You can sell an inherited house as soon as it is clear who the heirs are and who is allowed to sign. The civil-law notary records this in the certificate of inheritance (verklaring van erfrecht). If there is an executor (executeur), they usually handle the sale. If there is none, all the heirs decide and sign together.
When heirs come to me, a lot has often already been arranged: the notary is involved and one family member is the executor. But not always. Below is what you need to know if you are selling the home of your father, mother or another relative. How we guide heirs is explained on our page selling a home after a death.
When do the children inherit their parents’ home?
Usually only once both parents have died. If your parents were married or in a registered partnership and the will does not say otherwise, the surviving parent receives the whole estate, including the house. This is called the statutory division (wettelijke verdeling). The children receive a claim in money, which they can only collect once the second parent has also died (Dutch government, Rijksoverheid).
If the surviving parent wants to move to a smaller home, that parent simply sells the house themselves.
Who is allowed to sell the house, and who signs?
First you ask the notary for a certificate of inheritance. It states who the heirs are and who may act on their behalf and sign the purchase agreement. A certificate like this usually costs a few hundred euros, depending on the notary. You choose the notary yourselves.
If the will names an executor, they usually handle the sale. How far their authority goes is also set out in the will. Sometimes the executor may sign alone, sometimes the heirs have to give their consent. The notary can check this for you.
If there is no executor, all the heirs decide together: on the instruction to sell, the asking price, an offer and the purchase agreement. That is exactly when good communication matters most. With us, every heir gets the same information, wherever they live.
Can you already take things out of the house?
Be careful with that. As an heir you choose whether to accept the inheritance unconditionally (zuiver aanvaarden), accept it with the benefit of inventory (beneficiair aanvaarden), or reject it. If you take belongings of the deceased, sell them or pay outstanding bills, the law treats you as having accepted unconditionally (Rijksoverheid). You are then also liable for any debts. Paying for the funeral out of the estate is allowed.
If you are unsure whether there are debts, you can accept with the benefit of inventory by making a declaration at the court. All debts are then paid first, and only after that do the heirs receive what is left. If in doubt, talk to the notary before anyone starts clearing the house.
What keeps running until the house is sold?
Heirs inherit the house and the mortgage debt. So report the death to the mortgage lender straight away. When the house is sold, the notary pays off the mortgage from the proceeds.
Until then, the fixed costs keep running: the mortgage, the contribution to the owners’ association (VvE), energy, municipal taxes and, with a ground lease, the ground rent. What a ground lease means for the sale is explained in my blog on ground lease in Amsterdam. Also tell the insurer that the house is empty. If it stays empty for longer, cover can be limited, so read the policy carefully.
For inheritance tax (erfbelasting), the WOZ value (the official municipal valuation) minus the mortgage counts, not the sale price. You choose the WOZ value of the year of death or that of the following year. For a death in 2026 you have 20 months to file the return, for a death in 2025 or earlier 8 months (Dutch Tax Administration, Belastingdienst). If none of the heirs lives in the house, it falls under box 3 (the tax on savings and investments) for as long as it has not been sold. A notary or tax adviser can work it out for you.
Does the house have to be empty first?
The parents’ home is often still full, with older furniture and belongings that carry memories. I usually advise clearing the house before the photos are taken and the viewings start. Buyers can then see better what the space could become. But every home is different, so we look carefully at your situation. It is tailor-made.
Take your time clearing the house, because it brings up a lot of emotions. Do not remove old floor covering yourself. Vinyl flooring from before 1994 can contain asbestos, often in the backing layer. Have it tested first.
Renovating is usually not necessary. Recently we sold a parents’ home in Buitenveldert where nothing had been done for a long time. The heirs had cleared it themselves. We showed buyers what was possible, such as renovating and even adding a floor. Lots of people came to view it and the home sold for a good price.
What goes into the purchase agreement on top of the usual?
Heirs usually know the house less well than the person who lived there. You fill in the property questionnaire (vragenlijst) to the best of your knowledge, and “I don’t know” is then an honest answer. For an inherited house I also always add two clauses to the purchase agreement:
- a non-occupancy clause (niet-zelfbewoningsclausule): the buyer knows the sellers did not live there themselves and do not know every defect;
- an age clause (ouderdomsclausule): the buyer knows that an older house does not meet the same standards as a new one.
Sometimes an asbestos clause is added as well, for example when the same floor covering has been there for a very long time. And an inherited house also needs a valid energy label when it is sold.
Not all heirs live in the Netherlands?
Anyone who cannot come to the notary signs with a power of attorney (volmacht). If you live outside the EU, your signature usually has to be confirmed with an apostille or through the embassy, and that takes time. So arrange it early: the notary will tell you what is needed in your country.
The first meeting can take place at our office on the Singel, at the house itself or by video call. We take care of the photos, funda, the viewings and the notary, so you do not have to keep coming to the house. More on our page about selling an inherited home.
Are you selling an inherited house? Request a free market valuation, or read how I work as a selling agent in Amsterdam. Feel free to call or email, even if you do not yet know when you want to sell.
Frequently asked questions
Do all heirs have to sign when the house is sold?
Yes, unless there is an executor who is allowed to sell alone. Each heir then signs the purchase agreement and the deed of transfer (akte van levering), or gives someone else a power of attorney. Who signs in your case is stated in the certificate of inheritance.
Can you sell an inherited house before the estate has been settled?
Yes. As soon as the certificate of inheritance is there and it is clear who signs, the house can go on the market. You do not have to wait for the inheritance tax return.
Can one of the heirs take over the house?
Yes, if all the heirs agree. That heir then buys out the others. An independent appraisal helps to set a fair price, and a mortgage adviser works out whether the financing is feasible.
What does an estate agent cost when selling an inherited house?
With us, the same as for any sale: a 1% fee on the sale price, including VAT, with a minimum of €3,500. You pay through the notary, at the transfer. You pay for the funda package yourselves, directly to funda. See also selling agent costs.
