How much should you overbid on a house in the Netherlands as an expat?

You have finally found a house that suits you. The asking price is within your budget, but your colleagues are already warning you: you won't get it for that price. So how much do you need to overbid to stand a chance, without paying too much?

In the Netherlands, people often bid above the asking price. But there is no fixed percentage you need to overbid. How much you can bid depends on what the property is worth, how much you can borrow and how much of your own money you have. You need to take these three things into account when you make an offer.

As an NVM real estate agent and registered appraiser, I see what buyers bid and what a property turns out to be worth at the valuation. In this blog, I explain how overbidding works and how you decide which offer you can make without regretting it afterwards.

Is overbidding normal in the Netherlands?

Yes. According to the NVM, buyers paid more than the asking price for over 71 percent of the homes sold in the second quarter of 2026. That percentage has been around 70 percent for two years.

There are, however, big differences between types of homes. Terraced houses were overbid on in more than 80 percent of cases, and apartments in 73 percent. Detached houses, on the other hand, mostly sold below the asking price.

The housing market is somewhat calmer than a few years ago, because more houses are coming up for sale. In Amsterdam too, according to the NVM, there is still a lot of overbidding. Average prices there are falling slightly, though, because many homes are coming onto the market.

Do you want to know first how the whole buying process works? Then read my guide to the Dutch housing market.

What is the difference between asking price, market value and purchase price?

The asking price is the amount for which the seller puts the house up for sale. That does not have to be the same as the value of the property. Sometimes a seller deliberately chooses a lower asking price to attract more viewers.

The market value is the amount the property is expected to fetch in a normal sale. An appraiser determines that value and records it in a valuation report. The bank uses that report to determine how much mortgage you can get.

The purchase price is the amount you eventually agree on with the seller. That amount goes into the purchase agreement, the contract in which you and the seller record the sale.

If you bid above the asking price, but not more than the market value, you are not paying more than the property is worth according to the valuation. If you bid more than the market value, you are paying more than the appraised value.

Why doesn't a fixed overbid percentage work?

A rule of thumb like “bid five percent above the asking price” does not help you much, because the asking price says little about the actual value. Two houses with the same asking price can differ in value by tens of thousands of euros.

The value mainly depends on the property itself and the location. A terraced house in a popular neighborhood in Purmerend attracts more buyers than a similar house on a busy main road. The type of home and the condition of the house also play a big role. According to the NVM, homes with a poor energy label or a lot of overdue maintenance stay on the market longer than well-maintained, energy-efficient homes.

My knowledge of building construction is very useful here. A new kitchen stands out immediately during a viewing. But you might not see that the roof needs to be replaced in five years. And yet a roof like that can end up costing you much more money.

The asking price is €450,000. What is a realistic offer?

I can't give you a fixed answer, but I can explain how to decide on a good offer.

Start with the market value. Look for homes in the same neighborhood that have sold in the past few months and are comparable to the house you want to buy. Look at the type of home, the size and the condition of the property. What did buyers pay for them? Suppose comparable homes sold for between 465,000 and 475,000 euros. With an offer of 470,000 euros, you may then be above the asking price, but not above the estimated market value.

Then work out the maximum you can pay, even if the valuation comes in lower than expected. Can you pay less than what the house is probably worth? Then there is a chance you won't get the house. That's a shame, but you also don't want to make an offer that you ultimately can't pay.

If a lot of people come to view the house, there is a bigger chance that people will bid above the market value. You then have to decide how much of your own savings you might want to use to bid more than the property is worth.

Can you include the overbid amount in your mortgage?

Partly. In the Netherlands, you can take out a mortgage of up to 100 percent of the value of the property. An appraiser determines that value. So you cannot borrow more than what the house is worth according to the valuation. Your income also has to be high enough to pay the mortgage. The rules for this are set again every year.

If your offer is equal to or lower than the valuation, you can in principle borrow the full amount, as long as your income allows it. If you bid more than the valuation, you have to pay the difference yourself.

What happens if the valuation comes in lower than your offer?

Suppose you buy a house for 480,000 euros, but the appraiser values it at 465,000 euros. The bank will then lend you a maximum of 465,000 euros. You have to pay the remaining 15,000 euros yourself, on top of the buyer's costs. If you don't have that money, you can get into trouble, unless you have a financing condition.

As an appraiser, I know that a valuation is not just a formality. The appraiser looks at comparable homes that have been sold and does not automatically adopt your purchase price. If you bid much more than what comparable houses sold for, the valuation may come in lower than your offer.

How much of your own money do you need if you overbid?

Take two amounts into account. The first is the buyer's costs. These are the costs on top of the purchase price, such as transfer tax (the tax you pay when you buy a house), the notary, the valuation and the mortgage advice. You have to pay these yourself, because you cannot include them in your mortgage. In my blog about the costs of buying a house in the Netherlands, I list them for you.

You also have to take into account the difference between your offer and the valuation. You only know how big that difference is after the valuation. So check beforehand how much savings you have and deduct the buyer's costs. The amount that remains is the maximum you can add yourself if your offer is higher than the valuation. That is the amount you need to keep in mind when you start bidding.

Should you bid without a financing condition?

A resolutive condition is an agreement that allows you to withdraw from the purchase without a penalty in certain situations. The financing condition is the best known. If you don't manage to get a mortgage within the agreed period, you can cancel the purchase.

Without that condition, you are bound to the purchase, even if you can't arrange the financing. After the statutory cooling-off period of three days, you can then no longer simply withdraw from the purchase. The standard purchase agreement includes a penalty of 10 percent of the purchase price if you do not keep to the agreements.

Sellers often find an offer without a financing condition more attractive. But you do take more risk yourself. That risk is only manageable if your mortgage is already largely certain and you can borrow enough and add enough yourself, even with a lower valuation. Always discuss this with your mortgage advisor first. I work with Mortgage Spotters for this. This is an explanation, not personal advice.

How do I assess an offer as a buying agent and appraiser?

When I prepare an offer with a client, I look at three things. What is the house worth when you look at comparable homes that were recently sold in the area? What construction costs can you expect in the coming years? And how much can my client pay, even if the valuation comes in lower?

Based on that, we determine which amounts are reasonable to bid. You decide in the end how much you want to bid. Would you like me to take a look at a house you have your eye on? Then schedule a no-obligation introductory meeting. You can read more about what a buying agent does for you in my blog about a buying agent as an expat.

Frequently asked questions about overbidding

So: how much should you overbid on a house in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands, about seven out of ten homes are sold above the asking price. However, you cannot determine how much you should bid with a fixed percentage. You need to look at the market value of the house, how much mortgage you can get and how much of your own money you can add if the valuation comes in lower.

So how far you need to go above the asking price mainly depends on what the house is worth and how much you can pay yourself. If you know that beforehand, you can better decide which offer you want to make. And when you had better not bid any higher.

I'm Esther van Dijk, NVM real estate agent and registered appraiser in Hoorn. I help expats buy a house in the Amsterdam region, from Amsterdam itself to Hoorn, Purmerend and Alkmaar. I do this in English and together with my mortgage partner Mortgage Spotters. On my page as an expat real estate agent, you can read how I work.

Would you like to know how much you can bid before you make an offer? Schedule a no-obligation introductory meeting and we'll work it out together.