Offer for first-time buyers

We received the following message via the Vlaardingen municipality website and social media:

Good news for young people entering the Vlaardingen housing market: we've expanded the Starter Loan. The terms have been relaxed, and more money is available. This loan makes it easier for young people to buy a home. When are you eligible?

These include the conditions:

- you are younger than 35 years old

- the purchase value of the house is now a maximum of €355,000 (this was €225,000)

- you have lived in Vlaardingen for at least 1 year or you have lived in Vlaardingen for at least 5 of the past 10 years (this was at least 6 years)

- you can borrow a maximum of €30,000 extra (this was €25,000)

The Starter Loan naturally also applies to new-build homes such as those at the Heemtuinen and the Museumkwartier."

Put your two cents in

We thought that was very positive news. In addition to the 0% transfer tax and the higher starter loan, we also want to give first-time buyers of existing homes an extra boost by contributing. Unmarried first-time buyers who purchase a home together this year and let us handle the transfer and mortgage will receive a cohabitation agreement as a gift.

Why a cohabitation agreement?

If you live together because of an emotional relationship, you are legally unrelated. Each person has their own income, assets, and debts, and you are not considered partners for tax purposes either. You cannot benefit from the advantages that come with this, such as income tax, inheritance tax, and gift tax.

You also can't benefit from your partner's good pension plan. You're also not each other's heirs.

The property relationship between you and your partner, with whom you live together, can be formally established in a cohabitation agreement. If you have a cohabitation agreement and have been living together for more than six months, you will be treated equally for tax purposes as married couples, with a lower gift and inheritance tax rate and higher tax exemptions. This can therefore save you a considerable amount of money.

A cohabitation agreement is an agreement in which you make arrangements about various matters related to living together. In the cohabitation agreement, you make agreements about, for example:

• The financial contribution to household costs
• The distribution of assets
• Agreements about the home
• Designating each other as beneficiaries of the survivor's pension
• You can include a right of residence clause in a cohabitation agreement. A right of residence clause stipulates that joint property will pass to the other cohabiting partner upon death. This only applies to joint property, not to private property such as savings, investment portfolios, cars, etc. Keep in mind that if you don't make any arrangements, in the event of deaths occurring in quick succession and if there are no children, everything will go to the family of the last to die. This includes the payout from a life insurance policy. Your own family will then be left empty-handed and may feel a bit uneasy. If there are children, they can claim their inheritance, and you may be forced to sell the house. Therefore, in addition to the cohabitation agreement, it's wise to also draw up a will and a living will.

In practice, a cohabitation agreement is almost always drawn up by a civil-law notary. To qualify for certain arrangements, such as partner pension plans, a cohabitation agreement drawn up by a civil-law notary is required.

Our gift to you

Are you a first-time buyer considering buying a home with a starter loan and would you like to have a free cohabitation agreement drawn up? Then take advantage of this opportunity and contact us.

Terms and conditions

Please note: Our offer is only valid for the purchase of an existing home (not a new build) by two cohabiting couples for whom we handle the delivery and mortgage. This offer runs until January 1, 2024, and cannot be combined with other discount programs offered by our office.