Market
Published on 13 October 20265 min read
Oil tank inspection when selling your home
The Immolytics editorial team
Selling a house with an oil tank raises questions a notary, a bank and a buyer will all ask sooner or later: is the tank still sound, is there a valid certificate, and who takes on the work if it is not? An inspection answers part of that. Below is what an inspector checks, which documents travel with the deed, and how to prepare.
What happens during an oil tank inspection?
At an oil tank inspection, an approved inspector goes through the whole installation and writes down what he finds.
He checks the tank itself, the pipes, the connections, the filler point and the venting. He looks at tightness, corrosion, ageing and traces of leaks. With an underground tank this can include a soil investigation, because a leak in the ground is far harder and dearer to put right than a leak in a cellar. The inspector also records where the tank sits: indoors or outdoors, above ground or below, in a cellar or in the garden.
You need very little for the inspection itself, but paperwork helps: the placement certificate, earlier inspection certificates and maintenance invoices. That way the inspector knows which tank he is dealing with. Ask in advance whether the tank has to be freely accessible and whether you should open the lid or the cellar.
The words used around tanks and certificates are also listed in the glossary.
When do you need an inspection and which rules apply?
Whether an inspection is compulsory depends on the region and on the situation in which you are selling; no single rule covers the whole of Belgium.
When a house with an oil tank is sold, buyers, banks and insurers often ask for a recent tank inspection certificate. Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels each have their own framework, and inside a region it can differ according to the type of tank and how it is used. Your notary and the competent authority can confirm which certificates belong in your file; at a sale the notary collects the documents that are required for the deed.
Beyond the tank, the energy side also plays a part in a sale. In Wallonia an EPC certificate is required for the sale and the letting of a dwelling, with no renovation deadline attached. Brussels works with performance targets per dwelling, which are not tied to a sale. In Flanders a sale can trigger a renovation obligation. What that means in practice is set out in the overview of EPC rules by region and in the explanation of EPC labels and their impact on price.
What makes one oil tank inspection quote vary?
There is no official tariff for an oil tank inspection: each inspector sets his own, and what he asks follows the work the tank requires.
- the number of tanks on the site;
- the position: above ground or underground, indoors or outdoors, easy or hard to reach;
- the state of the pipes, the filler point and the venting;
- whether leak detection or a soil investigation is needed;
- the inspector's travel to your municipality;
- whether you want only a certificate, or also a repair followed by a second inspection;
- the timing: an inspection that has to happen soon after the sale agreement leaves less room to compare proposals.
So always ask for a proposal based on the same details: type of tank, capacity, position and number. That way you compare like with like. Ask as well whether the report, the travel and any second inspection are included.
What does a tank mean for value and for the sale?
A tank without a valid certificate, or with a suspected leak, slows the sale down and shapes the negotiation, even though it does not change the median price of the municipality.
Buyers build the work on an old tank into their offer: a new tank, remediation, or filling in a tank that is no longer used. A tank that is out of service can stay in place or be removed, depending on the rules and on what your inspector advises. Document what has happened to the tank: that builds confidence and avoids a discussion at the deed.
To judge an offer you need figures, not impressions. The official sale prices that Statbel publishes per municipality are the reference for that. Our property prices by municipality and the price map put those figures side by side, and the barometer follows the market quarter by quarter. If you want to know what your own home is worth today, ask for a valuation or a full valuation report. You can find an estate agent in your area through the list of estate agents.
How do you organise the inspection in practice?
Start with the question of whether your situation calls for an inspection, and plan it before the sale agreement or at least well before the deed.
- Gather the tank papers: placement certificate, earlier certificates and maintenance invoices.
- Ask the competent authority or your notary which certificates belong with the sale.
- Request proposals from inspectors who are authorised for tank inspections, using the same description of the tank.
- Make the tank accessible and open the lid or the cellar.
- Keep the certificate and give a copy to the notary and to the buyer.
For the energy side of the sale, an energy audit can be useful; the course of an energy audit and how it is built up depend on the size and the condition of the dwelling. If you first want to compare the housing market in your area, the list of municipalities with the lowest prices helps you calibrate your expectations.
Frequently asked questions
Is an oil tank inspection compulsory when selling a house?
It depends on the region and on the situation, because there is no Belgian rule that covers every sale. Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels each have their own framework. Ask the competent authority or your notary which certificates your file needs.
Why do oil tank inspectors quote differently?
There is no official tariff, so two inspectors can hand in different proposals for the same tank. What is asked follows the number of tanks, their position, how easy they are to reach, and whether leak detection or a soil investigation is needed. Ask several inspectors for a proposal using the same description of the tank.
How long does an oil tank inspection certificate stay valid?
There is no single period, because validity differs from one region to another and from one type of certificate to another. Ask your inspector or the competent authority how long the certificate stays usable in your situation.
Stay informed about the real estate market
Receive trends, analyses and new tools by email.
No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.