Overview of Belgium

On this page you will find links to details of Belgium holiday homes for sale and Belgium rental accommodation. Belgium is a federal state with three regions: Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia, Brussels is the most popular for investors and there are no restrictions on foreigners who wish to buy property in Belgium. Property prices are still relatively cheap in Belgium compared with some other European countries, although it is expensive to buy property in Brussels. However, there are substantial additional costs involved in buying a property in Belgium arising from the tax laws and other fees, which typically add around 17% to the purchase price. In view of this, many people see the purchase of property for investment in Belgium as a long term deal. To help offset these high acquisition costs, you will often find that the property price is negotiable. It is a common practice to offer a price that is considerably below the asking price and barter with the vendor until you have reached a mutually acceptable amount. Most property sales are conducted via agents and it is not uncommon for them to ask the purchaser to sign a commitment to buy document. This document or Koopintenties or Aankoopaanbod/Offre d'achat) commits the purchaser to but the property but oddly, not the seller to part with it. You can ask for an option on the property, which is slightly less onerous. Once all the paperwork and title searches have been carried out etc, the purchase agreement (Verkoopcompromis/compromis de vente): concludes the sale. However, in Belgium you are often allowed several months to put financial arrangements in place and you can make the deal subject to finance. At this stage of the deal and in common with most other countries, you may be asked for a deposit, this amount of money is withheld by the notary and will not be passed on to the seller until such time as the deal is completed. The official deed of sale must be signed by the parties and the notary within four months after the purchase agreement.