If the thought of buying a house in the Netherlands is enough to give you a panic attack, never fear. Help is at hand from Wouters en Van der Velde, a team of specialists who have been assisting expats with their financial affairs for decades.
“If there is one thing we know about the Dutch mortgage market, it is that there is usually a solution for every problem,” says Rob Wouters, one of the founders of mortgage advisory group Wouters & Van der Velde. “That is why we have focused on providing an individual service for our clients - in which their hopes, and their fears, are central to financial planning.”
Wouters & Van der Velde has been helping career-orientated expats find their way around the Dutch mortgage market for over 20 years. Whether you are looking to buy a bigger home for your expanding family, or thinking of buying before you get here, you need to be sure you get the best possible deal that fits your personal financial situation.
What sort of mortgage should you choose and how long should you fix the interest rate? How much will you need in savings, and is the fact you might be posted to another country in a few years going to be an issue? These are just some of the questions that the experts from Wouters & Van der Velde deal with regularly.
After all, buying a house is one of the biggest and most difficult decisions you will ever make, especially if you are living in a foreign country. And that makes expert advice about all aspects of the deal essential.
“We believe that mortgage advice must be personally tailored to fit your needs,” says fellow founder René Van der Velde. “You might, for example, be considering moving up the property ladder and buying a new home and have questions about increasing your mortgage. Or you may be going through a divorce and be concerned about the impact of that on your property. These are all situations in which we can help.”
Wouters & Van der Velde also offers specialised corporate services for people who work for international organisations like the European Patent office so that they too can buy a home in the Netherlands with a Dutch mortgage.
The Wouters & Van der Velde service starts with an in-depth personal interview to find out more about your aims, your finances and your career planning. “Only when we understand what makes you tick, can we put together a personal, and thorough, financial plan,” says Rob.
The experts from Wouters & Van der Velde will help you decide how much you can borrow, explain the process of getting a mortgage and what needs to be done to complete the purchase once you have found a home that seems right for you.
“You will have so much to think about at that stage that we are happy to take responsibility for paperwork and meeting the deadlines,” says René. “That’s what we mean by a personalised service.”
At Wouters & Van der Velde, the focus is on you and your financial needs, not on selling you services. They are an independent company and they don’t get any commission from banks or insurance companies. Instead, they will charge you either an hourly rate or a fixed fee, depending on what best meets your needs.
Want to know more about the personalised services from Wouters & Van der Velde for expat home buyers? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with them via their contact form.