Yes. A viager lets a senior sell their home for an upfront bouquet plus a lifelong monthly annuity, often while continuing to live there. The bouquet typically represents about 20% to 30% of the property’s value (estate-value.be, 2026), with the notary fixing the terms.
The viager is designed for exactly the situation many seniors face: asset-rich but wanting more monthly income and security. In a viager sale, ownership passes to the buyer at the deed, but the seller (the crédirentier) receives two things: an upfront lump sum called the bouquet, and a guaranteed monthly annuity, the rente viagère, paid for the rest of their life. The bouquet commonly sits around 20% to 30% of the property’s market value, with the remainder converted into the annuity (estate-value.be, 2026).
There are two forms, and the difference is central. In a viager occupé, the most common version, the seller keeps the right to live in the home for life through a reserved usufruct or a right of use and habitation. Because the buyer cannot occupy the property yet, its price is discounted by the value of that occupancy right, calculated from the seller’s age and statistical life expectancy. In a viager libre, the buyer takes possession immediately, which suits a senior who has already moved out, for example into a care home. A frequently overlooked advantage: the bouquet is exempt from personal income tax, and the annuity enjoys favourable tax treatment as replacement income (estate-value.be, 2026).
The mechanism rests on longevity, and that is its famous double edge. The buyer is effectively wagering on life expectancy: if the seller lives long, the buyer pays far more in total, and if the seller dies early, the buyer acquires the property cheaply. This is why contracts often include a minimum guaranteed number of annuity payments to protect the seller’s heirs, and why the pricing must be built on proper mortality tables rather than guesswork.
Easyhome can list and market a property as a viager, reaching buyers who specifically seek this structure, while the notary sets the legally binding terms of the bouquet, annuity and reserved rights. For a senior, it combines the reassurance of staying at home with a dependable income stream.
At a glance
| Element | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bouquet | Upfront lump sum, about 20% to 30% of value (estate-value.be, 2026) |
| Rente viagère | Monthly annuity paid for the seller’s lifetime |
| Viager occupé | Seller stays via reserved usufruct or right of use |
| Viager libre | Buyer takes possession immediately |
| Pricing basis | Seller’s age and statistical life expectancy |
| Tax | Bouquet exempt from income tax; annuity taxed favourably (estate-value.be, 2026) |