Shopping prices in Brussels: a comparison of neighborhoods for young people

The number of transactions is also falling sharply, but this is a phenomenon common to many European cities, as notary Katrin Roggeman (Van Halteren Research) points out.

"Whether we are talking about the Netherlands or France, everyone is waiting for interest rates to stop rising and construction costs to come down or, in any case, stabilize. So far, this has not happened because of the well-known inflation that we have had in the last two years due to the international crises. "

The notary does not claim that potential buyers have lost interest in real estate, however. "It depends of course on the neighborhood, but we see that young people want to buy. They face high prices in Pentagon City and banks that are reluctant to provide'' 'loans and are becoming stricter about bank guarantees. They often require the buyer to have sufficient capital, something a young couple rarely has unless they go to their parents. "

In the area where Ms. Roggeman's office is located, Notre Dame-aux-Neiges, near the Congressional Column and the Royal Circus, there has been a renovation of late 19th-century buildings in recent years, as well as many demolitions and new construction. "This means that the problem of energy losses is not as much of an issue in the area. "

In his daily practice, the notary notes that potential buyers are informed before buying a property. "In the city center, many buildings have monument status and there may be restrictions. Buyers of such properties know exactly what' 'they do, they get input from city planning before renovation. "

The downtown area is also characterized by both old and new properties.