Who doesn’t dream of owning a property? A nice enclosed house, a spacious flat or a magnificent country house in the middle of nature… The road to ownership is however not without danger. Only if you start your journey in the correct way, pay attention to all necessary details and take into account a few basic rules, this process will lead to one of the most interesting explorations of your life. Vitrine.be would be happy to assist you professionally in completing this adventure successfully. You will find many practical and useful hints on this site.
The first impression is the most important. You can be taken by surprise, or be charmed by a property at first sight. This "first impression" is important, but don't get blinded by it. A property needs to meet a whole lot more criteria if you need to live there for the coming years.
Is the property easily reachable? Is there sufficient parking space? Are there shops, schools and public transport within reasonable distance? Are there dangerous crossings for the children? These are all things which have their effect on your quality of living, on the price but also on the resale value.
They all seem obvious, but be careful; all properties have hot and cold water, electricity, isolation these days, you will say? Reality is often different. Mostly older, rural properties are often not equipped with basic comfort.
Take a critical look at the layout. A big house does not automatically mean you have lots of space, there may for instance be space which cannot be used in a practical way. A small enclosed house may sometimes offer more useful space, because of optimisation of available space.
↑ TopBefore you decide to buy, be absolutely sure that you are allowed to build on this land. The Land Registry Office can provide you with all information about the offered land, and can give you information about the purpose of the land: is it a building plot for a residential property, of is it perhaps agricultural land? The value of the plot is determined by the size and location (rural and residential or close to a motorway).
One look at your watch and the sun (if it is shining) gives you a clue about the orientation. A front door oriented towards the south and a garden oriented north are not a good way to start.
A balanced rectangular shape offers the most possibilities. Bizar shapes are best to be avoided. It is also a fact that a rectangular shape with the longest side running along the street has more value than a property with the shortest side along the street.
It goes by itself that all regulations from Town planning can have significant consequences: what is the maximum front width, what's the maximum building height, how far can you build of the street,... Ask the owner or the real estate agent for the necessary proof of what is allowed!
In order to avoid surprised it is best to have a thorough investigation of the building plot (and not only of the upper layer). Is the land dry or is it located in marshland? If the soil is of bad quality it can have consequences when you start to build!
↑ TopPay attention to technical faults or weak points which can cause trouble later: moisture, drainage, mould, weak electricity lines, water and heating pipes, cracks in walls,... and we are only talking about visible faults. For less visible defects it is best to visit the property with a builder or architect.
Did you visit the property on a warm and dry summer day? Have a look at the land and get some information from the neighbours, maybe the land floods when it rains a lot. Check the traffic during rush hour, and not on a calm Sunday morning, but on a busy weekday. Also ask the opinion of friends or family: two pair of eyes see more than one!
Make sure you have all the necessary permits before you start. For example, the soil certificate. How do you know that there are no building violations? Are there easements? Working with a real estate agents solves all these problems, gives you security and saves you a lot of frustration!
If you use the above list the risk of surprises will be limited. However, we repeat that getting things checked by a professional (agent, architect or builder) offers even more security!
↑ TopThe 'option to buy' is an agreement between seller and candidate-buyer where the candidate buyer has the possibility to buy the property at a certain price within a certain period of time. When the seller breaks this agreement a claim can be demanded.
In contradiction to its name, this agreement is binding. The content of it is very important. It is important to mention: the ultimate date when the deed will be passed, sanctions when this date is exceeded, the price, details about the advance, suspending conditions, a detailed description.
↑ TopPublic sales are organised by a notary. Most public sales take place in a centrally located pub or in a public hall.
A forced sale often takes place against the will of the owner, for example in case of bankruptcy or insolvency. The voluntary public sale is mostly chosen in order to sell a property quickly and in the hope to receive a better price. The price is set by means of an auction. However, even when a bid has been accepted, the notary can still decide that the price is too low and may therefore organise a second day of sitting.
Don't get carried away by the atmosphere in the hall! You may end up paying too much. Decide upfront what your maximum bid will be. For both the seller and buyer both partners need to be present. Bear in mind that there are extra costs to be paid !
↑ TopThis is an authentic deed which offers you legal security. It is listed in the Mortgage Registry, after which it is made public. From that moment onwards you can call yourself the full owner of the property.
The costs for passing a deed exist of
Klik here if you want to calculate the fees directly. Costs of a public sale are about 25%. For a private sale this comes down to 15% to 20% of the selling price.
According to the Cadaster, all deeds passed later than 15 may 2001, are submitted to a new rule for approval and delivery of the cadastral register. This change is important because certain deeds which have not been completed according the new rules, can be postponed.
The lower registration fee of 5% can only be granted in case there were no improvements or changes to the sold property which could cause the rateable value to increase at the time of the sale. The Cadaster will investigate if the demand for a lower tariff is justified. In order to benefit from this lower tariff, you need to submit an approved cadastral register.
If the Cadaster assesses that there were in fact improvements made to the property, the rateable value will be re-estimated and the difference will have to be paid by the seller.
↑ TopWe only consider estate agents officially listed on the tableau of the BIV (Professionel Institute for Real Estate Agent). This recognition offers a series of certainties in professionalism and capabilities. The recognised agent has to participate yearly in the necessary supplementary training, and is covered by the necessary insurances. He is also bound by the code of ethic.
Working with a recognised agent offers nothing but benefits. Most important of all, his services are free of charge for the buyer. It is the seller who pays the fees! The agent puts together a file with all necessary permits, approvals, ? and other documents needed to organise the sale.
The real estate agent can also give you his professional opinion on the overall condition of the property, and give you more information on the price.
The seller also has benefits from working with a real estate agent: knowledge of the prices, legislation and rules, advertising of the property in media, collection of all ncesaary documents ? a task which can be time consuming and very complex!
Need to know more about real estate agents? Read our extensive chapter on "the real estate".
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