Step outside on a Tuesday morning in early October and the only sound you'll hear is wind moving through the birch trees at the edge of the garden. No traffic. No neighbors close enough to matter. Just the soft creak of branches and the particular kind of quiet that Belgium's Kempen region does better than almost anywhere in northwest Europe.
That's daily life at this compact, move-in ready bungalow on Verbindingsstraat in Merksplas — a property that punches well above its size through smart design, a genuinely impressive 1,148-square-meter plot, and an energy setup so efficient the running costs will make you rethink what a second home can cost to maintain.
Built between 2022 and 2024, the bungalow sits in a recreational wooded zone on the outskirts of Merksplas, a small Flemish municipality about 45 kilometers northeast of Antwerp. The plot wraps around the house on all sides, giving you garden views from every room. Mature trees anchor the perimeter. Multiple seating areas mean you can follow the sun across the day — and the west-facing orientation means long, golden late-afternoon light floods the rear terrace through spring, summer, and well into autumn.
Inside, 62 square meters sounds modest until you stand in the main living space and realize how well the layout breathes. The living room and open kitchen run together across roughly 37 square meters — polished concrete floors underfoot, underfloor heating humming quietly beneath, large sliding doors opening directly onto the garden. On cold February weekends, that floor stays warm from the Vaillant heat pump alone. In July, you prop the doors open and the garden effectively becomes an extra room.
The kitchen is the kind of setup that makes cooking feel purposeful rather than obligatory. Corner layout, stainless steel cabinetry, induction cooktop, proper oven, dishwasher, integrated fridge-freezer — everything you'd want for long weekend stays or extended summer visits with family. The kitchen doesn't shout for attention; it just works.
Two bedrooms. The larger one, approximately 11 square meters, sits at the back of the house with a direct view over the rear garden. The smaller front bedroom — around 6.5 square meters — doubles as the practical core of the home, housing the electrical panel, the inverter for the solar array, and a water filtration system. The bathroom is modern without being fussy: walk-in rain shower with a thermostatic valve, wall-hung toilet, vanity unit, and washing machine connections. The whole house is single-level. No stairs, no threshold steps. That matters whether you're thinking about ageing in place, welcoming elderly parents for a visit, or simply dragging luggage in after a long drive from Brussels.
Speaking of which — Brussels Airport is around 75 kilometers away, roughly an hour by car depending on traffic. Antwerp is 45 minutes. Eindhoven Airport across the Dutch border sits about 60 kilometers northeast, making this genuinely accessible for buyers flying in from the UK, Scandinavia, or elsewhere in Europe. The E34 motorway connects Merksplas to the wider Flemish road network with minimal fuss.
Merksplas itself is a quiet, unpretentious Flemish town — the kind of place with a decent local bakery, a Thursday market, and a community that actually knows its neighbors. The surrounding Kempen landscape is flat enough for long cycling rides without breaking a sweat, and the regional network of marked fietsroutes (cycling routes) passes directly through the area. The Natuurdomein Moerenburg nature reserve and the forests of the Turnhoutse Kempen are within easy cycling distance — the latter particularly striking in autumn when the heathland turns rust and amber across wide open stretches.
For hiking, the GR routes threading through the Campine plateau offer full-day walks through forest and fenland. In summer, the open heathland around Ravels and Arendonk — both reachable in under 20 minutes — hosts the kind of landscape that makes you wonder why this corner of Belgium doesn't get more attention from international buyers. Frankly, that's probably an advantage right now.
Turnhout, the regional capital of the Kempen, is about 15 kilometers south. It's worth the drive for the Saturday market on the Grote Markt, for dinner at one of the several Flemish restaurants taking the local ingredient-led cooking seriously, and for the Taxandria Museum if you want to understand the deep agricultural and cultural history of this part of the country. The Beguinage in Turnhout — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is the kind of place that takes you off guard. Quiet cobblestones, whitewashed houses, a stillness that feels centuries old.
Day trips reach further easily. Ghent is under 90 minutes. Bruges around the same. The Dutch city of Breda is barely 40 kilometers north. For buyers who want a base that lets them explore northern Europe at a civilized pace, this location offers genuine range.
Back to the practicalities that make this property particularly interesting as a vacation home or second residence. The energy label is A, rated at 40 kWh — outstanding for any property, remarkable for a standalone bungalow. Eight solar panels on the rear roof feed back into the system and significantly offset electricity costs. Triple-glazed aluminum windows. Full insulation throughout. Rainwater harvesting connected to the toilet and outdoor tap. An EV charging station is included and can transfer to the new owner. The property runs lean.
For international buyers considering a vacation home in Belgium, Merksplas sits in a zone designated for recreational use — with permanent residence tolerated, meaning it's legally suitable for both extended stays and full-time living. The Belgian property purchase process is straightforward for EU citizens, and increasingly accessible for non-EU buyers through local notarial procedures. Acquisition costs typically run 10-15% above the purchase price once notary fees and registration taxes are factored in — worth building into your budget calculations.
Rental potential exists for the right buyer. Short-term holiday lets in the Kempen region perform steadily, particularly May through September, and the property's energy efficiency and self-contained setup make it appealing to visitors seeking a quiet nature retreat rather than a coastal resort. A local property manager can handle everything remotely if you're based abroad.
Key features at a glance:
- 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, single-level living across 62m²
- 1,148m² west-facing plot with mature trees and multiple outdoor seating areas
- Built 2022–2024, move-in ready, modern materials throughout
- Energy label A (40 kWh) — Vaillant heat pump, underfloor heating throughout
- 8 solar panels on rear roof, triple glazing, full insulation
- Polished concrete floors, open-plan kitchen and living area (37m²)
- High-spec kitchen: induction cooktop, oven, dishwasher, fridge-freezer
- Rainwater tank connected to toilet and garden tap
- EV charging point included
- Wooden storage shed, multiple outdoor power outlets, private rear entrance
- Quiet recreational woodland zone, permanent residence tolerated
- 45km from Antwerp, 75km from Brussels Airport, 60km from Eindhoven Airport
- Strong cycling and hiking infrastructure directly from the property
- Turnhout with shops, restaurants, and UNESCO heritage site 15 minutes away
This is a rare chance to own a genuinely low-maintenance, high-efficiency vacation home in one of Belgium's most overlooked — and quietly compelling — natural landscapes. The asking price is 239,500 euros. For what you get in terms of plot size, build quality, sustainability credentials, and location, that figure represents serious value in today's Belgian market.
Get in touch through Homestra to arrange a viewing. Properties at this spec level on plots this size don't stay available long in the Kempen — and once you've stood in that garden and heard nothing but the wind in the birch trees, you'll understand exactly why.
