How Much Savings Do You Need to Buy a House in the Netherlands?

The 100% mortgage rule — and its catch

The Netherlands allows buyers to finance the full market value of a home through a mortgage (loan-to-value ratio of 100%). No mandatory down payment. The catch: you cannot include the kosten koper (the buyer's transaction costs) in the mortgage. Those must come entirely from your own savings.

Kosten koper amount to 4–6% of the purchase price. For a home priced at €350,000, that means €14,000–€21,000 in cash before you can proceed to the notary. And that is before any voluntary down payment to reduce your monthly mortgage costs.

What kosten koper includes

Kosten koper is not a single fee. It is a collection of costs that buyers in the Netherlands pay at the point of purchase:

• Overdrachtsbelasting (transfer tax): 2% of the purchase price for most buyers. On a €350,000 home that is €7,000. First-time buyers under the age of 35 purchasing a home priced at or below €525,000 (the 2025 startersvrijstelling threshold) pay 0% — a saving of €7,000 on that same property.
• Notary fees: You pay for two deeds — the transfer deed (leveringsakte) and the mortgage deed (hypotheekakte). Combined notary costs typically run €1,500–€2,200 depending on the notary and complexity.
• Valuation report (taxatierapport): Required by most mortgage lenders. A standard valuation costs €700–€900.
• Mortgage advice and brokerage: An independent mortgage adviser charges €2,000–€3,000 for a first home. You can also arrange a mortgage directly with a bank, which is cheaper but gives you no independent guidance.

Nationale Hypotheek Garantie (NHG)

If the purchase price of the home falls within the NHG limit — €450,000 in 2025 (or up to €477,000 if you are investing in energy-saving measures) — you can apply for Nationale Hypotheek Garantie. NHG is a government-backed guarantee scheme that protects both you and the lender if you run into financial trouble.

Lenders reward NHG borrowers with lower interest rates, 0.3–0.5% below the standard rate. On a €400,000 mortgage at 30 years, that reduction saves around €80–€130 per month. The one-time NHG premium (borgtochtprovisie) is 0.4% of the mortgage amount in 2025. On a €400,000 mortgage, that is €1,600 — which is included in the kosten koper total.

With the average Dutch house price above €450,000 in major cities, many buyers in Amsterdam and Utrecht are priced out of NHG eligibility. In cheaper markets such as Rotterdam, Eindhoven, or Groningen, NHG remains accessible for many starter homes.

A worked example: buying a €320,000 home

Suppose you find a two-bedroom apartment in Rotterdam or Eindhoven for €320,000. Here is what you need to bring in cash:

On top of these mandatory costs, most advisers recommend keeping an emergency buffer of 2–3 months of expenses after the purchase. Moving costs, immediate repairs, and furnishing a new home add up faster than expected.

Building up the required savings

Many first-time Dutch buyers build their deposit over 2–4 years. Putting aside €400–600 per month becomes meaningful capital over two to three years. Some buyers also receive a gift (schenking) from parents — the Dutch tax rules allow parents to give their children a tax-free gift of up to the applicable annual exemption amount, though the rules change regularly.

A common mistake: underestimating the total cash needed. People focus on the down payment and forget that the transaction costs also need to come from savings. Build a spreadsheet with the actual purchase price you are targeting, calculate 6% as a conservative kosten koper estimate, and add a buffer. That is your savings target.