Banks and other mortgage providers have been putting up interest rates again after a period of relative stability.

The average rate for a 20-year fixed mortgage with an NHG guarantee is now 4.76%, a rise of 0.3 percentage point on a month ago, according to calculations by news website Nu.nl. The fixed rates for 10 and 30 year periods have also risen by a similar amount.

The rates are higher again for properties without the guarantee, which only covers homes costing up to €405,000, and for homes requiring a 100% mortgage.

Mortgage rates had hovered around 1.5% for several years but began going up sharply in the first half of last year. There had been little change since October 2022 but now rates are increasing again, Nu.nl said.

Economists expect that central banks will keep their interest rates high or even increase them in an effort to control inflation, Nu.nl said. This then works through into the rates banks such as ING and Rabobank charge for their mortgages.

Higher interest rates have also had an impact on how much people can spend on a house, which had helped push down house prices over the past few months. They are now rising again, estate agents said earlier this month.