Number of mortgage applications up 4.6%; More first-time buyers also need starter loan

Thursday, 20 August 2026 - 07:35

In the first six months of this year, 4.6 percent more mortgages were taken out than in the same period a year earlier, the Land Registry reported. The Land Registry also noted that a growing group of first-time buyers is taking out starter loans alongside their mortgage to cover the gap between the home price and the mortgage amount.

From January through June, residents of the Netherlands took out nearly 217,000 new mortgages, compared to 207,000 a year earlier. The total value of all mortgages was €84.8 billion. That is about 8 percent higher than in the first six months of 2025, but lower than the record of €95.2 billion in the second half of last year.

Most mortgages were for the purchase of a home. On average, the mortgage amount for a home was over €517,000 in the past six months, about 5 percent higher than a year earlier. According to the Land Registry, this increase is linked to the average home price, which also rose at a slower pace.

The Land Registry also noted that a growing number of first-time buyers are taking out a starter loan alongside their first mortgage. This additional loan bridges the gap between the price of the owner-occupied home and the maximum loan amount for first-time buyers. In the first half of the year, over 8 percent of first-time buyers took out such an additional loan. A year earlier, this figure was just over 6 percent. This loan had an average value of €37,000.

According to the Land Registry, buyers are spending more of their personal funds on buying their homes. In the first half of this year, mortgages covered 87 percent of the purchase amount, compared to 92 percent in the first half of 2019. The Land Registry also noted that the pricier the home, the more personal funds are spent on it. For example, homes priced above €1 million were financed for just under 70 percent with a mortgage.