How do you choose wisely?
Mortgage advice evolves at lightning speed. New legislation, AI tools and a stricter duty of care shape your choices, while you simply want to live.
Automate
Nerdy calculation tools map out scenarios in no time, so you can see what a 0.2 % interest surcharge really does.
Integrate
We combine income and sustainability scores in a single report, saving you five spreadsheets.
Fine-tune
Any change in your career? The advisory software immediately adjusts affordability.
Look ahead
Expected AFM guidelines for 2026? We test right away how your plan scores then.
Some people compare mortgage advice to a puzzle; we see it more as Tetris..
Why Tetris?
Why Tetris?
A puzzle stays still; Tetris moves—just like the interest market, your career or climate regulations.
What does the market say?
This year the AFM concluded that advisers do not ask enough about lifestyle expenditure. Strangely enough, we find that the greatest gains are precisely there.
And what does that mean for you?
Lower risk of over-optimistic borrowing
Better match between housing costs and future plans
More peace of mind, so to speak
Step-by-step plan for mortgage advice.
This is how we guide you from the first idea right through to annual aftercare.
Step 1 – Orientation meeting.
We start with a conversation free from sales talk. No one wants to see Excel columns after ten minutes. We discuss dreams, fears, quirky hobbies—everything that influences your housing costs.
Step 2 – Data dump.
You provide payslips, pension statements and, increasingly, your energy label. Half of our clients do not have this label ready—small tip: arrange it in advance.
Step 3 – Scenario building.
With AI-driven tools we run variants: annuity plus sustainability budget, linear with a sizeable interest-only tail, or a mix.
Stress test: interest rate rises by 3 percentage points—will you still sleep soundly?
Step 4 – Decision & documentation.
No thick stack of paper but a digital advisory report, including AFM-proof substantiation.
Step 5 – Aftercare.
Legislation changes, and so do your plans. We ping you each year for a quick check-up.
Fancy a coffee chat?
Our experience shows that successful mortgage advice usually starts with a relaxed conversation, not a form. So let us get acquainted at ease, via Teams in the evening if you prefer.
A critical look at mortgage advice
Is independent really independent?
Traditionally every mortgage adviser claims to be independent, yet commissions and product restrictions colour the playing field. The AFM’s October report explicitly highlights the "added value during the orientation meeting". In plain English: show that you look beyond the maximum borrowing capacity.
Hidden incentives
Independence depends not only on which lenders are on your panel but also on how you are remunerated. If most of the remuneration comes from commission on ancillary insurance, there is a subtle nudge toward extensive policies, even when the advisory process is formally correct. In practice we often see that advisers working on a fixed fee provide more transparent advice, although the fee can feel higher.
Practical tips that save money tomorrow
Small tools, big impact
A few simple actions can save tens of euros a month, without taking out a new mortgage.
Interest-reset check
Banks send a proposal three months before the fixed-rate period ends. Accepting immediately is fine, but shopping around can save up to 0.3 %.
Upgrade your energy label
Since the report "Shortened mortgage advice for sustainability", the government has been studying shorter advice routes for green loans. Until they go live you can already raise your label to A with cavity-wall insulation. That not only cuts energy costs but also earns an interest discount at some lenders.
Extra repayments?
It feels heroic, but first compare your savings rate with your mortgage rate. If inflation is high, liquidity may be more valuable than repayment. That said, linear repayment certainly delivers visible peace in the graph.
Outlook: mortgage advice in 2030
From bricks to data points
Imagine: your digital living avatar negotiates live with banks on the basis of real-time payslips and CO₂ footprint.
Self-thinking advisory software
Machine-learning models recognise patterns such as "freelancer with seasonal income". No rigid minimum-income bracket any more, but a dynamic risk profile per quarter.
AFM 2.0
The regulator is already hinting at periodic data pulls instead of file audits. Advisers who fail to adapt will miss the boat, because clients will soon expect instant insight.
Role of the human
Oddly enough, the more digital the process becomes, the greater the need for an empathetic guide—someone who addresses the emotional side of major debt and checks whether your relationship can handle a residual debt.
"A deal is a deal"
Yield.inc is a new asset manager in the Netherlands that focuses on excellent customer experience, sustainability and technology. When faced with the question of whether to develop our platform in-house or with a partner, we got in touch with Spartner. We are still 100% behind the choice for Spartner because we own the source code and with Spartner, a deal really is a deal, whether it concerns the delivery date or the agreed budget!
Hans Lugtenberg Partner at Yield Inc.
"A professional software partner since 2010"
Spartner is involved and contributes in our search for innovations and always delivers top-notch work. After the first Huurda.nl version got out-dated, we collaboratively launched a completely new version in 2020.
Custom-built search engine for rental propertiesNorbert Wegter Owner of 123wonen and Expat Homes Holland
"Pragmatic and flexible collaboration"
Spartner has created a customized portal for us for the accountability of large-scale collaborative projects. This enables us and our partners to execute and account for their plans in a shared environment that is secure, transparent, and manageable. The pragmatic and flexible collaboration with Spartner has ensured that we have quickly achieved a functional and user-friendly environment.
Jurjen Terpstra Managing Partner at Wecreate Consulting
"AI and machine learning as legal tools"
In 2020, we transferred the development of Lynn to Spartner. As a result of their fast development process, the Lynn platform achieves an increasingly central role in the legal world.
Lynn, the smart AI legal robotMarco Caspers Software Development Manager at Lynn Legal
"As a business you must dare to move forward"
Innovation and change are not always welcomed with equal enthusiasm by our employees, man is a creature of habit but as a company you have to dare to move forward and the need for a contemporary drawing program for the realization of various constructions with our Masterbloc bricks was high. For us but also for Spartner, this challenge was a bit of pioneering and together we had to overcome some hurdles to arrive at a beautiful and efficient business tool. A development and learning process for both parties, in which the feedback of questions and desired adjustments by our employees to Spartner was always in good consultation and we could count on quick feedback and targeted solutions. We continue to exchange experiences with Spartner and look back and forward to a successful collaboration.
Powerful 3D construction drawing softwareBjorn Gubbels Owner of Masterbloc
"Spartner extends our capabilities and development capacity"
With weekly calls, using our Azure DevOps sprint system, Spartner actively works together with our innovation, communication and software development departments.
Multi-website CMS with Statamic 3Marco Leenders Head of Automation
"Flexible collaboration with yearly updates"
The projectteam of the city of Groningen is very enthusiastic about the "Roomfinder" platform.
Real estate management software for student roomsGemeente Groningen Projectteam
"Have been using Laravel Excel for years"
We requested custom help to a performance challenge we had in our implementation of Laravel Excel. I was amazed how quickly these Laravel artisans achieved significant performance gains, which saved us a lot of development time.
Open source package for LaravelJosh Mountain Co-Founder at IncentivePilot.com
"Higher occupancy rate thanks to our user-friendly platform"
Throughout the great years that we cooperate with Spartner (previously Maatwebsite, Ed.), our software has been developed continuously. Students and landlords actively work with features like allocation, payments, chat, contract generation and more.
Custom built ERP for all student residencesMaurice Evers Head of Student Housing Department
"Innovating in the digital identification network of The Netherlands and Europe"
The pro-active approach of Spartner was crucial in understanding the complexity of the eHerkenning network.
Development of eHerkenning connection and servicesMaarten Bremer CTO / Founder Ensured
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"Innovation in legal technology"
As jurists with knowledge of IT, we highly value quality; within code, but also in process. The high work-level and trustworthiness of Spartner gives us the capacity to continuously create innovative features.
Legal tech platformNiels Winters Managing Director JuriBlox
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers to the questions we hear most often.
Do I always have to pay for mortgage advice? 🤔
No. Banks such as ING offer a free orientation meeting, but as soon as you want a binding recommendation there will be a fee. It pays to ask in advance which part is free and which part is charged.
Is online advice just as good as face to face? 💻
That depends on your preference and the complexity. A straightforward starter mortgage can easily be handled via video, whereas blended families with BV structures often benefit from a physical whiteboard session.
May I borrow 100 % of the purchase price? 🏠
In the Netherlands the maximum LTV is usually 100 %, but for energy-saving measures you can borrow up to about 106 %. Income tests still apply.
What happens if the interest rate suddenly rises? 📈
A good adviser runs a stress test: can your budget absorb a 2–3 % rise in interest rates? If not, your borrowing capacity is in fact lower than the bank formula suggests.
Can I make extra repayments without penalty? 🪙
Most lenders allow 10–20 % penalty-free repayments each year. The small print varies greatly, so always check the terms.
How relevant is my energy label to the interest rate? 🌿
More and more banks reward label A or better with up to 0.15 % discount. That sounds small but can save thousands of euros over the term.
Will mortgage advice for sustainability also be shortened? 🔧
The Dutch government is examining a shortened route. It is not yet law, but banks are already experimenting with light checks for solar panels and heat pumps.
Can I keep quiet about my student debt? 🙈
Better not. DUO data often surfaces during the BKR check. Incorrect information can lead to rejection—or worse, future payment problems.
What if my relationship ends? 💔
An adviser should include exit scenarios such as joint and several liability and taking over the home. Discuss this in advance, however awkward it feels.
Is interest-rate averaging sensible? 🧐
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Averaging spreads the penalty interest, but when market rates are falling it can turn out expensive. Have an independent calculation made.
