Housing market 2025: more benefits for first-time buyers and landlords

When you are in the process of buying a home, there is often a lot that comes your way. At Alpina, we are here to help you with this. One of the topics we regularly receive questions about is the key agreement and its impact on transfer taxes. With the Tax Collective Act 2025, there are important changes ahead that will make this process easier. In this article, we take you through the changes and how we at Alpina are proactively ready to support you.

A key agreement occurs when you, the buyer, already receive the keys to the property and take over certain risks, such as changes in value, while the legal transfer does not take place until later. This often happens, for example, when you already want to start moving or doing odd jobs before the transfer of ownership is formally completed. 

At Alpina, we find that many buyers wonder what this means for transfer tax purposes. Until now, a key agreement often resulted in the transfer of beneficial ownership, which was taxable for transfer tax purposes. This can create unexpected costs, but the Tax Collector Act 2025 changes this. 

As of January 1, 2025, the home value limit for the starter exemption will be increased to €525,000. This means that starters, provided they meet the conditions, will not have to pay transfer tax up to this amount. 

In addition, the government is lowering the transfer tax for homes that are not used as a primary residence by the buyer. This should encourage landlords to buy properties for the free sector more often. Whereas the transfer tax had risen to 10.4% in recent years, it will now be reduced to around 8%. 

The cabinet also has plans to build nearly 300,000 housing units for seniors in the short term. 

In addition, the Tax Collective Act 2025 ensures that you can benefit from the starter exemption or the reduced rate of 2% even when you transfer economic ownership. This is an important improvement because it prevents buyers who meet the conditions of the starter exemption or the reduced rate from still having to pay the high general rate of 10.4%.

At Alpina, we have often seen this come at an unexpected cost to buyers. Thanks to this new legislation, economic and legal property transfers are finally treated equally, providing greater clarity and fairness when purchasing a home.

Another issue we at Alpina often run into with key agreements is the insurance of the home. Because the seller no longer occupies the home as their own and you are not yet the legal owner, the home may be temporarily uninsured. This carries risks, so make sure you take care of this. At Alpina, we are happy to help you make sure everything is in order in this regard.

At Alpina, we're not just there to guide you through the purchase process, but to proactively think with you and help you avoid potential pitfalls. The rules surrounding transfer tax and key agreements are complex, but we have the expertise to guide you through them. Do you have questions about the new rules or would you like help with your specific situation? Our experts are ready to help you with personal advice. Together we will make sure that you know exactly where you stand and that you can buy your home carefree.