Test your knowledge about buying a house in the Netherlands

Buying a house can be complicated, exhausting and exasperating, but the more you know about the process, the easier it is likely to be. This simple quiz will help you brush up your knowledge and fill in the gaps.

1. Do you have to be a Dutch national to buy a house in the Netherlands?

• Yes
• No
• You need to be an official resident

2. What is the maximum you can borrow from a mortgage provider?

• 4.5 times your gross salary including bonuses and holiday pay
• Six times your gross salary including bonuses and holiday pay
• 70% of the purchase price of the property, no matter what you earn?

3. How much of your own money will you need?

• Roughly 5% of the purchase price for legal and other fees
• 10% of the purchase price as a down payment
• Nothing, you can finance the complete package with a mortgage?

4. Are mortgage repayments deductible from income tax in the Netherlands?

• No, not at all
• Yes, up to a limit and only for some types of mortgages
• Yes, up to a limit and for all types of mortgage

5. Can you take out a mortgage online?

• Yes, but only in Dutch
• No, it is illegal to organise a mortgage online
• Yes, in English

6. What is the National Mortgage Guarantee scheme?

• A government scheme to guarantee you won’t default on your bank payments
• A government scheme to help mortgage lenders attract international workers
• A government scheme to help some home owners if they have to sell their property at a loss

7. Is life insurance compulsory when taking out a mortgage

• Yes
• No
• Only for non-Dutch people

8. Can you get a buy to let mortgage in the Netherlands?

• No, buy to let is illegal in the Netherlands
• It depends on what town or city you live in
• Yes

9. What is erfpacht?

• A special tax for home owners in popular cities
• A payment home owners make to the local authority if it own the land your property is built on
• Never heard of it

10. What does kk or kosten koper stand for?

• The buyer has to pay all the costs associated with purchasing the property
• The costs will be split between the buyer and the seller
• The seller will pay all the costs associated with purchasing the property

11. What is the WOZ?

• A government agency which monitors house prices
• The official value of the property used to calculate local authority taxes
• The price you paid for the property

12. What does it mean if your house is onderwater?

• Your home is near the beach or a canal
• You owe more on your mortgage than your property is worth
• Your home is below sea level – this is the Netherlands after all!

How do you think you did? Check out the right answers below

1: B
2: A
3: A
4: B
5: C
6: C
7: B
8: C
9: B
10: A
11: B
12: B

Get started with the six-step process to buying your dream home or book a date and time for a quick, initial call with one of our advisers.