Legal validity of oral agreements

Questioner

Is an email confirmation of a verbal agreement about the purchase of a garage legally valid? Or can the seller accept a higher offer that has been received?

Questioner

This is legally valid. An email is considered comparable to a written document. The content of the email is decisive. If a legal dispute arises, please contact us.

Questioner

Thanks for your reply. I wanted to ask why the email is legally valid. I've seen a lot of information online that this isn't the case when purchasing a house (see below). Is a garage also a registered property, or do different rules apply? The law is clear: The purchase is only finalized when both parties have signed a purchase agreement. An email confirming the agreements or a draft of the purchase agreement is insufficient. More importantly, a verbal agreement is not legally valid when purchasing a new home. This means that until the purchase agreement is signed by both the seller and yourself, you cannot officially declare the purchase of your dream home official. (https://weblog.moneywise.nl/hypotheken/potverdorie-wij-hadden-een-huis-kopen-en-nu-biedt-iemand-meer/)

Questioner

That's right, when buying a garage, the written requirement applies just as it does for a house. Agreements made in a confirmation email should generally be honored, but the purchase requires a written agreement.

Questioner

So, if I understand correctly, the same rules apply to a house and a garage. Moreover, without an agreement signed by both parties, you have no legal leg to stand on, and the purchase isn't official yet.

Questioner

That's correct, the purchase must be made in writing.

Questioner

Thank you very much for the quick and clear responses!