Home Inspection Amstelveen
If you've bought a house in the US, Canada or India, you know the drill: offer accepted, inspection within ten days or so, and you walk away if it's bad. The Netherlands works differently, and a lot of expats in Amstelveen find that out late. This page explains what a home inspection here covers, how it fits into the Dutch buying process and what it doesn't include.
Premiumkeur is an independent inspection firm. We work for buyers and owners, not for sellers or realtors. Fred Tokkie, the founder, was a contractor from 1983 to 2009 and has inspected houses since 2009. We have 4.9 stars from 704 Google reviews and 104 Trustpilot reviews. You'll find the Trustpilot ones on our Trustpilot profile, and reviews from English-speaking clients on our English reviews page.
☎ Call 020-7736842 or text us on WhatsApp at +31 6 2956 3190. A home inspection costs € 499 including VAT for a home up to 800 m³, plus € 0.50 for every additional m³. The inspection takes one to one and a half hours, and the report arrives within two working days.
This page also exists in Dutch as Bouwkundige keuring Amstelveen (in Dutch). Short on time and about to make an offer? Read Pre-Purchase Inspection Amstelveen first.
A home inspection, Dutch style
The Dutch word is bouwkundige keuring, literally a structural inspection. It covers the same ground as an American home inspection: roof, walls, windows, floors, plumbing you can see, heating and the visible part of the electrical system. Two things are different.
First, we give a cost estimate for every defect, so you know what it would roughly cost to fix. Many inspectors back home leave pricing to contractors. Second, we spend time on things that matter more on Dutch soil, like the crawl space and signs of foundation movement.
What the home inspector looks at
Outside: the roof, gutters, chimneys, brick walls, mortar joints, window frames and paint. Inside: every room, the stairs, the kitchen and bathroom, the boiler, the meter cupboard, ventilation and the attic. Underneath: the crawl space, which we go into when it's reachable and safe.
Each item gets a condition score on the Dutch NEN 2767 scale, a short explanation and advice.
Right after this section are two videos (in Dutch): 'Building inspection Amstelveen', which follows an inspector through a local house, and 'Technical building inspection Amstelveen', on the technical checks from the roof down.
No inspection contingency, but you can add a clause
In the US the inspection contingency is standard. In the Netherlands it isn't. Once you sign the purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst), it's binding. You can only get out through a condition written into that contract.
The one you want is the bouwkundig voorbehoud, a building inspection condition. It gives you a set number of days to have the home inspected and to cancel if serious defects show up. In a busy market some buyers leave it out to make their bid stronger. If you do that, have the inspection done before you sign.
Who we are
Our inspectors are Fred Tokkie, Daan, Bo Schreurs, Tim Hollenberg, Dirk Overduin and Mo. Premiumkeur is NEN 2767-certified, works with NTA 8060 and is NHG-recognised, which lenders look for when the mortgage carries the Dutch national guarantee.
The two videos (in Dutch) below are 'Why Premiumkeur is a professional organisation', which explains how we're organized and work, and 'Why you are better off choosing Premiumkeur', where Fred talks about what independence means for the buyer.
The three-day cooling-off period
Private buyers of a home in the Netherlands get a cooling-off period, the bedenktijd. It's three days, starting after you receive a copy of the signed contract. You can cancel for any reason, without paying a penalty.
Three days is short. If you plan to use it for an inspection, call us the minute you sign. We can often come the next working day, but it's cutting it close and you'll be reading the report against the clock.
Crawl spaces instead of basements
Most Amstelveen homes don't have a basement. They have a crawl space, a low space, usually well under a meter high, between the ground floor and the soil. It's where the floor beams, the drains and the foundation are, and it's where moisture problems start.
Amstelveen is built on clay and peat. Houses are mostly on piles, but extensions and sheds often aren't, and those can settle. For older homes we offer the inspection with a foundation quick scan (phase 0) from € 898. Our Dutch page Funderingsonderzoek (in Dutch) explains phase 1 and 2.
Next you'll see two videos (in Dutch): 'How to recognise a foundation defect', on the warning signs, and 'What a crawl space inspection adds to a building inspection', shot in a real crawl space.
We withdrew our offer
Daan helped us excellently with a house in Amsterdam and saved us from a financial and mental drama. No half work with the report, and on the basis of it we withdrew our offer. The thorough inspection brought to light all kinds of defects that were not visible during the viewing, such as fungus and damp problems. During the inspection, too, he focuses on the buyer and not on the selling party. For our next offer we will ask Daan again!
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars
Up on the roof, down on the bathroom floor
Fred is a top notch inspector in Amsterdam His services were definitely worth the cost. While inspecting our new home (pre offer) he was extremely detailed. He climbed the roof to check the tiles and even laid on the bathroom floors to check the level of the tiling and plumbing. With his construction background and thorough approach, Fred caught all the snags. He then provided us a report that saved us money and future headaches as the selling party addressed these as part of the purchase agreement. These services were great for the savings, but also for the peace of mind that our new home to be was technically sound. Thanks Fred!
Review on Google, 5 stars
Below this text, left to right: 1. flat roof checked for drainage, seams and the roof edge; 2. roof boarding checked for damp and old leaks; 3. damp survey in a cellar, measuring moisture in the walls; 4. inspecting concrete rot (betonrot), where rusting steel cracks the concrete.
Your realtor and the inspector they recommend
A Dutch realtor (makelaar) usually gets paid when the sale closes. An inspector who gets a lot of jobs through realtors has a reason to keep those realtors happy. That's a structural conflict of interest, and it applies to your own buyer's agent too, because their fee also depends on the deal going through.
Because the Dutch system is new to you, it's natural to follow your agent's suggestions. Just remember that the agent gets paid when the sale goes through. You can always hire your own inspector, even if your realtor or mortgage adviser has a 'partner' they'd like you to use.
Ask any inspector before you book: Do you get work or fees from realtors or mortgage advisers? Will you go into the crawl space and up on the roof if it's safe? Do you assess the foundation? Will you confirm in writing that you're independent? Also read the terms. Some 'global' inspections exclude a lot.
Premiumkeur doesn't work with realtors or mortgage advisers, doesn't pay or receive referral fees, doesn't recommend contractors and never inspects for sellers.
Roofs: flat, tiled and sometimes worn out
Older Amstelveen homes usually have a pitched tile roof on the main house and a flat bitumen roof on the extension. Bitumen lasts about 20 to 25 years. We get up on the roof when it can be done safely and check the covering, the flashings and the drains. Concrete gutters on homes from the fifties and sixties can suffer from concrete rot, where rusting rebar cracks the concrete.
Two videos (in Dutch) go with this: 'How to inspect a roof during a building inspection', about what we check up top, and 'Foundation investigation Amstelveen', on measuring and judging a foundation around here.
What we don't do
We don't test for asbestos. Homes built before 1994 can contain it, in things like old floor tiles, pipe lagging or roof sheets. We point out suspected materials, and an asbestos inventory by a certified firm, with lab testing, gives you the answer.
We also don't measure the electrical system. We look at the fuse box and visible wiring and tell you if something looks unsafe, but the measurements are for a licensed electrician. Mold testing, radon and sewer camera work aren't part of a standard inspection either.
Closing happens at the notary
There's no title company or escrow agent. In the Netherlands a civil-law notary (notaris) handles the transfer. You sign the deed at the notary's office, the money goes through the notary's account and ownership passes to you that day.
Between signing the contract and closing there are usually weeks, sometimes months. The inspection belongs before the signature, not before the closing. By the time you get to the notary, the deal is done.
Below this text, left to right: 1. roof inspection on a family house, checking tiles, ridge and flashings; 2. using an endoscope camera to look for a leak behind a surface; 3. bitumen roof covering checked for cracks, blisters and worn seams; 4. cracks in a facade, photographed during an inspection.
Repair prices in the report
Every defect we find comes with an estimate, at that year's price level. The summary groups them: costs now, within five years and within five to ten years. That's the number most buyers take back to the seller.
An estimate isn't a quote. Contractors' prices vary, so for big items we tell you to get quotes before you sign.
Solar panels and dormers
Solar panels are common now, and a dormer on the attic floor is almost standard on post-war homes. With panels we check how they're fixed and whether the roof under them was sound. With dormers we look for leaks at the sides and the joint with the tiles.
The videos below (in Dutch) are 'All about installing solar panels', on mistakes made during installation, and 'How to trace leaks at a dormer', about tracking down where the water comes in.
Step by step on the day
Had a building inspection carried out. Daan knows his stuff and during the inspection he also explains step by step what he is looking at. Recommended.
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars
Neat and friendly
Daan was great! He also told us about everything in a really nice way, and he worked very neatly too!
Review on Google (translated from Dutch), October 2026, 5 stars
Below this text, left to right: 1. inspector tracing a leak with a moisture meter; 2. fred Tokkie inspecting a timber pile foundation; 3. inspector looking at the electrical installation and the fuse box; 4. inspector inside the crawl space under the ground floor.
Language: English yes, Hindi and Japanese no
Amstelveen has a big international community, with many Indian and Japanese families. Our inspectors speak Dutch and English. They don't speak Hindi or Japanese, though there is also a short page in Japanese and in Hindi on this site.
The written report is in Dutch, since your lender, the notary and local contractors all work in Dutch. We'll translate it into English for € 100.
Apartments and the VvE
If you're buying an apartment, the building is run by a VvE, an owners' association a bit like an HOA or condo board. The VvE pays for the roof, facades and foundation from a reserve fund, and its MJOP (long-term maintenance plan) shows what's coming.
We inspect the apartment and the shared parts we can reach. Ask the seller for the MJOP and recent meeting minutes and send them to us. A cheap apartment with an empty reserve fund can turn out expensive.
Price and booking
The inspection is € 499 including VAT up to 800 m³. Above that it's € 0.50 per m³, so a 1,000 m³ home costs € 599. A foundation quick scan with the inspection starts at € 898. A crawl space or roof inspection on its own starts at € 499.
Call or WhatsApp us with the address and your deadline. Tell us if there's a cellar, a crawl space hatch or a flat roof, and we'll plan accordingly.
The meter cupboard tells a story
Every Dutch home has a meter cupboard (meterkast) near the front door, with the gas, water and electricity meters. It's one of the first places we look. Water stains in there, old cast iron drains or lead water pipes all say something about the rest of the house.
Water and electricity close together is a safety issue. If we see a leak there, we want it found and fixed before you sign.
Talked us through it afterwards
I was looking for a boukundige with good reviews and came across Premiumkeur. If you are looking for great service – do yourself a favour and read through the reviews people leave for them. Bo was great and talked us through the whole process afterwards – would definitely recommend 10/10
Review on Google, 5 stars
Other pages for buyers from abroad
- Building Survey Amstelveen: Dutch surveys compared with UK and Irish surveys.
- House Survey Amstelveen: the typical post-war houses here and their weak spots.
- House Inspection Amstelveen: a walk-through of inspection day.
- Property Inspection Amstelveen: for owners' associations, investors and commercial buildings.
- Pre-Purchase Building Survey Amstelveen: which extra checks fit which age of house.
- Building Inspection Amstelveen: our main English page for Amstelveen.
- Amstelveen knowledge base: 15 real cases from Amstelveen in English.
- Buying a house in Amsterdam: the Dutch buying process from offer to closing, on our Amsterdam site.
- Foundation investigation knowledge base: phases, costs and what the findings mean.
- Amsterdam building inspection knowledge base: cases and background from Amsterdam inspections.
Two home inspections in Amstelveen
From our own files, without names or addresses. Prices are at the level of the year given.
End-of-terrace house from 1956, Amstelveen, April 2025
Three floors plus a cellar, occupied. The buyers booked a home inspection with a foundation quick scan (phase 0).
The bed joints in the facades were off by 2, 4 and 5 mm, and the floors were level to within 1 to 7 mm. Both are small. In the crawl space the joists measured above 14% moisture, where below 12% is normal, but we saw no wood rot. In the top right corner of the meter cupboard there was a clear leak stain, probably from the bathroom above; we estimated € 500 for leak detection. Direct costs came to € 10,800 (2025). We advised against further foundation investigation for now. Before signing, the buyers should make sure the leak was fixed for good and have the suspected asbestos materials inventoried.
What this shows: a phase 0 scan can save you a full foundation investigation, and water next to electricity in the meter cupboard needs sorting out before you buy.
Terraced house from 1958, Amstelveen, December 2024
Three floors, occupied. A purchase inspection combined with a foundation investigation.
The front facade was 7 mm lower on the right than on the left; the rear showed no difference. On the ground floor the floor was level to within 8 mm (one reading of 15 mm wasn't fully reliable), upstairs to within 11 mm. So no foundation problem. The pointing was in very poor shape and there were no lintels above the window frames: € 5,000. In the meter cupboard we found a corroded cast iron drain, with what looked like lead water pipes. We didn't put a price on that, because it depends on what's behind the walls. Total direct costs: € 13,100 (2024). Our advice was to have the drain investigated before signing, since replacing it might mean a new bathroom, and to fit lintels when the facade is repointed.
What this shows: small level differences don't mean a foundation problem, and the biggest risk can sit in pipes you can't see.
Questions about a home inspection in Amstelveen
Is a Dutch home inspection the same as one in the US?
Close, but not the same. We add repair cost estimates and look harder at crawl spaces and foundations. There's no automatic inspection contingency in Dutch contracts.
How much is a home inspection in Amstelveen?
€ 499 including VAT up to 800 m³, plus € 0.50 per additional m³. With a foundation quick scan, from € 898.
How long does it take and when will I get the report?
One to one and a half hours on site. The report comes within two working days.
I'm an Indian expat moving to Amstelveen. Can the inspection be done in English?
Yes. On site, the inspector talks you through everything in English. The report is in Dutch and can be translated into English for € 100.
Can I back out of a Dutch home purchase after the inspection?
Only if your contract has a building inspection condition (bouwkundig voorbehoud), or within the three-day cooling-off period.
Do you test for asbestos or mold?
No lab testing. We flag suspected asbestos and visible mold and tell you who can test it.
Do you check the electrical system?
We look at the fuse box and visible wiring. A measured safety inspection has to be done by an electrician.
Should I use the inspector my realtor suggests?
You're free to choose your own. Pick one with no ties to realtors or mortgage advisers.
Can you inspect before I make an offer?
Yes, and that's often the safest route if you're bidding without an inspection condition.
Does the inspection cover the foundation?
We look for signs like cracks and uneven floors. A real assessment needs a quick scan or a phase 1 or 2 investigation.
Areas we cover
We do home inspections in every part of Amstelveen, including Randwijck, Elsrijk, Middenhoven and Waardhuizen. We also cover Amsterdam-Buitenveldert, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and Aalsmeer.
Contact details Premiumkeur Amstelveen
Premiumkeur B.V.
Heiligeweg 30
1012 XR Amsterdam
Phone: 020-7736842
Email: premiumkeur@gmail.com
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 81106130
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