What is a preliminary sale agreement (compromis de vente)?

The compromis de vente is the private contract that seals the sale in Wallonia. Under Belgian law the compromis is equivalent to the sale, so once both parties sign, the deal is legally binding, subject only to any suspensive conditions (Belgian Civil Code, article 1583).

The preliminary sale agreement, or compromis de vente, is far more than a promise. Belgian law follows the principle that a sale is formed as soon as the parties agree on the thing and the price, so signing the compromis already transfers the binding commitment, well before the notary’s deed (Belgian Civil Code, article 1583).

The document fixes everything that matters: the identity of the parties, the exact property, the agreed price, the deposit (commonly 10%), the target date for the authentic deed and the suspensive conditions. The most common suspensive condition is obtaining a mortgage: if the buyer cannot secure the loan despite genuine efforts, the compromis is unwound without penalty (immomakelaarvergelijker.be, 2026).

The clock then starts. Belgian tax law allows a maximum of four months between the compromis and the notarial deed to register the sale and pay the registration duties (immomakelaarvergelijker.be, 2026). That window covers the notary’s mortgage, tax and planning searches.

The counter-intuitive fact that surprises international buyers: Belgium has no general legal cooling-off period for a private home purchase, unlike France. There is no automatic right to change your mind after signing. Your protection lies in the suspensive conditions and in having the file checked before you sign, which is precisely where Easyhome steps in.

At a glance