Mortgage advice fees in the Netherlands
You know what you pay before we start. We are not tied to any lender and no lender pays us: you pay us a fixed fee, agreed in advance, for advice in English from the first question to the notary.
AFM licence 12046005 · Kifid 300.017.178 · not tied to any lender
Bouvy Advies charges a fixed fee for mortgage advice, agreed before we start. There are four fixed fees, from € 2,995, depending on whether you are employed or self-employed and whether it is your first home; all four are set out below. The fee covers the whole process, from the first conversation to signing at the notary. Dutch law bans commission from lenders on mortgage advice, so you pay us directly. Costs of third parties such as the valuer and the notary come on top. Other costs of our process are set out in the engagement letter you receive before you sign. The first hour is free; if we need more time after that, we agree the cost together beforehand.
What is your advisory fee?
These fees apply to a standard advice process. Which one applies depends on how you earn your income and whether you already own a home. If your situation needs extra work, a supplement can apply, which we always discuss and agree beforehand. IB means you are self-employed and pay Dutch personal income tax on your business profit, for example as a freelancer or sole trader.
First-time buyer
Your first home to buy, with income from employment. Includes advice, the comparison of lenders and arranging the mortgage.
Moving home or refinancing
An existing mortgage or a move to a new home, with income from employment.
First-time buyer
Your first home to buy, with income as a self-employed person (IB), or a buy-to-let mortgage.
Moving home or refinancing
An existing mortgage or a move to a new home, with income as a self-employed person (IB), or a buy-to-let mortgage.
- Advice tailored to your situation
- Comparison of 40+ lenders
- Application and paperwork handled for you
- Guidance until you sign at the notary
- Insurance advice that goes with the mortgage
Extra work, for example an application through several BVs, a family loan, release from joint and several liability (hoofdelijk ontslag), a starter loan or a gift from parents, costs a supplement, usually € 250 to € 400. We always discuss and confirm it before we start on it. The valuation, the notary and the NHG fee are third-party costs that come on top of our fee. The other costs that come with our process are discussed in the first conversation and set out in the engagement letter you receive before you sign.
Do you handle this type of case?
The four fees cover buying a first home, moving to another home, refinancing an existing mortgage and buy-to-let mortgages, with income from employment or as a self-employed person. In the inventory we look at your whole income situation, including income from abroad, a 30% ruling or your type of contract, and your residence status.
Can I get a Dutch mortgage with foreign income?
It depends on the lender, and lenders differ a lot for internationals.
- Not every lender accepts expats as clients.
- Salary from abroad is accepted by part of the market: often only from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg or France, and at some lenders from an employer elsewhere in the eurozone, under strict conditions.
- Profit from a business based abroad is declined by almost every lender. One banking group (ABN AMRO, including its label Florius) has a written exception, with strict conditions.
- A lender’s standard list of required documents can ask for more than its own policy requires, for example a permanent residence permit where the policy also accepts a fixed-term permit under conditions. We check the policy itself before we rule a lender out.
Whether we can help you, and which fee applies, you hear in the free first hour. More about buying a home as an expat: expat mortgage advice.
What do I get for the fee?
The fee is fixed before we start and covers the whole process, from the first conversation to signing at the notary. There is no recalculation afterwards.
An inventory of your situation
We map your income, own money, housing wishes and risks: what you can responsibly borrow, what fits your plans and what to take into account.
A comparison of 40+ lenders
We put the conditions, rate and small print of more than forty lenders side by side and choose on what fits your situation. With self-employed income the field is smaller: around 20 lenders.
The application and all the paperwork
We submit the application, collect the documents, arrange the valuation and NHG where it applies, and stay in contact with the lender until the offer is final. You do not have to chase documents.
Guidance until you sign
We stay involved until you sign at the notary: the binding offer, the conditions and the planning towards the transfer. We are your point of contact until the mortgage completes.
The insurance advice that belongs with the mortgage, such as term life insurance or cover for your monthly costs, is part of the process. For term life cover of around € 1 million or more we do a separate protection review, which we agree with you beforehand.
The first hour is free
In that hour you hear how we work, what a process costs in your situation and whether we can help you. If we need more time after that, we agree together beforehand what it costs. You never receive an unexpected bill from us.
Do I need a mortgage advisor in the Netherlands, or can I go straight to the bank?
You can go to many lenders directly, although some only work through an advisor. The difference is how many lenders get compared, and who prepares your application.
You borrow for thirty years. On a mortgage of € 300,000, a difference of 0.1 percentage point in interest adds up to several thousand euros over the term, and the conditions decide what happens when you renovate, separate, start a business or repay early. For internationals there is a second reason: lenders treat income from abroad and residence status very differently, as described above.
We hold an AFM licence (12046005) and are liable for the advice we give. We are affiliated with Kifid, the Dutch complaints institute for financial services (300.017.178).
Is a mortgage advisor tied to one bank, or is there an independent one?
Some advisors work exclusively for one or more lenders, so ask any advisor which lenders they compare. We are not tied to any lender: we compare 40+ lenders and choose on what fits your situation, on rate, conditions and flexibility.
In the Netherlands a mortgage advisor may not be paid by the lender for arranging a mortgage: the commission ban, in force since 2013. So you pay the advisor directly, as a fee. Ours is fixed and agreed beforehand, which means our advice does not depend on which lender you choose. There is nothing extra in it for us when you pick one lender over another.
Frequently asked questions
What are your fees, and is the first consultation free? +
Which of the four fees applies to me? +
Can I get an estimate of the costs before I start house-hunting? +
What else will I pay besides your fee? +
I am moving abroad and want to keep my home and rent it out. Which fee applies? +
Is the advice fee tax-deductible in the Netherlands? +
Can I add the advice fee to my mortgage? +
Is advice on term life insurance included? +
Can this be done entirely in English? +
Which documents do I need for the first conversation? +
What could go wrong without a mortgage advisor? +
Tell us what you need
Curious which fee applies to you?
The first conversation is free and without obligation. Afterwards you know exactly which fee applies and what you get for it.