Market
Published on 17 October 20266 min read
Electrical inspection when selling in Belgium
The Immolytics editorial team
An electrical inspection at the point of sale is a check of the fixed electrical installation by a recognised inspection body; the report goes to the buyer and to the notary. Whether the inspection is compulsory, and within what period it must happen, differs by region and depends on the age and the condition of the installation. In practice the seller arranges the inspection and pays for the report, unless the parties agree otherwise in the compromis.
When is an electrical inspection required when selling a home?
An inspection comes into play as soon as you sell a dwelling whose electrical installation is old, or whose condition is not documented. The exact conditions differ by region, so the same house can follow a different route in Wallonia, in Brussels and in Flanders.
The check is carried out by a recognised inspection body and covers the fixed installation: the meter, the distribution board, the wiring, the sockets, the residual current devices and the earthing. Household appliances such as an oven, a fridge or a washing machine fall outside the inspection.
The report is short and factual. It lists the findings and states whether the installation is in order or not. It is not a guarantee for the future and it does not replace repairs: a positive report does not mean nothing can ever go wrong again, only that the installation met the rules the inspector applied on the day of the visit.
Because the rules can differ between regions and change over time, ask your notary or the inspection body you appoint for the current conditions, preferably before you sign the compromis. That way a document you had not planned cannot end up dictating the timing of the deed.
Who pays for the electrical inspection at sale?
In most sales the seller pays for the inspection, because the seller has to be able to produce the report as soon as the buyer and the notary ask for it. The amount itself is a private agreement between the parties, not a fixed statutory tariff.
What you pay depends on the size of the dwelling, the number of circuits and boards and the inspector's travel. Ask for a quotation for your own dwelling instead of working with an average: two homes of the same floor area can produce very different reports, and a second visit for the re-inspection sometimes comes on top.
The timing of the inspection is a choice with consequences. Whoever inspects in advance knows the findings before a buyer reads them and can still fit the works into their own schedule. Whoever waits until after the compromis loses that room and risks the deed being postponed, or the buyer holding back part of the sum until the works are finished.
How do you request the inspection?
Choose a recognised inspection body and send it the documents it asks for, such as the single-line diagram and any earlier reports. If the single-line diagram is missing, have it drawn up first: without it the inspector works more slowly and the findings are harder to follow. Agree a time when you or your estate agent can be present, because the inspector needs access to the board and to the technical rooms. The report follows the visit and is passed on to the notary.
What happens if the inspection fails?
A failed inspection does not mean the dwelling cannot be sold. The report describes the findings and the works needed to bring the installation into order.
The findings are grouped by severity, and the consequences, the deadline for the works and the possibility of a re-inspection are set out in the report itself. Those rules differ by region, so read the whole report before you promise a buyer a figure or a date.
In practice you have three routes:
- you have an electrician carry out the works and then request a re-inspection;
- you sell with a list of works that the buyer takes over, with their cost reflected in the negotiation;
- you agree that part of the price is set aside until the works are finished.
Buyers who deliberately purchase a dwelling with a negative report calculate the works into their offer. For them the report is part of the price discussion, not a blockage; people looking for property in Brussels to let often start from that premise (investors in Brussels).
Inspection, EPC and the other documents at the sale
Alongside the inspection report, the notary requests a package of documents. Which ones exactly depends on the region and on the property; the list sits on the page about documents required for a sale.
Do not confuse the electrical inspection with the EPC certificate. The latter is about energy performance, and its rules are regional:
- In Wallonia an EPC certificate is compulsory for the sale and the letting of a dwelling, without a renovation obligation attached to it.
- In Brussels performance targets apply per dwelling and are fixed with a date, independently of a sale.
- In Flanders a renovation obligation exists that is triggered by the sale.
First-time buyers find the order of the steps and the documents on the page for first-time buyers; in Wallonia the EPC obligation comes on top (first-time buyers in Wallonia). Buyers from abroad who purchase in Brussels have to deal with the same paperwork (expatriates in Brussels).
What does the inspection mean for the value and the sale?
An inspection report does not automatically change the value of your dwelling. It changes the information a buyer has, and therefore the room to negotiate.
To know what buyers actually pay, start from official figures on property prices rather than from the asking price of the neighbours. The page on property prices in Antwerp shows how such an overview is built up per municipality. A buyer who sees the report and the price data together negotiates with different arguments from a buyer who only knows an asking price.
The same goes for the presentation: a dwelling whose paperwork is ready is viewed sooner and accepted sooner. Concrete tips are on the page about presenting a home for sale.
Different buyers look at different things. Families weigh up the condition of the installation with children in mind (families in Belgium), while buyers taking a step back tend to treat the documents as a formality (retirees). Put the report next to the official figures for your municipality before you agree a price, not afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Is an electrical inspection compulsory when selling a home in Belgium?
Whether the inspection is compulsory depends on the region and on the age and condition of the installation, so check the current rule with your notary before you sign the compromis. The obligation is not identical in Wallonia, in Brussels and in Flanders.
Who pays for the inspection if the buyer requests it?
The party who requests the inspection normally pays for it; in most sales that is the seller, who presents the report at the sale. The parties can agree a different arrangement in the compromis.
How long does an inspection report stay valid?
An inspection report has a limited validity period that differs by region and by type of report, and the exact term is stated in the report and confirmed by the inspection body. Do not rely on a general rule of thumb for the deed.
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