When to sell house for new construction?

Have you bought a new construction home? That's fantastic news! Ideally, you would move into your new house today, but unfortunately, you have to be patient. It often takes one to two years before a newly built house is delivered. You only receive the exact time of delivery towards the end of construction. So how do you now know what the best time is to sell your current home? And when are you allowed to sell the new construction home during or after delivery? In this article, we answer all your questions.

1. When to sell old house after buying a new build?

The best time to sell your old home when buying a new build depends on a number of factors. First of all, it's important not to put your old house up for sale before you sign the purchase/construction agreement and know the potential escape clauses of the contractor and seller. These clauses consist of suspensive conditions. Only when all conditions have been met, a valid agreement is in place. Think of conditions such as: a certain number of houses within the plan must have been sold (this condition usually poses no problem in the current market) or the environmental permit must have been definitively issued.

Once the purchase/construction agreement has been signed and there are no suspensive conditions, you as the buyer are given time to sort out the financing. With new construction projects, you usually get around 8 weeks to do this. This is considerably longer than when buying existing homes. Do you have the financing in place, but do you also have a mortgage on your old home? Then it's good to find out what your double costs are. Read all about a double mortgage here.

1.2 At least wait until the start of the new build project

Is the financing in place? Then at least wait with putting your current home up for sale until the contractor has started construction of the project. The purchase/construction agreement specifies a period within a maximum number of days by which your house must be completed. From the moment construction starts, you can count with this period. This way you know what the latest date is when your new build will be completed. The exact time of delivery is only known towards the end of the construction. Only then can the contractor give you a good estimate of the delivery date.

Tip: add a few weeks to this (delivery) date, to take into account everything you still need to do to the house (such as renovations, painting, and the final chores). After that, your new build is ready to live in.

1.3 Best time to sell old house depends on your own wishes

So it is wise to only put your house up for sale after the contractor has started construction. The ideal time to put your house on the market then depends on your own wishes.

Reasons to put house up for sale after start of new build

Do you find it important to have certainty about the sale and sale proceeds of your old house as soon as possible? For example, because your house is in a difficult price category or because there are other special circumstances that could make the sale difficult? Or because you want to quickly know what surplus value you can take into account? Then it may be wise to put it on the market as soon as the construction of your new house has started.

If you sell your old home before your new build is completed, the downside is that you will have to find temporary accommodation for the interim period. This means that you have to move an extra time. Some people don't mind this, for others this is a reason to wait longer with selling the existing property.

Be aware: if there is a long time between the moment you offer your property for sale and the moment of its delivery, this may deter buyers. It is likely that this will attract fewer viewers to your property. This could also be a reason to wait a little longer to put your house up for sale.

Reasons to put house up for sale at a later date

In the current market, most houses are sold quickly. On average, a house in the Netherlands is sold quite quickly. In the big cities, houses are on sale for an average of this long:

If there are no special circumstances that impede the (quick) sale of your house, in most cases you can therefore choose with peace of mind to wait longer. Wait until the moment you hear from the contractor when your new build will be completed. This way you know for sure that you only have to move once. Moreover, the average house prices are rising almost every month. Waiting to sell in the current market can therefore also have a positive effect on the selling price.

Do you choose to wait a little longer to put your house on the market? Then at least prepare for the sale. Take care of any backlog of maintenance and already engage a real estate agent. Have the estate agency take photos and videos of your house in advance, arrange the floor plans and put together the text for Funda and other housing websites. That way, you can put your house on the market quickly when it's necessary, and you won't suffer any unnecessary delay. Also read our tips for preparing your house for sale.

Read more about the costs involved in buying a new build house here

1.4 Ask your real estate agent for advice re. best time to sell

Tip: ask your real estate agent for advice regarding the above consideration. Are you still looking for a good real estate agent? Via Mijn Verkoopmakelaar, you can easily and quickly find and compare the best real estate agents in your area. Registration is free and without obligation. Read more about how Mijn Verkoopmakelaar works.

2. When can you sell a new-build house again?

There can be a considerable amount of time between the moment of buying and moving into a new-build house. In that time, a lot can change in your personal situation. Your relationship could break down, your financial situation could change, and your needs and priorities could shift.

Do you want to sell your new-build house during construction or just after completion (for example within 6 months or 1 year)? Then check the purchase/construction agreement you signed. This agreement may contain a clause that stipulates that you are not allowed to sell your house within a certain number of years. If you do so, you will receive a fine. In some cases, you may even have to pay the entire appreciation as a fine.

2.1 Selling new-build for profit after completion

The advantage of new-build is that you do not pay transfer tax on the construction of your house. This offers opportunities to sell new-build for profit, provided there is sufficient interest in the market and rising house prices.

As you read above, with new-build houses you sign a purchase/construction agreement. As a buyer, you acquire a plot of land, on which a project developer builds your house. The buyer pays sales tax (19% VAT) on the purchase price of the land and the construction terms in the agreement. After the completion of the new-build house, you as the buyer receive the keys and the completion report. This moment is important if you want to sell the new-build house (quickly) for profit.

2.2 Stipulate transfer tax benefit for seller in purchase agreement

The law (art. 13 Taxation of legal transactions law) states that a new buyer of a new-build house is only liable to pay transfer tax on the difference between the previous and the subsequent purchase price, if the house is resold within 6 months of the previous acquisition. The 6-month period starts from the delivery date.

This gives you as a seller of a new-build house the possibility to gain a tax advantage when you quickly resell your new-build house. One thing is crucial: you will have to stipulate in the purchase agreement that the benefit of the transfer tax (6%) accrues to you (as the selling party). This benefit for the seller is called restitution. If you do not include this in the contract, the buyer benefits from this advantage.

As a seller, you "lose" the VAT paid on the purchase price and the construction terms. You cannot get this back.

2.3 Extend the 6-month period with a Groningen deed

Do you want to take advantage of the above-mentioned benefit on the transfer tax, but is the 6-month period almost over? Then draw up a so-called 'Groninger deed' in case a buyer has presented himself. In this deed, you transfer the ownership of the new-build house under a number of dissolving conditions, such as the payment of the purchase price. This way, the buyer has extra time to secure financing, and the financial benefit w.r.t. the transfer tax is safeguarded.

2.4 Selling new-build for profit during construction

Even when you sell a new-build house during construction, you can gain financial benefit. Because the actual delivery of the new-build has not yet taken place, the financial benefit looks a little different. When private sellers sell the delivered land during construction, the tax base for the transfer tax is reduced by all construction terms paid by the seller (on which sales tax is calculated) before the time of resale. This also applies to the construction terms of more than 6 months back.

Want to know more about selling your house? Then also read the following articles:

5 tips to determine the asking price

How do I quickly sell my house?

Prepare house for sale

Sell house to a real estate agent