Would energy rating put you off buying??

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morg_monster wrote: »

But then I already know that if I bought an older house with solid walls I would be spending a fortune on heating in the winter, without having to look at a report. I guess an older house with a GOOD energy rating, would definitely pique my interest!

Sorry, but solid walls do not equate to ‘spending a fortune on heating’.

My house, built in 1956 has solid walls. My brother lives two streets away in an almost identical 1957 house with cavity walls. We’ve both got gas central heating and he spends more than I do. (the units are higher, in case you think it’s the gas company difference)

Good luck in finding an ‘older house with a GOOD energy rating’. They don’t exist. Even the 70s and 80s houses round here come up with relatively poor ratings. If you’re still unconvinced, on my estate, houses even now sell quickly. Just up the road there’s a 70s estate with cavity walled houses and you can hardly see them behind all the For Sale signs. Desirability has precious little to do with the walls and the energy rating.

moggylover

Topov wrote: »

solid stone walls are great, but not very good insulators. You can get product that line the inside of the walls but having to remove all the plasterwork, line with insulation and then re-plasterboard and skim would be a nightmare. Expensive too I imagine.

If you have a solid wall house that's rendered externally, you can get insulation put onto the outside of the house and then re-rendered over.

A recent issue of Grand Design magazine had a free pull out with tips on green energy and insulation. Both of the internal and external insulation options were covered.

You know, people keep saying this - but I have lived in a 260 year old solid stone cottage for the last 18 years, and I really do not know which "expert" came up with the idea! On a hot day outside, you can come in to our house and it is like a fridge - in the winter, the solid fuel range chugs away on a nice low fire, doing the heating, the water and the cooking and kindly drying my washing, and the house is as warm as toast - and has been even on days when there has been thick snow. The outside of the walls will be cold as hell though!

I'm beginning to think that the aim is to get all of these beautiful old buildings torn down so that no-one ever gets their dream cottage in the country.

Also, I would have to say, that the current timber framed pre-fabs that everyone raves about can have MASSIVE problems as well - mold in the cavity lining if it is incorrectly installed, wood that was not seasoned before use just pressure treated (and thus rots or twists) and interior walls that end up with holes in the plasterboard if you bang into them with furniture.

Nope, do not be put off your dream HOME for these rubbishy reports.

Topov_3

Here is a link to a green building forum that discussed the advantages/disadvantages of various types of insulation for stone buildings:

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=241&page=1

bandraoi

Good luck in finding an ‘older house with a GOOD energy rating’. They don’t exist.

They don't exist yet.

Most houses have major maintenance every 30 - 40 years. Vulnerable parts of the fabric need replacing, and living patterns change. Roofs and window frames replaced, the electrics and plumbing need an overhaul.

Until now, there's been no reason to improve the energy efficiency of the houses while doing this refurbishment. Now when you come to sell a house, it's there for all to see.

Those '70's houses with poor insulation and ratings are approaching being "fixer uppers". Give it five years and you'll start seeing '70's houses with better energy ratings.

mlz1413

I recently did up my home an end of terrace, the loft has 3 times the current requirement for insulation, the outer bathroom wall has a whole sheet of a new type of insulation as there was a cavity made by a pillar that I decided to fill with insulation rather than use, there is also insulation in btween the kitchen ceiling and 3rd bed floor and under flooring heating in the tiled kichen/bathroom - none of these things would show up on the new reports as you can't see them - my house scores no more than the one next door and probably never will.

Also I lived in an terrace house that was part stone, warmest house in winter, coolest in some and the bills were half what I pay now - but they need heating a different way. Because they don't lose heat like modern homes I just put the heating on 18 and left it there all winter. I did that in a rented house when I moved and cost myself a small fortune.

So no an energy report would not stop me buying a house if I wanted it.

Mamamia_3

There are actually old houses out there with good ratings.
The cottage (built in the 1920's) we have just purchased, got a 78% rating due to the fab insulation.
Our "old" home, built in 1946 got a similiar rating, because of just the same. Last winter we spent only a fraction of what some neighbours had to fork out for heating. When we had the HIP done, the person who came round to assess it, literally crawled into every corner of the building. Although I personally could have done without dishing out the cash for the HIP, a bad rating would actually make me think twice about the purchase of a home, considering the soaring utility costs.

Please tell me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression, that cavity wall insulation is not that expensive to have done???:rolleyes:

wallbash

Someone said location, location location and then price.

It was me

Price of poor against good rating over a year ??
Still comes way after Location.


After you have bought and settled in , then think about saving energy
But buy your dream house ( even if it has no insulation, no windows and a leaky roof :eek: ) these you can fix, changing location is a tad more difficult.

wallbash

I see in todays paper the rumour :rolleyes:
that stamp duty could be deferred/stopped etc etc

Easier to abolish HIPS

bandraoi

wallbash wrote: »

It was me

Price of poor against good rating over a year ??
Still comes way after Location.


After you have bought and settled in , then think about saving energy
But buy your dream house ( even if it has no insulation, no windows and a leaky roof :eek: ) these you can fix, changing location is a tad more difficult.

True, but the cost of installing them can be knocked off your offer on the house price.

Akeap

Just to let you know about HIPS. I just sold an 8 Year old Apartment and the HIP rated it at D/E level.

The notes at the bottom suggested to raise it one level I should use "Energy Saving Light Bulbs".....:eek:

So if something that is not even really part of the house is considered and has such an effect the report in my eyes is complete Boll$%$!

It they rated it on purely the type of insualtion you have/building's performance on keeping heat in etc by using some clever heat sensing contraption that you see on some TV programs showing the thermal cold and hot spots then HIPS WOULD be worth it as they could present you with an picture of where the heat /energy is going and you could consider the costs to rectify it.

my 2 p