Two houses and double double costs: How to reduce them?

Bought a house, but have not sold it yet? What to do with double housing costs?

Recently bought a new home and just can’t seem to get the sale of your current home going? There are several options to solve this problem. These options will not be valid for everyone because it depends on the personal situation.

For example, we answer the questions of how to promote the sale, what to do if you have double housing costs or whether can you also sell your just-bought house again if you run into trouble.

How can you speed up the sale of the house?

Are you in danger of having double monthly expenses because the sale of your “old” house is not moving forward? What are your options for speeding up the sale?

• Have you had a few viewings? Check if the photos are bad or if the house looks messy in the photos or if the house is not well maintained.
• Isn’t the asking price too high? It may be an idea to lower the asking price in consultation with the estate agent. You can take into account the different price categories on major housing sites such as Funda and Huispedia. Put the asking price under a large round number, such as under € 300,000. You may then appeal to an interesting target group for your property.
• Check your ad carefully in the autumn. In the fall, the sale of homes always increases due to the changing rules in the new year. Interested parties often want to buy a house quickly in the last days of the year. So check that your ad is still up to date to boost sales.
• Take part in the Open House Day. Every year, several Open-House Days are organized, as a result of which many people go to view homes.
• Promote your own home through various social media channels. Also, ask your friends to share the message!
• Do you have a real estate agent? Then discuss whether the sales strategy is appropriate. Is the cooperation not progressing? Then consider working with another real estate agent. Do you want to be sure that this broker suits you? Compare brokers via the tool.

> Read here the 9 best tips to sell a house fast

Do you have double housing costs?

Do you have double housing costs because you have bought a new home, but your old home has not yet been sold? This can occur because your new home is under construction or the sale of the home has not yet been finalized by the notary.

Fortunately, the government has come up with two options to help someone with double burdens.

Option 1. Temporarily rent out a home

If you have not yet sold your old home, it is possible to temporarily rent out this old home. This can be done based on the “Leegstandwet” (vacancy law). This regulation makes it possible to evict the tenant as soon as the house has been sold. See if this option suits your current situation. Does it make sense to temporarily rent out the house and what are the tax consequences? Do you want to make use of the vacancy law? Then you need to apply for a permit from your municipality. This can be done via the website of the municipality. You can find the form on the website of the government.

Option 2. The double mortgage interest deduction

The mortgage interest is deductible for both houses. In addition, the owner-occupied home value for the vacant home or the home under construction does not have to be paid. These arrangements are valid from the time the property is put up for sale or the property under construction is purchased plus the following three years.

> More about mortgage advisors @HuisAssist

Can you sell a newly purchased home?

If you can’t get rid of your “old” home, you can choose to put your recently purchased home up for sale as well. This way you suddenly have two homes for sale, which increases the chance of getting rid of the double monthly costs faster. At the moment you are not yet living in your new home, the mortgage interest remains deductible. Of course, you must have bought a new home to live in. In some cases, you may not immediately put the purchased property up for sale. This can happen in a new construction project. In such cases, it is not permitted to sell the property before completion.