Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In 2024, Belgian coastal home sales declined slightly, with Zeebrugge seeing the biggest drop and De Panne the largest rise. Prices rose, with dike apartments averaging €427,165 (+7.6%). Most buyers (88.5%) were Flemish, mainly aged 50-55.
The number of homes sold on the Belgian coast dropped a little bit in 2024 but not as much as it did in 2023. Officials mentioned that the market is getting back to normal after a lot of ups and downs in recent years. Some towns saw more homes sold than last year, while others saw fewer.
Zeebrugge saw the biggest drop in sales, while De Panne saw the biggest increase. Knokke-Heist and Koksijde stayed about the same. Officials mentioned that some towns are more popular than others for buying homes, maybe because of new projects, tourism, or how good they are for investments.
Why did Belgian coast home prices rise in 2024 despite fewer sales?
The average price of an apartment reached €332,033, which is 4.3% higher than 2023. Apartments right on the dike are even more expensive, with an average price of €427,165, which is 7.6% higher than 2023.
According to the officials, people still want to buy homes on the coast, especially ones with good views of the sea. There aren’t many homes available, and people who want to buy a second home still like the coast. They said that this makes coastal homes a good investment for buyers and people who want to make money from real estate.
The east coast of Belgium is the most expensive place to buy a coastal apartment. The average price in 2024 was €507,985. This is because the East Coast has nice, expensive developments, good beaches, and is exclusive. The middle and west coasts are much cheaper.
The average price on the Middle Coast was €261,710, and on the West Coast, it was €256,243. Officials mentioned that the East Coast is for luxury buyers, while the Middle and West Coasts are more affordable for everyone.
Most people who bought coastal homes in Belgium in 2024 were from Flanders, making up 88.5% of buyers. Only 5.9% were from Wallonia, 2.8% were from Brussels, and 2.7% were from other countries. The most common age group of buyers was 50 to 55 years old.
“The latter is not surprising,”
Says Van Opstal.
“People over 50 are a wealthy group. Their homes are usually paid off, which frees up money to buy a second home. For a group of people, this is a kind of ‘try-out’: if they like it, they decide to come and live on the coast permanently.”
