Yes, but only if the foundation really carries a high risk. From 1 January 2027, a bank must include the estimated foundation repair costs in a mortgage with NHG (National Mortgage Guarantee) when a survey shows a high risk, and you then borrow roughly that amount less. A home standing on wooden piles is not, in itself, a reason to borrow less.
With older homes, I get questions about the foundation almost every time. Buyers also know more and more often that FunderMaps already attaches a risk assessment to every home. Below you can read what is changing and what I advise buyers and sellers.
What changes for NHG from 2027?
The appraisal report (taxatierapport) includes a foundation risk class, from A (low risk) to E (high risk). That class comes from the foundation risk assessment, which uses FunderMaps data. From 1 January 2027, that class decides what happens with a mortgage with NHG. This is set out in the Voorwaarden en normen 2027, the NHG terms and standards for 2027.
- Class A, B or C: nothing changes. The bank does not take the foundation into account.
- Class D or E: an exploratory foundation survey (verkennend funderingsonderzoek) is required, in practice a quickscan. An expert inspects the facade and takes measurements, without digging up the ground.
- Outcome low or medium: no extra requirements.
- Outcome high: the bank includes the estimated repair costs.
How much less can you borrow with a high foundation risk?
The bank takes the estimated repair costs from the appraisal report and converts them into a monthly payment, as if it were a 30-year loan at the stress-test rate set by the AFM, the Dutch financial markets authority. That monthly payment is deducted from what you are allowed to pay on your mortgage each month. According to the NVB, the Dutch Banking Association, a home with €50,000 in estimated repair costs means you can borrow roughly that amount less.
If you have more than €25,000 of your own money set aside for foundation repair, the part above that €25,000 is deducted from the repair costs. If you have the foundation repaired straight away, the rule does not apply. The repair then counts as an improvement to the home, and you can include it in your mortgage.
Should a D or E scare you off?
No. Most homes I come across are in class A, B or C. A D or E is an estimate based on a model and data from the neighbourhood, not the result of a survey of your building.
I had an apartment in a building with an owners’ association (VvE) that had a D. The owner had a quickscan done, and it showed a lower risk. That was then also corrected with the KCAF, the national knowledge centre for foundation problems. As a result, it did not have to be included in the appraisal and the bank could simply finance the home.
Wooden piles are very common in Amsterdam. Things mainly go wrong when the wood dries out and starts to rot, or when bacteria attack the piles. A quickscan looks at whether you can already see signs of that from the outside, such as cracks or a facade that leans.
What do you do as a buyer when a home has a D or E?
Don’t let it scare you off straight away, because the class is not always right. My advice: include a condition for a structural survey in your offer, and have a quickscan of the foundation done as part of it. With that result, we look together at whether it is still a good buy. How such a condition works is explained in my blog on sold subject to conditions.
Not sure about a home? As your buying agent in Amsterdam, I will look into this with you before you make an offer.
What do you do as a seller with a D or E?
Have a quickscan done first and wait for the outcome. You will know within one or two weeks, and you need that time anyway for the photos and the rest of the preparation. So you lose no time.
Some sellers prefer to wait for the buyer, who can then have it surveyed. But from 2027, a buyer with NHG needs that survey anyway with a D or E before the bank will finance. If you already have a low risk on paper, there are far fewer objections and your home is more attractive. You will probably see that in the sale price as well.
With an apartment, the foundation belongs to the owners’ association (VvE). Even so, I would have the quickscan done yourself: an owners’ association often works slowly, and when you sell, you want to keep up the pace. Do check whether you can settle the costs with the owners’ association afterwards.
As your selling agent in Amsterdam, I also look at the foundation during the market valuation. What else changes for NHG in 2027, such as the budget for making a home more sustainable with energy label E, F or G, you can read in my blog on NHG and the energy label.
Not sure about the foundation of a home you want to buy or sell? Feel free to call or email.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out which foundation class a home has?
The class is in the appraisal report, in the appendix with the foundation risk assessment. The seller’s agent often knows it earlier: we can already see it through FunderMaps, for example. So feel free to ask before you make an offer.
Is a home on wooden piles always a risk?
No. Many old Amsterdam buildings stand on wooden piles, and most homes I see are in class A, B or C. Only with a D or E does the bank look further, and you only borrow less if a survey then shows a high risk.
Does this also apply to an apartment?
Yes, the NHG rules make no exception for apartments. The foundation does belong to the whole owners’ association (VvE), and all owners pay for repairs together, each according to their share in the deed of division (splitsingsakte). How the bank calculates that for a single apartment is best checked with your mortgage adviser.
Does this also apply if I take out a mortgage without NHG?
Not automatically. The rule comes from NHG, but according to the NVB, banks may weigh the foundation risk in the same way for a mortgage without NHG. Ask your bank how it handles this.
