Breaking your mortgage deal before it ends.
Rates have moved. If you fixed in 2021 or 2022, there's a real chance the maths now favour switching — even after the penalty.
The boete isn't the full story.
Dutch banks calculate the early-redemption penalty (boete) as the interest they would lose if you left early. It sounds painful — and it often is. But a lower rate compounds for the rest of your fix period, and the new lender frequently absorbs most of the penalty into the new mortgage.
The breakeven calculation is straightforward: how many months of interest saving does it take to recover the penalty cost? If that number is smaller than your remaining term, refinancing wins.
Send me your current annual statement and your old offer letter. I can run the breakeven in about ten minutes.
Four questions before you call.
Is your current rate at least 0.6% above today's market?
If yes, refinancing usually beats the early-redemption penalty — especially if you have more than three years left on your fix.
Do you have more than three years left on your fixed term?
The longer the remaining period, the more interest savings accumulate. Short periods rarely justify the admin.
Has your situation improved since you last borrowed?
A higher income, a paid-off car loan, or better LTV from rising property values can all unlock meaningfully better rates.
Are you planning to sell or move within two years?
If yes, refinancing is probably not worth it — the penalty and admin costs won't have time to pay back.
Things others miss.
30% ruling expiry. If your ruling ends during your new fixed period, some lenders will model the lower post-ruling income. Others won't. We route you to the right one.
Permit renewal. A refinance is a new mortgage application. If your permit has less than 12 months remaining, we time the application carefully or approach the lenders that go down to 6 months.
Renting it out. If you're refinancing because you're leaving the Netherlands and want to keep the property, we can discuss a buy-to-let conversion at the same time — rather than doing two applications.