Buying your first home in the Netherlands.
Most expats have the same starting question: how much can I actually borrow, and what do I need to make it happen? That's where we start.
Why it's not straightforward.
Dutch lenders are predictable once you know their rules. The problem is that the rules around expat income — 30% ruling treatment, fixed-term contracts, non-EU permits, foreign credit history — vary by lender and aren't published anywhere useful.
A lender that ignores your 30% reimbursement cuts your borrowing capacity by roughly 30%. A lender that won't accept your residence permit means you don't get a mortgage at all. Picking the wrong lender isn't a minor inconvenience — it's the difference between buying and not buying.
I work with 14 Dutch lenders and know which ones work for your specific situation before we submit anything.
The figures that shape your budget.
EU-passport holders can borrow up to 100% of the property value. Non-EU permit holders may be capped at 95–98%.
Gross household income, capped at the property value. Your contract type — permanent, fixed-term, or ZZP — affects the exact multiplier.
Transfer tax, notary, valuation, and adviser fee — paid on top of the purchase price and not covered by your mortgage.
First-time buyers under 35 pay 0% transfer tax on properties up to €510,000 — the single biggest financial break in the system.
Five steps, start to keys.
Most clients are at the notary within 10 weeks of our first call. The bottleneck is the housing market, not the paperwork.