For private buyers and expats

Pre-purchase building inspection in the Netherlands

Know what you are buying. An independent bouwkundige keuring of your house or apartment, at one fixed price, with an English-speaking inspector. Report within 5 working days, urgent within 2.

Fixed price €400 excl. VAT

Report within 5 working days

English-speaking inspector

What is a bouwkundige keuring?

The Dutch way of buying a home puts the risk on you

In the Netherlands the seller has a duty to disclose known defects, but the buyer has a duty to investigate. Anything a careful viewing could have revealed is your problem after the transfer, and older homes are usually sold with an age clause (ouderdomsclausule) that shifts even more risk to the buyer. A twenty-minute viewing tells you nothing about the roof, the foundation, the timber floors or the wiring.

A bouwkundige keuring is the independent building inspection that closes that gap. AC Vastgoed Advies inspects every accessible building element according to NEN 2767, the Dutch standard for condition assessment, and reports the repair costs per defect. You use the report to negotiate the price, to invoke the resolutive condition in your purchase agreement, or to satisfy your mortgage lender or NHG.

One fixed price of €400 excl. VAT, no hourly rate on top

Condition score per building element according to NEN 2767

Repair costs per defect, immediate and long-term, accepted by banks and NHG

Independent: we do not sell repairs, mortgages or damp-proofing

Pre-purchase building inspection of an apartment in the Netherlands

When you need it

Four situations in which buyers call us

Most buyers arrange the inspection between signing the purchase agreement and the end of the resolutive condition. Earlier is better.

📝 Resolutive condition in your purchase agreement

Dutch purchase agreements often contain an ontbindende voorwaarde: if the report shows immediate repair costs above an agreed threshold, you can cancel the purchase without penalty. The deadline is usually short, often one to two weeks.

🏦 Required by your mortgage lender or NHG

Lenders and the National Mortgage Guarantee ask for a building report when the valuer flags repair costs or recommends further investigation. Our summary follows the format they use.

🏠 Before you make an offer

In a competitive market many buyers bid without conditions. An inspection before the bid tells you what you are bidding on and what it will cost you afterwards.

🏢 Buying an apartment in a VvE

You buy a share of the whole building. The roof, facade, foundation and lift are paid through the homeowners association. We show you what to check and can review the maintenance plan.

What we inspect

Every building element gets a condition score from 1 to 6

Visual and non-destructive, according to NEN 2767. Score 1 is excellent, score 6 is very poor. You see at a glance where the risks are.

🏠

Roof

Roof covering, gutters, rainwater drainage, dormers, chimney and penetrations.

🧱

Facades and pointing

Brickwork, joints, cracks, lintels and signs of settlement, including the connection to neighbouring properties.

🪟

Window frames and glazing

Wood rot, paintwork, sealant joints, hardware and the insulation value of the glass.

🏗️

Floors and structure

Floor levels, deflection, beam ends and visible structural defects.

⚙️

Installations

Central heating boiler, electrical panel and earthing, water pipes and drainage, as far as visible.

🚿

Bathroom and kitchen

Tiling, sealant joints, watertightness, ventilation and connections.

💧

Moisture and ventilation

Moisture measurements at risk locations, mould and ventilation. In case of doubt we recommend a moisture inspection.

🔦

Crawl space

If accessible: moisture, foundation, pipes and insulation under the ground floor.

Not included: destructive investigation, an asbestos inventory and a foundation investigation below ground level. We do report the visible signs of foundation problems, which matter in cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem, Gouda and Dordrecht where many pre-war homes stand on timber piles, and we advise further investigation when the signs warrant it.

What you receive

A report you can negotiate with

Within 5 working days after the inspection, or within 2 working days with the urgent option.

Condition score per element

Every building element scored from 1 to 6 according to NEN 2767, with an explanation

Repair costs per defect

An indication of the cost of every defect found, split into immediate and long-term

Photos of every defect

Each defect photographed and named, so seller and agent cannot wave it away

Summary for bank and NHG

Immediate costs, costs within 5 years and improvement costs, in the format lenders use

How it works

From request to report in 4 steps

One inspector, one point of contact, English throughout.

Request

By phone on 085 902 7577 or via the form. Mention the address, the type of home and your deadline.

Reply within 24 hours

We confirm the fixed price and plan the inspection with you and the selling agent.

Inspection on site

1 to 2 hours, visual and non-destructive. You are welcome to walk along and ask questions.

Report within 5 working days

Digital report in PDF with a phone explanation in English. Urgent: within 2 working days.

Transparent pricing

What does a pre-purchase inspection cost?

Pre-purchase building inspection

€400

fixed

excl. VAT, travel costs in the Randstad included

One fixed price for a house or apartment up to 750 m³. No hourly rate on top, no surprises afterwards. Private buyers cannot reclaim VAT, so add 21 percent to the price.

Urgent: €475 excl. VAT all-inReport within 2 working days after the inspection instead of 5, for buyers whose resolutive condition is about to expire.

Above 750 m³ or special propertiesListed buildings, farmhouses, homes with commercial space: price on request, always fixed in advance.

✓ On-site inspection of 1 to 2 hours, English-speaking inspector

✓ Condition score per building element according to NEN 2767

✓ Repair costs per defect, immediate and long-term

✓ Photos of every defect and a summary for bank and NHG

✓ Digital report (PDF) with phone explanation in English

✓ Travel costs included in The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Delft, Leiden, Haarlem and the rest of the Randstad

Our quote form is in Dutch, but you can fill it in with your details in English; we reply in English within 24 hours. Prefer to talk first? Call 085 902 7577 or email info@acvastgoedadvies.nl.

FAQ

Questions about the pre-purchase inspection

No, it is not required by law. It is often required in practice: mortgage lenders and the National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG) ask for a building report on older properties or when the valuer recommends further investigation, and most purchase agreements contain a resolutive condition for a building inspection. Without a report you cannot invoke that condition.

€400 excl. VAT, fixed, for a house or apartment up to 750 m³. This includes the on-site inspection of 1 to 2 hours, a condition score per building element according to NEN 2767, repair costs per defect split into immediate and long-term, photos of every defect, a summary in the format Dutch banks and NHG use, and travel costs in the Randstad. Urgent delivery within 2 working days costs €475 excl. VAT.

You receive a reply within 24 hours, usually the same day. We plan the inspection at the earliest moment the seller or agent can give access, often the next day or the day after, and deliver the full report within 2 working days after the inspection. Tell us the deadline in your purchase agreement when you contact us.

The inspection covers your apartment and the visible common parts such as the entrance, stairwell, gallery, balconies and the roof where accessible. The financial and legal side of the VvE (reserve fund, maintenance plan, minutes, deed of division) is not part of the inspection, but we tell you exactly which documents to request and can review the MJOP for you as a separate service. See our HOA services.

The report itself is in Dutch, because Dutch banks, NHG and notaries require it in that language. All communication is in English: the intake call, the walk-through during the inspection and the phone explanation of the findings afterwards, so you know exactly what the numbers mean before you negotiate.