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How much does the valuation matter when you buy a house?
The valuation figure counts towards your mortgage and can decide how much you add from your own money.
Survey & propertyMortgageFinances
What the house is worth counts towards your mortgage. A valuer assesses that market value and your lender uses the report for your application. If the value comes out below your purchase price, you may need more of your own money. Your income also decides how much you can borrow.
Before you order a valuation, ask which type of report your lender accepts and when you have to supply it.
Value is not the same as your offer
Your offer is the amount you and the seller agree. The valuer substantiates the value with the characteristics of the house and comparable transactions.
A sale price in the same street is not enough. Floor area, location, maintenance and renovations can all make a difference.
Ask which type of valuation you need
With a hybrid valuation the valuer assesses the value remotely, using data and a model. That form is often cheaper and ready sooner. If you want to borrow more than 90% of the market value it will not do, and the valuation has to be a physical one. Every lender also has its own policy, so ask whether yours accepts the hybrid form in your case.
Count on €500 to €900, checked on 4 September 2026. The difference within that range comes mainly from the type of report and the region, and sometimes from whether the validation is included.
Ask as well whether validation is required, a check on the report, and whether that is included in the price. Have the provider confirm that its report meets your lender’s requirements.
A valuation does not replace a survey
The valuer assesses market value. A structural survey examines, within its instruction, the visible condition and the possible repair costs.
If you have doubts about a particular part, have that investigated specifically. The valuation figure does not by itself give a full picture of hidden defects.
Work through a lower value as a scenario
What does a lower valuation cost you?On an offer of €425,000 with a valuation of €410,000 you put in €15,000 of your ownView exampleHide
Offer €425,000 · valuation €410,000 · at most 100% of the market value
Covered by your mortgage€ 410,000From your own money€ 15,000
- +Your offer the price in your purchase agreementthis is what you owe the seller€425,000
- −What the mortgage covers 100% of €410,000the bank follows the valuation, not your offer€410,000
To add yourself, on top of the buyer's costs€15,000
The two figures are filled in here to show the sum. This only holds if your income allows a mortgage of €410,000. If it allows less, that is your limit and your own contribution grows.
The report itself costs money as well, and that is separate from this gap. What you can actually borrow is for your mortgage adviser to confirm.
On a purchase price of €425,000 with a €410,000 mortgage you pay €15,000 yourself. The purchase costs come on top. If your income allows less borrowing, your own contribution grows.
Before you bid, run the sum with a lower valuation as well. That shows how much money of your own you need for the gap and the purchase costs. Have your adviser confirm how much your income lets you borrow.
Check the condition and its deadline
A disappointing valuation does not end the purchase automatically. The wording of your ontbindende voorwaarden decides whether you can fall back on it and what substantiation is required.
Schedule the report before that deadline. It is separate from your cooling-off period, which is shorter and expires earlier. When you book, ask the valuer when you will have the report.
What to do now
- ask your lender which form of valuation it accepts before you place the order
- schedule the valuation as soon as your offer is accepted, because the report takes time
- work out what you have to add yourself if the value lands below your offer
Sources4 sources, 2 of them official
Checked on October 7, 2026. Livio provides information, not personal advice. Ask your adviser, notary or estate agent what applies to you.
Official
- 1Nationale Hypotheek Garantie, What is the difference between a physical and a hybrid valuation? "Bij een hybride taxatie wordt op basis van objectieve data en een geavanceerd model een taxatiewaarde bepaald die vervolgens door een taxateur op afstand wordt goedgekeurd." A physical valuation is required if the borrower wants more than 90% of the market value (October 7, 2026)
- 2Rijksoverheid, How much can I borrow for my home? (September 14, 2026)
Trade press
- 3NWWI, The NWWI explained for consumers (September 14, 2026)
- 4abnamro.nl, definancielealliantie.nl, Valuation costs, checked 4 September 2026 (September 14, 2026)
Keep reading
Phase 2
Phase 3Your own money when buying a house: how much, and when?
In 2026, count on €4,200 to €6,900 of basic costs, plus any transfer tax, the part of the price your mortgage does not cover, and a buffer for after the keys.
Phase 2Which documents do you need for a Dutch mortgage?
Ask before you bid which documents your mortgage application needs, and time the gathering to their validity and their delivery.