House Valuation in the Netherlands: The Taxatierapport Explained

Your lender will not release a mortgage without a validated appraisal. What a taxatierapport costs in 2026, why NWWI validation is required, and how the appraised value differs from the WOZ value.

Between your bid being accepted and your mortgage being approved sits a step many first-time buyers do not budget for: an independent valuation of the house. No Dutch lender will release mortgage funds without one, because the property is their collateral and they need a third party to say what it is worth.

What a taxatierapport is

A taxatierapport is a formal appraisal by a certified valuer (taxateur) who visits the property, inspects it, compares it against recent sales of similar homes nearby, and states a market value. It also flags obvious maintenance issues and, increasingly, records the energy label and any recommended sustainability improvements.

The valuer works for neither you nor the seller. That independence is the entire point.

Why NWWI validation matters

The NWWI (Nederlands Woning Waarde Instituut) is an independent foundation that checks appraisals for quality and consistency. It does not do the valuation itself — it validates the report the appraiser produces.

In practice, banks only accept a mortgage application with an NWWI-validated report. A cheaper, non-validated appraisal is fine for your own curiosity and useless for your mortgage. When you commission a valuation, confirm explicitly that it will be NWWI-validated.

What it costs in 2026

Budget roughly €500 to €900 for a full NWWI-validated appraisal. The spread depends on the property's value, its location, and how quickly you need the report.

Inside that price sits a fixed NWWI validation contribution, €59.83 including VAT in 2026, plus Land Registry (Kadaster) charges and VAT on the appraiser's own fee. Some appraisers quote their fee without the validation and Kadaster costs, so ask for the total price including NWWI validation to avoid a surprise on the invoice.

A desktop appraisal (desktoptaxatie), based on data rather than a visit, costs only around €75 to €150 — but it is not accepted for a mortgage application. Do not buy one expecting it to satisfy your lender.

This cost is part of your kosten koper and, importantly, it is tax-deductible as a one-off financing cost. See Closing Costs for how it fits with the other upfront items, and the Costs Checklist to total them for your purchase.

Appraised value vs WOZ value — not the same number

These two are routinely confused, and they serve different purposes.

Appraised value (taxatiewaarde) — current market value on a specific date, set by a valuer who has actually been inside. This is what your mortgage is based on.
WOZ value — a mass valuation set annually by your municipality for tax purposes. It is calculated from data, without a visit, and reflects a value date of 1 January of the preceding year.

Because the WOZ value looks backwards and is computed in bulk, it commonly differs from the appraised value — sometimes substantially in a moving market. Your municipal taxes and your eigenwoningforfait use the WOZ value; your mortgage uses the appraised value. Do not substitute one for the other.

What happens if the valuation comes in low

This is the risk worth understanding before you bid, because it is where the Dutch 100% loan-to-value limit bites.

You can borrow up to 100% of the appraised value — not of the price you agreed. So if you agreed €450,000 and the appraisal comes in at €430,000, the €20,000 gap is not financeable. You must cover it from your own savings, on top of your kosten koper.

That is exactly why overbidding in a competitive market requires cash rather than optimism, and why a financing condition in your contract matters — see Purchase Agreement Clauses.

A valuation is not a structural survey

Worth being clear about, because buyers sometimes assume one covers the other. They do not.

A valuation answers "what is this worth?" for the lender's benefit. A structural survey (bouwkundige keuring) answers "what is wrong with it and what will repairs cost?" for yours. The valuer notes visible maintenance issues in passing; a surveyor goes looking for problems.

If the home is older, or the contract contains an age clause, the survey is the one that protects you — the valuation will not.

Practical sequence

Bid accepted, purchase agreement signed
Commission an NWWI-validated appraisal straight away — your mortgage application waits on it
Appraiser visits, usually within days; the report typically follows within about a week
Report goes to your lender as part of the application
Mortgage offer issued, in time for your financing-condition deadline

Order the appraisal early. The financing condition in your contract runs on a fixed deadline, and a slow appraisal is a common reason buyers have to ask for an extension.