Buying your first home: the complete guide for starters

Your mortgage capacity largely determines which homes you can look at. Besides your income, banks consider student debt, other loans, alimony and your interest rate type. As a starter you can borrow up to roughly 4.5 times your gross annual income. For a two-earner situation, that percentage applies to the combined income.

Do not forget the additional costs: notary, valuation, possibly a structural survey and your own funds for any amount above market value. Budget 4-6% additional costs on top of the property price.

Are you between 18 and 35 and buying a home under €525,000 (2026 figure)? Then you are exempt from transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting). On a €350,000 home that saves €7,000 you do not need to finance. You can use this exemption once in your lifetime.

Additionally, many municipalities offer a starter loan: a supplementary loan on top of your mortgage, with no interest or repayment for the first few years. Check your municipality\'s website to see if it is available.

The Dutch housing market is competitive and homes often go above asking price. Placing a bid is more than picking a number: it is also about conditions. Do you bid with or without a financing reservation? How many rescission clauses do you include? How long between contract and key handover?

Our local buying agents advise on a bidding strategy that is both sharp and safe — you want to secure the home, but not get financially stuck if the mortgage falls short.

Once your bid is accepted, you get three working days of reflection time after signing the purchase contract. Then the legal process kicks off: finalising the mortgage offer, getting the valuation done, possibly a structural survey. Between contract and key handover is typically 6-10 weeks.

On handover day you sign both the deed of transfer and the mortgage deed at the notary. Don\'t forget building and contents insurance, and notify your employer, bank and health insurer of your new address.