What does buying vrij op naam mean?
If you buy vrij op naam (v.o.n.), the seller pays the transfer costs. These are the costs of legally putting the home in your name.
That transfer always goes through a notary. The notary draws up the transfer deed, the deed by which the home changes hands. The notary then registers that deed with the Land Registry (Kadaster), so that you become the owner. With vrij op naam, those notary and Land Registry costs are already included in the purchase price.
You mainly see v.o.n. or von after the price of a new-build home. The property developer then includes the transfer costs in the project's price list. As a result, you as the buyer do not receive a separate notary's bill for the transfer. For a first-time buyer, that price is not yet the full housing budget.
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Which costs are and are not included in the v.o.n. price?
Besides the home itself, the v.o.n. price only includes transfer costs. You pay for your own financing and for any extras you want separately. So you add those additional costs to the price yourself.
Your financing includes the mortgage deed, the mortgage advice and the valuation of the home. The notary also draws up that mortgage deed, so you do pay notary fees for it. If you opt for the National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG), you pay a one-off premium. That guarantee is a safety net if you run into payment problems and often gives you a lower interest rate.
Extra work is anything you choose on top of the standard version, such as a different kitchen. The finishing of floors and walls is often not included in the price either. In addition, you pay the construction interest, the interest during construction.
The exact answer for your home is in the price list and the technical specification. Look up your cost item in the table, and you will see who pays it.
Cost item | In the v.o.n. price | You pay yourself |
|---|---|---|
Notary for the transfer deed | Yes | No |
Registration with the Land Registry | Yes | No |
VAT on a new-build home | Yes | No |
Mortgage deed, advice, valuation and NHG | No | Yes |
Extra work and finishing | Usually not | Yes |
Construction interest | No | Yes |
What is the difference between vrij op naam and buyer's costs?
With vrij op naam, the seller pays the transfer costs. With buyer's costs (kosten koper), you pay them yourself, on top of the purchase price. Vrij op naam usually goes with new-build homes, buyer's costs with an existing home.
A v.o.n. price is therefore not automatically cheaper or more expensive. The costs are only divided differently between seller and buyer. So you cannot simply compare such a price with an ordinary asking price.
The table shows who bears which costs and how to read prices. After that, you can read when you come across each form:
- When do you buy a home vrij op naam?
- When do you pay buyer's costs?
Topic | Vrij op naam (v.o.n.) | Buyer's costs |
|---|---|---|
Who pays the transfer costs | The seller | You as the buyer |
Usually found with | New builds | An existing home |
Transfer tax | None on new builds, VAT applies there | 2%, or 0% with the first-time buyer exemption |
How to read the price | Transfer costs are included | Transfer costs come on top |
When do you buy a home vrij op naam?
You usually buy a home vrij op naam when it is a new build. With new builds, v.o.n. is the usual way of stating a price. When buying a new-build home, you also look at the handover.
A seller can also offer an existing home vrij op naam. That rarely happens, but in that case the seller also pays the transfer tax. You then see an asking price that already includes that tax.
When do you pay buyer's costs?
You usually pay buyer's costs on an existing home. The transfer tax and the notary for the transfer deed then come on top of the purchase price. In that case, you also pay for the registration with the Land Registry yourself.
With homeup, your buyer's costs come out lower, at around €12,000 excluding transfer tax. That is because with homeup you pay a fixed price for the guidance.
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As a first-time buyer, do you pay transfer tax when buying vrij op naam?
No, with a new-build home bought vrij op naam, you pay no transfer tax. On a new-build home you pay VAT, which is already included in the purchase price. With an existing home bought vrij op naam, the seller pays the transfer tax.
That difference also affects your first-time buyer exemption. After all, with a new-build home bought vrij op naam, there is no transfer tax to save. So that exemption plays no role there. With an existing home where you pay buyer's costs, the exemption does save you money. As a result, the buyer's costs on an existing home are lower if you qualify.
The exemption applies if you are between 18 and 35 years old. Moreover, you will live in the home yourself, as your main residence. You have also not used the exemption before. In 2026, the home may cost no more than €555,000.
How do you factor a v.o.n. price into your budget as a first-time buyer?
You factor in a v.o.n. price by adding your mortgage costs and extra work. Only then do you know what your first home really costs. With this v.o.n. budget check, you do that in five steps:
- Start with the v.o.n. price, but do not see it as the final amount.
- Add your mortgage costs, such as the mortgage deed, the advice and the valuation.
- Request the list of extra work and also include the finishing of floors and walls.
- Include the construction interest and your double housing costs if you still pay rent.
- Keep a buffer for costs that still crop up during construction.
If you are comparing two homes, look at the total budget and not at the advertised price. That certainly applies to a vrij op naam price compared with a price plus buyer's costs.
Your total budget depends on your maximum mortgage and your own money. With a mortgage certificate, you know in advance that your financing is in place.
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How does homeup help you buy your first home vrij op naam?
homeup helps you as a buying agent with your financing and your purchase. As a first-time buyer, you are often not yet familiar with price lists and lists of extra work. That is why we help you check in advance whether the price fits your budget. This is what you get from homeup:
- In a free initial mortgage consultation, we look at which costs come with your loan.
- A mortgage certificate makes sure your financing is in place before you start searching.
- Our online purchase guidance costs €2,999 for a home on the open market. As part of this, we check the legal documents, among other things.
- You only pay at the key handover, so you run no financial risk beforehand.
Buyers with homeup buy a home three months faster on average. All buyers on the homeup platform are financially screened in advance. If you have doubts about a price, ask your question via our contact page.
