You've found a home you really want. Now comes the most exciting part: making an offer. How much should you offer? Which conditions should you include? And how can you improve your chances without taking risks you might regret later?
On this page, we explain the process step by step and show you how we help our clients put it into practice.
Making an offer
An offer is about more than the price. It also includes your preferred completion date, any fixtures or items you want included in the sale, and conditions relating to financing or a building survey.
Sellers consider the whole package. A slightly lower offer with strong terms can be more attractive than a higher offer with more uncertainty.
Once you've made an offer, the seller can accept it, reject it or make a counteroffer. If you reach an agreement, a purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst) is drawn up. For a private buyer purchasing a home, the agreement becomes binding once it has been signed by both parties. You then have a statutory three-day cooling-off period (bedenktijd).
Our advice: know what you can afford before you make an offer. We work through the figures with you beforehand, so you can bid with confidence. Are you a first-time buyer? Read what's involved in buying your first home.
Setting up a Move account
More and more offers are submitted online. Many NVM estate agents use Move. If the property you're interested in is offered through Move, you'll need your own account. You can create one at no cost on move.nl using your email address.
In Move, you can view information about properties you've visited and submit your offer. After the sale, you may also be able to view the bidding log once the estate agent makes it available.
Our tip: set up your account early in your search. When you're ready to make an offer, the last thing you want is a problem logging in.
Eerlijk Bieden
Not every estate agent uses Move. Many agents belonging to Vastgoed Nederland, the industry association formed by the merger of VBO and VastgoedPro, use Eerlijk Bieden.
This is an independent bidding platform with a certification scheme. Offers are submitted and recorded through the system. In a sealed bidding process, the estate agent cannot see the offers before the deadline. You'll also need an account to submit an offer through this platform.
The seller's estate agent chooses which platform to use. We guide you through the process so you know what to expect.
Open negotiations or sealed bids
The bidding process can take different forms. Two common approaches are open negotiations and sealed bids.
Open negotiations. You make an offer and the estate agent discusses it with you. There may be some back-and-forth, and you may have the opportunity to revise your offer. The advantage is that you get feedback. The downside is that you generally don't know what other buyers have offered.
Sealed bids. All interested buyers submit their offers by a set deadline, and the offers are reviewed afterwards. You'll usually need to put your best offer forward without knowing what others are bidding. That means thinking carefully about what the home is worth to you and what you can comfortably afford.
The exact rules can vary. Since February 2026, NVM agents have used their own bidding protocol, which also allows a deadline-based process where the agent can see offers as they come in. Vastgoed Nederland agents follow the national bidding arrangements, which do not include that approach.
Always ask the estate agent how the bidding process will work before you submit an offer. If anything is unclear, we can ask on your behalf.
The financing condition: amount and deadline
A financing condition, known in Dutch as a financieringsvoorbehoud, allows you to withdraw from the purchase without a penalty if you cannot secure the agreed financing, provided you meet the conditions in the purchase agreement.
There are two key details to get right.
The amount. The agreement specifies how much financing you need to obtain. Set this too low and you may not be adequately protected. Set it higher than necessary and your offer may be less attractive to the seller. We help you choose the right amount.
The deadline. This is the date by which you must invoke the financing condition if you cannot obtain your mortgage. In a competitive market, sellers often prefer a short deadline. That can work, but only if you're well prepared. We help you gather as much of the required paperwork as possible beforehand.
If you withdraw after the deadline or without a valid contractual basis, you may face a penalty, commonly 10% of the purchase price. Before considering an offer without a financing condition, discuss the financial risks with us.
A building survey
A home may look fine during a viewing, but some problems are harder to spot. A building survey (bouwkundige keuring) helps assess the condition of the property, identify visible defects and estimate likely repair costs.
You can arrange a survey before making an offer. This gives you a clearer picture of what you're buying and may allow you to make a stronger offer without a survey condition.
Alternatively, you can include a survey condition in your offer. This allows you to withdraw under agreed terms, for example if the estimated cost of immediate repairs exceeds a specified amount.
The survey can also help you plan your mortgage. In some cases, repair costs can be included in the financing. We can explore the options with you.
From our experience A home in the Reeshof, on the same street as their family
Our clients had found a home in the Reeshof area of Tilburg. The property was being sold by the late owner's family, and the estate agent had set a deadline for offers.
For our clients, this was more than just a house. It was a chance to live on the same street as their family.
We contacted the estate agent and explained how much the home meant to them. The agent spoke to the sellers, who said they would consider agreeing a sale if they received a good offer with strong terms, a statement from us confirming our clients' financing options, and an early completion date.
Things moved quickly from there. Together with our clients, we agreed on a fair offer, prepared the statement and put forward terms that gave the sellers confidence. The sellers accepted, and an agreement was reached straight away.
Our clients later told us they would never have secured the home without our help.
Make your offer with our help
Making an offer can feel like a guessing game. With the right preparation, you can approach it with confidence.
With our purchase guidance, we help you understand what you can afford, choose sensible conditions and make your offer as strong as possible.
Book a free, no-obligation first consultation at our office in Tilburg, at your home or via Teams.
