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She lives in a really expensive area (Saint-Gilles) where the prices grew like mad for a few years now. Most of Belgians can’t afford to live there anymore. It’s mostly for rich immigrants now. (I lived there for 29 years.) For the food, she choose to go to one of the most expensive market either. There is one (not far from where she lives) where things are way more affordable. She choose a really expensive way to live. Don't see it as a average way to live in Brussels.
Brussels is one of the cheapest European capitals in Europe. 3000€, even in Brussels, is enormous. I live in Belgium 1 hour from Brussels, I repay €850 per month for my house...
That goes for every country: Belgium = Brussels France = Paris Netherlands = Amsterdam USA = New York Etc.... Also 80 to 85 ish % of the time houses & appartement buildings or done by local companies and payed good , they use brick and concreet, no wood, or just inside extra wall or so Every country has pro's and con's
A lot of people live like her, it's not 1 in 1000... she's freelance and her man may have a good job - it's a combo I guess! Since I became freelance my wife was able to stop working, we bought a nice house and are travelling -> make good choices to have the same life instead of saying people are just privileged...
in Belgium, according to the Deloitte firm, the square meter sells on average at 2,216 euros compared to 2,957 euros in Germany, 3,458 in Ireland, 4,055 in France and 4,628 in Great Britain. This partly explains why more than 70% of Belgians are homeowners and 6 out of 10 buy their first home before the age of 27, according to a recent survey by the Immoweb site. In Brussels, because the market is still less attractive than in the provinces, the proportion of tenant-owners is 50%, which remains a relatively high rate. For good reason: in Brussels, according to the latest Notaries barometer, the average price of a house is 478,603 euros. That of an apartment, 253,540 euros. That is, between 2,500 and 3,500 euros per square meter. In Paname, according to the Notaries of Greater Paris, average prices now reach 9,890 euros per square meter, an increase of… 248% since 2000. Same observation, according to figures from the Numbeo office, in London where the price of square meter is exchanged for 15,066 euros on average, Amsterdam (7,767 euros), but also, to a lesser extent, Berlin (5598.85 euros) and Dublin (5556.61 euros).
The house: built with bricks and concrete vs wood, paper, and gypsum in the US. Location: Brussels, capital of Belgium, seat/headquarters/important branch of European Union and NATO. Of course, the house costs more than one in remote Texas.
thnx for the video of my country. btw the markets (outside foods stands) is very common each village as one morning where you can go to the markets and by fresh food.
Pour ma part, je suis heureuse de payer les impôts et les lois sociales, cela permet à tous les belges d'avoir un filet de sécurité solide tant sur les soins de santé que lorsqu'on perd son emploi. L'enseignement est fort bon marché aussi. Là où je ne suis plus d'accord, c'est quand on accueille des gens qui ne travailleront jamais et qui ne cotiseront jamais. Cela déséquilibre l'ensemble. C'est aussi la même chose pour l'évasion fiscale des grosses entreprises. Nous avons un pays extraordinaire, à nous de protéger ce qui a été si dûrement acquis lors des révoltes sociales.
House prices are expensive here because of house crisis at least in my country, so that was the shock maybe the price of the house. For Belgium it is expensive though, There are cheaper houses there. Also the houses are made of stone with good isolation and double glass windows. Good quality homes that are meant to stand for hundreds of years.
If you know the codes on eggs in Europe you can make it out that way. I think a code that starts with a 0, 1, or 2 means they are from free range chickens and 3 is from caged chickens (The lower the number the better the life of the chicken, so there are other differences). Feel free to correct me.
The lifestyle she talks about applies to most other countries than America. I live in Australia as a Canadian expat of many years. I can do the same things, (in some fashion) as she does. You may watch these types of videos and think 'oh yeah, that looks great'. But you are young, and you can make life choices that you can still reverse. So, don't live vicariously through your computer screen. Dive in the deep end and go live somewhere foreign . And for an extended time. I did, and I have no regrets. My philosophy on life is that I'd rather be apologising for the things I did, rather than regretting the things I didn't do. And I'm well into my 70s, am a Canadian expat who has lived in Canada, the United States and the U.K., before finally settling in Australia. I've also travelled around the world over the many years. Courage isn't a big leap. It's just determining a goal, and taking many small steps towards that goal.
Lol, she is in Brussels. Not only just a big city, but an EU city. (Meaning EU govt, and several EU agencies.) So why would you be surprised by prices, I think it is low considering the location.
That's $600.000 for a house in the capital city of a european country which has limited housing expansion posibilities, so land is at a premium. You have to compare with likewise in the US, in a major city where land is at a premium.
You are right, buildings in Belgium are like the last house in the big bad wolf but reinforced and insulated, American houses are like the first one the wolf blows :) Our taxes are indeed increasing when our income increase, but 55 percent is roughly the baseline for the lowest earners.
The mortgage is so high probably because they opted for a period of less than 20 years. Most likely it's only 15, depending on what the down-payment was. It seems as if they can afford it.
btw eggs in america can't be sold like that because they are "cleaned" in advance (removing their "defense") and thus have to be refrigerated. (has to do with different rules around chickens if i'm not mistaken)
She's not the average Belgian in that video. Brussels is the most expensive region for real estate but outside the big cities, you can really can get good deals. However, keep in my mind when you buy a house these days, you have to restore it: put in new isolation, install solarpanels, put isolating glass in your windows until you reach the certificate EPC D, if I'm correct. Otherwise you get fined. Apart from that, as a Belgian, I can't complain about my country. I think more Americans should visit Belgium more and skip the cliché destinations like Paris, London, Amsterdam, Italy, Spain etc
This is false for the PEB (score to know if the house is eco-friendly). It is a European bill, it is not applicable. The vast majority of houses in Belgium have a poor PEB
Here in Switzerland it's not unusual to see people having a beer or glass of wine at a cafe even at 8 in the morning It's typically people on their way home after a night shift, but nobody will look sideways
The house is a normal priced house in Belgium , but she forget to say that we don’t really pay health assurance and university and schools are all almost free so at the end we have more money to spend . And our healthcare never say no we’re not going to pay that .
Do not forget that in Belgium we pay 53% TAXES on our salary. Which is why we get more money from the government, like child care support, .... Also, the house she lives in is an upper class home. As her husband is an expat, most probably his company helps I that payment. 😊😊
In Belgium, we have tax tiers. The lowest tier being 25% and the highest 50%. So, the higher your income, the higher the tax rate. Furthermore, there are a lot of things that you can deduct like after-school childcare, your motorcycle and gear if you use it to go to work, etc.
@@machteldvdb1185nevertheless, average taxes (including VAT and stuff) are around 54% (FYI: as of today (16 July) belgians arent working for the government, in average everything we earned up to now would be taxes for the year)
@@machteldvdb1185Highest tax bracket is 52%, yet I wonder why 55% is taken away. Then comes social security on top. Hence you become an independent contractor and optimise taxes.
Mind you, she is living near the City Hall of Brussels, capital of Belgium and capital of the EU. Property prices (and living expenses) are accordingly. You shouldn't compare to Texas but to a 3 bed 1.5 bath condo within the more expensive areas of Austin or Dallas.
I live in Willebroek, Belgium and it lays between two major cities: Antwerp and Brussels. That means that all the people that can’t afford to live in Brussels or Antwerp move to Willebroek, 1 5th of the citizens of Willebroek don’t have work and we’re in the top 10 cities / counties that hates the city / county most. Every day i hear lot off sirenes sometimes there are fights at the train station, In school (In Mechelen) theres a lot of fights, Just really different then how she makes it out to be.
I live on the outside of Ghent in the direction of Antwerp. Ghent is a lot more chill to live . Generally I feel really safe in the city. It's a big city but not yo much crime. It has it's issues ofcours some areas are worse then others , but overall quite okay .
mmmm don't know if this is a realistic view of Belgium in most smaller cities houses bigger than hers cost half as much and you pay for longer so the amount is lower. the tax rates are between 30 and 45% but you get a lot in return
As many people are saying already, don't focus so heavily on the numbers and prices here. This is ONE family living in an expensive area in Brussels. It's not a representative median for life in Belgium. Yes, the many benefits of Europe's countries compared to the U.S. are still present but again, this is she and her family's life. And she has a sweet deal and good life, no doubt! I am happy for her sake. Plus, as I always keep in mind when watching these types of videos, you never know the whole financial situation for a person. They could've inherited, won, or something, money. The video only tells you so much. Take care!
with 587.000€ you can also buy 2 houses in belgium for sure! the woman just lives in an expensive location, probably also close to the shops in the city. her apartment will be luxurious and almost nothing more to renovate. thats why its so high. i personally would buy a house with 587.000€ that is completely finished + 2km outside the city because that is quieter. but thats my choice and thinking.
She lives in the wealthy parts of Brussels, has a rich husband and basically has NOTHING to worry about. She shouldn't be representing how life is like in Belgium imo. Insurance, gas and taxes for a car alone would break the bank of a lot of people in Belgium, that falls away with them because he drives around with his company car on his company's plates and insurance while filling up his tank with the company's credit card. That is like 3% of the population that is able to do these things, 97% doesn't have that luxury. She is a privileged and entitled person, take away her husband's wealth and she ends up in where every other Belgian can be find, on the border of poverty.
@chrystianaw8256 sure, you keep believing that. We all know where most of her wealth comes from, influencer in belgium while nobody knows you doesnt make you earn enough to buy a house like that, she can be glad if she manages to buy a pack of smokes and a bottle of milk with the income of a b-grade at max influence.
She's previledged, I mean... Saint-Gilles... oh comon. But hey.. good for her. I hope she enjoys the relative security and beauty of one of the best parts of Brussels. There's a lot to see, a lot to do and you never get bored or can't find what you need. With my income I'll probably go to Market de Midi next time I visit the Brussels instead.
Viewing where she lives.... That's a cheap house. It's in Brussels, imagine the same house in Washington DC, it would be a multitude... Also I think she has a lot of advantages because of working in the military. Life in Belgium is not always that easy as she portraits it to be.
I think they buy their house, so it is in normal, a cool appartment with place , probably in a good place ( not in a bad place is already good) so yeaah it is normal. For rent in Bruxelles, if u pay less than 1000 euro a month, it is probably a old appartment. For a new appartment or good looking (modern) with enough place to feel comfortable and in a good place , it is 1100 minimum per month ( rent )
for the same price in a smaller city here in belgium youre gonna have like a villa its just because it is in the capital that is it that expensive, for 2100 a months you have a big house with a big garden where i live in belgium
you can buy a 3 bedroom house on the countryside for about a third of the price but might need some work so about half the price just depends the region
The one time Trump wasn’t lying is when he said that Brussels is a hellhole. Imagine how happy she would be if she moved 10 miles north : no traffic, green everywhere, half the mortgage for double the space AND a garden, NO crime, …
Look, she lives in the capital of not only the country, but The capital of Europe. In the US, you can get a very cheap house, but where? Try to buy something on the coast!
You are right about the taxes: they are progressive. So if she says they pay 55% taxes, that is only true for the top portion of their income. My guess is that their over all income tax is more like 35%, maybe going on 40% if their income is REALLY high. As far as the mortgage is concerned, it is very high, even for Belgium, but if you listen carefully she implies that they chose a rather short lending period, which off course leads to a higher mortgage because the amount you borrowed has to get repayed in a shorter time frame. Also, don't forget this is Brussels, the capital of Belgium. There definitely are many areas in Belgium where you either pay a lot less or get a lot more for this price. You can't compare the prices in Texas to those in LA or NYC either, right? On last little thing. You seem to think the food in outdoor markets is more expensive, but actually the opposite is true, which is a big reason why people like to go there. I highly doubt by the way that it's the farmer's daughter selling their own eggs. Not that it's non-existant, but most market stands are just like store-owners, but mobile, which reduces costs (rent, electricity, staff,...) and allowes for lower reselling prices.
You should compare the price for her duplex to prices in other major cities. Brussels is the capital of Europe. You can get a lot more for less if you move out of the city 😊
As a Belgian; this is crazy to hear xD though, it does make sense. Belgium is kind of a miniature version of America. Both in mindset, and history. Young countries that broke free from the overarching rulers and got their independence. Then continued through history with a provincial mindset. (I.e; verbal aggression, racism, elitism, etc). And then there's the many millionaire scene; which is also heavily presented in america. It's more important how you look and who/what you wear; than it is to act moderately properly.
@@chrystianaw8256 lol, yeah, it is. And I'm not repeating what I said. If you can't read, nor comprehend what you read, that's a you problem. Not a me problem.
I mean in big lines I guesd but culture wise I dont agree. Thou we belgians do take allot of inspiration from other cultures. Alsow the mindset is different in more provencial towns than in big city's
She is not really the average, as how in America there are some who get higher pays and as she said she is a food content creator leading to her having 700+ for food. Insurance is basicly from basic insurance as in family, fire, car to health care. Yes if you are sick or got wounded heavily due to whatever reason and need to be hospitalised, the Insurance takes the costs to at least 90% of the total, from doctors to medicine. Brussels as someone said in the comments has the highest housing. If u go to the other states as in Antwerp, west or east flanders , the prices are easily less, even half less. And yes they are very solid buildings 😅
You need it to compare brussel with a big city its the capital of Belgium and the EU so a lot of high paid people live there from all over europ. Also 600.000 is best cheap a standard house in Belgium cost already around 400.000 now a day. My parents paid for a 2 bed room appartement in a small town centrum in the poorest county of flanders already 180.000
This video is only from the perspective of 'Brussels' but to look at it from a typical Belgian Surrealist Point of view we would have to say: 'Ceci n'est pas Belgique' ('This is not Belgium' = a paraphrase of 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' (Belgian artist René Magritte))
that house price isnt that crazy to be honest, i bought for 200k and my house is worth 500k+ now (Netherlands). In some locations it can be less or more but that price is kinda general now for a good place to live. can you live cheaper? of course but its all about location and i imagine its the same in US. You also have to remember that in Europe it is less about keeping up with the Johnsons and more focust on what you really need, housing is generally smaller so less can be stored in them :), markets btw are or used to be cheaper but fresher than a super market, nowadays its about the same or so little cheaper or expensive it doesnt really make you think about it i guess.
Every alcoholic is happy in a alcohol addicted country like Belgium. Drinking early in the morning ain't abnormal here, and if they could, they would feed their baby's with beer in the baby bottle. We also are the world champion in drinking and driving, if you kill some one in Belgium in a drunk condition (they call it an accident) you get no jail time. Belgian politicians, brewers, stores, cafés and the medical world, make a huge profit of it. A human life in Belgium ain't worth shit. You Americans have the RNA as a mighty lobby, while we have the alcohol industry as a mighty lobby.
Okey it is verry true that alcohol use is a bit over the top in belgium but as a balgian that doesn't drink alcohol I think you might a different invirement then I do cause it does indeed happen but not in sutch a high percentige as you make it seem. Non the les it stil is a problem. And not only in belgium.
@foreignreacts 580 000 euro is much, but there are much expensive home's in London for example is it at least 1 million. My sisters has both houses that cost more than 580 000 euro's...
My house is half as expensive and i have more room but i don't live near a big city. Her food expenses are higher than mine to but she is foreign just like her husband and going to a markt where she buys food by vendors outside are also not cheap
That is because mostly everything in Belgium is 100- 5000x better than in the US and this comes from someone with a dual citizenship. ( US-Swiss) If you go buy a house near Hasselt you will get way more for your buck. Capitals and big cities like Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Leuven, Liege, to some extent Hasselt are expensive to sometimes insanely so. Belgians pay high taxes on basically everything from 53% if you are living with a gf/wife and 56% ( last time i checked) if you are single. its one of the reasons i left Belgium for Switzerland and renovated my grandparents mansion.
You need to be born here and inharited a house or some other things. Otherwise you are fucked and you are only working for the government. Its better in the US. Not if you are sick. But if you want to work its way better.
She definately lives in upper Saint Gilles. The other side of Saint Gilles is one of the sketchiest and dirtiest places in Belgium, streets full of litter and drug addicts.
Yeah... Belgium is a paradise for the rich. However, it's an expensive country for the middle classes, taxes and inflation are going thru the roof right now (a pack of 20 cigarettes costs €11,5) 500k - 600k for a house in Brussels, Brugge or Antwerp? That's nothing special unfortunately. Housing prices have effectively doubled since the early 2000's because we're just a small country but have 11 to 12 million inhabitants so building space is getting scarse in Flanders. Limburg, West-Flanders and Wallonia are exemptions where you can find large beautiful houses for around 300K. The average salary in Belgium is somewhere between €2000 - €5000. Also a fun fact: "Our entire political system is as dysfunctional as it can possibly get. It's a miracle that we're still on the map as 1 unified country..."
Well, in BE and in expansion Europe, we don't process eggs ... means washing like in the US as it takes away the natural protection of eggs. So yeah, you can get eggs with some feathers still attached to them. I never ever keep eggs in the fridge, degrades the taste.
Wrong. It's actually the capital of Belgium AND the capital of Europe. It's not Europe as the continent but as the EU. Obviously the continent has no capital.
the house prices in belgium are not that high if you look at the most houses their materials that they put into it instead of filing alot of walls whit cardboard they get full walls its a lot more expensive in belgium than the Us because the Materials are mostly Expensive so the cost of the house wil also increase if u look at the us' side they have much cheaper materials and so a lot cheaper for the buyer to buy ik the belgium way YK WHY DONT EvEN DARE TO ASK HY I KNOW THAT (for whoever donts gets it im a very inteligent Belgian person) xd
most houses like that are like 500K to a milion some 200 some 300 To buy and mansions are easily like 2 3 4 5 or 6 milion (wich is a normal price) but for a big familiy home in belgium u would pay around 6 to 700K to Buy prolly cheaper to build it you're self xd
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She lives in a really expensive area (Saint-Gilles) where the prices grew like mad for a few years now. Most of Belgians can’t afford to live there anymore. It’s mostly for rich immigrants now. (I lived there for 29 years.)
For the food, she choose to go to one of the most expensive market either. There is one (not far from where she lives) where things are way more affordable. She choose a really expensive way to live. Don't see it as a average way to live in Brussels.
Saint gille is very dangerous
@@helioslegigantosaure6939 It is not stfu St Gilles is full of Bobo’s and maybe a crackhead here and there but not dangerous
@@helioslegigantosaure6939 the most is safe except maybe around bethleem
Yeah they're wealthy af 😂 my net income is 2200€/month I could never 😂😂
@@helioslegigantosaure6939 lol
the price for the house remember Brussels is the capital off belgium so location counts to
Indeed, for that money you can find a large villa elsewhere. you have to compare it with an apartment in New York and then this is peanuts.
Don't forget that Brussels is the capitol of Europe too.
Brussels is one of the cheapest European capitals in Europe. 3000€, even in Brussels, is enormous. I live in Belgium 1 hour from Brussels, I repay €850 per month for my house...
That goes for every country:
Belgium = Brussels
France = Paris
Netherlands = Amsterdam
USA = New York
Etc....
Also 80 to 85 ish % of the time houses & appartement buildings or done by local companies and payed good , they use brick and concreet, no wood, or just inside extra wall or so
Every country has pro's and con's
Brussels is just so less expansive than cities like Amsterdam, London or Paris!
That's a very privileged woman, no wonder she likes liviing in Brussels. Most people here in Belgium live a totally different kind of life !
Belgians in general are still some of the most privilleged people in the world. They just like to complain alot.
Her husband probably has a really good income.
A lot of people live like her, it's not 1 in 1000... she's freelance and her man may have a good job - it's a combo I guess!
Since I became freelance my wife was able to stop working, we bought a nice house and are travelling -> make good choices to have the same life instead of saying people are just privileged...
High houseprices in and around Brussels are mainly due to the many people working at the European Parliament, Nato and all the Embassies.
Brussels is the most expensive region to live in Belgium. (790,000 euros median in 2022, with the cheapest being 338,500 euros, for a house.)
houses goes up to 2mil+ easily, meanwhile the average salary is around 27.000€ after taxes a year.
in Belgium, according to the Deloitte firm, the square meter sells on average at 2,216 euros compared to 2,957 euros in Germany, 3,458 in Ireland, 4,055 in France and 4,628 in Great Britain. This partly explains why more than 70% of Belgians are homeowners and 6 out of 10 buy their first home before the age of 27, according to a recent survey by the Immoweb site. In Brussels, because the market is still less attractive than in the provinces, the proportion of tenant-owners is 50%, which remains a relatively high rate. For good reason: in Brussels, according to the latest Notaries barometer, the average price of a house is 478,603 euros. That of an apartment, 253,540 euros. That is, between 2,500 and 3,500 euros per square meter. In Paname, according to the Notaries of Greater Paris, average prices now reach 9,890 euros per square meter, an increase of… 248% since 2000. Same observation, according to figures from the Numbeo office, in London where the price of square meter is exchanged for 15,066 euros on average, Amsterdam (7,767 euros), but also, to a lesser extent, Berlin (5598.85 euros) and Dublin (5556.61 euros).
The house: built with bricks and concrete vs wood, paper, and gypsum in the US. Location: Brussels, capital of Belgium, seat/headquarters/important branch of European Union and NATO. Of course, the house costs more than one in remote Texas.
I love shopping at the farmers market here in Germany. And, yes, there's somebody selling eggs from his own chickens.
Also remember in Europe most houses are t build of wood. Mainly concrete or stones
10:14 Brother you are a legend for not buying the subscription! I respect people like you.
7:29, the 300k-500k price range for a house in europe is pretty common especially in countries like belgium
thnx for the video of my country. btw the markets (outside foods stands) is very common each village as one morning where you can go to the markets and by fresh food.
Pour ma part, je suis heureuse de payer les impôts et les lois sociales, cela permet à tous les belges d'avoir un filet de sécurité solide tant sur les soins de santé que lorsqu'on perd son emploi. L'enseignement est fort bon marché aussi. Là où je ne suis plus d'accord, c'est quand on accueille des gens qui ne travailleront jamais et qui ne cotiseront jamais. Cela déséquilibre l'ensemble. C'est aussi la même chose pour l'évasion fiscale des grosses entreprises. Nous avons un pays extraordinaire, à nous de protéger ce qui a été si dûrement acquis lors des révoltes sociales.
House prices are expensive here because of house crisis at least in my country, so that was the shock maybe the price of the house. For Belgium it is expensive though, There are cheaper houses there. Also the houses are made of stone with good isolation and double glass windows. Good quality homes that are meant to stand for hundreds of years.
She asked and the vendor confirmed that the eggs were laid by "plain air" (=free range) chickens.
If you know the codes on eggs in Europe you can make it out that way. I think a code that starts with a 0, 1, or 2 means they are from free range chickens and 3 is from caged chickens (The lower the number the better the life of the chicken, so there are other differences). Feel free to correct me.
The lifestyle she talks about applies to most other countries than America. I live in Australia as a Canadian expat of many years. I can do the same things, (in some fashion) as she does. You may watch these types of videos and think 'oh yeah, that looks great'. But you are young, and you can make life choices that you can still reverse. So, don't live vicariously through your computer screen. Dive in the deep end and go live somewhere foreign . And for an extended time. I did, and I have no regrets. My philosophy on life is that I'd rather be apologising for the things I did, rather than regretting the things I didn't do. And I'm well into my 70s, am a Canadian expat who has lived in Canada, the United States and the U.K., before finally settling in Australia. I've also travelled around the world over the many years. Courage isn't a big leap. It's just determining a goal, and taking many small steps towards that goal.
In Paris, for 1500 rent a month you live in a small 2 rooms flat (1 bedroom, 1 main with kitchen inside).
Loving your videos…. Your reaction to the cost of the house second time watching was absolutely hilarious!!!
My blood is 76% German and my family comes from Belgium. I have wanted to move there since I was a child.
Lol, she is in Brussels. Not only just a big city, but an EU city. (Meaning EU govt, and several EU agencies.) So why would you be surprised by prices, I think it is low considering the location.
Exactly what I was thinking.
That's $600.000 for a house in the capital city of a european country which has limited housing expansion posibilities, so land is at a premium. You have to compare with likewise in the US, in a major city where land is at a premium.
You are right, buildings in Belgium are like the last house in the big bad wolf but reinforced and insulated, American houses are like the first one the wolf blows :)
Our taxes are indeed increasing when our income increase, but 55 percent is roughly the baseline for the lowest earners.
The 3 little pigs example 😂
Hello from bruxelles, belgium native here. Originally from flanders louvain, also a beautiful city to visit 😉 cheers
The mortgage is so high probably because they opted for a period of less than 20 years. Most likely it's only 15, depending on what the down-payment was. It seems as if they can afford it.
Belgium is such a cute country its like the combination of Netherlands, France and Germany!
btw eggs in america can't be sold like that because they are "cleaned" in advance (removing their "defense") and thus have to be refrigerated.
(has to do with different rules around chickens if i'm not mistaken)
The house will probably be still there in 2 or 3 hundred years.
Exactly
She's not the average Belgian in that video. Brussels is the most expensive region for real estate but outside the big cities, you can really can get good deals. However, keep in my mind when you buy a house these days, you have to restore it: put in new isolation, install solarpanels, put isolating glass in your windows until you reach the certificate EPC D, if I'm correct. Otherwise you get fined. Apart from that, as a Belgian, I can't complain about my country. I think more Americans should visit Belgium more and skip the cliché destinations like Paris, London, Amsterdam, Italy, Spain etc
This is false for the PEB (score to know if the house is eco-friendly). It is a European bill, it is not applicable. The vast majority of houses in Belgium have a poor PEB
@@arnaudgeline6263 European bill? Do you have a source?
She's living in the capital city of Europe and Belgium. Compared to other European capital cities, Brussels is relatively cheap.
thats because the salary after taxes and costs is way lower than the other countries
living in one coutry in Europ makes u hv free access to other 26 european countries :)
Here in Switzerland it's not unusual to see people having a beer or glass of wine at a cafe even at 8 in the morning
It's typically people on their way home after a night shift, but nobody will look sideways
The house is a normal priced house in Belgium , but she forget to say that we don’t really pay health assurance and university and schools are all almost free so at the end we have more money to spend . And our healthcare never say no we’re not going to pay that .
Do not forget that in Belgium we pay 53% TAXES on our salary. Which is why we get more money from the government, like child care support, ....
Also, the house she lives in is an upper class home. As her husband is an expat, most probably his company helps I that payment. 😊😊
In Belgium, we have tax tiers. The lowest tier being 25% and the highest 50%. So, the higher your income, the higher the tax rate.
Furthermore, there are a lot of things that you can deduct like after-school childcare, your motorcycle and gear if you use it to go to work, etc.
@@machteldvdb1185nevertheless, average taxes (including VAT and stuff) are around 54% (FYI: as of today (16 July) belgians arent working for the government, in average everything we earned up to now would be taxes for the year)
@@machteldvdb1185Highest tax bracket is 52%, yet I wonder why 55% is taken away. Then comes social security on top. Hence you become an independent contractor and optimise taxes.
You must earn a lot when you pay 53% taxes.
@@franktielemans6624 Especially because the highest tier is 50%
Mind you, she is living near the City Hall of Brussels, capital of Belgium and capital of the EU. Property prices (and living expenses) are accordingly. You shouldn't compare to Texas but to a 3 bed 1.5 bath condo within the more expensive areas of Austin or Dallas.
It is the city hall of St. Gillis, which is a part of Brussels. Her husband has a very high income if you compare with te average income in Belgium…
Or downtown New York
The houses aren't usually this expensive, but she is living in the capital city of Belgium. Usually it's more like 300,000 - 400,000 dollars (I think)
A house in USA is more like a barrak . They don t know a real strong house.lol
Amen to that. Houses in Europe are made to endure. In the USA they're often wooden shells that blow away when you fart too much.
I live in Willebroek, Belgium and it lays between two major cities: Antwerp and Brussels. That means that all the people that can’t afford to live in Brussels or Antwerp move to Willebroek, 1 5th of the citizens of Willebroek don’t have work and we’re in the top 10 cities / counties that hates the city / county most. Every day i hear lot off sirenes sometimes there are fights at the train station, In school (In Mechelen) theres a lot of fights, Just really different then how she makes it out to be.
I live on the outside of Ghent in the direction of Antwerp. Ghent is a lot more chill to live . Generally I feel really safe in the city. It's a big city but not yo much crime. It has it's issues ofcours some areas are worse then others , but overall quite okay .
She is living in an expensive neighbourhood in the capital. You can get two houses for that price in other parts of Belgium as well, probably even 3.
mmmm don't know if this is a realistic view of Belgium in most smaller cities houses bigger than hers cost half as much and you pay for longer so the amount is lower. the tax rates are between 30 and 45% but you get a lot in return
As many people are saying already, don't focus so heavily on the numbers and prices here. This is ONE family living in an expensive area in Brussels. It's not a representative median for life in Belgium. Yes, the many benefits of Europe's countries compared to the U.S. are still present but again, this is she and her family's life. And she has a sweet deal and good life, no doubt! I am happy for her sake.
Plus, as I always keep in mind when watching these types of videos, you never know the whole financial situation for a person. They could've inherited, won, or something, money. The video only tells you so much.
Take care!
with 587.000€ you can also buy 2 houses in belgium for sure! the woman just lives in an expensive location, probably also close to the shops in the city. her apartment will be luxurious and almost nothing more to renovate. thats why its so high. i personally would buy a house with 587.000€ that is completely finished + 2km outside the city because that is quieter. but thats my choice and thinking.
She lives in the wealthy parts of Brussels, has a rich husband and basically has NOTHING to worry about. She shouldn't be representing how life is like in Belgium imo. Insurance, gas and taxes for a car alone would break the bank of a lot of people in Belgium, that falls away with them because he drives around with his company car on his company's plates and insurance while filling up his tank with the company's credit card. That is like 3% of the population that is able to do these things, 97% doesn't have that luxury. She is a privileged and entitled person, take away her husband's wealth and she ends up in where every other Belgian can be find, on the border of poverty.
She's self employed and an influencer. She's far from poor.
@chrystianaw8256 sure, you keep believing that. We all know where most of her wealth comes from, influencer in belgium while nobody knows you doesnt make you earn enough to buy a house like that, she can be glad if she manages to buy a pack of smokes and a bottle of milk with the income of a b-grade at max influence.
Hello, I am Belgian, I find the spirit of my country in the video.
this is not the average Belgian, she obviously is a part of the wealthy people
She's previledged, I mean... Saint-Gilles... oh comon. But hey.. good for her. I hope she enjoys the relative security and beauty of one of the best parts of Brussels. There's a lot to see, a lot to do and you never get bored or can't find what you need.
With my income I'll probably go to Market de Midi next time I visit the Brussels instead.
Viewing where she lives.... That's a cheap house. It's in Brussels, imagine the same house in Washington DC, it would be a multitude... Also I think she has a lot of advantages because of working in the military. Life in Belgium is not always that easy as she portraits it to be.
I think they buy their house, so it is in normal, a cool appartment with place , probably in a good place ( not in a bad place is already good) so yeaah it is normal. For rent in Bruxelles, if u pay less than 1000 euro a month, it is probably a old appartment. For a new appartment or good looking (modern) with enough place to feel comfortable and in a good place , it is 1100 minimum per month ( rent )
Im belguim, tax is high heren, but they take good care of the system here
In the Netherlands the average price is €465.000 right now. In big cities you get an apartment of 25m2 for €400.000
for the same price in a smaller city here in belgium youre gonna have like a villa its just because it is in the capital that is it that expensive, for 2100 a months you have a big house with a big garden where i live in belgium
you can buy a 3 bedroom house on the countryside for about a third of the price but might need some work so about half the price just depends the region
le as a belgian can say that the phone bill is pretty high but i am thinking she is calling america alot maybe thats why.
It’s an American bill, she specified.
590,000 euro for that house ? Cheap !! Amsterdam is a lot more expensive
Living in Luxembourg I also thought to myself, 600.000 is ok for this place 😁
The one time Trump wasn’t lying is when he said that Brussels is a hellhole. Imagine how happy she would be if she moved 10 miles north : no traffic, green everywhere, half the mortgage for double the space AND a garden, NO crime, …
same in every city in USA or elsewhere excepted in Japon , HK ...travel a bit
I mean no crime is a bit of a stretch but aside from that, yeah 😂
Look, she lives in the capital of not only the country, but The capital of Europe. In the US, you can get a very cheap house, but where? Try to buy something on the coast!
You are right about the taxes: they are progressive. So if she says they pay 55% taxes, that is only true for the top portion of their income. My guess is that their over all income tax is more like 35%, maybe going on 40% if their income is REALLY high.
As far as the mortgage is concerned, it is very high, even for Belgium, but if you listen carefully she implies that they chose a rather short lending period, which off course leads to a higher mortgage because the amount you borrowed has to get repayed in a shorter time frame. Also, don't forget this is Brussels, the capital of Belgium. There definitely are many areas in Belgium where you either pay a lot less or get a lot more for this price. You can't compare the prices in Texas to those in LA or NYC either, right?
On last little thing. You seem to think the food in outdoor markets is more expensive, but actually the opposite is true, which is a big reason why people like to go there. I highly doubt by the way that it's the farmer's daughter selling their own eggs. Not that it's non-existant, but most market stands are just like store-owners, but mobile, which reduces costs (rent, electricity, staff,...) and allowes for lower reselling prices.
In the Uk the advice is not to store eggs in the fridge ,they are not refrigerated in the shops and the same goes for Europe ❤ .
Brussels real estate prices are high because all employees of the European Union pay little to no taxes on their earnings.
the tax % increases when you are in high paying job.
You should compare the price for her duplex to prices in other major cities. Brussels is the capital of Europe. You can get a lot more for less if you move out of the city 😊
Hate to say it but the low end house prices in the netherlands is hitting € 500.000,00 ( and this is the correct amount notation)
As a Belgian; this is crazy to hear xD though, it does make sense. Belgium is kind of a miniature version of America. Both in mindset, and history.
Young countries that broke free from the overarching rulers and got their independence.
Then continued through history with a provincial mindset. (I.e; verbal aggression, racism, elitism, etc).
And then there's the many millionaire scene; which is also heavily presented in america.
It's more important how you look and who/what you wear; than it is to act moderately properly.
It is most definitely NOT a version of America
@@chrystianaw8256 lol, yeah, it is. And I'm not repeating what I said. If you can't read, nor comprehend what you read, that's a you problem. Not a me problem.
I mean in big lines I guesd but culture wise I dont agree. Thou we belgians do take allot of inspiration from other cultures. Alsow the mindset is different in more provencial towns than in big city's
She is not really the average, as how in America there are some who get higher pays and as she said she is a food content creator leading to her having 700+ for food.
Insurance is basicly from basic insurance as in family, fire, car to health care. Yes if you are sick or got wounded heavily due to whatever reason and need to be hospitalised, the Insurance takes the costs to at least 90% of the total, from doctors to medicine. Brussels as someone said in the comments has the highest housing. If u go to the other states as in Antwerp, west or east flanders , the prices are easily less, even half less. And yes they are very solid buildings 😅
your first impression is commenting on her physical looks? wow
yo, the house is made out of Brick :D and its in Brussels one of the most expensive citys around here
You need it to compare brussel with a big city its the capital of Belgium and the EU so a lot of high paid people live there from all over europ.
Also 600.000 is best cheap a standard house in Belgium cost already around 400.000 now a day.
My parents paid for a 2 bed room appartement in a small town centrum in the poorest county of flanders already 180.000
This video is only from the perspective of 'Brussels' but to look at it from a typical Belgian Surrealist Point of view we would have to say: 'Ceci n'est pas Belgique' ('This is not Belgium' = a paraphrase of 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' (Belgian artist René Magritte))
that house price isnt that crazy to be honest, i bought for 200k and my house is worth 500k+ now (Netherlands). In some locations it can be less or more but that price is kinda general now for a good place to live. can you live cheaper? of course but its all about location and i imagine its the same in US.
You also have to remember that in Europe it is less about keeping up with the Johnsons and more focust on what you really need, housing is generally smaller so less can be stored in them :), markets btw are or used to be cheaper but fresher than a super market, nowadays its about the same or so little cheaper or expensive it doesnt really make you think about it i guess.
Every alcoholic is happy in a alcohol addicted country like Belgium.
Drinking early in the morning ain't abnormal here, and if they could, they would feed their baby's with beer in the baby bottle.
We also are the world champion in drinking and driving, if you kill some one in Belgium in a drunk condition (they call it an accident) you get no jail time.
Belgian politicians, brewers, stores, cafés and the medical world, make a huge profit of it.
A human life in Belgium ain't worth shit.
You Americans have the RNA as a mighty lobby, while we have the alcohol industry as a mighty lobby.
Okey it is verry true that alcohol use is a bit over the top in belgium but as a balgian that doesn't drink alcohol I think you might a different invirement then I do cause it does indeed happen but not in sutch a high percentige as you make it seem. Non the les it stil is a problem. And not only in belgium.
Very nice video 👍❤️
@foreignreacts 580 000 euro is much, but there are much expensive home's in London for example is it at least 1 million. My sisters has both houses that cost more than 580 000 euro's...
...is a sentence that no one in their right mind would say.
She live in Brussels wich is in the heade city of european union and NATO with a lot of expat. I bought my appartement 160k $ for 80m²
My house is half as expensive and i have more room but i don't live near a big city. Her food expenses are higher than mine to but she is foreign just like her husband and going to a markt where she buys food by vendors outside are also not cheap
Houses are cheaper then in Paris or London. You have to compare it to prices in New York
I mean they live in Brussels, one of the most expensive cities I know (I'm from Belgium but don't know the costs in every city)
That is because mostly everything in Belgium is 100- 5000x better than in the US and this comes from someone with a dual citizenship. ( US-Swiss)
If you go buy a house near Hasselt you will get way more for your buck. Capitals and big cities like Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Leuven, Liege, to some extent Hasselt are expensive to sometimes insanely so. Belgians pay high taxes on basically everything from 53% if you are living with a gf/wife and 56% ( last time i checked) if you are single. its one of the reasons i left Belgium for Switzerland and renovated my grandparents mansion.
You need to be born here and inharited a house or some other things. Otherwise you are fucked and you are only working for the government. Its better in the US. Not if you are sick. But if you want to work its way better.
She definately lives in upper Saint Gilles. The other side of Saint Gilles is one of the sketchiest and dirtiest places in Belgium, streets full of litter and drug addicts.
Yeah... Belgium is a paradise for the rich.
However, it's an expensive country for the middle classes, taxes and inflation are going thru the roof right now (a pack of 20 cigarettes costs €11,5)
500k - 600k for a house in Brussels, Brugge or Antwerp? That's nothing special unfortunately.
Housing prices have effectively doubled since the early 2000's because we're just a small country but have 11 to 12 million inhabitants so building space is getting scarse in Flanders.
Limburg, West-Flanders and Wallonia are exemptions where you can find large beautiful houses for around 300K.
The average salary in Belgium is somewhere between €2000 - €5000.
Also a fun fact: "Our entire political system is as dysfunctional as it can possibly get.
It's a miracle that we're still on the map as 1 unified country..."
Houses are as expensive as that in the place I live too even if not in Brussels itself but relatively close to it.
thats a realy big house, but i paid 240.000 and got more rooms😂 its also more the location that realy matters
What's wrong with selling eggs outside? They are sold wherever the vegetables are.
It’s a good thing
Well, in BE and in expansion Europe, we don't process eggs ... means washing like in the US as it takes away the natural protection of eggs. So yeah, you can get eggs with some feathers still attached to them. I never ever keep eggs in the fridge, degrades the taste.
That's not Belgium style. Most people there can't afford this .
Maybe not the best example. Nobody in Belgium I know Comes even close to such a mortgage. That's more than one person net income unless you're rich
It's Brussels. House prices are high. Not New York high but it is the capital of Europe.
The Capital of Belgium. "Europe" isn't a country so doesn't have a capital. 🙄
Wrong. It's actually the capital of Belgium AND the capital of Europe. It's not Europe as the continent but as the EU. Obviously the continent has no capital.
Not officialy, you're right but the Europian parliament is located here. It is the political centre of Europe. PS, I'm Belgian.
Great video 👍 Brussels is the central governece of the EEC.So civil servants of every European nation works in Brussels $$$$😂
you compare Brussels with Texas? hahahahaha... Brussels is like Washington DC or Manhattan ... compare the housing prices with those not Texas...
I bought my stand alone house for 170.000 in Belgium Limburg, city's are way more expensive
with 1 income you can't afford that lifestyle , you are very lucky alone you can buy a house in belgium , most young people can't anymore
The mortgage isnt accurate when it comes to the average Belgian. Most people pay about 1200/1500 for a house.
the house prices in belgium are not that high if you look at the most houses their materials that they put into it instead of filing alot of walls whit cardboard they get full walls its a lot more expensive in belgium than the Us because the Materials are mostly Expensive so the cost of the house wil also increase if u look at the us' side they have much cheaper materials and so a lot cheaper for the buyer to buy
ik the belgium way YK WHY DONT EvEN DARE TO ASK HY I KNOW THAT (for whoever donts gets it im a very inteligent Belgian person) xd
most houses like that are like 500K to a milion some 200 some 300 To buy and mansions are easily like 2 3 4 5 or 6 milion (wich is a normal price) but for a big familiy home in belgium u would pay around 6 to 700K to Buy prolly cheaper to build it you're self xd
keep in mind brussels isnt crazy expensive but stil a capitol city and the capitol of europe the rest of belgium is a bit cheaper but stil
Eggs,,,,, these hens live a free range existence out side close to the city.
The only thing she's not faking is being able to afford a house in brussels without working.. excuse me, i should say real job.
I was thinking that seems like an Okey price for where she lives😅but I'm from Belgium
I live in Belgium and i want to leave as fast as possible
She has 3 appartements dude ...... She lives in one and the rest is rented
i pay 650 outside a big city for a nice appartment
Brussel is also the capital of the European Union. So, it must be expensive, i think.
Interesting