Handover inspection Amsterdam
Bought a new build apartment or house in Amsterdam? Before you get the keys there is one appointment that matters more than any other: the handover, in Dutch the oplevering. We wrote this page for expats and international buyers who have never been through a Dutch handover. Our building surveyor walks through the home with you, finds the defects and helps you get every one of them on the official list. Some people search for a snagging inspection Amsterdam, others for a building survey Amsterdam for a new build. It is the same job: find the snags before you sign.
Our clients rate us 4.9 stars from 698 Google reviews and 100 Trustpilot reviews: see our profile on Trustpilot. A handover inspection costs € 499 including VAT. Report in English: € 100 extra. All other prices are on our page services and rates (in Dutch).
☎ Call +31 20 773 6842 or send us an email.
We bring an infrared camera, precise levelling instruments, an endoscope camera and, if needed, a drone. We don’t work for developers, builders or estate agents. You hire us, and we report to you.
Want to understand the whole Dutch buying process first? Our building inspection knowledge base in English covers contracts, foundations, owners’ associations and costs. Buying an older home instead? Read Building Inspection Amsterdam. We also post inspection videos on YouTube.
Nederlandstalig? Lees onze pagina Opleveringskeuring Amsterdam.
How a Dutch handover works
In the Netherlands a new build home is not simply finished and handed over. The builder invites you to the handover, you walk through the home together, and every visible defect is written down in the proces-verbaal van oplevering: the official handover report that you and the builder both sign. That document is your snagging list. What is on it, the builder has to repair. What is missing from it, you may have to argue about later.
This is where many expats get caught out. The appointment is short, the builder’s site manager does this every week, and you are standing in an empty apartment trying to judge plaster, sealant and window frames, often with a form in a language you don’t read. A building surveyor at your side changes that. We check, we measure, and we tell you what has to be written down before you put your signature under it.
Many projects also have a pre-handover inspection a few weeks earlier, in Dutch a vooroplevering or voorschouw. Take us along to that one as well. Defects found then can be repaired before the real handover, and the builder knows exactly what you expect.
Several buyers in the same project? A group discount for several handover inspections is always open for discussion. Call us and ask about the conditions.
A neat report, unlike the neighbours
PremiumKeur came with us during the pre-inspection of our new build house. Unlike all the neighbours, we had a neat report of everything that had not been delivered as agreed, and the builder knew exactly which points still had to be dealt with. Bo, our man at the inspection, checked everything thoroughly and was very friendly, also in dealing with the builder. We can recommend it to everyone, especially because of the expertise he brought that we don’t have ourselves during such a pre-inspection. Thanks again! It was worth every euro
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), October 2023, 5 stars
Damage we would never have found
Very pleased with the services of Fred and Teun! On time at the handover and very nice to have someone there with expertise and an eye for detail. Teun pointed out a number of things that we would otherwise never have discovered ourselves (for example damage to the window). More than worth the money!
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), December 2018, 5 stars
The 5% rule: money kept at the notary
If you have a new home built by a builder, Dutch law gives you a strong tool. You may pay the last 5% of the contract price (the aanneemsom) into a deposit with the civil-law notary instead of to the builder. This is called the 5%-regeling. The money stays there for three months after the handover. Within those three months you can tell the notary that (part of) it has to stay in the deposit longer because of defects. The amount you hold back has to be in proportion to those defects.
The builder can replace the deposit with equivalent security, such as a bank guarantee. For contracts signed from 1 January 2024, the builder also has to inform you in writing about this right, between one and two months after the handover, and send the notary a copy. Without that copy the notary may not pay the builder.
What this means for your inspection: the 5% only works for defects you can point to. A clear snagging list from the handover, with photos, is what gives the deposit its value.
Source: IPLO, opschortingsrecht en 5%-regeling (in Dutch).
After the keys: maintenance period and guarantee
The handover is not the end. Most Dutch new build contracts have a maintenance period (onderhoudstermijn), often three months after the handover. Defects that appear in that period, such as cracks in the plaster, doors that stick or a leaking connection, you report to the builder, who comes back to repair them. Your contract states the exact length.
Then comes the guarantee period (garantietermijn). Many new build homes in the Netherlands are sold with a guarantee from Woningborg or SWK. Under the Woningborg scheme the general guarantee runs for six years and serious defects are covered up to ten years, both counted from three months after the handover. Read the guarantee terms you receive with your contract, because not every defect is covered.
Since 1 January 2024 the Wet kwaliteitsborging voor het bouwen (Wkb, the Dutch Building Quality Assurance Act) also changed the rules. For contracts signed after that date, the builder stays liable for defects that were not discovered at the handover, unless the defect cannot be attributed to the builder. Useful, but no reason to skip a careful handover. A defect on the snagging list is much easier to settle than one you have to prove a year later.
Sources: Woningborg, Uw nieuwe woning (in Dutch) and VBK, de Wkb in het privaatrecht (in Dutch).
Every snag, down to the tiles
Fred is a top notch inspector in Amsterdam His services were definitely worth the cost. While inspecting our new home (pre offer) he was extremely detailed. He climbed the roof to check the tiles and even laid on the bathroom floors to check the level of the tiling and plumbing. With his construction background and thorough approach, Fred caught all the snags. He then provided us a report that saved us money and future headaches as the selling party addressed these as part of the purchase agreement.
Review on Google, April 2021, 5 stars
Expats who knew nothing about the process
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, June 2016, 5 stars
From our files: new work that still leaked
Two short cases from our knowledge base. Addresses and names are left out.
Watergraafsmeer, 2026: a roof terrace that kept leaking
After the roofing was renewed, the extension of a 1929 building with an owners’ association kept leaking. In March 2026 we did a roof inspection with leak detection. The roofing at the terrace and the corner joint with the extension were not watertight, earlier emergency repairs were inadequate and the roofing around the rooflight was loose. There was also a leak where the neighbours’ flue goes through the roof; if that flue is not refitted properly, there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Our advice: renew most of the roofing at the terrace with a watertight joint to the extension, and have only a registered heating engineer refit the flue. The roofing had just been renewed and still leaked. An independent inspection showed where it went wrong and who is responsible.
De Pijp, 2026: a construction fault behind the damp
The occupant of a ground-floor apartment with a basement asked for a damp and leak survey in May 2026. One of the causes was the joint between the window frame and the basement tank: it was not watertight, a construction fault, and our readings showed an active leak. On top of that an open light well collected rainwater, there was rising damp, and the pump pit was under water, with a risk of short circuit and electrocution.
Our advice was to pump the pit dry immediately, renew the wiring, have the pump checked and deal with the light well, sealant and grout. Damp in a basement rarely has one cause. If you only tackle the most visible spot, it comes back. For a handover the lesson is the same: look at the connections, not only at the finish.
Learn more before you buy
Most expats buy only one or two homes in the Netherlands, so nobody expects you to know the system. These English pages explain the rest:
- Building inspection knowledge base (linked at the top of this page): our full guide to buying a home in Amsterdam, from contract clauses to foundations and repair costs.
- VvE maintenance plan Amsterdam knowledge base: what the owners’ association (VvE) and its long-term maintenance plan (MJOP) mean for you as an apartment owner.
- Knowledge base foundation investigation: timber piles, measuring bolts and the phases of a foundation survey, for when you also look at older homes.
- Monument Amsterdam knowledge base: what changes when you buy or renovate a listed building.
- New build inspection Amsterdam: buying a new build apartment off-plan, the shell finish (casco) and your new VvE.
- English reviews of Premiumkeur: what international buyers wrote about us, word for word.
Frequently asked questions about a handover inspection
What is a handover inspection in Amsterdam?
An independent building surveyor checks your new build home at the moment the builder hands it over to you, the oplevering. We walk through every room with you, measure where needed and help you put every defect on the official handover report before you sign it.
What is a snagging list?
The list of defects that the builder still has to repair after the handover: damage, unfinished work and things not delivered as agreed. In the Netherlands it is written into the proces-verbaal van oplevering, so it counts as the snagging list signed by both you and the builder.
Should I sign the proces-verbaal van oplevering if I disagree with it?
Read it before you sign and check that every defect you pointed out is on it. If something is missing, have it added. Your signature confirms what was recorded at the handover, which is exactly why the list needs to be complete.
Can I keep 5% of the price back from the builder?
Usually, yes. Under the 5% rule (5%-regeling) you can pay the last 5% of the contract price into a deposit with the notary. It stays there for three months after the handover, unless the builder offers equivalent security such as a bank guarantee.
What happens if a defect shows up after I get the keys?
Report it to the builder in writing. Many contracts have a maintenance period (onderhoudstermijn), often three months, in which the builder repairs new defects. After that the guarantee from Woningborg or SWK may apply, if your home has one.
Is a pre-handover inspection worth it?
Yes. At the pre-handover inspection (vooroplevering) defects can still be repaired before the real handover. On the day itself you then mainly check that the work was done.
Do expats need someone who speaks English at the handover?
It helps a lot. The inspector explains everything on site in English, and you are welcome to walk along and ask questions. You can get the report in English for € 100 extra. Many expats tell us the handover is the first time they see Dutch building terms in writing.
Can I get the report in English?
Yes. The inspector explains the findings on site in English, and an English report costs € 100 extra.
What does a handover inspection cost?
A handover inspection of a new build home with report costs from € 499 including VAT, the same starting price as a building survey Amsterdam buyers book for an existing home.
Do you work with developers, builders or estate agents?
No. Premiumkeur does not work with estate agents, financial intermediaries, contractors, roofers or painters. We work for the buyer only.
What clients say on Trustpilot
The reviews below were posted on Trustpilot. Premiumkeur averages 4.9 stars there from 100 Trustpilot reviews, and 4.9 stars from 698 Google reviews (October 2026).
Inspection after bathroom’s renovation
Bo Schreurs was exceptionally generous with his time. He listened carefully to all of my concerns and conducted a thorough, meticulous inspection. Not only did he confirm my observations and suspicions, but he also identified several additional issues that I had not noticed myself. His expertise and attention to detail were truly impressive.
On the very evening of the inspection, Bo sent me his preliminary findings, allowing me to forward them immediately to the contractor and begin the legal process without delay.
Review on Trustpilot, June 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
Contact Premiumkeur Amsterdam
Premiumkeur B.V.
Heiligeweg 30
1012 XR Amsterdam
Phone: +31 20 773 6842
WhatsApp: +31 6 2956 3190
Email: premiumkeur@gmail.com
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 81106130
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