Selling your home without an agent: steps, costs and risks
Door Steffanie FrankelIn the Netherlands you can simply sell your home yourself. An estate agent is not required; only the notary is, for the transfer. Selling yourself saves commission, but you also take on all the work and part of the risk. This guide explains step by step what you need to arrange, what it costs and where it often goes wrong. Plus an honest comparison between selling yourself, an online agent and a full-service agent.
Short answer: can I sell my home myself?
Yes. You only need a valid energy label, a written purchase agreement and a notary for the transfer. Everything else (asking price, presentation, viewings, negotiation) you may do yourself.
Selling yourself works best if your home is easy to sell, you have time and you can negotiate in a businesslike way. Unsure about the value? Start with an estimate via what is my home worth.
Step by step: selling without an agent
- 1
Set a realistic asking price
Look at recently sold, comparable homes in your area (same type, size and condition). The WOZ value is a starting point but often lags the market. Too high scares buyers off; too low costs you money. A valuation or home valuation helps.
- 2
Arrange the energy label
A valid energy label is mandatory when selling. Have it issued by a certified advisor. If you still have a valid label, you can use it.
- 3
Collect the documents
Proof of ownership, floor plan, any drawings and permits, owners' association documents (for an apartment), leasehold terms, and a completed seller's questionnaire and list of included items.
- 4
Create a strong presentation
Good daylight photos, a floor plan with measurements and an honest, clear description. Your home is usually seen online first; that first impression decides whether people come to view.
- 5
List your home online
As a private seller you cannot list directly on Funda; that goes through an affiliated agent. Online agents offer Funda-only packages for a fixed fee (indicatively often approx. €500 to €1,500). There are also private listing sites, Marktplaats and social media, with smaller reach.
- 6
Schedule and host viewings
Plan time blocks, tidy up and let viewers look around calmly. Ask for feedback afterwards. Mind safety: do not leave viewers alone and put valuables away.
- 7
Negotiate
Ask for written offers including conditions (financing condition, completion date, survey). With several interested parties, be transparent about the rules, such as a fixed deadline for best offers. You are not obliged to accept the highest offer.
- 8
Record the sale in a purchase agreement
The sale of a home must be in writing. The buyer then has a three-day cooling-off period. Have the notary or a lawyer draft the agreement. Do not use a homemade contract: that is where most pitfalls are.
- 9
Go to the notary
The notary drafts the transfer deed, handles payment and pays off your old mortgage. The buyer usually chooses the notary and pays for the transfer deed; you usually pay for cancelling your mortgage.
Risks: duty to disclose and liability
As a seller you have a duty to disclose. You must report defects you know of that matter to the buyer, such as leaks, foundation problems, asbestos, subsidence or a dispute with neighbours. The buyer has a duty to investigate, but in practice your duty to disclose often prevails.
If you conceal a defect you knew about, you can later be liable for repair costs or damages, sometimes even for dissolution of the sale. An agent helps you with a complete questionnaire and clear contract terms; without an agent that responsibility is entirely yours.
Other risks: an asking price that is too low, a poorly drafted contract (for example no penalty or deposit if the buyer pulls out), unclear handover arrangements and forgotten conditions precedent.
Comparison: selling yourself, online agent or full-service agent
| Selling yourself | Online agent | Full-service agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costs (indicative) | Own costs: energy label, photos, possibly a Funda package and legal check | Fixed package, approx. €800 – €3,000 | Commission approx. 1% – 2% or fixed fee |
| Asking price | Yourself, based on comparable sales | Advice, often remote | On-site valuation |
| Funda | Not directly; only via a package | Yes | Yes |
| Viewings | Yourself | Usually yourself | By the agent |
| Negotiation | Yourself | Often yourself, with advice | By the agent |
| Purchase agreement | Via notary or lawyer | Usually included | By the agent |
| Risk of mistakes | Highest, all on you | Medium | Lowest, with the agent's professional liability |
| Your time | A lot | Medium | Little |
Example at €450,000: a full-service agent at 1.5% commission costs €6,750 excluding VAT. Selling yourself costs indicatively approx. €1,000 to €2,500 in own costs (energy label, photos, Funda package, legal check). The difference is a few thousand euros. Whether that outweighs your time, the result and the risk depends on your home and experience. All fees side by side: estate agent fees.
When is selling yourself sensible, and when not?
Sensible: you already have a buyer (family, neighbours, tenant), your home is in demand and straightforward (no leasehold, no association issues), you have time and can negotiate.
Better not: with defects, leasehold, a listed building, a complicated owners' association, a divorce or inheritance, or under time pressure because you already bought a new home. Then a selling agent is often the safer choice. A middle ground is an online agent or an agent hired only for negotiation and the contract.
For the complete selling process, read the guide selling a home.
Veelgestelde vragen
First want to know what your home is worth?
Whether you sell yourself or with an agent: a realistic value is the foundation. See roughly what your home is worth.
What is my home worth?