Understand your report

How do I read the report, its scores and its findings?

Start with the issues to investigate before an offer, then work back to their evidence rather than relying on the headline score. A useful reading order 1. Check the address and report date. 2. Read the summary and the findings grouped as matters to check before an offer, follow-up questions and useful context. 3. Open the relevant chapter and note its source and date. 4. Read Sources and limitations, including fields without data. 5. Take the resulting questions to the seller, estate agent, owners’ association or specialist. Understanding the scores The overall and topic scores summarise information on a 0–100 scale. A higher number is more favourable within that displayed assessment. It is not a property value, probability, inspection result or personal recommendation to buy. A strong overall score can coexist with an important concern or missing evidence. Understanding a finding A flag tells you what to investigate; it does not establish the complete cause or repair cost. No signal found is not confirmation that everything was checked or that the building has no defects. See missing source information. You can also use specific AI questions to explore what the report does establish.

What do “no data”, “unavailable” and “no signal found” mean?

Not every source returns useful information for every address. A report can contain both well-populated chapters and sections with gaps. Distinguish the messages - No data / unavailable: there is no usable information to display for that item. Coverage, an absent record, access restrictions or a temporary source problem may be involved. - Not registered or expired: the indicated registration is absent or no longer current. That is different from a favourable assessment. - No signal found: the available information did not produce the particular flag. It does not prove that all relevant evidence was available or that no problem exists. A blank field is not automatically zero, “no” or “safe”. Expand lists of missing fields and read Sources and limitations as well as the summary. What should I do next? Check the source and date. Ask the seller or owners’ association for missing documents, and have an important uncertainty investigated. Paying or creating another copy of the same check does not guarantee additional source coverage. If data appears to be missing incorrectly, report the discrepancy. If the whole report is stuck, follow report-processing troubleshooting.

A detail looks wrong or differs from the property listing

A mismatch may be an error, but sources can also use different dates, definitions or geographic boundaries. Check these points first 1. Is it the same address, suffix and registered object? 2. Does the field describe the individual home, entire building, land parcel or neighbourhood? 3. Which source and date are shown? Our retrieval date is not necessarily the date when the source last changed its underlying record. 4. Is the conflicting statement a registry fact, seller’s document, estimate or AI explanation? Recent works, transfers or a new energy label may not yet appear everywhere. A listing may also use a different area measurement from a registry. Do not simply choose the more favourable figure. Let us investigate Contact support with the property address, report chapter, displayed value and the information you are comparing it with. A relevant source link or short document extract helps; hide unrelated personal details. We can investigate how information was processed, but cannot directly amend an external registry. Its owner must handle any correction to that source. Resolve an important discrepancy before relying on it. Related: building records and checking AI answers.

Understanding building year, floor area and BAG records

The building chapter uses available BAG information from the Dutch register of addresses and buildings. It may show the building year, registered area, use, status and object identifiers. Check what the record describes A building and an individual dwelling are not always the same object. This matters for apartments, subdivisions, multiple house numbers and mixed-use buildings. Check the full address, including its suffix. A registered area may differ from the measurement used in a sales listing. The original building year does not tell you when the roof, kitchen, installations or insulation were replaced. A registered use is not, by itself, permission for every proposed activity or alteration. Useful follow-up questions - Which recent measurement report and floor plan apply to this home? - What alterations were carried out, and what documents support them? - Does the area refer to my unit or another part of the building? - Have recent changes reached the register yet? Ask the seller, estate agent or source owner to clarify a material discrepancy. See reporting conflicting information and planning and permits.

Ownership, leasehold and mortgage records: what should I ask?

The ownership chapter presents available cadastral information. A displayed field—or a missing one—is not a complete investigation of every right or obligation affecting the purchase. Leasehold (erfpacht) Ask for the deed, current ground rent, any prepaid period, the term and the rules for review or transfer. Have your civil-law notary or adviser explain the implications for your purchase. A simple yes/no field cannot describe the entire arrangement. Registered mortgages A mortgage registration does not state the current outstanding debt or everything that must be settled at transfer. Do not use it to infer the seller’s financial position or your own borrowing options. Discuss the relevant documents with the notary. Apparently inconsistent fields The ownership description, an apartment right and rights over the underlying land may concern different aspects of the property. Ask for clarification of an unclear combination; an AI summary does not replace the deeds. Use current documents to resolve material questions. This report is not a legal title investigation. See conflicting source information and how to read the report’s limits.

What does the WOZ value tell me about the asking price or my offer?

A WOZ value is a recorded assessment with its own date and context. Look at the associated year or reference date, not just the amount. It is not a current valuation The WOZ, a previous purchase price and today’s asking price serve different purposes and refer to different moments. They do not automatically establish what the home is worth now. Condition, maintenance, location, rights and market conditions can differ. Past increases do not guarantee future growth. The report’s overall score is not a price recommendation either. Avoid turning a fixed percentage above or below the WOZ into an automatic offer. Better questions to ask - Which date does this value relate to? - Which recent, genuinely comparable transactions are relevant? - What maintenance, leasehold or owners’ association costs are still uncertain? - Do I need a separate valuation for my financing or decision? Discuss an offer and financing with your own advisers. Biedbril does not give personal financial advice or establish a guaranteed market value. If the amount or registered object looks wrong, see reporting a discrepancy.

Understanding energy labels, improvement potential and estimated costs

The energy chapter uses available EP-Online information. Check the recorded label, validity and source details. A missing or expired label No label does not automatically mean label G. A record may be absent, unmatched to the address or temporarily unavailable. An expired label is not a replacement for a current certificate. Ask the seller for the latest certificate and supporting information. Potential is not a promise A possible improved label or estimated energy cost is not a quotation, guaranteed outcome or forecast of your own bills. Actual costs depend on the building, use, tariffs and work carried out. A suggested improvement may need technical investigation, permission or approval from the owners’ association. Questions for the viewing - Which insulation, installations and upgrades can the seller document? - Does the certificate apply to this exact dwelling and suffix? - Which improvements are technically feasible, and whose approval is needed? Check important assumptions with a suitable professional. Related: planning and permits, owners’ association documents and missing information.

What do ground, subsidence or foundation findings mean?

The ground and foundation chapter gathers available information about the subsurface, groundwater or subsidence. Some data describes an area or model rather than the actual condition of this home’s foundation. If the report flags a concern Ask what investigations already exist and whether they cover the exact building. A qualified specialist can determine whether further work is needed. An indication alone does not establish the cause, urgency or cost of repairs. If there is no flag or data is missing Neither is a guarantee of a sound foundation. Check which source responded and which fields remain unknown. A favourable overall score does not replace investigation of a material foundation issue. Questions to take forward - Is there a recent foundation survey or building inspection for this property? - Are cracks, settlement or earlier repairs known? - What is the date and scope of the available survey? - Are there relevant arrangements with neighbours or the owners’ association? Biedbril does not physically inspect the property. Take important uncertainty to an appropriate building or foundation specialist before relying on it in an offer. See source coverage and missing information.

Can I renovate? Planning, permits and listed-building information

Biedbril may show available information about planning, use, heritage status and permits. The report does not grant permission or establish that your particular proposal is allowed. Check the actual proposal A field such as “renovation allowed” or a maximum building height is not the full set of conditions. The works, location, current rules and attached conditions all matter. An apartment may also be subject to owners’ association requirements. Heritage or protected-area flags If a flag appears, ask about its current status and the implications for the work you intend to carry out. Do not assume the summary authorises changes to windows, the roof, façade or insulation. Questions for the municipality and your adviser - Which rules apply to this exact address and proposal? - Is a permit, notification or further investigation required? - Is earlier building work documented? - Does the owners’ association or another rights holder also need to approve it? Check current official information and have the proposal assessed professionally where appropriate. See conflicting records and owners’ association information.

How should I assess the owners’ association (VvE) information?

For an apartment, the owners’ association (VvE) and shared maintenance can be central to your pre-offer questions. The report reflects the information available from sources and any documents supplied. What a registration does not establish An active registration or named manager does not guarantee adequate reserves or the absence of maintenance issues. Missing VvE data does not automatically mean that no association exists. Documents worth requesting - Recent meeting minutes and decisions. - Accounts, budget and the current contribution. - The long-term maintenance plan (MJOP) and planned works. - Any special contributions, loans or significant unresolved issues. - Documents explaining responsibilities and approval for your own proposed works. Read a risk label alongside the underlying documents, dates and gaps. Ask your own adviser to explain material financial or legal implications; the report is not a replacement for that investigation. You can add relevant documents while creating a check. If you receive them later, ask support about the existing report. See also missing source information.

Understanding neighbourhood data, noise, safety and distances

The surroundings and neighbourhood sections may cover noise, air, heat, greenery, water, liveability, safety and nearby facilities. Not every item is available for every address. Area data is not a home inspection A map layer, modelled value or neighbourhood score may not describe an individual room or every time of day. Visit the area at times that matter to you. A favourable label is not a personal health or safety guarantee. A safety score or derived risk label is not a complete record of actual crimes. Missing crime figures mean unknown, not zero. Check the source and explanation attached to the figure. Distances and walking times The neighbourhood view uses straight-line distances. Displayed walking times are estimates based on 5 km per hour. Real journeys can be longer because of roads, waterways, crossings or entrances. Check an important route yourself rather than relying solely on a nearby map point. If a point or value appears wrong, report the discrepancy, identifying the topic and the information you compared it with. Also read how to interpret missing fields.