In 2026, a notary costs an average of about €1,800 when buying a house with a mortgage. This amount consists of the deed of transfer (around €900), the mortgage deed (around €600), and land registry fees (about €150), plus a few smaller items. If you buy without a mortgage, you only pay for the deed of transfer and the land registry, totalling around €1,000 to €1,200. Fees vary considerably between firms, as notaries are free to set their own prices. Below, we explain exactly where your money goes and what you can reclaim from the tax authorities.
What does the notary do when you buy a house?
The notary handles the legal transfer of the property. They draw up the deeds, check that the seller is the true owner, verify that there are no liens or mortgages on the property, and ensure the money is safely handled via the client account. On the day of transfer, you sign at the notary's office and the property is officially registered in your name at the Land Registry.
For a standard purchase with financing, two deeds are passed: the deed of transfer (also called the conveyance deed or transport deed) and the mortgage deed. This distinction is important because it affects both your wallet and the tax authorities.
Deed of transfer, mortgage deed and land registry: what are you paying for?
The total notary bill breaks down into a few recognisable components. For a property around €400,000 with a mortgage, it roughly looks like this:
- Deed of transfer: around €900. This legally transfers the property from the seller to you.
- Mortgage deed: around €600. This records the agreements with your lender. If you don't need a mortgage, this item disappears entirely.
- Land registry fees: around €150. For registering the deeds in the public registers.
- Other costs: around €150. Such as search fees, extracts and administration.
Together, this comes to about €1,800. In practice, the range is roughly €700 to €1,900. As a rough guide, you can expect total notary costs to be 0.3% to 0.5% of the purchase price, although the firm you choose ultimately matters more than the exact property price (see below).
How much does the notary cost without a mortgage?
If you buy a house without financing, for example with your own money or a gift, you don't need a mortgage deed. You only pay for the deed of transfer and the land registry fees. This totals around €1,000 to €1,200, which is significantly lower than the average €1,800 for a purchase with a mortgage.
Why do notary fees vary so much between firms?
Notary fees have been deregulated since 1999. Each firm decides what to charge for a deed of transfer or mortgage deed. This explains the wide variation: one firm charges €700 for a deed, another more than double. It really pays to compare multiple quotes.
Importantly, notary costs depend only slightly on the property price. Drawing up the deeds involves roughly the same amount of work whether you buy a flat in Amsterdam for €595,000 or a house in Enschede for around €375,000. Therefore, the difference between two firms is often larger than the difference between two property prices. Always request a few quotes and check that all items (deed of transfer, mortgage deed, land registry and additional costs) are included.
Who chooses the notary, buyer or seller?
As a buyer, you are usually free to choose your own notary. This is a right many people are unaware of, yet it can save you hundreds of euros. In a 'costs for the buyer' purchase, you pay the notary, so you also decide which firm to use. Only when a property is sold 'free on name' (v.o.n.), often new builds, does the seller or developer choose the notary, and the costs of the deed of transfer are already included in the price.
Tip: if you are buying on a 'costs for the buyer' basis, request quotes from two or three firms yourself before signing. You are not obliged to use the selling agent's notary.
Which notary costs are tax-deductible?
Here, the difference between the two deeds comes into play again. When buying your own home, you can deduct certain one-off costs in your income tax return, but not everything.
- Deductible: the notary's mortgage deed and the associated land registry fees, plus your mortgage advice and brokerage, the NHG guarantee fee, and the valuation report needed for financing.
- Not deductible: the deed of transfer, transfer tax, estate agent's commission, and any structural survey.
The common thread: everything related to financing (the mortgage) is usually deductible; everything related to the purchase itself is not. So the mortgage deed falls into the deductible part, the deed of transfer does not. This is general information and not tax advice. If you are unsure about your situation, ask your advisor or the tax authorities.
The notary in the bigger picture of purchase costs
The notary is just one of the costs when buying a house. Additionally, expect roughly:
- Transfer tax: 2% for owner-occupiers. If you are buying your first home and are between 18 and 34, you qualify for the starter's exemption (0%) up to a property value of €555,000. For a property around €400,000, that saves you €8,000.
- Valuation report: around €500 to €800.
- Mortgage advice and brokerage: around €2,500 to €3,500.
- Buying agent (optional): around €2,500 to €4,000, or 1% to 2% of the purchase price.
If you take out a National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG), in 2026 you pay a one-off 0.4% of the mortgage amount as a guarantee fee. For a €400,000 mortgage, that is €1,600, and this fee is deductible. The NHG cost limit this year is €470,000 (€498,200 with energy-saving features). The mortgage rate for a ten-year fixed term with NHG currently hovers around 4%.
How much room do you have for the notary in your region?
Because notary costs move only slightly with the property price, what matters most for your total budget is the cost of the house itself. In our own property listings, the national median asking price is €470,000, about €4,300 per square metre. This varies considerably by city: Haarlem €550,000, Utrecht €510,000, Zwolle €450,000 and Groningen €325,000. The median is the middle price and gives a fairer picture than the average, which nationally is around €539,000, skewed by a few expensive outliers.
Check the current listings and prices per neighbourhood on Buurtje.nl to see what a house in your municipality roughly costs and factor in the notary costs straight away.
Source: own current property listings on Buurtje.nl, median asking prices. Asking prices are not transaction prices. Amounts for notary, tax and NHG apply for 2026 and are indicative.
