Home Inspection Amsterdam
Back home you may have bought a house with an inspection contingency: offer accepted, inspector booked, and a few days to back out. Buying in Amsterdam follows a different order, and expats who expect the American routine can end up signing before anyone has looked at the house. This page is for expats and international buyers. It explains the buying process step by step and what a home inspector does on the day itself.
Premiumkeur is an independent building surveyor in Amsterdam city centre. Clients rate us 4.9 stars from 698 Google reviews and 100 Trustpilot reviews. Read our reviews on Trustpilot, or the English reviews collected on this site.
☎ Phone +31 20 773 6842 or WhatsApp +31 6 2956 3190. If you call in the morning we can sometimes come the same day. Email works too, through our contact page (in Dutch).
For the long read, see our English knowledge base for home buyers in Amsterdam. Building Inspection Amsterdam has our general information in English. Liever in het Nederlands? Bouwkundige keuring Amsterdam (in Dutch). Inspection videos: our YouTube channel.
Buying a home in Amsterdam, step by step
- Find out what you can borrow. A mortgage adviser will look at your income and contract. Many expats also ask whether they qualify for NHG, the National Mortgage Guarantee.
- Viewing. In Amsterdam you often get one viewing of half an hour, sometimes with other buyers in the room.
- Book your home inspector before you make an offer, so a date is ready the moment you need it.
- Offer and negotiation, usually through the selling agent, or through your own buying agent (aankoopmakelaar).
- The purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst). The selling agent draws it up. Read the conditions carefully, especially any building inspection condition and the age clause.
- Signing, and the 3-day cooling-off period (bedenktijd).
- Deposit or bank guarantee, usually 10% of the price, within the term in the contract.
- Valuation for the bank and the final mortgage offer.
- Transfer at the notary, after a final walk-through of the house. Then you get the keys.
Home inspection, Structural Survey Amsterdam or bouwkundige keuring?
They all mean roughly the same thing here. Americans say home inspection, British buyers say building survey or structural survey, and the Dutch say bouwkundige keuring. The report is a bouwkundig rapport. If you searched for Structural Survey Amsterdam, this page covers that too.
British buyers mostly search for Building Survey Amsterdam. We wrote a separate page for them: Building Survey Amsterdam compares a Dutch inspection with a RICS survey. Whatever you call it, you want a building surveyor who works for you and nobody else.
Where the home inspection fits in
In the US the inspection usually happens after the offer is accepted, inside a contingency period. In Amsterdam there are three moments that work:
- Before you make an offer. Safest, but you pay for the inspection even if someone else gets the house.
- After the price is agreed and before you sign the purchase agreement.
- During the 3-day cooling-off period, or within the term of a building inspection condition (ontbindende voorwaarde) if the contract has one.
After those moments, you are bound to the purchase. That is why we keep room in our schedule for short-notice work.
The 3-day cooling-off period
When you buy a home to live in, Dutch law gives you 3 days to change your mind after you receive a copy of the signed purchase agreement. You do not have to give a reason. The period is short, and weekends eat into it, although it is extended when the last day falls on a weekend or public holiday.
Three days is enough for an inspection and a phone call about the findings, as long as the inspector can come the next day. Call us before you sign, not after.
Pre-purchase Building Survey Amsterdam: what is in the report
Whether you call it a home inspection or a Pre-purchase Building Survey Amsterdam, you get the written report within 2 working days. It has photos of every finding, a condition score per element following NEN 2767 and NTA 8060, and a cost overview that separates costs needed now from costs to plan for later.
The report is the document you show the seller when you renegotiate, and the one your mortgage adviser may ask for. The inspector explains everything on site in English, so you are not waiting two days to hear the bad news, and you can get the report in English for € 100 extra.
Four homes from our files
Two from 2024 reports and two from our knowledge base. Addresses and names are left out, and amounts are at the price level of that year.
Apartment from 1983, Amsterdam-West, December 2024
€ 19,175 needed now and € 2,500 later. That sounds like a lot, but € 15,000 of it was a kitchen, because there was none in the flat. The electrical panel had only four circuits; going to 6 to 8 circuits was put at € 1,250. The living room window frame did not close on either side, with rain marks on the sill, and the bedroom frame had been screwed shut (€ 675, VvE). Plants had grown over the rear windows (€ 750), and the boiler from 2011 was near the end of its life: € 2,500 later.
What this shows: with a high total, look at what is in it. A missing kitchen is not a defect.
Ground-floor apartment from 2019 (rebuilt), Amsterdam-Centrum, February 2024
According to the agent only the front facade of the old building was left. The cost overview stayed at € 1,275 now, mostly seals, locks and shortening doors for better airflow. The most important finding had no price: the sewage pump was completely under water. We advised finding the cause and discussed sensors or a separate submersible pump with a float switch. The drain of the small courtyard at basement level can flood too.
What this shows: in a home with a basement, much depends on getting water out. That is where maintenance should focus.
Apartment building from around 1900, Amsterdam-West, June 2026
The VvE ordered a foundation quick scan. The front facade had sunk 35 mm on one side and a floor sloped 50 mm. The stairs against the party wall had gone down with it, while the rear facade was still level. The bathroom floor was at risk of collapse. We advised propping it up straight away, bringing in a structural engineer, installing measuring bolts and sharing the report with the neighbours, because the party wall is shared.
What this shows: a quick scan is about the foundation, but here it also found an acute safety problem.
Ground-floor apartment, Rivierenbuurt, April 2026
The raised ground floor was sloping. There was no hatch to the crawl space at all, so nobody could inspect or maintain the floor. The joists were probably affected by rot and woodworm from damp. The vents in the front facade were blocked, and a basement added later made ventilation at the back impossible. We advised fitting at least two hatches, mapping the damage and installing a crawl space fan with a humidity sensor.
What this shows: the floor belongs to the VvE. The longer nobody acts, the higher the bill for every owner.
The biggest pitfall for expats: an inspector chosen for you
Many expats ask the selling agent who to call, or accept the name the agent offers. It feels helpful. But the agent is paid when the sale closes, and an inspector who gets a steady flow of work from one agent has a reason not to make that agent’s life difficult.
That does not mean every recommended inspector is bad. It means you cannot check it, so it is better to choose your own. We do not work with estate agents, we do not recommend contractors or repair firms, and we never inspect for the seller.
Questions to ask a home inspector before you book
- Who sends you most of your work?
- Do you climb onto the roof, and what do you do with a roof you cannot reach?
- Do you go into the crawl space?
- Do you measure whether the house leans?
- Do I get a cost estimate per defect, and within how many days?
Our answers: no agents, yes where safe, yes, yes, and yes within 2 working days.
Old house, wooden piles
Most of old Amsterdam stands on timber piles. If the groundwater has dropped, the pile heads can rot and the house sinks, often unevenly. During the inspection we can do a foundation quick scan (phase 0) (in Dutch): we level the floors and measure the brick courses of the facade with a laser. Building inspection plus quick scan costs from € 898.
Foundation investigation: prices
- Quick scan (phase 0) with the inspection: from € 898.
- Phase 1, a full above-ground foundation investigation: € 699 to € 1,499.
- Phase 2, digging down to the foundation: from € 3,000.
For the details, read what an Amsterdam foundation is (in Dutch).
Apartment buyers: the VvE, the MJOP and your bank
With an apartment you also buy a share in the building, run by the owners’ association (VvE). Its savings and its maintenance plan, the MJOP, tell you what extra bills may come. Banks often ask for the MJOP or the VvE accounts before they finance an apartment.
No MJOP available and the bank is asking? We can draw one up during the inspection and deliver it with the report.
The age clause and “as is, where is”
Purchase agreements for older homes often contain an age clause (ouderdomsclausule). It says the house is old and may have defects that come with age, which limits what you can claim from the seller later.
Some contracts go further: “as is, where is”. You buy the house in its current state, with no guarantees, and hidden defects are your problem. With either clause, the inspection is the only protection you have.
Explained in person
We are in the process of buying an apartment and Daan helped us out with the technical inspection. He made a detailed study and gave us an explanation in person , instead of asking us to ‘just wait for the report’. It was a good, clear explanation and he even gave us tips on what we could do for better maintenance of our house.
Review on Google, 5 stars
Beginner questions in English
Very professional and friendly service. Daan explained everything thoroughly and took time to answer my beginner questions in English as well. I can only recommend his service!
Review on Google, 5 stars
A walk on the roof
Fred was responsive, open and thorough. He set a date for the inspection the day I called, and a few days later we were through. He did an extremely thorough walk-through, including a walk on the roof, and checked all the window frames. Following, he shared a detailed report with proposed costings for some of the fixes, which the owner is taking care of. Fred is independent and truly works for the buyer. Highly recommend!
Review on Google, 5 stars
An adviser during the whole process
Recently we purchased a house in Amsterdam and we assigned Fred to do our technical inspection. I cannot recommend enough his service – he was extremely attentive, did a thorough inspection, had a critical eye and noticed every aspect of the house that require work or could result in future investments. He’s also very knowledgeable about different aspects- roof work, foundation, construction work, elevators etc and served as an advisor to us during the whole process.
Review on Google, 5 stars
Under the floor
The crawl space is the space under a raised ground floor. In Amsterdam it is often damp, and damp is what rots timber joists. We crawl in whenever it is safe and high enough, and we take photos of what we find. See our crawl space inspection page.
Up on the roof
Plenty of inspectors take a photo of the roof from a window, or stay below about 5 metres. A roof you have not seen is a roof you have not inspected. We go up where it is safe, and for high or steep roofs we can come with a cherry picker.
Honest about the house
we are really happy wit Fred. He is professional and honest about his job. He tells us what’s really going on withthe house, not trying to hide anything or to make it seems better. overall satisfied. Thanks Fred.
Review on Google, 5 stars
A thorough home inspection
I highly recommend ! Tim did a fantastic and thorough job on our home inspection. He was professional and explained everything clearly. Im satisfied with his work.
Review on Google, 5 stars
Better than before
The home inspection was exceptionally thorough, standing out compared to my past experiences. Highly recommend!
Review on Google, 5 stars
Several hours on site
Fred arrived early to the inspection appointment and did a very thorough job, conducting a check for several hours and providing many useful tips for how to improve our home and save money. Even available afterwards for answering any follow up questions we had!
Review on Google, 5 stars
Into the crawl space
I am really happy with the provided work by the Team “Premiumkeur” and Mr Fred T. ! They are independents, professional and punctual. The inspection of the crawlspace was properly done (dive into it , do the checks and pictures,…). The digital report came after payment as described; It is well detailed and with good advises.
Review on Google, 5 stars
Recommended by a friend
Fred was great. We got his reference from a friend who vouched for him and he was not wrong. Fred was very patient with us right from beginning since we are expats and knew nothing about the process. He gave us the exact tips we needed and did a fine job. Thank you so much, Fred
Review on Google, 5 stars
On the day: what the home inspector does
We arrive, introduce ourselves and ask what worries you. Then we start outside: facades, pointing, window frames, gutters and the roof. Inside we go from the top down: attic and roof structure, rooms, bathroom and kitchen, the electrical panel, the boiler and ventilation. We finish under the floor, in the crawl space or basement.
Along the way we measure moisture, and with a foundation quick scan we level floors and facades. The whole visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours. Before we leave, we tell you what we found and roughly what it costs.
What you can arrange beforehand
- Ask the agent to make sure the roof hatch and the crawl space hatch can be opened.
- For an apartment, ask for the VvE documents: MJOP, annual accounts and recent minutes.
- Give us the deadline of your cooling-off period or building inspection condition.
- Come along. You learn more in an hour on site than from any report.
Electrics, boiler and ventilation
We check the electrical panel, the number of circuits and whether bathrooms are earthed. We read the boiler’s age and service stickers and look for a carbon monoxide detector. Old boilers, missing earth and too few circuits come up in our reports all the time. We give a cost per item, and where needed we advise having an installer test it before you sign.
Good briefing, good pictures
On time, great briefing and answered all of our questions. We got good quality pictures and a full report with a proper breakdown on everything we needed to know. I cannot recommend them more.
Review on Google, 5 stars
Your own buying agent
Many expats hire their own buying agent (aankoopmakelaar), and for the negotiation that often makes sense. But a buying agent is also usually paid when you buy, so the same question applies: who suggests the home inspector, and why? Choose the inspector yourself. Your agent should have no problem with that.
The tools we carry
Moisture meter, laser level, thermal camera, and a 20-metre endoscope for chimneys and flues (extra cost). For crawl spaces that are too low to enter we have a camera robot (extra cost). We look for asbestos visually; a lab test is a separate job.
Planning to split, extend or renovate?
Converting one house into several apartments needs a splitting permit (in Dutch). Planning a renovation? Tell us during the inspection, so we can say which beams, walls or floors will need work. A few of our clients bought with a renovation in mind and still found the inspection changed their plans.
On short notice
Daan was available on short notice, knowledgeable, communicative, and reliable. He helped us understand an issue in our building much better.
Review on Google, 5 stars
It saved me a fortune
Amazing! Daan is great! Very friendly and attentive. He even took the time to call me after the inspection. Fantastic attention to details and thorough report. It saved me a fortune. Can only highly recommend.
Review on Google, 5 stars
Buying a new-build home
A new-build home is not inspected before you buy, but when it is handed over. That handover inspection (opleveringskeuring) is your chance to have defects put on the list before you sign for the keys. More on our handover inspection for new-build homes (in Dutch).
When we tell you not to buy
It does not happen often, but it happens. A building that sinks fast, a VvE with no money and a big backlog, or a structure that was cut into without a permit. In those cases we say so plainly. Several clients thanked us later for a house they did not buy.
Doubt about the seller’s report?
Sometimes the selling agent hands you an inspection report. If you are not sure you can rely on it, we do a second opinion (contra-expertise). We also write expert reports in disputes with contractors and roofers, following the NIVRE code of conduct.
Neighbours building? Get a baseline survey
If the neighbours are about to dig a basement or repair their foundation, have the current state of your home recorded first. With that baseline survey (nulmeting) (in Dutch), damage that appears later is much easier to prove.
Measuring bolts
Measuring bolts (meetbouten) are small markers in the facade that show how much a building has sunk over the years. You need at least 8 for a good picture, and most houses only have them at the front. We install measuring bolts (in Dutch) and re-measure old ones. Be careful with readings that are years old.
Canal houses and monuments
Listed buildings come with rules about what you may change, and repairs often take more time and money. We inspect monumental buildings (in Dutch) regularly, from canal houses to old warehouses.
A keen eye in a crazy market
Fred is an amazing professional! His keen eye for details is what you need when you are buying a house and you want to be sure you are making the right investment (especially in the crazy Amsterdam real estate market). Fred is very responsive, quick, accurate and actually also quite fun, with a great human touch which is always good.
Review on Google, 5 stars
Saved from a potential nightmare
Brilliant service, extremely thorough and informative. Daan and his colleague helped to save us from a potential nightmare. Super thanks and we will be sure to recommend
Review on Google, 5 stars
A simpler issue than expected
Very good advice given about a simpler issue than I thought. Saved a lot on expensive surveys by advice from a direct and clear head. Thank you
Review on Google, 5 stars
Learn more before you buy
The knowledge base at the top of this page is the place to start. These English pages go further into specific risks:
- Foundation investigation knowledge base: how Amsterdam foundations fail, what the phases mean and what repair costs.
- Knowledge base on VvE maintenance plans: reading an MJOP and judging whether an owners’ association has its finances in order.
- Knowledge base on monuments in Amsterdam: what comes with buying a listed building.
- Roof and facade leaks: where water gets in and how we find it.
- Mould and damp in Amsterdam homes: causes, and what helps and what does not.
- New build inspection Amsterdam: buying a new build apartment, and what we check before you sign and before the handover.
Questions expats ask about a home inspection
What is a home inspection called in Dutch?
A bouwkundige keuring. The report is a bouwkundig rapport. British buyers would call it a building survey or structural survey.
When should I book the home inspection in Amsterdam?
Before you sign the purchase agreement if you can, otherwise within the 3-day cooling-off period or the term of your building inspection condition. Book early so there is a date ready.
What should expats ask a home inspector before booking?
Who sends them their work, whether they go onto the roof and into the crawl space, whether they measure if the house leans, and whether the report gives costs per defect.
What does a home inspection in Amsterdam cost?
€ 499 including VAT for a home up to 800 m³ (the gross volume of the home), plus € 0.50 per extra m³. With a foundation quick scan it costs from € 898. Report in English: € 100 extra.
How long is the inspector at the property?
1 to 1.5 hours. You hear the main findings before we leave, and the written report follows within 2 working days.
What happens during the 3-day cooling-off period?
You can cancel the purchase without giving a reason. It starts after you receive the signed purchase agreement. It is short, so plan the inspection for the first or second day.
Does the home inspector check the electrics and the boiler?
Yes, visually. We look at the electrical panel, earthing, the age and service history of the boiler and the ventilation, and we give a cost estimate per item.
Do I need a separate foundation investigation?
For an older house in Amsterdam, we advise at least the quick scan (phase 0) during the inspection. If the measurements show movement, a phase 1 investigation (€ 699 to € 1,499) gives a fuller picture.
Can you inspect a new-build home?
Yes, at handover. That is when defects can still be put on the list for the developer to fix.
Can I get the report in English?
Yes. The inspector explains the findings on site in English, and an English report costs € 100 extra.
Areas we cover
Besides Amsterdam we inspect in the towns and districts around it, for example (pages in Dutch):
- IJburg (in Dutch)
- Watergraafsmeer (in Dutch)
- Buitenveldert (in Dutch)
- Osdorp (in Dutch)
- Ouderkerk aan de Amstel (in Dutch)
- Uithoorn (in Dutch)
- Abcoude (in Dutch)
- Purmerend (in Dutch)
More of what we do
- Cost of a building inspection (in Dutch)
- Foundation investigation phase 1 (in Dutch)
- Maintenance plan (MJOP) Amsterdam (in Dutch)
- Basement inspection Amsterdam (in Dutch)
- Tracing leaks in Amsterdam (in Dutch)
- Conditions in the purchase contract (in Dutch)
Check us before you hire us
- Is Premiumkeur reliable? (in Dutch): our independence, certifications and reviews.
- Building terms A to Z (in Dutch): from pile rot to beam-end rot.
- All reviews (in Dutch): the full list of what clients wrote.
- Fred Tokkie (in Dutch): He was a contractor from 1983 to 2009 and has inspected houses since 2009.
What buyers wrote on Trustpilot
Unsolicited reviews from Trustpilot.
I really appreciate the professional service and advise from Tim Hollenberg, who helped to perform a technical check of the new house, and also another one for my own house in a row. He was thorough yet quick, attentive to details and also friendly, politely answering the questions on the go. He also took time to explain in english his observations and associated risks. Report was available on the next day, and I found no errors or missing information.
Review on Trustpilot, February 2026, 5 stars
The inspector was great and did a good inspection. He explained everything and was honest with his findings.
Review on Trustpilot, March 2026, 5 stars
Great keuring service and very helpful explannations and report from Tim! Thanks a lot!
Review on Trustpilot, August 2026, 5 stars
Contact details Premiumkeur Amsterdam
Premiumkeur B.V.
Heiligeweg 30
1012 XR Amsterdam
Phone: +31 20 773 6842
Email: premiumkeur@gmail.com
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 81106130
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