Decor trends change every season. Trends that really change how people renovate, and what it costs, are rarer. In 2026 they mostly come from rules and money. Here are the five that matter.
The big change of 2026. In Brussels the RENOLUTION grants have been abolished for good; zero-rate loans are planned for spring 2027 (budget agreement of 4 October 2026). In Wallonia the Habitation grants ended on 30 September 2026, replaced by the Rénopack and Rénoprêt loans. In Flanders, Mijn VerbouwPremie has been reserved since March 2026 for lower incomes, except for heat pumps.
Result: projects are financed more by borrowing and in stages, and 6% VAT on renovating homes over 10 years old becomes the most important support. Our article Brussels renovation grants 2027 sums it up.
In Flanders, anyone who buys a house or apartment with an EPC label E or F must renovate it to label D within 6 years (the deadline went from 5 to 6 years at the end of 2025). The tightening planned from 2028 has been dropped.
Result: many buyers plan roof insulation, windows and heating right at purchase and include the works in their mortgage.
In Flanders the heat pump remains the only installation still subsidised for all incomes. But it only works well in a sufficiently insulated house, with suitable emitters (underfloor heating or low-temperature radiators).
Result: the logical order wins: insulate first, then size the heat pump. A heat pump in a poorly insulated house gives disappointing bills.
With few grants and higher interest rates than a few years ago, many owners spread their renovation over two or three years: envelope and safety first (roof, electrics, damp), then insulation and heating, then kitchen, bathroom and finishes.
Result: you need an overall plan from the start, so the next stage doesn't damage what was just done (for example, running cables before redoing the ceilings).
An open kitchen onto the living room remains the most requested change in Brussels houses and the surrounding area. What's changing: openings are more considered, with interior glass partitions, sliding doors or half-walls, to keep acoustics, smells and heating under control.
Result: opening a load-bearing wall needs a structural study and often a permit: build it into the schedule.
In 2026, a successful renovation starts with a realistic plan: which works are compulsory or urgent, which improve energy performance, and which can wait. That's exactly what we do on the first visit.
CULA renovates houses and apartments in Brussels, Dilbeek and the surrounding area. Free visit and detailed quote within 48 hours: request your quote.