On top of the price, a Walloon buyer pays registration duties (3% on a sole and own home, otherwise 12.5%), the notary’s honoraria and disbursements, and, if borrowing, the mortgage deed costs. Budget roughly 10% to 13% of the price for an investment, far less for a first home (Wallonie.be, 2025).
The purchase price is only part of what a buyer signs for. The largest add-on is the registration duty, the regional transfer tax. Since 1 January 2025 Wallonia charges just 3% when you buy your sole and own home and settle your domicile there, against the standard rate of 12.5% for a second property or an investment (Wallonie.be, 2025). That reform reshaped buyer budgets: a family buying their only home now pays a fraction of what an investor pays on the same property.
Next come the notary costs, which split into two very different parts. The honoraria are fixed by Royal Decree on a degressive scale, so the percentage falls as the price rises, and a 2023 reform trimmed them for a sole own home up to 850,000 euros (Notaire.be, 2023). Added to that are the disbursements (frais divers), the searches, extracts and administrative charges the notary advances on your behalf, typically 800 to 1,500 euros (ImmoAnalyse, 2026). A common misconception is that all of this is the notary’s fee; in reality most of your total is tax, not the notary’s pay.
If you borrow, a second notarial deed sets up the mortgage. Registering the mortgage costs about 4,000 to 6,000 euros for an average loan, covering the 1% mortgage registration duty, the credit deed honoraria and administrative costs (ImmoAnalyse, 2026). Buyers who purchase without a loan avoid this entirely.
Finally, small running costs begin at the deed: you reimburse the seller their pro-rata share of the property tax (precompte immobilier) already paid for the year, and from then on the annual property tax is yours. For a flat you may also owe an entry into the co-ownership reserve fund. Once you own the home, the registration duties and notary fees are behind you for good.
At a glance
- Registration duties: 3% on a sole and own home, 12.5% otherwise (Wallonie.be, 2025).
- Notary honoraria: fixed degressive Royal Decree scale, reduced for a sole own home up to 850,000 euros (Notaire.be, 2023).
- Notary disbursements (frais divers): about 800 to 1,500 euros (ImmoAnalyse, 2026).
- Mortgage deed, if borrowing: roughly 4,000 to 6,000 euros for an average loan (ImmoAnalyse, 2026).
- Property tax reimbursement: your pro-rata share paid to the seller at the deed date.
- Rule of thumb: about 10% to 13% of the price for an investment, much less for a first home.