David Bexon, Managing Director, smartnewhomes.com
It’s hard to imagine a time when homes didn’t have something as ‘simple’ as central heating. Two generations have grown up waking to a warm home, even if most of the heat has then escaped through badly insulated lofts and draughty windows. The idea of lighting a coal fire before breakfast seems positively Dickensian.
Now that the energy-efficiency of a property has hit the headlines in light of recent warnings of rising bills, a good energy-efficiency rating is likely to become a prerequisite for any homeowner and homebuyer.
So perhaps it’s time for developers to really boast about the benefits of buying new. In the last few years, increased financial constraint has meant that a greater number of consumers have been looking to buy properties that not only offer an immediate cash saving but also promise long-term rewards. To this end, interest in new build properties which provide homebuyers with the opportunity to substantially reduce their outgoings, is set to grow considerably.
While new builds offer a number of incentives to homebuyers, such as reducing move-in costs or shared ownership options, it is a new home’s ecological credentials that are proving a worthwhile future investment for consumers.
In response to environmental targets and an increasing awareness of the affects of climate change, the housebuilding industry is incorporating eco initiatives that reduce a home’s carbon footprint and, as a result, its monthly outgoings. These range from the conventional - enhanced insulation, double glazing and dual flush toilet systems - to the more innovative - solar panels, heat recovery ventilation systems and rainwater harvesting systems. New homes are also fitted with energy efficient appliances meeting the highest CO2 ratings which contribute to the overall energy saving benefits of the property.
Even some mainstream housebuilders have taken the actual construction of new homes a step further. Prefabricated homes can be built in a factory which means that there are fewer trips to site, so the project’s carbon footprint is reduced. Made from structurally insulated panels, the properties also benefit from reduced heat loss, keeping running costs to a minimum.
The concept of the ‘eco home’ has even moved on so far as to encourage the government to invest £60 million in energy efficient homes. It will fund the building of 600 homes at four planned eco-town sites with each of them benefiting from water-saving systems, smart meters to monitor energy use, renewable power and electric car charging points.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) can be credited for helping to bring energy-efficiency into the fore. The certificates, which are a legal requirement when buying or selling a home, emphasise the eco credentials of the property as well as highlighting potential cash savings. Anyone comparing the energy efficiency of a brand new property with one more than 20 years old will find an enormous and undisputable advantage with the new property.
Across the board, from first time buyers to retirees downsizing, consumers will reap the benefits of new eco technologies - continuing developments in this field are sure to be seized on by an industry eager to entice increasingly eco-savvy consumers into the market. And that’s something from which every future generation will benefit.
See Also: Press Releases (379), Property News (5994), Energy Efficiency (4), Energy Performance Certificates (1)
Date Published: 10 February 2010
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