ABN AMRO's helpful do's and don't to get started in NL
If you’re moving to the Netherlands (or have just moved) there are a few things you need to do to get settled.
Finding a place to live is priority number one. First, you have to decide if you like to buy a home or if you want to rent for a while. If it’s clear you want to buy a place of your own, the first step is to get an idea of how much money you can borrow. ABN Amro has been helping expats to finance their homes for many years now and is a great company to help you find your way.
Let us introduce you to Bob &Jocelyn, both mortgage advisors at ABN AMRO BANK!
Introduce yourself! Who are you, and what industry do you work in?
Hi! We are Bob and Jocelyn and we both work as mortgage advisors for international clients within ABN AMRO. Our goal is to show your possibilities and explain the details of buying a house in the Netherlands, so do not hesitate to ask us anything regarding the mortgage process. As mortgage advisors, we help people to buy their homes and guide them through the process. We both started working in offices that specialized in service for expats. Our work is related to the daily banking side, advising in payment packages, loans, insurance and everything else that encompasses daily banking. To help our clients further and be of more service we both decided to take a dive into the mortgage world. We both grew towards mortgage advisor, joining a branch of the company with more than 25 years of experience in helping international clients buy houses.
Who are your clients?
We work with expats, non-residents, people from the Netherlands working abroad and everything in between. People who usually come to the Netherlands are completely new and need support and guidance to get in the right direction. These are the customers we focus on.
What kinds of service do you deliver yourselves and what expertise do you forward to your partners?
We are in charge of arranging your mortgage, from the first introduction to the last document, to help finance your future property and help you get your own home. Of course, we always help you with finding the right party’s to work with, helping you with all the Dutch documents as well as finding your way through the experience of buying a house and moving in.
What are your top 3 tips in working with expats to ensure they have a smooth transition from their last country of residence to the Netherlands?
Our tips!
- Join an Expat Community. Here you can talk and learn with other people regarding their experiences with settling in the Netherlands, buying their first home and a lot more.
- Try to get your bicycle, the most common means of transport in the Netherlands, and get accustomed to public transport. Public transport in the Netherlands can get you from the southern tip of Limburg to Texel in a few hours, and anywhere in between.
- Get yourself an umbrella. The Netherlands are famous for its rains but as well for the unpredictable weather, the sun might shine in the afternoon, and an hour later you have a hailstorm. So the umbrella will be a necessary addition to your wardrobe, choose between our Delft-invented stormproof umbrella, the small foldable umbrella, or simply the standard option, choices are enough!
What are some do’s and don’ts for expat clients that you would/wouldn’t recommend in relation to your industry?
We will divide this question into do’s and don’ts
Do’s
- Talk with a mortgage advisor as your starting point in the mortgage process. There is a lot more possible than our clients usually expect when we talk to them for the first time. You can easily get a free consultation meeting to help discuss the process, costs, and different necessary party’s to make your offer more successful.
- View houses! You can freely look around houses and make appointments to see if you like the houses. By going around you will get more accustomed to processes and terminology.
Don’t’s
Don’t do all your homework on your own, come join us for a personal meeting! With a personal consultation, we could give you all the knowledge you need to start with confidence. The mortgage process in the Netherlands could be quite different in comparison to other countries, so please don’t assume you know what’s what beforehand. For example mortgages in the Netherlands, we don’t pre-approve mortgages!
- Don’t be too hasty when looking for houses. Finding the place where you want to live can take some time. Check for yourself what the plan is, are you looking for something to stay in for 5 years, or are you looking for a forever home?
What are the benefits of working with you as opposed to another vendor in your industry?
ABN AMRO is the place where you can have and manage all your financial products to help you successfully settle in the Netherlands and get started. All the financial products and advice are offered in one place and easily accessible via Online Banking.
Working with ABN AMRO gives you access to a range of international client advisors with years of working experience. It also connects you to a bank that can help you with the whole landing package in the Netherlands. From insurance to payment systems, investment products but also car loans.
How can a potential client get in touch with you?
You can contact us directly at bob.servaas@nl.abnamro.com or jocelyn.muller@nl.abnamro.com or you can always go to our website and set up an appointment, even if you are not yet a customer of ABN AMRO.
It sounds like a good start to us!
Legal questions when purchasing a new home
Are you looking for your dream home? With a driven team of experts by your side, who easily know where to find each other if necessary, your housing dreams come true!
When you buy a house as a (foreign) buyer, it is wise to be assisted by a local real estate agent a.k.a. “Makelaar”. The real estate agent is familiar with the market, the state of the house and can guide the negotiation process. If necessary, a financial specialist can advise on applicable tax schemes for expats. The notary is also involved in the transfer, and often a mortgage advisor or a bank will be engaged for financing. If the deal is done and dusted you might need an interior designer or a PA to make a house a home.
Although not immediately noticeable, legal aspects also are involved when purchasing a house. Below are some frequently asked questions our office answered at the How To Buy A House Events.
What does the reflection period entail?
The law stipulates that the purchase agreement when buying a house must be entered into in writing by a natural person who is not acting in the performance of a profession or business. The agreement, or a copy thereof, must be made available to the buyer. The buyer has the right to dissolve the purchase for three days after this delivery by hand. The buyer does not have to state a reason for dissolving. If the buyer has made use of this right and a new agreement originates between the same parties with regard to the same property within six months, the right to dissolve will not arise again.
Does my employer have to provide me with an employer statement or a declaration of intent?
No, an employer is not obliged to provide these statements. In practice, employers often cooperate. However, it is advisable that employers carefully formulate the letter of intent from an employment law perspective.
Who is liable in case something appears to be wrong with the property after the purchase and delivery?
The seller has an obligation to disclose and the buyer has an obligation to investigate. In principle, the seller’s obligation to disclose takes precedence over the buyer’s obligation to investigate. However, under certain circumstances, the buyer may need to obtain further information, for example on the basis of communications from the seller. Should it subsequently become apparent that there is a hidden defect, it will have to be established whether there has been a violation of the obligation to disclose by the seller, or whether the buyer has neglected his obligation to investigate. In the first case, the buyer could, under certain circumstances, cancel the purchase or receive compensation. However, should it become clear that the buyer should have carried out (additional) research, he may not have any claim against the seller. Obviously, it is also important what parties have agreed in the purchase agreement; for example, has the seller guaranteed certain matters.
Can I dissolve the purchase agreement in case my bank does not provide the requested financing?
A financing reservation is a condition precedent in the purchase agreement and means that the buyer can dissolve the purchase agreement if he is unable to obtain the necessary financing (in time). However, an active attitude is required from the buyer with regard to obtaining the relevant financing. The buyer will therefore only be able to invoke this condition precedent successfully if he can demonstrate sufficiently documented that his financing application(s) have been rejected.
Next live event
Our next event is scheduled on November 9th 2022 in the beautiful Vondelkerk in Amsterdam. We’ve invited companies who can answer all of your personal questions if you are looking to buy a home. Keep an eye on our website or send us an email if you are in need of information.
See you soon!
Team HTBAH
Interview David Bellingham | Black Swan Capital
Introduce yourself! Who are you, what industry do you work in and how did you get involved with HTBAH?
Hi there! My name is David Bellingham, and I head up Black Swan Capital for Europe. Having met HTBAH through the industry, I enjoy meeting like-minded business people like Monique and her team who value high-quality service and looking after their clients!
Who are your clients?
Usually, we deal with internationals - people either living outside of their home country. We provide objective financial advice on a fee-for-service basis.
What kinds of service do you deliver yourselves and what expertise do you forward to your partners?
Black Swan's employees are all internationals themselves! Overseen by Dutch central bank, Black Swan can guarantee the highest standard in Europe and is very proud to be the first firm in the whole of Europe that has a fully independent investment firm license.
Can you take me on your customers' journey from A-Z?
When we meet someone, we firstly get to know them and to see if it's a fit; will partnering with Black Swan be mutually beneficial? If it's a match, we sign a client agreement and spend a few weeks making a full advisement report for them. Then, we help them to implement the recommendations or outsource should they need it, and have an ongoing management service for our clients to ensure they are always on track to achieve their goals.
What are your top 3 tips in working with expats to ensure they have a smooth transition from their last country of residence to The Netherlands?
- Know what you want to achieve, we can help them with this if they don't know yet
- Built-in flexibility
- Get reputable advice
Give us an example of a time you successfully helped a client? What happened? What did you learn from it?
Every client is an example, but for privacy, I cannot divulge certain information. However, the main thing is that we know how to listen to clients and every service is bespoke on a case-by-case basis.
How can your expert advice assist a client moving from overseas to the Netherlands?
Helping them to understand the environment here, as well as understanding the options they have that are in their home countries.
What are some do’s and don'ts for expat clients that you would/wouldn’t recommend in relation to your industry?
Flexibility - the Dutch regulator has a commission ban. You can passport your license around the EU. Be careful - 'free' is not often the case, fine print and exit charges are often a problem for people after they're realized it. Make sure the person you're talking with is qualified.
What are the benefits of working with you as opposed to another vendor in your industry?
We always ensure our clients are comfortable, we're qualified, experienced, and have a judicial obligation to act in our clients' best interest.
How can a potential client get in touch with you?
The best way to contact us is to visit our website or send us an email at info@blackswancapital.eu.
7 Steps to your mortgage
It all starts with a number. Here are 7 steps to get your mortgage done.
Video transcript of 7 Steps to your mortgage
hi are you an expert wanting to buy Dutch property then here are seven easy steps to success step 1 determine your budget find out your gross annual income work out how much you want to spend and schedule a meeting with us it's free of charge step 2 when looking for your perfect property you could either do it yourself on the internet or let us help you by introducing you to an estate agent or Makelaar as they're called here step 3 this is where the fun begins bidding and buying but to be honest this is where your trusty estate agent might well come in useful it's a jungle out there step 4 and this is where we at expat mortgages get very excited it's the mortgage application process we will make sure that everything goes smoothly and don't worry all the paperwork will be in English step 5 once everything has been approved you then have to have a meeting with a notary signed some papers and then the keys are yours and it's time to celebrate wahoo and by the way the drinks are on us step 6 is arranging your taxes for the first two years and free of charge we will happily organize a tax refund for your mortgage related costs and the final step we will reach out to you every year just to make sure that you are okay but if you have any questions in the meantime then just give us a call expat mortgages makes you feel at home.
Do you have any questions? Attend to our events or request a personal session!
My offer on a house has been accepted, what happens now?
Your offer on a house is accepted by the seller! Great news! Still, make sure you sign the sale and purchase agreement as soon as possible to be sure you are the buyer. Let me tell you what to do.
Transcript offer on a house:
Hello my name is Barry Burgemeester I'm a real estate agent and I specialize in helping experts find the dream home once your offer of a house has been
accepted you have to sign a contract so you your agent the seller and their agent will meet at the notary's office to sign the contract the purchase and
sale agreement the notary is a type of lawyer and the contract gives you three days to change your money the contract also includes a clause saying the
transaction is subject to financing that gives you a period of time to arrange your mortgage this is usually four weeks it might sound like a long time but there's a lot of paperwork to go through once all that is done you go to the notary again and sign a final deal it might sound complicated but I can help you go through it all very smoothly feel free to get in touch!
About Barry Burgemeester, burgemeestervastgoed.nl - Certified member of Expat Oriented Organisation Certification
Barry Burgemeester is a certified real estate agent with 23 years’ working experience. 18 years ago, he made the switch from a predominantly Dutch clientele to an exclusively international one. Helping expats purchase homes has remained his passion and his strength.
Barry has invited a number of friends in the housing sector to help him inform/educate you about buying a house.
Freehold and Leasehold: What is the difference?
Freehold and Leasehold: What is the difference? If you buy a house in Amsterdam not all the land you buy a house on is yours. The choice of property is either freehold (eigen grond) or leasehold (erfpacht). Here I will explain the difference.
We will provide all the information you need in order to buy your dream house. Feel at home while shopping around; we will make sure to have some drinks, snacks and even a nanny service ready for you so you’ll have nothing to worry about and be able to talk with our partners. All the experts you need to meet under one roof. Ask them questions related to your particular situation. Buy better by being better informed.
Barry Burgemeester is a certified real estate agent with 23 years’ working experience. 18 years ago, he made the switch from a predominantly Dutch clientele to an exclusively international one. Helping expats purchase homes has remained his passion and his strength.
Barry has invited a number of friends in the housing sector to help him inform/educate you about buying a house.
Do you want a free session with a real estate agent? Check out available sessions.
Why do I have to go to a notary to sign the contracts?
Notary sign contracts: In Amsterdam the notary is a VIP. The purchase and sales agreement is signed at the office of a notary and also all money travels through the notaries account. I will explain you why.
Barry Burgemeester, Burgemeester Vastgoed
Transcript of the video on notary sign contracts:
Hello! My name is Barry Burgemeester, I'm a real estate agent and I help Expats find their dream home! In Dutch law property ownership process through notaries, a type of lawyer who is specialized in civil contracts. When you've got your mortgage we will visit the property again to check if everything is as we agreed. We also read the gas, electricity and water meters. Then we plus the seller and the agent go back to the notary to sign the "Akte Van Levering", the deed of transfer and the mortgage papers. Dutch law states that this must be done by a notary and if you don't speak Dutch, a translator will also be needed. Once the Akte Van Levering has been signed, you will get the keys and your dream home will be yours! Formally, this is where my job ends. Let's see if we can team up and can get started!
Buying a home is a big step. We understand that it is hard to find your way around. You can find a lot of information online and from expats experts. However, Are all of these companies trustable? Who is good and who is not? We started the Expat Oriented Organisation register (EOO) to help you out.
The EOO certification ensures that expats are working with organisations who are credible, provide outstanding services and understand the needs of expats.