- A survey is visual and non-destructive: nothing is opened up.
- It does not include an asbestos inventory or a foundation excavation.
- Commission it before you commit, ideally as a condition in the offer.
- Purchase contracts for older homes commonly shift age-related condition onto the buyer.
- The report is a starting point for questions, not a guarantee.
Almost every Dutch purchase of an older home involves a bouwkundige keuring. It is useful, inexpensive relative to the transaction, and routinely misunderstood — mostly because buyers assume it covers more than it does. This guide sets out where its boundaries are.
What a survey covers
A surveyor inspects the property visually, typically for a couple of hours, and reports on condition element by element:
- Roof covering, gutters and visible roof structure, as far as accessible.
- Facades, pointing, window frames, glazing and external paintwork.
- Visible structure: cracks, deflection, signs of movement.
- Floors and walls internally, including signs of damp.
- Installations at a general level: age and apparent condition of heating, electrics and plumbing.
- Ventilation and insulation, so far as visible.
- Attic and crawl space, where accessible.
The report normally sets out items needing attention now and items expected within a period, with indicative figures. Those figures are estimates for orientation, not quotations.
What a survey does not cover
| Not included | Why | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Anything behind finishes | Non-destructive inspection | Accept the limit; budget for surprises |
| Asbestos identification | Requires sampling and certification | Separate asbestos inventory for pre-1994 homes |
| Foundation condition | Requires excavation | Separate foundation investigation |
| Testing installations | Requires specialist equipment | Separate electrical or heating inspection |
| Drainage below ground | Not visible | Camera survey if there are signs of a problem |
| Roof close-up, if unreachable | Access limits | Request specifically, with equipment |
| Legal and permit status | Not a surveyor's remit | Your notary and the municipal archive |
Ask what the surveyor could not access and why. That sentence in the report is often the most informative one in it.
When to commission it
Before you are bound. In Dutch practice the usual route is to make the offer subject to a satisfactory survey, giving a defined period in which to arrange it and to withdraw or renegotiate on the basis of the outcome.
Two situations require more care:
- Competitive markets. Buyers sometimes waive the survey condition to strengthen an offer. That is a commercial decision, but understand what you are giving up — particularly on a pre-war property.
- A survey after purchase is still worth having for planning purposes, but it no longer affects your position.
If you cannot make the offer conditional, arrange a viewing with a surveyor or contractor before submitting. It is less thorough than a full survey but it catches the large items, and it is better than nothing.
The age and asbestos clauses
Dutch purchase contracts for older homes commonly include two clauses that matter more than their length suggests.
The age clause. It records that the buyer is aware the property is old and accepts that its condition reflects that, shifting responsibility for age-related defects onto the buyer. It does not remove a seller's duty to disclose known defects, but it narrows what you can later claim.
The asbestos clause. It records that asbestos may be present in a property of this age and that the buyer accepts the consequences.
Both are standard and usually reasonable. What matters is that you understand them before signing, and that you have had the property surveyed so that "age-related condition" is something you have actually assessed rather than merely accepted.
Dutch law also places a duty of investigation on the buyer alongside the seller's duty of disclosure. In practice, commissioning a survey is how you discharge yours.
Reading the report usefully
- Read the limitations first, not last. What was inaccessible, and why.
- Separate maintenance from defects. Repainting frames is maintenance; a cracked facade is a defect. The financial and negotiating weight is different.
- Look for movement. Anything describing settlement, cracking patterns or out-of-level surfaces deserves follow-up before anything cosmetic.
- Check the installation ages. A boiler and consumer unit at the end of their life are predictable costs, not surprises.
- Treat the figures as indicative. They are for orientation; get a contractor's view on anything significant.
- Note what triggers a specialist. Foundations, asbestos, drainage and electrics each have their own investigation.
Survey, contractor or both?
They answer different questions, and for a renovation project you generally want both.
A surveyor tells you the condition of what exists: what is worn, what is defective, what will need attention and roughly when. Independent, standardised, and the right document for a negotiation.
A contractor tells you what is feasible: whether the wall can come out, whether the layout you want works, what the sequence would be, and what the practical obstacles are. That is a different question and a survey does not answer it.
We are frequently asked to look at a property before purchase alongside a formal survey. We are not a substitute for one, and we say so — but on the question of what you could actually make of the house, we are the more useful visit.
Summary
A Dutch structural survey is a visual, non-destructive inspection that reports on condition element by element with indicative figures. It does not include an asbestos inventory, a foundation excavation, testing of installations or any assessment of legal and permit status — each of those needs its own investigation. Commission it before you are bound, ideally as a condition of the offer, and read the limitations section first. Understand the age and asbestos clauses in the contract, because they shift age-related condition onto you. And if you are planning a renovation, add a contractor's view, because feasibility is a different question from condition.
Next: foundations or buying a fixer-upper in Rotterdam.