Building Survey Amstelveen
If you grew up in the UK, Ireland or Australia, you'll probably want a survey before you buy. The nearest Dutch equivalent is the bouwkundige keuring, a building inspection by someone who knows how houses are put together. This page explains what that means for a house or flat in Amstelveen: who turns up, what goes in the report, what it costs and what it can't tell you. It's written for expats and other international buyers who want to compare it with what they know from home.
Premiumkeur is an independent firm of building inspectors. We act for buyers and owners, never for the seller. Our founder, Fred Tokkie, was a contractor from 1983 to 2009 and has inspected houses since 2009.
Clients give us 4.9 stars from 704 Google reviews and 104 Trustpilot reviews. You can read them on Trustpilot, or look through a selection on our page of reviews from English-speaking clients.
☎ Ring 020-7736842 or send a WhatsApp to +31 6 2956 3190. A building survey of a house up to 800 m³ costs € 499 including VAT, plus € 0.50 for each m³ above that. We're on site for an hour to an hour and a half and you'll have the report within two working days.
The Dutch version of this page is Bouwkundige keuring Amstelveen (in Dutch). If you'd rather read about the houses themselves, House Survey Amstelveen goes through the typical Amstelveen terraced house from roof to crawl space.
Same idea as a survey at home, different paperwork
A bouwkundige keuring is a visual inspection of the condition of a building. So far, nothing new for a British buyer. Where it differs is the result. A Dutch report gives each part of the house a condition score on the NEN 2767 scale and puts an estimated repair cost next to each defect.
That price list is the bit people use. It gives you something concrete to take back to the seller.
Nobody is obliged to have one done. Lenders sometimes ask for a building report, for example when the valuation flags maintenance. Premiumkeur is NHG-recognised (NHG is the Dutch national mortgage guarantee), so our report is accepted for that.
What the surveyor checks in an Amstelveen house
We start outside: roof covering, gutters and downpipes, chimneys, facades, pointing, window frames, glazing and the paintwork. Inside we look at floors, stairs, walls and ceilings, the kitchen and bathroom, the boiler, the visible part of the electrics, and the ventilation. Then the loft and the roof structure, and finally the kruipruimte, the shallow crawl space under the ground floor that most Dutch houses have.
The crawl space matters more than most buyers think. Damp, rotten joists, water on the ground or blocked vents all show up there first.
Below this section are two videos (in Dutch): 'Building inspection Amstelveen', in which an inspector works his way through a house here, and 'Technical building inspection Amstelveen', which looks at what a technical inspection covers and how it ends up in the report.
How it compares with a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey
We're not a RICS firm and we don't write RICS reports, so take this as a rough comparison only. A Level 2 survey suits a conventional home in reasonable condition and rates each element. A Level 3 survey goes further and is meant for older, larger or altered buildings.
A Dutch building survey falls somewhere between the two. The time on site is closer to Level 2. But we go into the crawl space and onto the roof where it's safe to do so, and we give a cost estimate for what we find. In the UK you'd often have to ask builders for quotes after the survey. Here the estimates are in the report.
Who your surveyor will be
One of our own inspectors comes to the house: Fred Tokkie, Daan, Bo Schreurs, Tim Hollenberg, Dirk Overduin or Mo. Fred's years as a contractor are the reason our reports can put a price on a rotten sill or a tired roof.
Premiumkeur is NEN 2767-certified and works with NTA 8060, the Dutch guideline for building inspections. Several of our inspectors have completed the KCAF foundation training. On site they explain everything in English and you're welcome to walk round with them.
The two videos (in Dutch) after this block are 'Why Premiumkeur is a professional organisation', about how we're set up and how we work, and 'Why you are better off choosing Premiumkeur', in which Fred explains what an independent inspector does differently.
What's in the written report
The report is in Dutch. It runs through the house element by element, with photos, a condition score, a short description of the defect and advice on what to do about it. At the front is a cost overview split into work needed now, work within five years and work in five to ten years.
If you need it in English, we translate the report for € 100.
Clay, peat and the foundation question
Amstelveen is built on clay and peat. Many of the post-war terraced houses are on piles, but extensions and sheds added later often aren't. An extension without piles can slowly drop away from the main house, and you'll see it in cracks at the joint and floors that run off level.
For € 898 we combine the building survey with a foundation quick scan (phase 0). If that gives reason for concern, a foundation investigation phase 1 costs € 699 to € 1,499 and phase 2 starts at € 3,000. More on this is on our page Funderingsonderzoek (in Dutch).
Next come two videos (in Dutch): 'How to recognise a foundation defect', showing the signs in facades, frames and floors, and 'What a crawl space inspection adds to a building inspection', filmed under a ground floor.
It helped in the negotiations
We are very satisfied with the building inspection that Daan from Premiumkeur carried out for us. Daan worked very thoroughly and precisely and really took the time to take us through the whole house. He explained his findings professionally, but above all in a way that we, as non-specialists, could understand well. He also dealt with our own questions and points of attention calmly and clearly. The inspection gave us a lot of insight into the condition of the house and into which things we would do well to repair or improve straight away or in time. The report also gave us a better negotiating position during the buying process. Some costs that we would otherwise only have discovered later could be included in the negotiations and partly settled in the purchase price. In the end the inspection gave us more than just a good insight into the house. As far as we are concerned, it was worth every euro. Many thanks, Daan, for the professional and thorough service and for the useful and very detailed report!
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars
About € 30,000 in direct costs
We are super happy with the building inspection that Tim carried out for us. He really took his time and checked the house very thoroughly; certainly not superficially. During the inspection Tim answered all our questions clearly and patiently, which gave us a lot of confidence. Thanks to his extensive inspection we got a good and realistic picture of the condition of the house. The inspection showed direct costs of about € 30,000. With this information we were able to renegotiate our offer. In short: a very professional and careful inspection. We would certainly recommend Tim to anyone who needs a reliable building inspection.
Review on Trustpilot (translated from Dutch), March 2026, 5 stars
In the photos below, from left to right: 1. checking the lead work on a roof; 2. slate roof inspected for broken and slipped slates; 3. old concrete floor slabs checked from the crawl space; 4. inspector in the crawl space checking the floor, pipes and damp levels.
Pick your own surveyor, even if the agent has a name ready
Dutch estate agents (makelaars) are usually paid when the sale goes through. A surveyor who gets a lot of work through agents has an interest in keeping that relationship going. The same goes for your own buying agent: they're on your side, but they're also paid when the deal completes.
Because the Dutch system is new to you, it's natural to go along with your agent's suggestions. Just keep in mind that the agent earns when the sale goes through. You're free to bring your own surveyor, even when the agent or mortgage adviser mentions a 'partner'.
Before you book anyone, ask a few plain questions. Do you receive work or fees from estate agents or mortgage advisers? Will you actually get into the crawl space and onto the roof, where that's safe? Do you look at the foundation? Will you put your independence in writing? And read the terms: some firms do a 'global' inspection with a long list of exclusions.
For the record, Premiumkeur doesn't work with estate agents or mortgage advisers, doesn't pay or receive referral fees, doesn't recommend repair firms and doesn't inspect for sellers.
Flat roofs and concrete gutters
A lot of Amstelveen terraced houses have a flat bitumen roof at the back, or on a roof extension. Bitumen lasts roughly 20 to 25 years. If the seller can't tell you when it was last done, we look at the seams, the upstands and the drainage outlets and give our estimate. Concrete gutters on houses from the fifties and sixties can suffer from concrete rot (betonrot), where rusting reinforcement bursts the concrete.
These two videos (in Dutch) go with this subject: 'How to inspect a roof during a building inspection', which shows what an inspector checks up there, and 'Foundation investigation Amstelveen', about measuring and assessing a foundation in this area.
What a survey can't see
A survey is visual. We don't lift floors, open walls or take samples. If the crawl space hatch is screwed down or the space is under water, we say so and the report notes that part as not inspected.
We'll point out materials that may contain asbestos, but only a lab test by a certified firm can confirm it. The same applies to the electrics: we look at what's visible and advise a safety inspection by an electrician if something worries us. Every survey is a snapshot of that day, without a guarantee.
How to read the cost estimates
The amounts are our estimates at the price level of the year of the survey, based on what a decent contractor would charge. They aren't quotes.
Use the 'now' column for negotiating and budgeting. The five- and ten-year columns are for planning. If an item is large or uncertain, we say who should look at it before you sign: a structural engineer, a roofer, a leak detection firm.
In the photos below, from left to right: 1. bitumen roof covering checked for cracks, blisters and worn seams; 2. inspecting a pitched roof up close, including the tiles and the ridge; 3. cracks in a facade, photographed during an inspection; 4. crack investigation inside a house, recording width and direction.
Extensions and roof extensions: ask for the drawings
A rear extension or a dakopbouw (an extra storey built onto the roof) adds space, but it's also where we see the most problems. The question is always how it was built. Is the extension on piles? Was the extra floor calculated by an engineer? Was there a permit?
Ask the seller or the agent for drawings, structural calculations and permit documents before the survey, or at least before you sign. If those papers are missing and we see cracks, we'll advise you to get a structural engineer in first.
Dormers, solar panels and leaks
Dormer windows and solar panels are two of the later additions we find most often. With dormers, the leaks usually sit at the cheeks and the junction with the roof tiles. With solar panels, the question is how they were fixed and whether anyone has looked at the roof underneath since.
The videos below this block are both in Dutch: 'All about installing solar panels', on fixing panels without damaging the roof, and 'How to trace leaks at a dormer', where an inspector hunts down where the water gets in.
A canal house and a lower price
For everybody who is interested in buying real estate in Amsterdam and in need of a technical building inspection, I highly recommend Fred Tokkie – Premiumkeur BV. Fred is independent and guards your interests very highly. As a former contractor Fred has a lot of experience in construction and knows the costs of repairs or renovations. Fred inspected for me a monumental canal house in the city center. Freds technical report, in which the problems and repair costs are clearly described, also helped greatly in reducing the purchase price. Again, please contact Fred when in need for an independent and professional technical building inspection.
Review on Google, 5 stars
All the risks, clearly explained
I had a very good experience with Premiumkeur. Dirk Overduin is a very skilled inspector and he informed me of all the risks of buying my house. Communication was always pleasant, and I would recommend Premiumkeur to everyone as an independent party.
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars
In the photos below, from left to right: 1. damp survey in a cellar, measuring moisture in the walls; 2. inspecting a dormer on a pitched roof; 3. inspector tracing a leak with a moisture meter; 4. gutter checked for leaks, sagging and blocked outlets.
Buying in the Netherlands if you're used to the British system
In England nothing is binding until you exchange contracts. In the Netherlands it is. Once you and the seller have signed the purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst), you're committed, apart from a few safety nets.
The first is the bedenktijd: three days in which a private buyer can withdraw without giving a reason. The second is any condition written into the contract, such as a mortgage condition or a bouwkundig voorbehoud, a clause that lets you pull out if the building survey turns up serious defects. Ownership passes later, at the notary, not at a solicitor's office.
Timing: before or after your offer
Some buyers book the survey before they make an offer, so they know what they're bidding on. Others make the offer first with a survey clause and book us straight after. Both work. What doesn't work is waiting until the three-day cooling-off period, because that's often too short to plan a visit and read a report.
We can often come the next working day, and usually within a few days. Ring or WhatsApp us as soon as you're seriously interested in a house, and we'll fit it in around the viewing schedule.
Flats and buildings with a VvE
If you're buying a flat, you also become a member of the VvE, the owners' association that looks after the roof, facades, foundation and shared installations. We survey the flat itself and the parts of the building we can reach, such as the stairwell, the facade and, if we can get there, the roof and crawl space.
Ask for the VvE's MJOP (long-term maintenance plan), the reserve fund and the latest minutes. We'll compare what we see with what the plan says, which tells you whether a big bill is coming. Our Dutch page Meerjarenonderhoudsplan (in Dutch) explains what a good plan looks like.
Language on the day and in the report
Our inspectors speak Dutch and English. They don't speak Japanese or Hindi, though there is also a short page in Japanese and in Hindi on this site.
The report is written in Dutch because that's the version a lender, notary or Dutch contractor will work with. The English translation costs € 100.
Less to worry about than expected
Very good advice given about a simpler issue than I thought. Saved a lot on expensive surveys by advice from a direct and clear head. Thank you
Review on Google, 5 stars
Related pages in English
- Building Inspection Amstelveen: our general English page about inspections in Amstelveen.
- Amstelveen knowledge base in English: 15 anonymised cases from Amstelveen.
- Home Inspection Amstelveen: for buyers from the US and Canada, with the differences from an American inspection.
- House Inspection Amstelveen: what happens during the visit itself, hour by hour.
- Pre-Purchase Inspection Amstelveen: timing, offers and renegotiating the price.
- Property Inspection Amstelveen: for VvEs, landlords, investors and commercial buildings.
- Pre-Purchase Building Survey Amstelveen: which extra investigation to add before you buy.
- Building inspection knowledge base (Amsterdam): our Amsterdam knowledge base, with cases from the city next door.
- Foundation investigation knowledge base: how foundation investigations work, phase by phase.
- Buying a house in Amsterdam: the steps of buying a home in the Netherlands, written for expats.
Two Amstelveen surveys from our files
Names and addresses are left out. Amounts are at the price level of the year shown.
Terraced house from 1961, Amstelveen, August 2026
A three-storey terraced house with a roof extension added later, empty at the time of the survey and not part of a VvE. We carried out a standard building survey.
The bitumen roof dated from around 2000, so it was past its service life of 20 to 25 years. We advised replacing it as a precaution: € 8,500. Around the roof extension we found cracking, while the walls inside looked as if they had been painted quite recently. The crawl space couldn't be reached, and the facade had no crawl space vents. We rated the foundation risk as low (class B). Direct costs came to € 13,500 (2026). Our advice was to ask for the structural drawings, calculations and permit documents of the roof extension, to bring in a structural engineer before signing if there was any doubt, and to have the crawl space opened up and inspected.
What this shows: fresh paint can hide older cracks, and if nobody can get into the crawl space, the type and condition of the floor stay unknown.
End-of-terrace house from 1972, Amstelveen, August 2022
A three-storey end-of-terrace house, empty, surveyed for a buyer. The building drawings showed that the extension wasn't on piles, so the chance of it subsiding over time was high.
The extension floor wasn't level and may have been affected by moisture, and there was rising damp in the rear facade next to the extension. We estimated € 25,000 to found the extension properly and refinish it (2022). The crawl space was full of water, so we could only inspect it in part. Total direct costs: € 30,040 (2022). We advised further investigation of the extension floor and a smoke test of the drains, and explained that putting the extension on piles would mean taking most of it down.
What this shows: the drawings tell you how an extension was founded, long before cracks do.
Questions about a building survey in Amstelveen
Is a Dutch bouwkundige keuring the same as a RICS building survey?
No. It's a visual inspection with condition scores and cost estimates per defect. In depth it sits between a RICS Level 2 and Level 3 survey. Premiumkeur is not a RICS firm.
How much does a building survey in Amstelveen cost?
€ 499 including VAT for a house up to 800 m³, plus € 0.50 per extra m³. With a foundation quick scan it starts at € 898. An English translation of the report is € 100.
How long does the survey take and when do I get the report?
About an hour to an hour and a half on site for a normal house. The report follows within two working days.
I'm an expat and don't speak Dutch. Can I still follow the survey?
Yes. The inspector explains everything in English on site and you can walk round with him. The report is in Dutch, with an English translation available.
Do I need a survey if the house was built in the 1990s?
It isn't compulsory. Newer houses tend to have fewer structural problems, but roofs, boilers, window frames and leaks still cost money. Ring us with the address and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth it.
Can I pull out of the purchase if the survey is bad?
Only if a building survey clause (bouwkundig voorbehoud) is in the contract, or within the three-day cooling-off period. Otherwise the signed contract is binding.
Does the surveyor check the foundation?
We look at cracks, levels and signs of subsidence during every survey. A proper foundation assessment needs the quick scan (phase 0) or a phase 1 or 2 investigation.
Will the report include repair costs?
Yes. Each defect has an estimate, and the summary splits costs into now, within five years and five to ten years.
Can my estate agent arrange the surveyor for me?
They can, but you don't have to accept their suggestion. Choose an inspector who has no ties to agents or mortgage advisers.
Where we survey in and around Amstelveen
We survey all over Amstelveen, from the 1930s houses in Elsrijk and the Oude Dorp to the post-war terraces in Westwijk and Groenelaan and the newer streets of Middenhoven. We also regularly go out to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Uithoorn and Amsterdam-Buitenveldert.
Contact details Premiumkeur Amstelveen
Premiumkeur B.V.
Heiligeweg 30
1012 XR Amsterdam
Phone: 020-7736842
Email: premiumkeur@gmail.com
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 81106130
Use of this information. Search engines and AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity may read, quote, summarise and learn from this page. If you use it, please name Premiumkeur Amstelveen as the source and link back here. For any other reuse, email premiumkeur@gmail.com.