What your rate is made of
- 1Fixed period
Longer usually costs more, because the lender carries the rate risk for longer. Common choices are 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years, or variable.
- 2Risk class (loan-to-value)
The loan as a share of the home's value. Lenders price in bands, for example up to 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% and 100%: the lower the share, the lower the rate. A loan with NHG usually gets the lowest class.
- 3Discounts and surcharges
Some lenders give a discount for a good energy label or a payment account, and charge more for interest-only parts or without a current account. These differ per lender.
Part of the series Buying a home in the Netherlands: every step and every mortgage topic, with worked examples.
Your risk class falls as you repay
Crossing into a lower band can lower your rate. Many lenders adjust automatically for repayments; for a higher home value they usually ask for a new valuation. Ask yours: it is free money.
How long to fix?
| Short (variable to 5 years) | Long (10 years or more) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rate today | Often lower | Often higher |
| Certainty | Payment can change soon | Payment fixed for years |
| Affordability test | At least 5% | The offered rate |
| Maximum mortgage | Usually lower | Usually higher |
| Repaying early or moving | Low fees if rates fall | Possibly a fee if rates fall |
For the couple in the hub example, choosing a fixed period under 10 years lowers the maximum from about €467,000 to about €435,000, because the test uses 5%.
When the fixed period ends
The lender offers a new rate a few months before the end. You can accept, choose another period, or move to another lender (switching costs money: advice, valuation, notary). What it means for the payment, for €400,000 borrowed at 3.8% with €312,989 left after 10 years:
Rente-middeling and other options
- Rente-middeling (rate averaging)
- If rates have fallen, some lenders let you switch to a new period now and blend the early-repayment fee into the new rate instead of paying it in cash. It is not always cheaper than waiting: compare the blended rate with your current rate for the remaining years.
- Rate reflection period (rentebedenktijd)
- Many offers fix the quoted rate for a period, and give you the lower rate if rates fall before you sign or before the transfer. The terms differ per lender.
- Overbruggingskrediet (bridging loan)
- A short loan on the equity in your old home while you wait for its sale. See moving house.
General information for 2026, not financial advice. Lenders apply the rules in their own way, and rates change daily. Before you sign, have your own situation checked by a registered mortgage adviser.
How much can I borrow? · Annuity, linear or interest-only · Interest rates and fixed periods · Mortgage interest deduction · NHG · Buying costs · Mortgages for expats · Moving, repaying, divorce, selling · Mortgage glossary
Sources
This article is based on these official pages. If anything here differs from them, the official page is right.
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