Raise The Value of Your Home With BER and Solar
Updated July 19, 2024
By Morgan Pierce
Are you one of those people who flips through the Irish Times property section every Thursday, or taps into MyHome.ie just to have a nose around? If, like me, you are, then you probably sometimes wonder why a house “just like mine” is listed for a sum many thousands of euro above the value of your home?
The answer may lie in a small box labelled “BER” at the bottom of the listing. If you haven’t moved homes recently, or live in an older home, you may never have come across the term “BER” before. A Building Energy Rating (BER) reflects a home’s energy performance on a scale between A and G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient, while G-rated are at the bottom of the scale.
A high BER can make a significant difference to the value of your home. Studies have shown that properties with higher energy efficiency ratings can command prices almost 10% higher than those with lower ratings. With average house prices hovering at about €325,000, that could mean €30,000 or more at sale time.
The higher price is a reflection of the housing market’s increasing sensitivity to factors such as sustainability and energy efficiency. Estate agents may still be shouting “location, location, location” on that first viewing. But once buyers are actually doing that crucial walk-through, more often than not – for better or worse – they are muttering, “Did you see the BER?” in their buyer’s ear.
And, while you can’t increase the value of your home by moving your semi-detached from the suburbs to D4, or your bungalow from a drive-through town to a seaside hotspot – you can bump up the price by improving its energy efficiency. (In the process, you’ll also create a cosier, greener nest for your family.)
Get a BER and Solar to Raise the Value of Your Home
The first step is to establish your house’s BER. The National BER Register, has an online calculator to check if a property has a valid BER certificate. If your property is registered, you can download the BER certificate, which is valid for ten years.
To search the register, you just need the MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) from the top of your electricity bill.
If your property doesn’t have a BER, you will need to have it assessed. A BER assessor will survey your home and provide you with a certificate.
More importantly, the assessor will provide a report suggesting upgrades to improve your home’s rating to a target of B2 or better. And a breakdown of the costs of – as well as grants available for – any upgrades suggested.
The inspection process generally takes about 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of your home, and during that time the assessor looks at a number of different elements including:
- Type of heating system
- Quality of insulation
- Quality of windows and doors
- Orientation of the property
- The size and number of occupants.
Any upgrades suggested will make your home greener and more comfortable – and will also increase its value.
You need a BER certificate to apply for any of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grants available for home energy upgrades – including solar. So, it’s at this point that installing solar becomes an option.
It is an option that will save money on energy costs today, and increase the value of your home by boosting its BER. According to recent research, homes powered by solar typically achieve a BER that is one to two grades higher than those without. According to the property people at Sherry Fitzgerald, every step one moves up on the BER chart will increase the value of your home value by 1 percent.
Simply making the switch to solar could add 2% to the value of your home – that’s €6,500. The SEAI’s solar grant scheme provides important support – almost a quarter of the cost for an average installation
Along with addressing how you power and heat your home, your BER assessor will likely suggest other relevant upgrades. There are huge improvements to be had from replacing poorly fitted windows and doors, and inadequate insulation. Tackling them all will have the greatest impact on your home’s overall rating. (Thankfully, there are grants available to help, even with the cost of getting the BER assessment itself.)
Improving your houses energy efficiency rating is a win-win. Moving your home’s rating up to the A or B range will add significantly to the value of your home, while dramatically cutting your family’s carbon footprint and your day-to-day energy costs.
Remember there are three easy steps to add value to your home:
- Check if your home has a BER
- If not, get BER assessed
- Make any needed green upgrades – like switching to solar or another renewable energy source.
And when you’re thinking of making the switch to solar, SolarSmart will be there to make that easy, too.
Why Choose Solar In Ireland?
Investing in Irish solar panel systems can bring many benefits, including reduced energy bills, increased energy independence, and a reduced carbon footprint. If you are interested in installing a solar panel system in Ireland, it is also worth exploring the different grant options and green business loans available and seeking professional advice from one of our solar energy advisors.
Feel free to contact us for more information, we’re here to help.