When someone wants to live in the Amsterdam metropolitan area, there are many choices to make. Will you rent or buy, new construction or existing construction, in which village, district, neighborhood or area? Do you want to live near stores or do you prefer to look for the greenery? Or would you rather rent, sell or auction your house? Every question regarding living in the Amsterdam metropolitan area can be answered by the MVA real estate agents.
Even after signing the purchase contract, the consumer buyer can, without giving any reason, undo the purchase. The buyer can do this within the cooling-off period agreed upon in the purchase agreement. By law, this cooling-off period must be at least three days and starts the day after the purchase agreement is signed by both parties and expires at midnight after the agreed duration.
Have you had serious viewers for your home in Amsterdam and you seem to agree on the price and terms? Then the notary, under the supervision of the sales broker, will draw up a purchase contract that both parties must sign. Only when this contract is signed by both parties is the purchase official and legally valid according to the Real Estate Sales Act. There may be penalty clauses in the purchase contract that are triggered when one of the parties fails to fulfill the obligations.
When selling a house, in addition to the cost of the house itself, there are costs for the notary, transfer tax and land registry fees. When you sell your house in Amsterdam, these costs are usually borne by the buyer of your house. Your MVA real estate agent will make sure that there is '(k.k.)' behind the asking price of your house when it is posted on websites. Your buyer should expect 'buyer's costs' of about 5% of the purchase price.
Buyer's costs never include real estate agency fees. If you as the seller engage a real estate agent to sell your home in Amsterdam, you will have to pay these costs yourself. The same goes for the buyer; if he or she has engaged a buying agent, they will also have to pay these costs themselves.
It sometimes happens that the costs for the notary, transfer tax and land registry fees are not paid by the buyer as with 'buyer's costs', but by you as the selling party. Then it is called 'free on name'. This occurs mainly with newly built houses. The asking price you mention then includes the costs for the notary, transfer tax and land registry fees. With new construction there is usually VAT. So you will have to pay these costs yourself after the official sale.
As with 'buyer's costs', the broker's commission is never included in the 'free on name'. Therefore, you will still have to pay these costs yourself.
The written requirement in a consumer sale means that the sale of your home is not official until both parties have signed the purchase contract. Thus, verbal agreements are not legally valid when selling a house.
The Real Estate Acquisition Act went into effect on September 1, 2003. Among other things, the law regulates the cooling-off period and the requirement of writing.
Your MVA broker may certainly negotiate with more than one person at a time. However, your MVA broker should make this known to everyone to keep the process as transparent as possible.
If the real estate agent indicates that he is 'under offer', it means that he has a serious candidate for the house. Viewings can still be scheduled, but the real estate agent must clearly indicate that the home is "under offer.
When you have put your house up for sale and an interested party makes an offer on your house, you are not yet negotiating. Only when you as the selling party have responded to the offer can you speak of negotiation. Thus, the buyer cannot enforce that you are in negotiation.
An option in the legal sense allows a party to enter into a purchase agreement with another party through a unilateral declaration. The parties then agree on the terms of the sale, but the buyer is given another week of reflection time, for example.
When selling a new home, such an option is still common. When selling an existing home, the term "option" is often mistakenly used. Then it has the meaning of certain commitments that your real estate agent can make to an interested buyer during the negotiation process. Such a commitment may include, for example, giving an interested buyer a few days to think about making an offer.
Your sales agent will try not to enter into negotiations with another party in the meantime. The interested buyer can use this time to gain a better understanding of their financing or the home's uses. A potential buyer cannot demand an option; you and your MVA broker decide whether certain commitments will be made in a negotiation process.
You may always change the system of sale and one of the parties may also end the negotiation. Especially in Amsterdam, it is possible that there are so many interested parties for your house that they approach, bid or outbid the asking price. Then it can be difficult to determine who is the best buyer at what conditions. In that case, you and your MVA broker may decide to set up a different bidding procedure. A change in the system of sale can only be made after any commitments made have been fulfilled.
An example of another system of sale is a bidding process. All bidders are then given an equal opportunity to make the highest bid. Your MVA broker can tell you more about this procedure and how it works.
The answer is yes. The asking price is only an invitation to make an offer. Therefore, you can decide to lower or raise the asking price during the process. During a negotiation, there are often multiple bids made by the potential buyer that you can then respond to. The last bids in this process are valid, so you can raise your counter offer again and the buyer can always lower his offer.
No. In fact, the highest court, the Supreme Court, has ruled in a ruling that the asking price of a home is an invitation for a buyer to make an offer.
You may still have a general question about the process of selling your house in Amsterdam or about certain jargon. You can ask this question via the contact form. We will make sure that your question and answer will be added to this list so that others can also benefit from this knowledge.
If you have a specific question about selling your home in Amsterdam, we recommend that you find a sales broker and ask your question to him or her.
It is not the real estate agent who sets the price of a house in Amsterdam, but the seller in consultation with the real estate agent. You may find that the price is much too high, in which case you can negotiate about it.
A cooling-off period is specified in the purchase agreement. By law, this cooling-off period must be at least three days and is intended to give the consumer/buyer the opportunity, without giving any reason, to still be able to cancel the purchase, even after signing the purchase agreement. This cooling-off period starts the day after the purchase agreement is signed by both parties and ends at midnight after the agreed duration. So if the purchase agreement is signed on Monday and the cooling-off period is three days, it will start on Tuesday and expire at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.
You will probably have noticed that on almost all houses (except new construction), the term k.k. is mentioned. This abbreviation stands for "buyer's costs. It means that the extra costs that come with the transfer must be paid by the buyer. On average, 'kosten koper' is about 5% of the purchase price, so take this into account in your search for a house in Amsterdam!
Transfer tax; 2% of house price;
Notary fees for the deed of transfer;
Land registry fees for registration of deed of delivery.
'Cost of buyer' never includes brokerage fees. If a seller engages an estate agent for the sale of his/her home, the seller will bear these costs himself/herself. Likewise, if you hire an estate agent, these costs will be borne by you.
Sometimes the seller of the house assumes the cost of transferring the property, usually in new construction properties. The home is then offered "free on name.
The buyer does pay the land registry fees for registering the mortgage deed and the notary fees for preparing the mortgage deed. 'Free on name' never includes estate agent fees. If you have engaged an estate agent, you have to pay the estate agent's fees yourself.
The purchase of a home (by a consumer) is not concluded until the written purchase agreement is signed by both buyer and seller. It has been confirmed by several courts that, until then, no legally valid sale has been concluded. If a purchase agreement regarding a home is not in writing in accordance with Article 7:2 of the Civil Code, the sanction is void.
The Real Estate Acquisition Act went into effect on September 1, 2003. This law regulates, among other things, the cooling-off period and the requirement of writing.
If there are several people interested in the same house, the real estate agent may always negotiate with all parties. However, he must be transparent about this and make this known to all involved.
If the real estate agent indicates that he is 'under offer', it means that he has a serious candidate for the house. Viewings can still be scheduled, but the real estate agent must clearly indicate that the home is "under offer.
When you have put your house up for sale and an interested party makes an offer on your house, you are not yet negotiating. Only when you as the selling party have responded to the offer can you speak of negotiation. Thus, the buyer cannot enforce that you are in negotiation.
An option in the legal sense allows a party to enter into a purchase agreement with another party through a unilateral declaration. The parties then agree on the terms of the sale, but the buyer is given another week of reflection time, for example.
When selling a new home, such an option is still common. When selling an existing home, the term "option" is often mistakenly used. Then it has the meaning of certain commitments that your real estate agent can make to an interested buyer during the negotiation process. Such a commitment may include, for example, giving an interested buyer a few days to think about making an offer.
Your sales agent will try not to enter into negotiations with another party in the meantime. The interested buyer can use this time to gain a better understanding of their financing or the home's uses. A potential buyer cannot demand an option; you and your MVA broker decide whether certain commitments will be made in a negotiation process.
A sales agent may change the procedure. Sometimes there are so many interested parties approaching, bidding or outbidding the asking price that it is difficult to determine who is the best buyer. In that case, the selling broker - in consultation with the seller, of course - may decide to break off the ongoing negotiation and change the bidding procedure. If commitments have already been made in this case, they must be kept.
Once these have been met, for example, a bidding process can be initiated in which all bidders have an equal chance to make the highest bid. Do you come across a house in Amsterdam that works according to this principle? If so, contact the selling party's MVA broker for an explanation of the procedure.
The MVA has no (advisory) rates or guidelines for calculating a broker's fees, appraisal fees, management fees, etc. Each real estate agent determines his or her own rates and these can therefore differ from one real estate agency to another. This means that you need to find out for yourself what you expect from a broker and at what cost he offers his services. This will prevent disappointments or unexpected costs afterwards.
The Real Estate Association of Amsterdam publishes quarterly figures of the housing market in the Amsterdam region, which also includes Waterland and the Zaanstreek. In addition, you can contact any MVA broker for information about the latest market developments in the region in which he or she is specifically active. Naturally, they know the local market best.
This list of frequently asked questions about buying a house in Amsterdam is always evolving. Do you have a question of your own that you would like an answer to, that could benefit others as well? Then contact us to get answers and expand this questionnaire.
If you have a question about your specific situation, we encourage you to contact contact one of MVA's affiliated brokers in Amsterdam.
The number of rental points determines whether or not a property is in the free sector. The point system, also known as the housing valuation system also known as the housing rating system, indicates the quality of a rental property in points. Each component of the house, such as the surface area, the WOZ value and the energy label are given points. You may be able to smartly modify your home to get into the free sector. Also check if your property has listed status. For free sector housing, you and your tenant determine the rent. There is no maximum rent.
In addition to the public law rules of the municipality or the central government, the provisions of the subdivision deed are important. This is because the subdivision deed may limit the possibility of renting. Many subdivision deeds stipulate that rental is only allowed after permission from the board of the Owners' Association or the meeting. Also, the apartment may not be used in violation of the purpose stated in the deed of division.
To rent out your home, you need permission from your lender. You may not just rent out your home with a mortgage. You can rent out your entire home or part of the home while you are still living there yourself. In both cases, you must ask permission. Chances are that you will not get that permission.
Renting out your house with a mortgage involves having a tenant move into your house. Tenants are well protected in the Netherlands and cannot be evicted just like that. This is a reason for the lender not to grant that permission. Get information from your mortgage advisor if you are considering renting out your home.
A standard Internet lease will not do. It is customized, for each space, each tenant and each term. Moreover, laws, regulations and the rent point system are constantly changing. Therefore, always have a contract drafted by an expert MVA broker.
Laws and regulations change regularly around leases. Currently, open-ended leases and fixed-term leases with a return clause are common. Contact an MVA broker to discuss the current state of affairs.
Maximum rents and a maximum rent increase apply to social housing. As a tenant of social housing, you may also be eligible for a rent supplement. In the free sector, these rules do not apply.
The point system determines the maximum rent of a social rented house. The point system does not apply to rental housing in the free sector. In these houses, the landlord and tenant determine the rent themselves. There is no maximum rent.
Key money is money that the landlord charges the new tenant before allowing them to enter the property. Departing tenants also sometimes ask for money in exchange for the key to the house. Asking for key money is not allowed by law. Asking for key money is an unreasonable clause in the lease. It gives one of the parties (in this case, the landlord) or a third party (in this case, the departing tenant) an unreasonable advantage.
If you did pay key money, you can recover it through the courts. You have to prove that it was paid, for example with a receipt or through witnesses (not family members).
If you have problems with maintenance or defects in the rental property, contact your landlord first. Can't work it out together? Then there are several things you can do. Like requesting a rent reduction from the Rent Commission. Do you rent in the free sector? Then in most cases you will have to go to court.
Service charges are costs in addition to the bare rent of a property. For example, costs for cleaning, garden maintenance, upholstery and furnishing and the janitor. Utility costs are the costs for gas, water and electricity for which the tenant has their own meter.
If there is a description of the property then the tenant must deliver the property according to this description. The property is usually described in the inspection report, which describes the structural condition in which the property was delivered to the tenant at the beginning of the lease.
Photographs are often attached to this inspection report. If no inspection report is prepared at the start of the lease, the tenant may deliver the rental property as it is at the end of the lease.
When you want to have a house valued in Amsterdam and you have found an MVA/NVM appraiser who can do this for you, you give this appraiser a valuation assignment. The appraiser will then do research and issue a report on the house. When you give an appraisal order, an architectural inspection is not included. If you also want to have this done, ask your MVA/NVM appraiser what the options are for this.
All MVA/NVM appraisers are members of the trade association NVM and are certified through the NRVT. MVA/NVM appraisers are also affiliated with the validation institute NWWI. The NRVT and the NWWI set strict admission requirements for appraisers. An appraisal carried out by an MVA/NVM appraiser will therefore be accepted by every lender.
Yes! A validated appraisal report prepared by an MVA/NVM appraiser meets all the requirements set by the National Mortgage Guarantee for purchase or (re)financing.
To arrive at an accurate valuation of a property, it is important for an appraiser to have knowledge of the local housing market and conditions. The NRVT's Working Area Regulations contain guidelines that an appraiser must adhere to in order to ensure his local familiarity. For example, a home in Amsterdam may only be appraised by appraisers located no more than 10 km from the appraisal object. If the property is located outside Amsterdam or on the Wadden Islands, the maximum distances are 20 or 30 km. This ensures that these appraisers know the regional market well and can keep track of all developments.
The working area of the MVA includes: Amsterdam, Abcoude, Aalsmeer, Amstelveen, Badhoevedorp, Diemen, Landsmeer, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Uithoorn, Waterland, the Zaan region and Zwanenburg. Therefore, there is always an expert MVA/NVM appraiser near you.
This can certainly be included in the same report, but you must indicate to your MVA/NVM appraiser at the time of the appraisal assignment that you want this and provide a written remodeling specification to the appraiser. With this specification, it is not necessary, but helpful, to provide construction drawings.
For an MVA/NVM appraiser look in our list of expert appraisers contact an appraiser of your choice directly.