Making an offer: what should the offer include?
You've seen a house that meets your wishes. It has a lovely kitchen, and the sun in the garden is perfect. But now an offer has to be made. How do you do that?
Making an offer
It's best to start the offer with the address it relates to, followed by the amount. Always give the amount in figures and also write it out in words to avoid confusion. You can also state, for example, that the offer includes the curtains.
Completion date
State when you'd ideally like to get the keys. However, the seller may of course have indicated when they want to hand over the home. Sellers appreciate it when you take their wishes into account when making your offer.
Conditions (ontbindende voorwaarden)
It's smart to make an offer with conditions, so that you can dissolve the purchase. Think of a financing condition: if you can't get financing for the house, you don't have to buy it. It's also always a good idea to include a condition for a structural survey. If there turn out to be serious structural defects, you then have the option of withdrawing from the purchase. Think of a rotten floor or foundation problems. The outcome of a structural survey can also give you an opening to start negotiating again.
Finally, state until when the offer is valid. That way the seller can't keep using your offer indefinitely with other potential buyers. The seller has to decide within a certain time whether they accept your offer.
But note: a verbal agreement isn't binding. When private individuals buy a home, the agreement has to be in writing. An email isn't a written agreement. There's only a deal once the purchase agreement has been signed. Even then, the buyer still has a statutory three-day cooling-off period.
