Building survey: costs and when to have one done

What a building survey costs

A building survey (bouwkundige keuring) is an inspection by an independent surveyor of the condition of the property: roof, foundations, window frames, damp, installations. Costs vary, usually somewhere between three hundred and seven hundred euros. That depends on the type of home, its size and whether additional research is needed, for example into asbestos or the foundations.

We do not carry out surveys ourselves; an independent surveyor does. Your dedicated agent does advise you which kind of inspection suits the property and when to schedule it. Broadly, these points determine the price:

• The size of the home: a compact apartment is cheaper to survey than a large house
• The age and construction method: older homes require more inspection
• Additional research, for example into asbestos or foundation problems
• How detailed you want the report to be

Building survey before or after your offer?

In practice you always have the survey carried out after your offer, but within the cancellation period set out in the purchase agreement. That period is the time in which you can still cancel the purchase if an agreed condition is not met; it is often a couple of weeks.

So you first make an offer subject to a building survey. That is a condition precedent: a clause that lets you withdraw without penalty if the survey brings serious defects to light. Only once your offer has been accepted do you call in the surveyor. A survey after the offer is therefore the normal course of events, not an exception.

What you should rather not do is skip the survey to be able to bid faster. In a busy market a clause can feel like a disadvantage, but it protects you against hidden defects that can cost thousands afterwards. Your dedicated agent helps you word the clause so that your offer stays strong and you still have time for a proper inspection.

Drawbacks of a building survey

The drawbacks are worth naming, so you can weigh things up realistically:

• It takes time: you have to schedule a surveyor within the cancellation period, and in a busy period that is tight
• It costs money, on top of the buying support and the notary
• If there are several bidders, a clause can make your offer less attractive to a seller who prefers an offer without conditions

Choosing a surveyor: cheap is not always sensible

The cost of a survey can be higher for an older or more complex property. Think of older city houses, for example in Amsterdam, with foundations on wooden piles.

If you go looking for a cheap survey, check what is actually inspected. A limited survey that skips important elements such as the foundations often turns out more expensive afterwards. We would rather look with you in advance at what this property needs than have you surprised after the transfer.

Sometimes it is wiser to shorten the cancellation period for the survey slightly than to drop the clause altogether. We make that trade-off together, per property.

What is and is not in our €2,499 fee

The cost of the building survey is not included in our all-in fee of €2,499. That fee covers the full buying support: searching, viewings, the valuation, bidding, negotiating, the conditions precedent and the handover of the keys. You get one dedicated NVM agent who does that whole process personally.

These costs are paid separately to the party carrying out the work:

• The building survey
• A valuation report
• Notary fees
• Transfer tax
• Mortgage advice