based on the reference date of 1 January of the previous year, without anyone having been inside. The market value is what a buyer pays today. In a rising market, the WOZ value is therefore consistently ten to fifteen per cent lower.

The margin can be as much as twenty per cent. Such a check only sees public data: floor area, year of construction, type and recent sales. It does not see your kitchen, your view, your maintenance or your location within the neighbourhood, and that is precisely where value comes from.

Because a high figure wins instructions. That is not advice but sales. Always ask which comparable homes the figure is based on.

The difference between label A and label G is real. The difference between B and C is negligible. Investing to go from C to A usually yields less than it costs. Going from E to C is more often worthwhile.

Rarely. Expect to recoup about half of the investment. Decluttering, neutral paintwork and fixing visible overdue maintenance deliver considerably more per euro spent.

There is no obligation. In a fast-moving market, a valuation is already out of date after two years. If you are considering a decision based on the value of your home, an up-to-date figure is the starting point.

Certainly. An up-to-date value helps when refinancing your mortgage, with renovation plans and with the question of whether you can move up the ladder.

Expect a commission (courtage) of 1 to 1.5% excluding VAT. For a home of €400,000, that is €4,000 to €6,000 excluding VAT, so roughly €4,800 to €7,300 including VAT. Always ask what is included and what comes on top.

The valuation and the introductory meeting are always free and entirely without obligation. We agree the commission (courtage) with you clearly in advance, so you never face any surprises.

Not automatically. A low commission looks attractive but says nothing about the result. An estate agent who competes on price alone quite often earns back that lower fee through a lower sale price. Look at what is actually achieved, because that is what leaves you better off in the end.

We agree the fee with you in advance, before we start, so you never face any surprises. The first meeting is free and without obligation. Bear in mind that buyer's costs (kosten koper), including the buying agent, generally cannot be included in your mortgage.

For an existing home, usually around two per cent of the purchase price. The largest item is the transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting) 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.

From the first meeting to handing over the keys takes three to four months on average. Preparation takes two to four weeks, the sale itself often happens within a few weeks in Helmond, and there are usually six to eight weeks between signing the purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst) and the transfer at the notary.

There is no one right answer. Selling first gives you certainty about your budget and avoids double housing costs. Buying first gives you peace of mind while searching, but requires bridging finance or a condition that your own home is sold. In a market with rapidly rising prices, more people choose to buy first.

Look at what comparable homes in your neighbourhood have recently sold for and at what is currently on the market. An estate agent with local knowledge is best placed to assess this with a valuation.

No. A high figure at the kitchen table is often sales talk, not advice. You only notice the difference after eight weeks without a bid. Always ask which comparable homes the figure is based on.

Yes. At the transfer you must hand the buyer a valid energy label. If you do not, you risk a fine. The label must be issued by a certified adviser.

Among other things, the energy label, for an apartment the owners' association (VvE) documents, and information on maintenance and any defects. Your estate agent will help you with a complete list.

You can. You save the commission, but you bear the risk of an asking price that is too low, of mistakes in the purchase agreement and of liability for hidden defects yourself. The difference between a good and a mediocre negotiation is often greater than the commission.

Only if you are a good negotiator yourself and know the market. You save the commission, but you do the viewings and the negotiation yourself.

Three is enough. Ask all three the same questions. The differences in their answers tell you more than the differences in their figures.

We help you search, assess the homes you have your eye on, come along to viewings, determine what a home is really worth, make the bid and handle the negotiation, check the purchase agreement and are present at the final inspection and the transfer at the notary.

It is not compulsory. But the estate agent showing you around works for the seller, not for you. Everything you say during a viewing about your budget or your urgency goes straight to the other side of the table. For the biggest purchase of your life, it is worth having someone on your side too.

You can, but it is a real risk. Bidding without a financing condition or without a building survey may win you the home, but also a problem you did not see coming. We work out with you what that risk really means in your situation before you make that choice.

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.

Three days, starting the day after you have received the agreement signed by both parties. It must include at least two working days. You can withdraw without giving a reason and without costs. You cannot waive this right in the contract, and it applies only to private buyers.

A provision for older homes in which the buyer accepts that the structural condition and installations do not meet today's standards. Reasonable in principle, but pay attention to the wording: a clause that releases the seller from liability for the structural condition in general is too broad.

An exemption from transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting) for buyers aged between 18 and 35 who will live in the home themselves and have not used the exemption before. The home must remain below the property value limit.

Helmond is close to Eindhoven and the Brainport employers, and often offers more space for the same budget. That makes the city attractive to families, first-time buyers and expats.

Yes, considerably. Neighbourhoods such as Brandevoort, Dierdonk, Stiphout and the city centre each attract a different type of buyer. Local knowledge is therefore important in a valuation.

Based on the public WOZ figures, Warande has the highest average home value of all neighbourhoods in the municipality of Helmond. But a neighbourhood average says little about an individual home: there is often more variation within one neighbourhood than between two neighbourhoods.

All heirs must sign. One who refuses blocks the whole sale. In practice this is rarely unwillingness and almost always a difference of opinion about the value. An objective valuation usually resolves that.

You can, but be careful. Selling the home may be regarded as unconditional acceptance of the inheritance. You are then personally liable for any debts. First settle how you will accept the inheritance.

Only if the bank agrees to the mortgage on your income alone. What was achievable together on two incomes is rarely achievable alone. Have the numbers worked out before you make any agreements.

Yes, that is very common. The home is then sold as an investment property. The buyer takes over the tenancy agreement and the tenant simply stays on.

No. You can keep it or let it. But keeping it costs money, and the tax consequences vary greatly from one situation to another. Have it calculated before you leave, not afterwards.

Yes. Under the mortgage right, the bank has the power of summary execution (parate executie). The condition is that you are in default on interest or repayments.