A home of your own? Here’s how to start!

If you’ve decided to stay put in the Netherlands, you are probably starting to think about buying a home of your own – after all, it will probably be cheaper than renting. Buying property in a foreign country might seem like an impossible dream, but surveys show that half of expats in the Netherlands either own their own home or plan to do so, and many buy within one or two years of moving here.

Here’s a list of nine things to consider before you take the plunge and become part of the home-owning community.

2. Get your paperwork in order

You will need to provide your mortgage lender with a stack of paperwork, so it is worth starting to assemble this early on in the process. The main documents you will need are your residency permit – if you are non-EU, an employer’s declaration about your job and salary, and information about any additional assets or debts you may have.

Now is also the time to start looking for that mortgage provider who is going to help you finance your dream home. As a first-time buyer, it is probably sensible to go to an independent advisor, who can check out the options for you and explain all the different types of mortgage. My Dutch Mortgage offers this service online.

3. Decide what is essential

The housing market in the Netherlands is booming and prices are going up, so if you are a first-time buyer your choices may be fairly limited – particularly if you are looking in Amsterdam or one of the other bigger cities. So decide what is essential.

For example, do you really need an outside space or a second bedroom for visitors? Or is there a nice park nearby and a good, cheap hotel? Is natural light and a bath in your bathroom non-negotiable and do you plan to work from home a lot? If you don’t have a car, is there good public transport? These are all things to consider when deciding what properties to look at.

4. Broaden your horizons

Don’t limit yourself to areas you know. Get out and about, check out commuting times and familiarise yourself with the less popular areas or nearby towns where prices are likely to be more in line with your budget.

5. Start looking

Once you know how much you can spend, what you want and which target areas you prefer, you can start looking. Websites such as funda.nl will give you an idea about what is on offer in your price category. But given how tight the market is at the moment, it might be wise to use the services of an aankoopmakelaar – an estate agent who will alert you to properties that might fit the bill. Makelaars have good networks and that means you might hear about that potential little gem before it hits Funda.

If you are fairly new to the Netherlands and don’t speak Dutch, this would be a sensible option. You need all the advantages you can get.

6. Visiting your potential new home

Your aankoopmakelaar will usually accompany you on visits and make sure that the relevant questions are asked. Don’t worry about whether or not your uncle’s cupboard will look good in the sitting room – a coat of paint or a new wooden floor can work wonders. As well as checking out the property,  now is the time to find out more about the neighbourhood and about the owners’ association (VVE). Remember, while cosmetic details, such as the lack of a bath, can be fixed, structural repairs are expensive.

7. Make a bid

Found a house you like? Strike while the iron’s hot and make an offer – and here is where having an estate agent as a to guide you really helps. But once you’ve made an offer this is not the end of the process. You may be overbid by another interested buyer, so be prepared to increase your offer –  within the limits of your budget! Don’t bid more than you can borrow – it may cost you in the long run.

8. Seal the deal

Once your offer has been accepted, you will have to sign a ‘voorlopig koopcontract,’ or ‘preliminary sales contract’. Don’t be fooled by the use of the word preliminary. By law you have three days to change your mind but after that the contract becomes binding – and you will end up paying a hefty fee if you pull out.

You can of course put in a financial escape clause, which means you can break the contract if you don’t get the mortgage sorted out properly. If you do this, you have bought the property ‘onder voorbehoud’ – or subject to the finances being okay. This is a very common position to be in, but given the current state of the market, you may find that the seller prefers to opt for a buyer who has the money ready. If you’ve got lots of savings and a secure job, this is something you might consider doing. Your mortgage advisor can help you on this.

9. Finalise your mortgage

Now you need to finalise your mortgage by providing your bank with all the necessary documents – most of which you will already have to hand.  You will also need a taxation report for the property you are buying. You can do this using an intermediary like My Dutch Mortgage, which offers an online service so you can upload the paperwork to a central location. Once this has been sorted, all you have to do is visit a notary and sign the deeds. And move in, of course.

Want to know more? You can read our FAQ’s on Buying a house in Netherlands.