Sorry - beginners questions - if selling house

donaghs

Sorry, this has probably been covered before. I've read lots of info here and on other website but still don't have the full picture. Sometime getting contradictory info.

If you're selling your house, is it compulsary now to have a Energy Rating survey done? And what exactly will this involve? Thanks.

Smcgie

The simple answer is yes. By law from the first of Jan 2009 all dwellings being sold must have a BER certificate.

The process will involve you hiring a BER assessor to come and spend about 2-3 hours in your property depending on size and specification. He will measure all aspects of the dwelling, publish a certificate that identify the dwellings energy efficiency and accompany this with a report on how to improve such rating.

Don't be afraid to ask if you have anymore queries.

Smcgie

Oh sorry before you ask expect to pay between 250 - 400 for such a service. This is an approximation and depends totally on who you hire.

Best Regards,
S

donaghs

Thanks for the concise response.
On the actual assessment, what typically would the BER assessor do? Is it basically a visual look around the house with a checklist for different categories?
e.g. do you have double or single glazing, how much surface area is glass, how good is your attic insulation, etc.
Are there any actual tests involved?

Another query also, people on these threads make a big deal of getting a house airtight to minimize heat loss. People have described tests involving smoke to see where draughts and heat-loss can be. Yet at the same time, (for different but good reasons) I understand that every room in a house should have an air vent. How can a house of lots of air vents and be totally insulated? What's are the recommendations on finding a happy medium?

sydthebeat

donaghs wrote: »

Thanks for the concise response.
On the actual assessment, what typically would the BER assessor do? Is it basically a visual look around the house with a checklist for different categories?
e.g. do you have double or single glazing, how much surface area is glass, how good is your attic insulation, etc.
Are there any actual tests involved?

Another query also, people on these threads make a big deal of getting a house airtight to minimize heat loss. People have described tests involving smoke to see where draughts and heat-loss can be. Yet at the same time, (for different but good reasons) I understand that every room in a house should have an air vent. How can a house of lots of air vents and be totally insulated? What's are the recommendations on finding a happy medium?

there is a difference between ventilation and air infiltration..

ventilation is designed and has to be included to conform with building regs. It allows for fresh clean air inward, and exhausts stale air outwards. it also allows for teh exhaust of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide etc.

air infiltration is not designed and is as a result of bad workmanship, bad construction details or bad material choices, all a mixture of each..

when carrying out a test to measure air infiltration, all the vents are sealed.

If you want an air tight house with good ventilation, then a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery is probably the best way to go...

Smcgie

What you have said above about the assessment is correct. The assessor takes into account building type, structure type, window spec, ventilation, lighting, heating, area etc etc. He / She will take note of all specification at the time of the assessment and later in office put it through the software known as DEAP (dwelling energy assessment procedure)

In the interest of ventilation there is a happy medium with a "heat recovery ventilation ' system. I don't have time to explain it in detail to you but basically a house has no open vents and a device mostly found in the attic acts as Mechanical system to circulate air around the house. Look in the renewable forum, I imagine there is more info there.

Smcgie

That's why your called sydtheBEAT