Dutch people are increasingly taking out mortgages with a mortgage guarantee, a safety net for residual debt. The NHG, the organization behind this safety net, has “mixed feelings” about the increase in existing homes. In addition, the strong increase in new construction is striking.
The number of guarantees for new-build homes was more than 40 percent higher than a year earlier, reports the Nationale Hypotheek Garantie (NHG). The NHG reduces buyers’ financial risk, partly because the residual debt can be forgiven if they are forced to sell their home.
Moreover, a lower mortgage interest rate is possible, which makes owning a home more accessible. That is one of the goals of the NHG.
The fact that there are many more NHG guarantees for new-build homes has three main causes. These include the larger number of new-build homes, the decrease in the number of investors and the smaller size of the average new-build home. Smaller homes are generally more affordable, so they are more likely to fall under the NHG limit. In 2025, that limit is 450,000 euros.
The number of guarantees for existing homes also increased. This is caused by investors selling off their rental properties, the so-called ‘uitponden’ (selling off rental properties).
Uitponden roept gemengde gevoelens op
The development of uitponden “evokes mixed feelings,” says NHG manager Bjorn Jonkergouw. The supply of rental properties is becoming smaller and smaller, but the rental sector is, according to Jonkergouw, “crucial for the housing market.” This applies in particular to people who cannot afford to buy a home.
At the same time, the sale of rental properties creates more affordable owner-occupied homes. That is good news for “potential buyers within our target group,” says Jonkergouw. “Where you seem to reduce one problem, you immediately create another problem.”