LEGAL

Notary selection

The contract of sale will be drawn up pursuant to the model of the Royal Notary public professional organisation, by a notary public to be appointed by the buyer within 15 km of the property that is for sale.

Bidding

In order for the sale to progress and to limit the responsibilities, we hereby state the sales conditions in the event that the prospective buyer does not wish to make use of the professional purchase assistance by way of a licensed or authorized real estate agent. If the prospective buyer takes this option when entering into the negotiations, then the buyer must provide sufficient proof that the underlying proposal is guaranteed financially. This can be supported by showing a contract with or the advice issued by a professional and licensed financial institution or advisor.

• Offers are preferably sent by mail or email to the selling real estate agent, accompanied by a copy of a valid identification.
• The seller and its real estate agent will inform the prospective buyer of all that the buyer should be made aware of, whereby information on facts that the buyer is aware of or should have been aware of from its own research, insofar as such a research can be requested by a buyer, according to common opinion. The prospective buyer accepts the research duty as such. The prospective buyer is responsible for consulting the usual sources of information for the purchase.
• Offers remain valid up until the moment the seller (and/or its real estate agent) responds by accepting, making a different proposal or by rejecting the proposal of the prospective buyer.

3 days reconsideration period

On the 1st of September 2003, the Act on the Purchase of Immovable Objects took effect. In short, this act has two main items: three days reconsideration period and the written documentation of the sale.
 
Reconsideration period

A consumer who purchases a house has a reconsideration period of three days. Within this period, the consumer can cancel the agreement. This way, the consumer can contact a specialist or take some additional time to consider the purchase. This reconsideration period is an imperative law: the buyer and the seller cannot decide to have it not apply to their agreement. However, the purchaser can, on his own accord, decide to waive any remaining reconsideration period. The reconsideration period commences on the day that follows the date the buyer received a copy of the signed contract of sale. The exact time the buyer receives the contract is not relevant.

Written documentation

Contrary to the situation before the 1st of September 2003, the purchase of a house (by a consumer) is only concluded when the contract of sale has been signed by the buyer and the seller. Until this is done, the sale is not legitimate. This has been confirmed by several higher courts; if a contract of sale for a house is not documented in writing pursuant to article 7:2 Dutch Civil Code, then the sanction is cancelled.