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Renovation guides

Procedures, diagnoses and works, municipality by municipality, with the official sources.

Renovating a house in Uccle: a step-by-step guide (permits, grants, contractors)
Survey the house, check the planning rules, sort out the money, choose who does the work, follow the works: here is the order of the steps, what the official sources say at each one, and which detailed guide to read next.
12 min read
Damp in a Brussels house: rising damp, condensation or rain penetration?
Three causes of damp with very similar symptoms: what the technical sources say about telling them apart before you have anything treated.
14 min read
Saltpetre on a wall: what it tells you and how to treat it
A white deposit on a wall is almost never the problem in itself: it is the trace of damp. Here is how to read that signal, in what order to act and what the technical sources say about treatment.
15 min read
Roof work in Uccle: renovation, insulation and when you need a permit
Re-roofing, insulation, a dormer or a green roof: what the Brussels rules and the municipality of Uccle say, job by job, with the date each point was checked.
16 min read
Renovation grants in Brussels: what is left of Rénolution?
According to the official websites, on 19-10-2026 no Rénolution grant application can be submitted for final invoices dated 2025 or 2026. Here is what the official sources say, what you can still apply for in Uccle and Watermael-Boitsfort, and where to look in Forest and Ixelles.
13 min read
Planning permit in Brussels: which works need one
In Brussels a permit is the rule and an exemption is the exception. Here is how to tell which applies to works on an older house, and who to ask before you order any works.
16 min read
Replacing windows in an old Brussels house: permits, EPB, ventilation and costs
Keep your old windows, renovate them or replace them? The decision affects planning rules, the facade, ventilation and your budget. Here is what Homegrade, urban.brussels, the municipality of Uccle and Buildwise say, and the questions to ask before you sign a quote.
16 min read
Renovating a period Brussels house: listed or not, which permit, and how to care for the facade
Before you touch an old facade, ask two questions: does the house have heritage status, and what does the municipality's planning department say? Here is how to check, and what the regional bodies recommend.
16 min read
Planning rules in Uccle, Forest, Watermael-Boitsfort and Ixelles: how the municipalities differ
CoBAT is the same everywhere, but the desk you apply to, the municipal regulations and the protected heritage change from one municipality to the next. Here is what the official websites say, and where to ask before you commission any works.
14 min read
Finding a reliable contractor in south Brussels: what to check before you sign
Six checks are made before you sign a quote, while you are not yet committed to anything. Here is what they are, where to make them and what the official sources say, as at 03-10-2026.
15 min read