Sign the papers
Once your mortgage has been approved, we schedule a meeting for you with a notary to sign the mortgage and ownership deed. In the Netherlands it is not allowed to transfer the ownership of a house without engaging a civil-law notary.
Civil-Law notary
A notary acts as a legal mediator between seller and buyer, drawing up the deeds to sign. This is called the ‘akte van levering’. This is a contract between you and the mortgage lender, using your house as collateral for your mortgage. Combined with the transfer deed that you need for existing houses, general notary fees vary between 1000 and 2000 euro. You will often be given a discount if you have the notary carry out several tasks at the same time. They can help you with drawing up a cohabitation contract or a will for example. The notary will also investigate whether the property can be sold by the seller, arrange the registration in the Land Registry and handle other legal requirements. They will update the Land Registry and mortgage register with your name.
We work with civil-law notary firms that have an excellent reputation working for expats. The communication will be in English but the official deeds will be in Dutch. Therefore, a certified translator will be present at the signing of the deeds. We will check the statement of completion of the notary on behalf of you and we will be present during the transfer of title procedure. If necessary, we can even sign the contract for you, for example when you are still living abroad.
Final arrangements
On the completion date you will visit your new home for a final inspection. This will be attended by the owner, the selling agent and you, and eventually by your buying agent. A representative from our agency will be present and welcome you in your new home. During this visit, we check with you that the home has been delivered as agreed. This will also include reading the gas and electricity meter. When everything is in order you will sign the transfer deeds at the notary together with the seller of the house. This makes you the legal owner.
Houses in the Netherlands are usually sold without furniture. This gives you the opportunity to furnish your house at your own taste and style! Sometimes some renovations are needed before you can move in.
Another thing left to do is to register yourself with the municipality of your new city. This can be done online at most municipalities. You need your property deed and/or purchase contract for this. If you cannot do this online, you will need to make an appointment with the municipality.
There is one mandatory insurance required when buying a house in the Netherlands: residential premises insurance (opstalverzekering). Expats who want to buy a house in the Netherlands must take out residential permit insurance since it is required by mortgage providers. This insurance should be provided through your homeowners’ association if you have purchased an apartment, otherwise, you must apply for this insurance yourself. This insurance covers any damage caused by unforeseen risks, like bad weather, theft, vandalism or leaks.
Our consultants help you simplify the insurance process and advice you on mandatory and advisable, optional insurances for your house, like contents insurance, liability insurance and legal aid insurance.
The keys
Did you sign all the papers? The keys are yours and it’s time to celebrate!