A question we hear often. Buyer’s costs (abbreviated as k.k. in Dutch) are the one-off costs you pay on top of the price of your new home.
Officially, buyer’s costs include:
Often, the following are also counted as buyer’s costs:
Your buyer’s costs may be considerably lower if you’re under 35 at the time the property is transferred. That’s because you may qualify for the first‑time buyer’s exemption. What does that mean? You won’t pay transfer tax if you meet these four conditions:
Want to know more? For example, because you or your partner you’re buying with will soon turn 35? Feel free to discuss it during a free, no‑obligation mortgage orientation meeting.
"}},{"title":"One‑off costs for new‑build homes","richBody":{"value":"For a new‑build property, we don’t speak of buyer’s costs. New‑build homes are purchased “freehold with no additional fees” (in Dutch: v.o.n.). You’ll still pay one‑off costs, but fewer of them.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/buyers-costs/all-transfer-costs-included","text":"See everything about “freehold with no additional fees”"}]}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"How do you calculate your buyer’s costs?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"What you pay in buyer’s costs depends on various factors. Transfer tax, for example, is calculated as a percentage of the purchase price. The more expensive the home, the more you’ll pay, and the higher your buyer’s costs will be.
Check the example calculation below to work out roughly what your buyer’s costs might be:
In the example below we use the following percentages and amounts:
Now the example:
Dana (38) buys her first home for €450,000. She takes out an NHG mortgage with us. Her buying agent charges 1% of the purchase price. Her buyer’s costs could look like this:
Most of the one‑off costs are paid via the notary. In the Netherlands, you cannot buy a property without a notary. As the buyer, you choose the notary (not the seller).
Keep the following in mind:
Important: Most homebuyers pay their buyer’s costs with their own money (for example, savings).
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/mortgage-calculator","text":"Calculate your maximum mortgage"}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Which buyer’s costs are tax‑deductible?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Some buyer’s costs can be deducted from your income tax. You do this in the tax year in which you bought your home.
"}},{"componentType":"accordion","accordionList":[{"title":"Buyer’s costs: tax‑deductible","richBody":{"value":"According to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, the following are deductible:
According to the Tax and Customs Administration, these costs are not deductible:
You now know what to expect when it comes to buyer’s costs. Have you already calculated how much you can borrow with us to buy a home?
Tip: Consider a free, no‑obligation mortgage orientation meeting to explore your options properly.
As we’ve shown, buyer’s costs consist of several components. The biggest ones are transfer tax and estate agent fees. These are calculated as a percentage of the purchase price. Many buyers already spend thousands of euros on these alone.
In most cases, buyer’s costs cannot be included in your mortgage. This means you’ll need to cover them with your own money (for example: savings).
"}},{"title":"Can I include buyer’s costs in my mortgage?","richBody":{"value":"The government has set a rule: you may not borrow more for a property than its appraised value (also called 100% of the market value). This is determined by an independent surveyor.
In practice, we often see that the full mortgage amount is needed to cover the purchase price (the appraised value). As a result, there is usually no room left to finance buyer’s costs within the mortgage.
"}},{"title":"Do I pay buyer’s costs for a new‑build home?","richBody":{"value":"No, you do not pay buyer’s costs for a new‑build property. New‑build homes are sold freehold with no additional fees (v.o.n.). This saves you a significant amount, as you won’t pay transfer tax (and often won’t need an estate agent). However, you may still face the following one‑off costs:
In most cases these one‑off costs cannot be included in your mortgage. This means you’ll pay them with your own money (such as savings).
"}}]},{"componentType":"linkList","iconTitle":{"title":"Hypotheken"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/hypotheek-berekenen","text":"Maximale hypotheek berekenen"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/actuele-hypotheekrente","text":"Actuele hypotheekrente"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/oversluiten","text":"Hypotheek oversluiten"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/huis-kopen/je-eerste-huis-kopen/startershypotheek-berekenen","text":"Eerste huis kopen"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/huis-kopen/ander-huis-kopen/maximale-hypotheek","text":"Ander huis kopen"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/jouw-hypotheek","text":"Jouw hypotheek"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/hypotheekvormen","text":"Hypotheekvormen"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/duurzaam-wonen","text":"Duurzaam wonen"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/hypotheekadvies","text":"Hypotheekadvies"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/advieskosten","text":"Kosten"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/situatie","text":"Situatie"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/woondiensten","text":"Woondiensten"},{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/contact","text":"Contact"}]}]},"legalZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"Good to know","richBody":{"value":"The English text of the website is a translation of the Dutch original version. This translation is intended for the customers convenience only. In case of any discrepancies between the two versions, the original Dutch version shall prevail. The mortgage offer and contract will be signed in Dutch. Also, all further communication after signing the mortgage contract will be in Dutch. You acknowledge and accept this. If any assistance or clarification is needed, we recommend contacting your mortgage advisor or to call our customer service via the ING app.
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