Are you selling your house? You need these certificates!

Have you decided to sell your house? Then bear in mind that you will need to have a number of certificates. Selling your home involves more than just refurbishing, it also involves administrative work. The sales advertisement must also contain certain mandatory information. This gives potential buyers more certainty about the condition of the property. Below, we list the certificates that you are required to submit in Flanders:

1. Inspection certificate for the electrical installation

This is a certificate drawn up after an inspection of your electrical installation that indicates whether or not your installation meets the AREI standards. In principle it does not matter whether the certificate is positive or negative, but without it the sale cannot go ahead. If the inspection certificate is negative, the buyer will have to do the necessary to put the electrical installation in order after the deed has been signed.

2. Soil certificate

The soil certificate must also be present when you sell your house. Usually, a blank soil certificate is issued by OVAM. This means that no data are known about the soil. The soil certificate can be requested by the notary or by the estate agent from OVAM (the Public Waste Agency of Flanders).

3. Certificate for the fuel oil tank

Do you heat your home with heating oil? Then the fuel oil tank must comply with the legal requirements so that the soil cannot be polluted. After the tank has been inspected, a certificate is issued and the tank is marked. You must also present this certificate when selling your house. 

4. Energy performance certificate (EPC)

The EPC certificate or energy performance certificate must be present when you start selling your house. The EPC certificate indicates how energy-efficient your house is. The information of the EPC is also mandatory in the advertisements. Read more about the EPC and what will change in 2022! 

5. Flood sensitivity

It is compulsory to communicate to the prospective buyers whether or not your house is located in a flood prone area and/or there is a risk of flooding. This information must already be communicated in the advertisements. Later, this will also be stated in the sales contract and the deed of sale.

6. Post-intervention file

This is a file that must be present if you are selling a house that was built or renovated after May 2001. If that is the case, you have to provide the buyer with a post-intervention dossier. This file contains a number of technical details about the house, such as the materials used, etc. ... . The buyer who receives this post-intervention file must also keep it up to date and even continue to add to it if you were to renovate the house again later on. In principle, therefore, the post-intervention file remains linked to the property forever.

7. Urban development extract

When you sell a house, you have to provide the buyer with all sorts of urban development information: urban development permits, any building infringements, pre-emption rights, subdivision regulations, etc. All this information is listed in the town planning information that can be requested from the municipality or city where the house is located. The urban development extract may not be more than one year old at the time of sale.

8. Land registry statement

When selling your home, as the owner, you must be in possession of the necessary cadastral plot information (plot number, owner, surface area, nature of the property, cadastral income, etc.). You can request a cadastral extract from the Land Register.

9. Information on the heritage value

Since 1 January 2015, anyone selling a property must also state whether the property is protected or listed in an inventory of immovable heritage.

Do you need support in fulfilling these legal obligations? Then do not hesitate to contact us. We can help you with all aspects of the sale!