Search for Houses in Belgium
The deal is sealed! So now what? Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a ‘standard’ conveyancing process. Even though lawyers follow certain rules and procedures to help the transactions run smoothly, every property sale is different – especially since some transactions involve a lot more work than others. Here are some common steps for buying a house in Belgium:
The buyer and seller split the costs of buying a property in Belgium (https://www.bluehomes.com/Immobilien-Belgien/B/de/debut.html
. However, the buyer will pay the majority of the costs – around 11–15% of the purchase price – depending on who drew up or changed any legal documents (such as contracts). The average cost for these services usually amounts to 7%. In most cases, both parties will also need to hire their own lawyer (or ‘procureur’ in Belgium). The buyer will want to use a solicitor or notary with experience in real estate law and who they trust, while the seller will look for someone who specialises in giving advice on property investments.
To help cover these costs, the buyer arranges a transfer (or ‘vente à exécution de contrat de vente’) at their bank before they sign the final contract.
This step is optional but it means that when you make an offer on a home, you can give details of your preferred payment plan – including how much cash you’ll need up front and how long you would like to pay off your mortgage over This is particularly useful for first-time buyers and those with stricter (or non-existent) credit histories. It can also help you get a better interest rate on your mortgage.
Remember to ask your agent which banks offer this service, as it isn’t necessarily standard across the board. And make sure that you work out how much cash you’ll need by looking into (and asking about) the costs of buying a home in Belgium .
Don’t forget: if you don’t yet have enough savings to meet these needs, you still have plenty of options for borrowing money: asking relatives, taking out a bank loan or getting a ‘Livret A’ – see our guide to loans in Belgium . With the right approach and a bit of patience, buying a house is well within your reach.
The purchase of a property in Belgium can often be complicated and is generally more difficult than it might seem at first sight.
One should not underestimate the fact that there are many legal requirements, taxes and costs involved when buying property in Belgium. So before you decide to buy your dream home in Brussels, Antwerp or Luxembourg it is highly advisable to get informed about Belgian real estate laws and procedures. This way will save yourself potential time wasting problems after you have paid for the house.
The purchase of a piece of property in Belgium is preceded by the signing of an agreement under private seal between the buyer and seller or their agents. This deed is registered within one month at the office responsible for the registration of mortgages on real estate (the notary). During this time both parties are bound to respect this agreement, but it is possible to make an appeal against it. If there are no objections during this period, the deed will be entered into the record books.
A general overview shows that most people who want to buy property in Antwerp end up paying between 4.5% and 5% of the purchase price as costs plus 21% VAT on those costs. In Brussels this ranges between 3.5-4%.
This is a general rule however, as fees vary from one region to another and also depend on local financial circumstances.
In order to successfully buy a house in Belgium you need to be informed about several official requirements that you have to meet before buying the property. First of all, there are two different ways for foreigners to purchase a Belgian property: either as ‘non-resident foreigner’ or as ‘resident foreigner’ under Belgian law. You can find out which is more favourable from an income tax point of view together with your legal advisor at Tax Shelter Belge.
The next step is to check the property you are thinking of buying. Is it possible for you to buy any property or do you have to purchase a particular type of real estate? There are numerous legal restrictions on the acquisition of certain properties, such as agricultural land and woodland, farms and houses with business premises on them, hotels and holiday resorts. Most of these properties fall within the category notoirement inconstructible (“not constructible”). This means that they cannot be altered in such a way that another use becomes possible than is currently the reason for their existence. Other ‘no-go areas’ include: waste and polluted soil and quarries and former mine sites.
If your candidate house does not fall into any of the categories described above, you will need to find out whether there are any planning restrictions or future building schemes in place. You can do this through your local town hall (in Dutch: ‘gemeente’). These planners will also be able to give you information about (near) neighbours and their plans to build new houses on neighbouring sites, because such projects often affect the value of a property.
