Many factors play a role. The amount of the investment costs, changes in the residential area, the time factor, etc. What are the best overall consequences to expect?
Sustainability in construction: saving money and resources
Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue, including in construction and housing. According to a Forsa survey, 82% of homeowners already pay attention to environmental protection. This is not only exemplary, but also has an additional advantage: lower operating costs through energy savings. But how do owners manage to keep their ecological footprint small within their own four walls and save money at the same time? And is this also possible with existing properties?
The issue of sustainability is becoming increasingly important. And the government and various providers are also making more and more resources and means available to private owners to implement this. Going it alone can quickly cost you money in the jungle of applications, conditions, regulations, and potentially missed deadlines or funding opportunities.
A professional will be able to help you find out what measures you can take to upgrade your property or what you should look out for when buying or selling real estate if sustainability is important to you. Here we show you the key points to consider.
The conversion to a more energy-efficient property is subsidized by the government
If your heating system is more than 15 years old, it is often worth considering optimization options. The Building Energy Act, which came into force on November 1, 2020, does not ban certain older oil heating systems until the long term, but a national CO2 price was also introduced for the first time in January 2021. Heating oil, gas, and fossil fuels are therefore likely to become more expensive in the future. Those who invest in more efficient heating systems or switch to renewable energies right away can significantly reduce their utility costs and also help protect the environment.
Homeowners can receive a government subsidy to replace their old oil or gas heating systems with climate-friendly systems or switch to renewable energies altogether. Where renewable heat is not possible, the switch to efficient hybrid gas heating systems that use a proportion of renewable energies is to be promoted.
If expensive repairs such as a burner replacement or a new tank are due for an oil heating system, homeowners should carefully consider whether switching to climate-friendly alternatives would pay off in the long run. However, to ensure planning security, an application for funding should always be submitted in good time before the measures are implemented.
In any case, it is worth consulting a professional. A real estate agent can advise you on the subsidy application and has access to reliable sources and professional service providers who will make the conversion as easy as possible for you.
Choosing the right building materials
Well-insulated facades, windows, and roofs are now standard in construction. However, it is also important to use sustainable building materials and insulation. These may not always be the cheapest option during construction, but they pay off after a few years. They are healthier and have a positive effect on the well-being of residents.
Sustainable building materials include sand-lime brick, clay, and wood. Natural insulation includes wood shavings, sheep's wool, and cork. In existing buildings, it is also a good idea to renovate old facades to reduce energy consumption, as good insulation lowers heating costs immensely.
Active and passive houses
An active house motivates you to exercise, and a passive house is ideal for a DVD night on the couch? Not quite. Both active and passive houses help to reduce energy costs.
A passive house achieves this by consuming as little energy as possible. The heat generated by your own body, technical devices, and sunlight in the house is used as efficiently as possible, for example, through ventilation with heat recovery. This means that less active heating is required.
Active houses have higher energy consumption in comparison. However, this is not a problem because they cover their own energy needs with solar energy, heat pumps, or photovoltaic systems and, in the ideal case, even produce more energy.
Solar and geothermal energy
Active and passive houses make extensive use of the energy provided by the earth and the sun. Solar panels are no longer a novelty. More and more people are installing them on their own roofs. This is also easy to do on existing properties.
Geothermal energy is also being used more and more by private individuals. This involves tapping into the energy of the earth's core. Through targeted drilling, heat pumps can use geothermal energy from depths of up to 400 meters to supply the house with hot water and energy.
Control energy consumption with Smart Home
Regardless of whether you generate your own energy or not, controlling your energy consumption offers significant savings potential. Modern technologies make this very easy to achieve: heating systems, lights, and other electrical appliances can be programmed so that they only consume energy when they are actually needed. Smart home technologies are easy to install and are also suitable for saving energy in existing properties. If you are thinking about renovating your property to make it more sustainable, it is important to first find out how much energy you consume and where there is potential for savings.
How much energy does my property consume and how would climate-friendly renovation affect its value?
We would be happy to help you evaluate your property in its current condition and examine what steps can be taken to increase the value of your house or apartment—both now and in the future. Our team of real estate specialists works closely with certified and reliable craftsmen, appraisers, and financial service providers, whom we will put at your disposal. This way, you can be sure that your property is always up to date and can be sold at the best possible price at any time. We are happy to help you with this too.
Contact us for a no-obligation initial appointment. We look forward to getting to know you and your property.