Buying a House in Amsterdam
Buying a house in Amsterdam as an expat is a strange experience the first time. Viewings last half an hour, people bid well over the asking price, and the purchase agreement can be signed within days. Most of the advice you get along the way comes from people who earn money when the sale goes through. We wrote this guide for expats and other international buyers who want to know what to watch out for, what to do and in which order, and where the Dutch system differs from what you know from home.
Who is writing this? We are Premiumkeur, a firm of independent building surveyors at Heiligeweg in Amsterdam. We have inspected houses in Amsterdam independently since 2009. Our founder Fred Tokkie was a contractor from 1983 to 2009 and has inspected houses since 2009. We don’t work with estate agents or mortgage advisers, and we don’t recommend repair firms, so nothing on this page is written to sell you a partner. Clients give us 4.9 stars from 704 Google reviews and 104 Trustpilot reviews: see our profile on Trustpilot.
Depending on where you’re from, you’ll call what we do a home inspection, a house survey, a structural survey or a building survey Amsterdam buyers book before they sign. We have separate English pages for each: Building Survey Amsterdam and House Survey Amsterdam for British buyers, Home Inspection Amsterdam for Americans, and Building Inspection Amsterdam as our general page. The long technical read, with prices, equipment and twelve cases, is our English knowledge base.
☎ Call +31 20 773 6842 or email premiumkeur@gmail.com. A building inspection costs € 499 including VAT for a home up to 800 m³, takes 1 to 1.5 hours, and the report follows within 2 working days. The inspector explains everything on site in English. The standard report is in Dutch; we can translate it into English for € 100 extra.
Liever in het Nederlands? Lees de Kennisbank Premiumkeur Amsterdam. We also film real inspections on our YouTube channel.
In brief
- In the Netherlands you sign the purchase agreement first and inspect afterwards, unless the contract has a building inspection condition or you use the 3-day cooling-off period.
- The selling agent (the makelaar, your realtor’s Dutch cousin) works for the seller, not for you.
- Keep the building inspection condition (bouwkundig voorbehoud) in your offer if you possibly can. Dropping it to win a bidding war moves all the risk to you.
- The 3-day cooling-off period (bedenktijd) starts the day after you receive the signed agreement. Plan the inspection for day one.
- As a buyer you have a duty to investigate (onderzoeksplicht). Defects you could have found with a proper inspection are usually your problem later.
- A bank valuation (taxatie) is not an inspection, and neither is the final walk-through just before you get the keys.
- Most of old Amsterdam stands on timber piles. For a house built before 1970 we advise a foundation check before you sign.
- Buying an apartment means buying into an owners’ association (VvE, the Dutch HOA). Check its reserve fund and maintenance plan (MJOP).
- Much Amsterdam land is leasehold (erfpacht). Find out exactly which leasehold terms apply before you commit.
- You have the right to bring your own inspector. Choose one with no ties to the agent or the mortgage adviser.
The Dutch buying process step by step
Here’s the usual order of events in Amsterdam. The times between steps vary, but the order rarely does.
- Find out what you can borrow. A mortgage adviser looks at your income and contract. For homes up to € 470,000 you may be able to use NHG, the Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee (limit for 2026). Banks lend at most 100% of the market value.
- Viewing. Often 30 minutes, sometimes with other buyers in the room. Look at cracks, sloping floors, damp patches and the crawl space hatch. If you are serious, book an inspector now so a date is ready.
- Offer. You make an offer through the selling agent, or through your own buying agent (aankoopmakelaar). Put your conditions in writing: financing, building inspection and, if relevant, NHG.
- Verbal agreement. The price is agreed, but nothing is binding until the purchase agreement is signed. This is the moment to call your inspector.
- Purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst). Usually drawn up by the selling agent on a standard model. Read the age clause, the inspection condition, the threshold amount and the deadlines.
- Cooling-off period (bedenktijd). Three days in which you can walk away without a reason or a penalty.
- Inspection and conditions. The inspection takes place within the period of the inspection condition, often only one or two weeks. Then the financing condition runs out.
- Deposit or bank guarantee. Usually 10% of the price, paid to the notary. If you later back out without a valid condition, the penalty is almost always that same 10%.
- Valuation and mortgage offer. The bank’s valuer visits. Since 1 April 2026 the valuation report includes a foundation risk class from A to E.
- Final walk-through. A short check just before the transfer that the house is as agreed. It is not an inspection.
- Transfer at the notary (levering). The civil-law notary transfers ownership, the money changes hands and you get the keys. Americans would call this closing.
Three moments where expats often go wrong
Dropping the inspection condition when overbidding. In the Funda Index for the last quarter of 2025, 19% of buyers said they would bid without a building inspection condition and 39% would bid above the asking price. If you bid above the valuation, the difference comes out of your own savings. If you also drop the inspection condition, any defect becomes yours too. If you really have to bid without it, have the house inspected before you make the offer.
Misreading the cooling-off period. The three days start the day after you receive the signed agreement, so receive it on a Thursday and you have until Monday 23:59. At least two of the three days have to be working days, otherwise you get an extra day. It is short, so line up the inspector before you sign.
Signing before the inspection. Once the cooling-off period and the inspection condition have passed, you are bound to the purchase. An inspection after that tells you what you bought, not whether to buy it.
Choose your own inspector, not one from the agent’s network
Many buyers are handed a name by the selling agent, the buying agent or the mortgage adviser. Sometimes it’s called a partner, sometimes it comes as a package. This is not about bad people. It is about how the money flows. An estate agent is usually paid when the sale goes through. That is true for the selling agent and for most buying agents too. An inspector who gets a lot of work through agents has an interest in keeping that relationship good. Nobody needs to do anything wrong for that to matter: it’s a structural conflict of interest.
Our advice is simple. Choose an independent inspector yourself, even when the agent or the mortgage adviser suggests someone. You have the right to bring your own inspector, and a decent agent will not object.
Why expats tend to follow the agent
Because the Dutch system is new to you, it is natural to follow your agent’s suggestions. Keep in mind that the agent is paid when the sale goes through. The same goes for the choice of mortgage adviser and, often, the notary. It saves time to take the names you’re given, and in a fast market that feels sensible. Just make each choice on purpose, not because it was the first name on the list.
Four questions to ask any inspector
- Do you receive work or fees from estate agents or mortgage advisers?
- Will you go into the crawl space and onto the roof where it is safe?
- Do you assess the foundation?
- Can you confirm your independence in writing?
Also read the general terms before you book. Some inspections are described as global, or they limit what is checked of the roof, the crawl space and the foundation.
For the record, about ourselves: Premiumkeur does not work with estate agents or mortgage advisers, we don’t pay or receive referral fees, we don’t recommend repair firms and we don’t inspect for sellers.
How to read an inspection report and the general terms
What a global or visual inspection means
Almost every Dutch building inspection is visual and non-destructive. The inspector looks, measures and tests, but does not open up floors or walls. That is normal. What matters is how far the inspector goes. Some reports call themselves a global inspection: a general impression of the condition, with less detail per element. Ask what that means in practice before you rely on it.
Exclusions: roof, crawl space and foundation
These three are where hidden defects tend to sit, and they are also the parts most often limited in the general terms. A roof seen only from the street or a window, a crawl space looked at from the hatch, or a foundation excluded altogether: all three can be perfectly legal under the terms, and all three leave you with risk. A good report says per element what was inspected, what was not, and why.
Cost estimates and condition scores
Dutch reports usually follow NTA 8060, the inspection standard for homes, and score each element on the NEN 2767 scale from 1 (excellent) to 6 (very poor). Look for a cost estimate per defect, split into what is needed now and what is coming in the next five years or so. A big total is not automatically bad news: in one of our reports € 15,000 of the total was simply a missing kitchen. What you want to know is which costs are urgent, which ones belong to the VvE, and which you can plan for. Our reports include VAT and are based on what tradespeople charge, and we use them with buyers to renegotiate the price.
Old houses: foundations on timber piles
Amsterdam houses built before 1940 usually stand on wooden piles. Those piles can lose strength through bacterial decay, rot at the pile heads, or because they were never driven deep enough. The year of construction says something about the type of foundation, not about its condition. Only an investigation shows that. Signs to look for at a viewing: a leaning facade, sloping mortar joints, cracks above windows and doors, doors that stick and floors that slope.
What our own reports show
We analysed 1,796 complete reports from 2021 to October 2026, 840 of them in Amsterdam. Two thirds of the buildings dated from before 1940. Subsidence or tilt was found or suspected in about one in five building inspections. In foundation surveys with measurements, the largest height difference was 5 cm or more in half of the cases, and 10 cm or more in about a quarter (our own reports). Foundation repair in Amsterdam costs from € 2,500 per m², from € 3,500 per m² with a basement, and at least € 200,000 for a canal house (2025 prices, our own reports). The full method is on Premiumkeur in figures (in Dutch).
During a building inspection we can add a foundation quick scan (phase 0): we measure the mortar joints and floor levels to see whether, and how much, the house has subsided. Inspection plus quick scan costs from € 898. A phase 1 foundation investigation costs € 699 to € 1,499; phase 2, where the foundation is dug out, starts at € 3,000. Measuring bolts (meetbouten) in the facade show the speed of sinking over the years. More in our knowledge base on foundation investigation.
The foundation label on the valuation report
Since 1 April 2026 the valuer includes a foundation risk class from A to E in every valuation report. It is based on a visual check and online data, so it is a risk indication, not a measurement of your foundation. With D or E the bank can ask for further investigation and may deduct estimated repair costs from the value, which you then have to cover yourself. Here’s the catch: the valuation is normally ordered after your offer has been accepted, so the label arrives after you’ve agreed the price. Don’t wait for it. Check the foundation before you sign.
Apartments: VvE and the maintenance plan (MJOP)
When you buy an apartment you also buy a share of the building. The owners’ association, the Vereniging van Eigenaars or VvE, owns the roof, facades, foundation and stairwells, and every owner pays a monthly contribution. Americans would call it an HOA. Foundation repair on an apartment building is paid by the VvE, each owner in proportion to their share. Every VvE must set money aside each year for major maintenance, based on a long-term maintenance plan (MJOP) or at least 0.5% of the rebuild value of the building.
Documents to ask for before you sign
- the minutes of the last two or three meetings (look for leaks, foundation and arguments about money);
- the MJOP, and whether it is up to date;
- the reserve fund and the annual accounts;
- the deed of division (splitsingsakte) with its drawing, which shows what is private and what is shared;
- whether the seller has any arrears with the VvE.
Asking for these is part of your duty to investigate. Dutch banks often ask for the MJOP or the VvE accounts as well.
A sleeping VvE
In small Amsterdam buildings the VvE is sometimes inactive: no meetings, no bank account, no plan. Insurance does not replace it. Shared maintenance simply piles up, and the bill lands on the owners at once. In one of our 2024 reports, € 24,700 of urgent work was mostly for a VvE that according to our client was not active. We can draw up an MJOP during the inspection (€ 899 for a VvE of up to five apartments). Read more in our VvE maintenance plan knowledge base.
Leasehold (erfpacht) in Amsterdam
In large parts of Amsterdam you buy the house but not the land. The City owns the ground and you hold a leasehold right, erfpacht, for which a ground rent (canon) may be due. British buyers will recognise the idea of leasehold; Americans usually won’t.
There are two systems. Under the older continuous leasehold (voortdurende erfpacht) the lease runs in periods, often 50 or 75 years, and the ground rent and conditions are revised at the end of each period. Under perpetual leasehold (eeuwigdurende erfpacht) there are no periods. The ground rent can be paid each year, or bought off. Watch the words: a ground rent bought off until the end of the current period is not the same as one bought off for good, and English-language listings sometimes call both perpetual. Also, an offer from the City to switch to perpetual leasehold is not a switch until the deed has been signed and registered.
What to do: ask the selling agent for the leasehold deed and the general conditions that apply, and ask the notary to check the current position before you sign. A building inspection doesn’t cover leasehold. We mention it here because it can cost more than many defects.
Damp, mould, roof and crawl space
These are the problems we find most in Amsterdam. Wood rot was found or suspected in more than a third of our building inspections, and cracking in about half (our own reports).
Crawl space. Under a raised ground floor there is usually a crawl space, often damp. Poor ventilation rots timber joists; in a 100-year-old house replacing them all costs € 50,000 to € 80,000. We go in where it is safe and use a camera robot where it is too low. See Crawl Space Inspection and, for wet cellars, Basement Inspection.
Mould. Black mould in an old house can be condensation from poor ventilation, or water getting in from outside. Painting over it fixes neither. Our page mould and damp in Amsterdam homes explains how we find the cause.
Roof. A roof seen from a window is a roof that wasn’t inspected. We go up where it’s safe, with no height limit. Leaks often come from overdue maintenance or poor roofing work. More on roof and facade leak investigation, and for concrete rot and railings, Balcony Inspection.
Damp, roof and crawl space inspections each start at € 499.
New builds and handover
A new build home is not inspected before you buy but at the handover (oplevering). You and the builder walk through the home and every visible defect goes into the official handover report, which both of you sign. That is your snagging list, or punch list in American English. What isn’t on it, you may have to argue about later.
Two things expats often don’t know. Under the 5% rule (5%-regeling) you may pay the last 5% of the contract price into a deposit with the notary, where it stays for three months after the handover. And most contracts have a maintenance period, often three months, in which the builder repairs defects that show up after you move in.
Both are explained on Handover inspection Amsterdam. Buying off-plan, or a shell (casco) apartment? Read New build inspection Amsterdam. A handover inspection costs € 499.
Monuments and canal houses
A canal house or another listed building (rijksmonument or municipal monument) comes with rules about what you may change. Many changes need a permit, repairs take longer and materials cost more. Add timber piles, shared party walls with the neighbours and centuries of alterations, and you can see why a canal house needs more than a quick look. A new foundation for a canal house costs at least € 200,000 (2025 prices).
Our Monument Amsterdam knowledge base covers the permits, the subsidies and what we typically find in listed buildings.
Repairs after you buy: how to find a reliable contractor
After the keys, the next question is who does the work. A few habits help, wherever you’re from:
- Get at least two or three written quotes and compare them line by line rather than only the total.
- Ask for photos of the defects and a quote that separates what fixes the problem from maintenance and improvements.
- Don’t let the company that diagnoses the problem automatically carry out the repair. The one judging the problem then has an interest in the size of the solution.
- For listed buildings, foundations and structural changes, check whether a permit is needed before work starts.
- Agree a fixed price or a clear hourly rate, and pay in stages as work is done.
Free roof inspections at the door
In Amsterdam you’ll regularly see offers of a free roof inspection, free leak detection or a free damp survey, usually from firms that also do the repair. It’s a common business model, and the inspection is paid for by the work that follows. Be careful if someone rings your bell unannounced, there is time pressure or cash is required. For doorstep sales of more than € 50 you generally have 14 days to cancel, according to the Dutch government. On the Dutch consumer programme Kassa in 2015, the trade association for roofers advised against working with a company that only accepts cash.
Premiumkeur does not recommend contractors or repair firms. That way our advice on what needs doing stays separate from who earns money doing it.
Dutch property terms in plain English
- Aankoopmakelaar: your own buying agent.
- Bedenktijd: the 3-day cooling-off period after signing.
- Bouwkundige keuring: building inspection, home inspection or house survey. The report is a bouwkundig rapport.
- Bouwkundig voorbehoud: building inspection condition, the Dutch version of an inspection contingency.
- Erfpacht and canon: leasehold and ground rent.
- Funderingslabel: the foundation risk class A to E in the valuation report.
- Koopovereenkomst: purchase agreement.
- Levering: transfer of ownership at the notary (closing).
- Meetbouten: measuring bolts in the facade to track subsidence.
- MJOP: long-term maintenance plan of the VvE.
- Onderzoeksplicht and mededelingsplicht: the buyer’s duty to investigate and the seller’s duty to disclose.
- Oplevering: handover of a new build home.
- Ouderdomsclausule: age clause, which limits the seller’s liability for defects that come with an old house.
- Taxatie: valuation for the bank. Not an inspection.
- VvE: owners’ association (HOA).
- Waarborgsom: deposit, usually 10% of the price, or a bank guarantee instead.
Checklist before you sign
Print this and tick it off.
- ☐ Mortgage room checked, with or without NHG.
- ☐ Independent inspector chosen by you, booked before the offer.
- ☐ Building inspection condition and financing condition in the offer, with realistic deadlines.
- ☐ Threshold amount in the inspection condition read (often about € 5,000; not mandatory).
- ☐ Age clause and any “as is” clause read and understood.
- ☐ Date the signed agreement arrives noted, and the end of the cooling-off period worked out.
- ☐ Inspection done: roof, crawl space and installations covered, limits in writing.
- ☐ Foundation checked for a house built before 1970.
- ☐ For an apartment: minutes, MJOP, reserve fund, annual accounts and deed of division received.
- ☐ Leasehold position known: continuous or perpetual, paid yearly or bought off, and until when.
- ☐ Energy label received from the seller.
- ☐ Deposit or bank guarantee arranged on time.
- ☐ Final walk-through planned before the transfer.
Four cases from our reports
Anonymous examples from our English knowledge base, from 2026 reports. Addresses and names are left out.
A maintenance plan for an 1834 building, Amsterdam city centre
The VvE of a six-storey building from 1834 asked for an MJOP in September 2026. The timber structure of the balconies was affected and needed attention straight away. The rear facade was not watertight, windows had been replaced without a permit, the smoke detectors were over ten years old, and a leaking downpipe on the neighbouring building was causing damp. Immediate costs were about € 17,700, with about € 30,000 of major maintenance expected around 2030 (2026 prices).
What this shows: as a buyer you inherit the VvE’s to-do list. A plan like this tells you what your share will be.
Black mould in an end-of-terrace house, Amsterdam-Noord
A three-storey house on peat was surveyed in April 2026 for damp patches and black mould. The causes were condensation on cold, uninsulated walls, a house without trickle vents, gaps around the frames, a leaking roof and roof window, a defective chimney and a poorly ventilated crawl space. Our advice was to keep the water out first, then ventilate, and only then insulate.
What this shows: mould is usually a symptom. Insulating a house that still leaks makes it worse.
Woodworm and an unsafe gas pipe, Hoofddorppleinbuurt
In April 2026 we inspected the crawl space of a building with a VvE. We found active woodworm and rot in several joists from long-term leaking drains and poor ventilation, rats coming in from the neighbours’ crawl spaces, and a plastic gas pipe without a protective sleeve that was poorly fixed. We advised calling in a registered gas installer immediately.
What this shows: a crawl space nobody enters hides both the cause of the damage and the safety risks.
Damp in a unit beneath a listed building from 1770, city centre
The owner of a commercial unit under a listed building planned a renovation, and we surveyed it in September 2026. There was severe rising damp, penetrating damp at the rear, a badly sloping concrete floor probably resting on peat without foundations, and a roof that still leaked. Foundation, roof and facades were shared, so every owner in the VvE pays a share.
What this shows: in a listed building with a VvE, the big costs are shared, and so are the decisions.
What other buyers wrote
Eight reviews from buyers, several of them expats, about the moments this guide is about: the offer, the cooling-off period, the foundation and choosing an inspector. Dutch reviews are translated; we left out names. Hundreds more are in our English reviews.
Impressive work from Tim. He managed to fit us in at the last minute, walked us through every part of the inspection, and patiently answered all our questions. The report arrived the next day, with clear details on recommended repairs, cost estimates, and priorities (immediate, short-term, and long-term). Super professional, truly independent, and highly recommended!
Review on Google, 5 stars
Daan did the building inspection for our first home, and we couldn’t have asked for better. He was really friendly, explained everything along the way, and paid great attention to detail, which is exactly what you need when buying a home.
Review on Google, October 2026, 5 stars
Recommended! Fred inspected the house we wanted to buy in Utrecht. After the selling agent had recommended a number of ‘good’ inspectors, I went looking myself and ended up at Premiumkeur. I am very satisfied. Besides pleasant contact, I found Fred very knowledgeable and decisive, and he delivered a nice, detailed report.
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), June 2020, 5 stars
Very happy with the speed of Premiumkeur and the report delivered! We wanted to make an offer subject to a building inspection and had written to Premiumkeur (…) to ask whether they could carry out this inspection at short notice. We got a very quick response. In the end we were in contact on Monday evening after a confirmed offer, had the building inspection on Thursday, and had the report on Friday.
Review on Trustpilot (translated from Dutch), July 2026, 5 stars
There was some urgency in having our home inspected, because we had agreed to have the building inspection carried out within our cooling-off period. Fred immediately thought along with us and could even inspect our home on the day we signed our provisional purchase agreement (1 working day after my phone call). (…) The inspection ended with a thorough inspection of the crawl space, where we were even invited to crawl after Fred.
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), May 2019, 5 stars
We had a building and foundation inspection carried out by Daan of Premiumkeur. A very extensive inspection and report. Because of the defects found in the house, we withdrew from the purchase. Premiumkeur saved us from a financial disaster.
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), August 2024, 5 stars
Bo really took the time to discuss all aspects of the house with us. Not only what is wrong, but also how we could solve it. It is our first house, so lots of new terms and things to learn, but he gave plenty of explanation, very nice! We got an honest and clear picture of the condition of the house.
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), May 2023, 5 stars
Mr Tokkie inspected our (fixer-upper) home quickly and expertly. Thanks to his experience as a contractor he could also list the costs at lightning speed and tell us how far we could go with our offer. This helped us enormously in assessing the purchase.
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), July 2016, 5 stars
Questions expats ask about buying a house in Amsterdam
Is a building inspection really necessary when buying a house in the Netherlands?
It is not compulsory, but under Dutch law the buyer has a duty to investigate. Defects you could have found with a proper inspection are usually at your expense later. For an older house we would not buy without one.
Should I get the inspection before or after my offer?
Ideally between the verbal agreement and signing, or within the building inspection condition. If you have to bid without that condition, have the house inspected before you make the offer.
Should I bid without conditions to win the house?
Only if you can afford the risk. Without a building inspection condition, defects found later are yours, and without a financing condition you can owe a penalty of usually 10% of the price if your mortgage falls through.
Can I do the inspection within the 3-day cooling-off period?
Yes, if you plan it. The three days start the day after you receive the signed purchase agreement, and at least two of them must be working days. Book the inspector before you sign so the inspection and report fit inside that window.
Isn’t the bank’s valuation enough?
No. A valuation (taxatie) tells the bank what the house is worth. It is not a technical inspection of the roof, the crawl space or the installations.
What does the foundation label A to E on the valuation mean for me?
Since 1 April 2026 it is part of every valuation report. It is a risk indication based on a visual check and online data, not a foundation investigation. With D or E the bank may ask for more investigation. You usually see it after your offer has been accepted, so check the foundation earlier.
The house is on wooden piles. Should I worry?
Not automatically. Most of old Amsterdam stands on timber piles. The question is their condition, which a foundation quick scan or a phase 1 or 2 investigation shows. For houses built before 1970 we advise checking before you sign.
How do I know if the VvE is healthy?
Ask for the minutes, the MJOP, the reserve fund and the annual accounts. Every VvE must reserve money each year, based on an MJOP or at least 0.5% of the rebuild value. Look for planned work without money behind it.
The building has no active VvE. Is insurance enough instead?
No. Insurance does not plan or pay for maintenance. A sleeping VvE means shared maintenance piles up and owners face a large bill at once. Some banks also ask for VvE documents before they lend.
What is erfpacht, and do I own the land?
Erfpacht is leasehold: you own the house, and the City usually owns the land. Check whether the lease is continuous or perpetual, and whether the ground rent is paid yearly or bought off, and until when.
Do I need my own buying agent if the seller has one?
The selling agent works for the seller. Many expats hire their own buying agent (aankoopmakelaar) for the negotiation. Remember that a buying agent is usually also paid when you buy, so choose the inspector yourself.
What if I overbid above the valuation?
Banks lend at most 100% of the market value. Anything you pay above the valuation comes out of your own savings, on top of costs such as the notary and the valuation.
Can I claim against the seller for hidden defects?
Sometimes. The seller must tell you about defects they know of, but you must investigate yourself, and an age clause limits what you can claim. Report a defect within a reasonable time; about two months is usually seen as reasonable.
Is the final walk-through the same as an inspection?
No. The final walk-through just before the transfer only checks that the house is as agreed. It happens after you are already bound to the purchase.
How do expats find a reliable English-speaking contractor?
Ask for several written quotes, compare them line by line and don’t let the company that diagnoses the problem automatically do the repair. Be wary of free inspections offered at the door. Premiumkeur does not recommend contractors.
Premiumkeur in the media
Since 2009 journalists have written about Fred Tokkie and Premiumkeur a number of times. Most of these articles are in Dutch and some need a subscription. We list them here so you can check for yourself what others wrote about us.
- NRC, 21 April 2009: “Dit krot kun je best zelf omtoveren tot een paleisje”, a piece about buying a run-down house and doing it up yourself, in which Fred Tokkie appears (article in Dutch, subscription required).
- AT5, December 2016: in AT5’s report on buyers who skip the building inspection, Fred Tokkie, then inspecting as De Huizendokter, talks about the rot, mould and woodworm buyers find after the sale. He also tells people buying a flat to look closely at the owners’ association (VvE) and its planned maintenance (article in Dutch).
- Quote, 22 February 2021: Quote article on what a building report does and doesn’t tell buyers (2021). The business magazine wrote about Fred Tokkie’s view that a report gives less certainty than buyers expect when the crawl space and the roof only get a quick look (article in Dutch).
- NRC, 27 April 2021: “Op een overspannen huizenmarkt is een goede keuring vooral hinderlijk”. NRC spoke to Fred Tokkie and other inspectors, estate agents and buyers about the pressure on independent building inspections in an overheated housing market (article in Dutch, subscription required).
- Onderzoekscollectief Spit, 10 May 2023: “De kleine lettertjes van de woningkeurders”. For this investigation into what home inspections cover and what they leave out, reporter Bram Logger spent six months with Premiumkeur’s inspectors, Fred Tokkie among them (article in Dutch).
- De Groene Amsterdammer, 10 May 2023: the same investigation ran in the weekly as “Zwammen in de kruipruimte” (article in Dutch, subscription required). With permission, the full text is on our page about Fred Tokkie (in Dutch).
- AD, 10 May 2023: AD article on building defects after a home inspection (2023). AD wrote about buyers who faced costly building defects after an inspection. Fred Tokkie of Premiumkeur appears in the article with buyers (article in Dutch, subscription required).
- Amsterdam Done Right, 12 August 2026: Premiumkeur is listed among home inspection teams in Amsterdam by Amsterdam Done Right, which mentions our NEN 2767 certification and our experience with canal houses and listed buildings (in English).
- On Reddit (r/Klussers, 2024), a buyer looking for an inspector who could cover both the building and the foundation asked about Premiumkeur in a discussion on Reddit (r/Klussers) about experiences with Premiumkeur. One reply, from a buyer who used us in 2020 for a pre-purchase inspection of a 1973 house in the Gooi region wrote that Fred Tokkie mapped the house “from top to toe”, including the crawl space and some walls and panels that contained asbestos. The report came quickly by email and they would recommend us (translated from Dutch).
Sources
- Rijksoverheid, Hoeveel bedenktijd heb ik na het kopen van een woning? (in Dutch)
- Notaris.nl (KNB), Als de koop van het huis niet doorgaat (in Dutch)
- Radar, Voorbehoud bouwkundige keuring van huis wordt standaard in koopcontract (24 January 2018) (in Dutch)
- Juridisch Loket, Verborgen gebreken in koopwoning (in Dutch)
- Consumentenbond, Checklist bieden op een huis (in Dutch)
- Funda, Kopen zonder voorbehoud van financiering of keuring (Funda Index Q4 2025) (in Dutch)
- Banken.nl, NHG-grens stijgt naar € 470.000 (in Dutch)
- Radar, Alles wat je moet weten over het nieuwe funderingslabel (14 September 2026) (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid, Hoeveel geld moeten vve’s reserveren voor groot onderhoud? (in Dutch)
- Gemeente Amsterdam, Een woning met erfpacht kopen (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid, Energielabel woningen en gebouwen (in Dutch)
- IPLO, Opschortingsrecht en 5%-regeling (in Dutch)
- NEN, NTA 8060:2021, inspection of the constructional condition of a dwelling (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid, Wat zijn mijn rechten bij verkoop aan huis (colportage)? (in Dutch)
- Kassa, Pas op voor oplichters in de schimmige wereld van de dakdekkers (2015) (in Dutch)
Figures marked “our own reports” come from our digital report archive (2021 to October 2026). Prices are our rates including VAT, October 2026. Last updated: 23 October 2026. Written by Fred Tokkie, Premiumkeur B.V.
Related articles
These pages go deeper into subjects that come up in this article.
- foundation inspection in Amsterdam: our English service page on how we inspect the foundation of a house you want to buy, and what it costs.
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