The most common questions about homes, answered.

Your home's value is determined by location, living area, condition, energy label, and current market demand. You'll get a first indication from comparable homes recently sold (reference properties) in your neighborhood. For a well-founded estimate, get a free valuation from an estate agent. For a legally usable value, you need a validated appraisal report.
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A listing agent charges commission: a percentage of the sale price or a fixed fee. The amount depends, among other things, on the value of your home and the way it is sold. That's why you should ask for a no-obligation quote with a clear breakdown beforehand — including any start-up costs for photography, floor plans, and listings — so you know exactly where you stand.
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Selling first gives you financial certainty: you know your proceeds and avoid double housing costs. Buying first gives you housing certainty, but carries the risk of double costs and needing a bridge loan. The right order depends on your financial room and how tight the market is.
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Your maximum mortgage depends on your gross income, any debts, the mortgage rate, and whether you're buying alone or together. Lenders use Nibud's borrowing standards. With the National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG), you can borrow up to €470,000 in 2026, or up to €498,200 with energy-saving measures.
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A condition (or "subject to") clause is a dissolving condition in your offer that lets you cancel the purchase free of charge if that condition isn't met. The most common are a financing condition (you can't arrange the mortgage) and a structural survey condition. Without conditions you have a stronger negotiating position, but you take on more risk.
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At the transfer, you sign the deed of transfer and the mortgage deed at the notary's office. The notary checks ownership and any liens in the Land Registry, handles payment through the third-party account, and registers the deed with the Land Registry. Just before the transfer, you do a final inspection of the property together with the agent.
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A home appraisal in the Netherlands typically costs between €400 and €800, depending on the region and the size of the home. For a mortgage you'll almost always need a validated appraisal report, drawn up by an NRVT-registered appraiser and validated by a validation institute (such as the NWWI).
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The WOZ value is the value the municipality sets annually for tax purposes, based on a reference date of 1 January of the previous year. The market value is the price a home would fetch on the open market right now. Market value is often higher than the WOZ value, because the latter lags behind the market.
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A validated appraisal report is needed when taking out or refinancing a mortgage, and sometimes for a renovation under NHG. For a divorce, inheritance, or setting an asking price, a non-validated report or a valuation from an estate agent is often enough.
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Several rates apply in 2026. Buyers aged 18 to 35 who will live in the home themselves pay 0% (starter's exemption) up to a home value of €555,000. Other buyers of a primary residence pay 2%. For investors, second homes, and rentals, the rate is 8%. Whichever is higher, the purchase price or appraised value, determines the starter's threshold.
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The starter's exemption means you pay no transfer tax when buying your home. The 2026 conditions: you're 18 or older but not yet 35, you'll live there yourself, the home is worth no more than €555,000, and you haven't used the exemption before. It's all or nothing: one euro over the threshold and you pay 2% on the entire amount.
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In a tight market, a home is often for sale for a few weeks before an offer is accepted. After that, there are usually 4 to 8 weeks between signing the purchase agreement and the transfer at the notary's office. The timeline depends heavily on the asking price, location, and condition of the home.
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Equity is the difference between your home's sale value and your remaining mortgage. The simplest way to unlock it is to sell and move to a smaller or cheaper home, which frees up the difference. Other routes are an equity-release mortgage or increasing your mortgage, but those come with monthly costs or interest. Watch out for the equity carry-over rule: if you don't put the equity into a new home, it can later limit your mortgage interest deduction.
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Double housing costs happen when you already own your new home while your old one isn't sold yet. You limit the risk by selling first and only then buying, or by including a dissolving condition for the sale of your own home in your offer. If you do buy first, you usually bridge the gap with a bridge loan based on your expected equity. The interest on that is temporarily deductible. Discuss the order with your agent and mortgage adviser beforehand.
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