Step outside on a Saturday morning and within minutes you're on horseback, following a private path that opens straight onto the Turnhout nature reserve — no roads to cross, no trailers to load, just open countryside rolling ahead of you. That's the daily reality this 330 m² farmhouse on more than nine hectares makes possible. It's a rare setup, and in this part of the Belgian Campine, it's the kind of property that doesn't come to market twice in a generation.
Built around 1935 and thoroughly overhauled in 2005, the farmhouse has that particular quality old Belgian rural homes develop when someone has genuinely cared for them over decades: solid, warm, full of character without being precious about it. The beamed ceiling in the living room still carries the weight of the original structure, and the open fireplace — used, not decorative — turns January evenings into something you actually look forward to. A ground-floor master bedroom with its own dressing room and en-suite bathroom means guests or elderly family members never have to tackle the stairs, which matters more than you'd think on a working estate.
The country kitchen at the back of the house is where this place really shows its hand. Big windows, a central island, direct access to the inner courtyard — it's designed for the kind of cooking that takes all afternoon. Think Belgian stoofvlees slow-simmering while the kids come in muddy from the paddocks, or a long Sunday lunch spilling out into the courtyard when the Campine summer finally arrives in June. Upstairs, two further rooms flex easily between bedrooms, a home office, or hobby space, depending on what phase of life you're in. A second bathroom and generous built-in storage complete the upper floor without fuss.
Now the land. Over 9.3 hectares — that's roughly 23 acres — divided thoughtfully into meadows and pastures with horses specifically in mind. The parcels are set up for rotation, separation of horses, or accommodating a small herd with room to spare. The dedicated rear path connecting the grounds to the adjacent nature reserve is the detail that serious equestrian buyers will immediately understand: it means trail access without ever touching a public road, which in the Kempen region is genuinely exceptional.
The outbuildings read like a catalogue of possibility. Directly behind the main house, a 75 m² workshop handles everything from farrier visits to vehicle maintenance. Behind that, a smaller structure works well as a guesthouse or staff quarters — useful if you're running the estate as a professional equestrian operation or simply want somewhere for family to stay. To the right of the driveway, a 135 m² barn with serious ceiling height handles stable use or warehouse storage without compromise. The centrepiece of the working yard is a 330 m² former cattle shed — older, yes, and it'll benefit from attention, but the footprint and volume are extraordinary for anyone converting to a full equestrian centre. An open hangar of over 300 m² on the left side of the property already functions partially as a walk-in stable, with room for agricultural machinery, horse boxes, or further adaptation. Everything is connected by paved paths, so moving between buildings in wet weather — and Belgian autumn can be persistently wet — isn't a daily obstacle course.
The property is classified as an agricultural business residence, which opens specific planning possibilities for those wanting to combine a professional activity with rural living. The heating runs on fuel oil with an air-source heat pump providing cooling and supplementary warmth — practical in a climate that genuinely uses both.
Turnhout itself sits about ten minutes by car. The town punches above its weight for a city of 45,000: the Taxandriamuseum on the market square, the Begijnhof — a UNESCO World Heritage site that most tourists somehow still haven't discovered — and a Friday market that draws the whole region in. Antwerp is 45 minutes south on the E34, putting international flights, world-class restaurants and the diamond district all within reach for a day trip. Brussels Airport is under an hour. For families relocating or splitting time between Belgium and elsewhere in Europe, the logistics are genuinely workable.
The climate here is temperate with real seasons. Spring brings the Campine heathlands into bloom — the purple of August heather across the nature reserve is something people photograph and never quite capture properly. Winters are mild by northern European standards, cold enough to make the fireplace necessary, rarely cold enough to disrupt riding schedules for long. The rental market for rural equestrian properties in Antwerp province is thin, which means competition for this type of property stays low and values hold.
Key features at a glance:
- 330 m² farmhouse, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, built 1935, renovated 2005
- Over 9.3 hectares (93,155 m²) of land, primarily meadows and horse pastures
- Direct private access to adjacent nature reserve for riding and carriage driving
- Open fireplace and beamed ceiling in main living room
- Ground-floor master suite with dressing room and en-suite bathroom
- Large country kitchen with central island and courtyard access
- 75 m² workshop/outbuilding directly behind main house
- Separate guesthouse or staff accommodation outbuilding
- 135 m² barn with high ceilings for stabling or storage
- 330 m² former cattle shed — conversion potential for full equestrian centre
- 300 m² open hangar, partially fitted as walk-in stable
- Agricultural business residence classification — professional use options
- Fuel oil central heating plus air-source heat pump
- Paved paths connecting all outbuildings across the estate
- 10 minutes to Turnhout, 45 minutes to Antwerp, under 1 hour to Brussels Airport
For international buyers, Belgium is consistently underrated as a second-home destination. Property transfer taxes and notary fees are higher than some European markets, but prices per square metre in the Campine countryside remain far below comparable equestrian estates in the Netherlands, France or the UK. EU residents purchase with no restrictions; non-EU buyers should seek Belgian notarial advice early, though ownership structures are well-established and straightforward.
An estate like this — the combination of a solid, character-filled residence, working equestrian infrastructure, borderline-absurd land area, and direct reserve access — simply doesn't surface often. The families and professionals who find properties like this tend to hold them for decades.
To arrange a private viewing or request the full technical dossier, get in touch with the Homestra team today. Properties of this scale and specificity deserve to be seen in person, ideally on a clear morning when you can walk the full perimeter and let the scale of it properly sink in.
