Hainaut is an exception in the south of the country: the prices asked for houses close to water are up to €30,000 higher there.
In coastal municipalities and around Flemish cities with waterways such as Antwerp and Ghent, houses located in flood zones are up to 12% more expensive. Flemish Brabant stands out: buyers there pay up to €72,000 more for a house at risk of flooding.
Zimmo closely monitors the real estate market using its database. This analysis focused on asking prices (often slightly above sales prices) and price differences between homes located in at-risk areas and those located outside these areas, over the period from January 2017 to October 2024. These analyzes revealed some striking observations.
A negative impact of flooding
In Wallonia, unlike Flanders, buyers take into account the dangers linked to flooding and water overflows. Prices for homes located in areas at risk of flooding are 10-20% lower than those in areas without risk. The catastrophic year of 2021 also marked a negative price development. Although house prices are rising overall, asking prices for homes at risk of flooding are rising much less.
Why could the Brussels region be increasingly prone to flooding?
For example, in 2024, houses located outside flood zones in the province of Namur are up to €55,000 more expensive than those located in these areas. In Liège, this difference reaches €34,500 and, in Luxembourg, it amounts to €26,000 (8%) to the disadvantage of properties located in areas sensitive to flooding. Even in Walloon Brabant, the median price of houses located in flood-prone areas is systematically lower than that of houses without risk. In 2023, the price gap could reach up to €115,000 to the disadvantage of houses close to water.
