Sell an inherited property in Belgium

Inheriting a house in Belgium when you live abroad

When you live abroad, inheriting a house in Belgium raises practical questions. Who files the paperwork? Who looks after the empty house? Who signs the deed?

We buy inherited houses as they stand, contents included. All the heirs receive the same offer within 48 hours. This guide covers Wallonia and Brussels.

The deadlines after a death in Belgium

The heirs must file a declaration of succession, Belgium’s inheritance tax return. The deadline runs from the date of death:

• 4 months if the person died in Belgium;
• 5 months if they died elsewhere in Europe;
• 6 months if they died outside Europe.

If the deceased lived in Wallonia or Brussels, the declaration goes to the FPS Finance, Belgium’s federal tax administration. Heirs can file it online through MyMinfin, signed with a Belgian eID. Many use a notary.

A declaration is also due when the deceased lived abroad but owned property in Belgium. You can ask for an extension, provided you do so before the deadline.

Late filing costs €25 per heir for each month of delay. The tax itself must be paid within two months of the filing deadline.

Proving who the heirs are

To sell an inherited house, you need a deed of inheritance. It’s registered with the land registry. In simple cases, the FPS Finance prepares it; otherwise a notary does.

Can you sell before the declaration is filed?

What you need first is the deed of inheritance. Once you have it, the notary can prepare the sale.

Selling a property from the estate counts as accepting the inheritance. If there could be debts in the estate, speak to the notary before signing anything.

When the heirs don’t agree

A direct sale needs every heir to agree. If they can’t, one heir can ask the court to divide the estate. If they still can’t agree on a private sale, the house goes to public auction.

Our offer goes to all the heirs on the same day, with one price and one signing date. Everyone sees the same figure.

Signing from abroad

You don’t have to travel to Belgium for the deed.

• Digital power of attorney. A Belgian notary can draw it up by video call, from anywhere. It requires a Belgian eID and a card reader.
• A notary where you live. You can sign a power of attorney before a notary in your country. It then needs an apostille, or legalisation if your country isn’t party to the Apostille Convention.
• A Belgian consulate. Outside the EU, a Belgian consulate general can draw one up from the Belgian notary’s draft.

The Belgian notary handling the sale will tell you which form they accept.

Looking after an empty house

An empty house still costs money, and the rules differ by region.

• Brussels. A home left empty for more than 12 consecutive months is an offence, punishable by a regional fine. Inheriting the house isn’t listed as an exception.
• Wallonia. Many municipalities tax empty buildings, or impose a fine instead.
• Property tax. In Wallonia, it’s owed by whoever owns the house on 1 January.

Documents you still need to sell

Selling an inherited house takes the same documents as any other sale.

• Energy certificate (PEB). Required before the house is advertised. In Wallonia, the buyer must receive the original before the sale agreement.
• Electrical inspection. Carried out between the sale agreement and the deed. If an installation from before 1 October 1981 fails, the buyer has 18 months from the deed to fix it.
• Soil certificate and planning information. Both are on the notaries’ list of documents for a sale.

In some cases, we cover the cost of the PEB certificate and the electrical inspection.

Our price, in plain terms

Our price is below market value. In return, there’s no clearing out, no repairs and no buyer’s mortgage to wait for.

If you have time and want the highest price, an estate agent will serve you better. If you’d rather sell quickly and move on, talk to us.

Questions from heirs

Do we need to empty the house?

No. We buy it with the contents. Keep what matters to you and leave the rest.

One heir lives in Belgium and the others abroad. Is that a problem?

No. We send the offer to everyone at once. Heirs abroad can sign through a power of attorney.

Will the offer change after the visit?

We visit once to check the house. If it matches the description, the offer stands as it is.

Is the offer free?

Yes. The offer is free. Once countersigned, it binds both parties.