Buying real estate has become more and more complicated, and it might not work out. The National Bank would like banks to systematically request data on the energy performance of buildings before granting a loan.
“US (energy performance certificate for a building) E, F, G… We can clearly see that as soon as we have to limit the budget a little, there are energy problems“. Elise and her partner have been looking to buy a house for months. But with their budget, it’s not easy to find a home with a decent PEB.
“We went to visit a house yesterday, and for us, yes, there is a lot of work to do”, she continues. This couple is therefore faced with a dilemma. “We would like a nice house with a good PEB, but the prices are really high. So we are looking for a first investment, but there are lots of renovations to do and a lot of investments on the side“more to be expected.
And that might soon become a problem. Because the National Bank would like that the PEB of a home is analyzed before granting a loan. “Here is the PEB certificate of a property in Wavre“, shows us Pierre Jergeay, credit broker:
“It is rated E, and the client must therefore provide 40,000 euros of workThis broker is already noticing it: banks are increasingly interested in the energy performance of real estate.
But if tomorrow it became a criterion for granting credit, it would penalize the less wealthy. “I’m afraid that in the long term, this will be an additional problem for potential borrowers: the banks will tighten the screw at the level of quotas. For now, it’s 90%, rarely 100% (which can be borrowed in relation to the purchase price, the value of the house). So for files with a bad PEB, we risk going up to 80%“.
However, for the Construction Confederation, this measure would be counterproductive. It would effectively prevent people from buying and therefore from renovating. For her, it would rather increase the borrowing capacity of buyers. “40% of Belgians do not have the financial means to renovate their house. They must go through a loan, which will give value to the building, and will make it possible to meet the climate challenges“, pleads Niko Demeester, managing director of the Construction Confederation. For the confederation, the banks would therefore also have an interest in financing this work. Because once completed, the mortgaged houses… will increase in value.
