“The number of enquires has gone up tenfold, and we are hearing from our members that the same level of interest is now feeding through into contracts,” a spokesperson for the confederation said.

The measure, introduced by the government of Yves Leterme, applies only this year, and, considering the time needed for planning, applying for permits, etc, the limit has nearly been reached. The sector will now lobby aggressively to have the measure extended, as the economic crisis continues.

• The crisis, however, has brought with it lower interest rates, which, together with interest sparked by the annual housing fair Batibouw, pushed mortgage applications up by one-third last month. Febelfin, the federation for the financial sector, announced that the number of applications went up 31% in March compared to the same time last year, for a total property value increase of 25%. But the federation was cautious in its optimism: “These positive figures will need to be confirmed in the coming months,” a statement said.