Planning to buy a house? Here’s why you should never stop asking questions

One of the things I have come to realise in my many years of advising people on getting a mortgage and buying a home is that everyone, no matter how well prepared they think they are, has questions.

This is one of the reasons why the FVB De Boer team has decided to start offering free webinars – so we can get to meet each other virtually and you can start to get your options straight in your mind. Buying a house can be particularly daunting if you are a foreigner and if you don’t speak the language, so we hope our webinars will provide you with a friendly face and a helping hand.

The webinar lasts one hour and will take you through the entire process. You’ll discover the ins and outs of buying a home from start to finish. Did you know, for example, that in the Netherlands you can borrow up to 100% of the value of the property, with a bit extra if you pledge to invest in energy-saving measures?

Getting a Dutch mortgage

We’ll look at mortgage requirements – what you need to qualify for a mortgage – and the different types of mortgages on offer in the Dutch mortgage market. We’ll explain the bidding process and what happens after you have signed the purchase agreement. We’ll look at what it means to agree to buy a house without a financial clause, and all the documentation you’ll need to gather together to get started.

We’ll also look at how to get a mortgage if you are a freelancer (zzp’er) which is, by the way, perfectly possible. And, of course, there will also be plenty of opportunities for you to ask all those important questions you may have.

I can’t promise that the webinar will deal with every aspect of buying a house in the Netherlands,  but it will provide a handy introduction. I’ve said it many times before, but there is no harm in repeating it. One of the key parts of the whole process is being prepared.

Gathering information

So have a good think about what you are looking for in a new home. Get a rough idea of how much you can borrow. Start looking for your employment contract and all the other documents you’ll need. And make our webinar part of your information-gathering process.

The webinar takes place at 7 pm on Thursday, September 19. And for the sharp-eyed among you, yes, that is just two days after the new government has published its first ever budget. We will of course be following the new cabinet’s plans with interest, especially the strategy for the housing market. So you can also expect an update on any proposals that will impact house buyers as well. All the more reason to keep one step ahead and sign up! And of course, if you can’t join the webinar but you’ve got questions that need answering, please get in touch with us directly.