Cost/Return C2 upgrade to B3

mcbert

So when considering selling of my house, I'm thinking if or what to spend on it to get a better price.

Looking at the following, it mentions each improvement along the 15-point scale could correspond to a 1.2% price premium. So if I want to move to B3, that's a 2-point jump. So for the sake of argument lets say that doing so might mean getting 2.4% higher price for my house = €10k as a nice round number.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/higher-energy-rating-can-boost-the-selling-price-of-house-by-10-256871.html

My BER report says my house is 185.92 (kWh/m2/yr) [C2] and for a B3 I need no more than 149.99. But how to get there as cheaply as possible?

1. On BER calculation, do chimney balloons could towards a reduced rating vs a chimney without a balloon?

2. The BER report lists our gas boiler as having an efficiency between 80% and 86% and I'm guessing upgrading it to a condensing gas boiler of 92% (??) might cost from 2-3k. But how much effect might a more efficient boiler have on the current 185.92 (kWh/m2/yr)?

3. The report says we have <50% LED lighting. I can easily improve that, but how much effect will that have on the current 185.92 (kWh/m2/yr)

How likely is it that those three changes together reduce the 185.92 (kWh/m2/yr) to no more than 149.99? Or do I need to consider doing/spending more?

Thanks.

Metric Tensor

That report has some very serious question marks associated with it.

I read it in detail at the time of publication.

What it actually says when you read it in detail is that people pay more money for newer houses. There is no proof shown that the main reason people pay more money for newer houses is because they have a better BER rating. (It is, of course, fair to say that newer houses have a better BER rating than older ones - but the report does not directly compare like with like in any way.)

If you look at the whole "rural-urban" hoop they make the data try to jump through you could easily say old rural houses don't command as high a price as old urban ones because the location is a less important part of the overall price!

In my opinion you will most definitely spend more improving the BER than you will get in a higher price for the house. Spend the money on painting it and getting a professional cleaner to make it spick and span. Then get rid of every bit of clutter in the place before the viewings.

Dardania

Agree with Metric Tensor on the correlation vs. correlation between house prices and BER result.

On a technical level:
1. Chimney balloons don't make a difference in BER terms, as they can be removed by the user. You'd need to either block off chimney or fit a sealed stove
2. Boiler would make a big difference, however a lot of cash for which you'd never see the return. You'd be better off fitting some heating controls (e.g. TRVs & an optimising programmable thermostat) for less than a grand.
3. LEDs make a surprising difference and are cheap / easy to do.

A few rolls of insulation in the attic a possibility?

mcbert

Interesting. Thanks!

Yes of course, making it look clean, tidy and well cared for is my priority.

On the boiler, yes I'd see no return from it's use, but I was hoping to see a return from the higher price I'd get for the house with the improved rating...

I wont argue the point on the validity of that Daft analysis but I will say that when we were house hunting ourselves, we rightly or wrongly did put a premium on the better BER rating ourselves, so I assumed others do too. The to and fro of bidding on a house involves increments of 1-3-5k (it is Dublin) so all it could take is a single extra bid to cover the cost of a new boiler.

On the attic insulation, we have a converted attic so the BER assessor is never going to see any extra insulation as it would go under floor boards or behind plasterboard. So a wasted effort when selling, no?

Thanks.

caesarthechimp

mcbert wrote: »

On the attic insulation, we have a converted attic so the BER assessor is never going to see any extra insulation as it would go under floor boards or behind plasterboard. So a wasted effort when selling, no?

Correct, it won't be taken into account. As with the chimney balloon.

The LEDs are unlikely to be enough on their own, but combined with heating controls such as an extra thermostat or TRVs they would. Another option is replacing any plastic louvre wall vents with the adjustable sliding type (combined with the LEDs).

The boiler is definitely the most beneficial change you could make, and the one that would make the biggest difference to the BER. But whether you would get your money back in the sale is an unknown.

Your best bet is to contact the BER assessor whose name is on the advisory report, and ask them to run the numbers.