The appraisal

What an appraisal is, and why there is more to it since 2026

An appraisal sets out what a property is worth in the judgement of an independent appraiser. That figure matters to your mortgage, because what you can borrow depends partly on what the home is worth.

Most applications need one. And since 1 April 2026, the report also covers the risk of foundation problems, which can have a say in your timeline.

Below we go through what an appraisal involves, what changed in 2026, and what to keep an eye on when you buy.

What does an appraiser look at?

The appraiser inspects the property and builds the market value up from several parts:

• Condition. The general state of repair, the age of the property and any visible defects.
• Location. Where the home sits, what is nearby, and how sought after the area is.
• Floor area and layout. Both are measured and recorded to the applicable appraisal standards.
• Foundation risk. Since April 2026 this is a fixed part of every report.
• Comparable sales. Recent sales of similar homes, used to underpin the value.

What comes out is an appraisal report stating, among other things, the appraised market value. Your lender uses it to judge whether the mortgage you are asking for fits the property.

Since April 2026: closer attention to the foundation

Since 1 April 2026, appraisers record foundation risk in a new way. Every property is given a foundation risk class, from A through to E.

Where the risk is low, little usually changes for you. Where it is raised, more investigation may be needed before the report can be signed off.

The timing is what makes this awkward. In practice the appraisal often happens only after the purchase agreement is signed. If a raised risk surfaces then, the extra investigation can hold your application up.

There is more on this on our page about the structural survey and foundation.

Our tip: do not leave the foundation until the contract is signed. With an older property, or one in an area known for foundation trouble, it is worth looking into before you make an offer.

When do you need an appraisal?

When you buy a home

Most applications need an appraisal to establish market value, and that value can decide your maximum mortgage.

So it helps to know, before you make an offer, how much room sits between the financing you expect and the value the appraiser is likely to reach.

When you refinance

If you want to refinance your mortgage, your new lender may want a recent valuation. In some cases a lighter form of valuation will do.

When you take a second mortgage or release equity

Borrowing more against the equity in your home means your lender has to establish what the property is worth. That can call for a current appraisal.

Hybrid appraisal: quicker and cheaper

Alongside a full appraisal there is the hybrid appraisal, still often called a desktop appraisal.

Nobody visits your home for one. The value comes out of housing-market data and an automated model, and an appraiser then reviews and signs off on the result remotely.

A hybrid appraisal is often a good deal cheaper and faster than a full one. A Desktop Taxatie, for example, costs €110 including VAT.

It is not available in every case, though. Your lender has to accept it, and the property has to be one a model can value reliably.

For example:

• What you are borrowing against the value. There are limits on how much you want to borrow relative to what the home is worth.
• How saleable the property is. A standard home with plenty of comparable sales is more likely to work.
• Unusual properties can fall outside the terms. A one-off house, one with few comparable sales, or one whose value is simply hard to model.
• Not every lender accepts a hybrid appraisal in every case.

We check whether one is possible for you. If it is, you may save time and money. If it is not, we make sure a full appraisal is booked while there is still room in the schedule.

What does an appraisal cost?

A full appraisal varies by property, region and appraiser. As a rule, count on around €750 to €800.

A hybrid appraisal can come in a good deal cheaper, if your home and your mortgage fit the terms.

Cost aside, timing is what really matters. A full appraisal is usually booked within a week, and the report often follows a few working days after the visit. Where more investigation is needed, it takes longer.

So we schedule it to land in time for your mortgage application and the handover date at the notary.

What if the appraised value comes in below your offer?

This is one of the real risks of buying.

Say you offer €450,000 and the appraiser arrives at €425,000. Your lender can then base the mortgage on that lower figure.

The gap between the purchase price and your maximum mortgage may have to come out of your own savings.

So before you make an offer, we look at more than the most you can borrow. We look at how the expected value, your offer and the savings you need sit in relation to one another.

That way you know what you are walking into.

How we help you with the appraisal

An appraisal is not a box to tick on the side. Its timing and its outcome feed straight back into your mortgage.

So we take this part on too.

• We find a certified, independent appraiser who meets your lender's requirements.
• We pick the moment that fits your purchase and your mortgage.
• We check whether a hybrid appraisal will do, so you do not spend time and money you did not have to.
• We go through the report with you and explain what it means for your mortgage.

So you know not just what your home is worth on paper, but what that figure does to your purchase and your financing.

Questions about your appraisal?

An appraisal is more than a document the bank asks for. What it says can decide how much of your own money you need, and whether the purchase still adds up.

We are glad to talk it through with you: which appraisal you need, when to book it, and what it means for your mortgage.

Book a no-obligation consultation with us, an independent mortgage advisor in Tilburg.