Archive for February, 2010
According to an industry expert, the recent trend for home improvements, instead of moving into a new home, will continue throughout 2010.
Editor of Build It magazine, Duncan Hayes, said that a combination of price rises for residential property and uncertainty about job security has lead more people to renovate their current properties instead of looking for a new home.
It was reported last year, by Jason Orme of Homebuilding and Renovating magazine, that the recession lead to a ‘cultural shift’ towards more home improvements rather than moving. It was emphasised that making extensions to the current home, such as conservatories, or remodelling with new materials such as double glazing can be a ‘really easy way of adding space and value’.
Research carried out by Halifax has shown that green home improvements will offer the largest return on investment. Whilst still living in the property, those who choose to install measures such as double glazing can benefit from warmer homes and cheaper energy bills. When you decide to sell, these improvements can make homes far more desirable in the eyes of the buyer.
The average cost of green home improvements, as reported by Halifax, is £1,722. According to the report, this work can add around £4,327 to the value of the property.
Measures such as extensions and conservatories are also the perfect way to add new living space and value in terms of selling price and the enjoyment people will get out of their homes.
An expert has recently claimed that the use of remote devices to control lighting, heating and appliances could have a massive effect on both energy bills and carbon reductions, however care must be taken with their introduction.
IMB inventor and visiting professor to Newcastle University, Andy-Stanford Clark, stated that the introduction of this technology must not seem ‘big brother-esque’ but that it has the potential to save a ‘dramatic amount of energy’. Such controls would give householders the ability to adjust heat and light in other rooms, as well as programming houses to react to different levels of occupancy.
He added that being able to switch off appliances, such as microwaves and TVs, could significantly reduce the amount of energy we use, avoiding the use of standby.
These comments came after builders have installed versions of home automation systems in Saarbrucken in Germany, a scheme which was funded by the European Union. The i2home project allows householders to control their appliances with touchscreen gadgets and mobile phones.
On top of this, a huge part of the battle to making properties more energy efficient includes insulation and energy efficient materials such as double glazing in windows. Coupled with measures such as cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, these measures can help to reduce heat lost through walls and windows. Homes will be warmer, more comfortable, more energy efficient and cheaper to run in terms of energy bills.
The latest developments in energy efficient windows will be showcased at the upcoming Ecobuild event, to be held in Earl’s Court from 2nd to 4th March in London.
The Energy Saving Trust have claimed that heat lost unnecessarily through windows in buildings could be cut in half through use of energy efficient double glazing. On top of this, businesses and homeowners could see savings on their energy bills by as much as £135 a year. Energy efficient windows are also extremely important in the fight against global warming, cutting down carbon emissions by 720kg each year.
A seminar will be held at the Ecobuild event, helping to highlight the issues regarding energy performance of windows and how they can help in the road towards improved insulation and sustainability. The Glass and Glazing Federation (GCF) will be presenting the seminar.
Deputy chief executive of the GCF, Ian Chisholm, said that it was important for consumers and professionals to understand the benefits of replacing windows and doors with energy efficient models. This will be especially true when the Building Regulation changes later on in the year.
The national scheme in the UK for rating the energy efficiency of windows, BFRC Scheme, has stated that UPVC windows with a high energy rating of A, B or C are the best for keeping the most heat in the home. On top of this they also come with other benefits such as protection against draughts, sound insulation and prevention of condensation.
Many people have the idea that owning an older property would be fantastic. However, while they may look good, they aren’t always the most comfortable to live in due to poor insulation. In fact, a large percentage of older properties in the UK are extremely cold and draughty throughout winter.
An article recently published in the Daily Mail, written by Natalie Gameson, states that many of these older properties lack insulation and double glazing which could help keep them more comfortable during cold weather. And those who may wish to add these features could find themselves coming up against restrictions depending on whether their building is listed or not.
This helps to explain the growing trend for buyers to choose more modern homes that already have double glazing in place. However, moving doesn’t have to be the only answer. Simply improving your older home could be easier than you think, especially now that double glazing comes in a number of styles to suit all kinds of property.
Gameson also highlighted the fact that there is help available, including the government schemes Warm Front and boiler scrappage. They will help to provide funding towards measures that improve heating systems and insulation within homes, making them more energy efficient and cheaper to heat.
The Energy Saving Trust recommends that, if buying an older home, you should check the age of the boiler. Those more than ten years old should be replaced, and you may be eligible for the boiler scrappage scheme.
The recession has lead to a number of property developers and owners to look towards new measures of attracting buyers and tenants. One major way in which developers are increasing the appeal of their properties is to make them more energy efficient, by installing measures such as double glazing and insulation.
The building industry is responsible for around 40% of the total carbon emissions in the UK, according to the UK Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change. This is why it’s so important for the industry to make use of energy efficient materials and techniques in order to reduce their carbon footprint. Part of this means looking towards older properties, since newer buildings make up just 2% of Britain’s total.
Installing measures such as double glazing in windows means that properties will be far more energy efficient, and less heat will be lost through windows and walls. This, in turn, will make for lower energy bills which is a measure that appeals to potential buyers and tenants alike.
On top of this, double glazing also helps to give properties a modern feel, though it can also be matched to older-style designs to give them an upgrade.
Property developers are hoping that the fact that these measures are eco friendly, and will help to save money year after year, will help encourage more activity in the market.
The government has recently announced the ‘biggest ever’ green housing programme at its eco-two projects located in Cornwall, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Norfolk.
John Healing, the Housing Minister, spoke of the plans and stated that all of the sites will share a total of £62.5 million of funding to help support builders in setting up 600 new properties that are designed to the highest levels of energy efficiency, to help reduce carbon emissions.
Once the homes are complete, over 2,000 will then be introduced to top green technology measures that include charging points for electric cars, smart meters, water recycling and more. All homes will also be extremely well insulated, through measures such as double glazing in windows, to ensure that they are as naturally warm as possible.
On top of the environmental benefits, the project is also expected to create 2,000 jobs for local tradesmen, and will create apprenticeships to train builders in green technology. All of the measures will also mean dramatic reductions in energy bills for those who move into the new homes.
The funding is also planned to be used to support a number of community projects. On top of these, schemes will be developed including low carbon schools, retrofitting of existing buildings to make them more energy efficient, and creating green transport links.
Kate Henderson, from the Town and Country Planning Association, commented on the announcement, calling it an ‘important step’ in the eco-towns programme.
When it comes to encouraging people to make green home improvements, the key is to show homeowners how it will help them cut down on their energy bills, an expert has claimed.
Head of knowledge services for the Energy Saving Trust, Dr Paula Owen, has said that around £8 billion worth of energy is wasted from our homes each year simply down to factors such as poor insulation, heating systems that are badly controlled, or using electricity unnecessarily.
Dr Owen put things into perspective by adding: “This is enough to give every man, woman and child in the UK £125 a year”.
In a recent survey, over three quarters of consumers said that they would be encouraged to cut their carbon emissions if they achieved lower energy bills.
Dr Owen has given a number of green home improvement examples that would help to achieve this. This includes what she terms ‘basic measures’ such as replacing old windows with double glazing, and getting loft insulation. Both of these would greatly reduce how much heat is lost from the home, cutting down on heating bills.
She also spoke of more advanced measures such as installing renewable energy sources, which homeowners seem more apprehensive of. The good news is that there are a number of grants available to help people afford these changes.
Latest figures from the Department of Energy and Climate change show that carbon emissions from residential property in the UK rose by 3.2 percent in 2008.
After the weather the UK has experienced over the last few months, we’ve all been feeling the cold and looking for ways to save on our energy bills. One of the fastest ways to do this is to install new energy efficient uPVC windows in your home.
When we heat our homes, much of this heat is quickly lost through the windows and the walls. By installing double glazing, you create an extra layer of glass that is designed to trap the heat. The result is a warmer home – and one that is still comfortable in the hot summer months – and lower heating bills after you’ve turned down your thermostat.
uPVC windows are also the perfect way to give your home a facelift, especially if you’ve got old windows that haven’t been replaced for decades. The material used makes them extremely easy to use, and they are one of the most secure windows you can get.
On top of this, double glazing means you will be doing your part to reduce carbon emissions and help to protect against global warming. This is now more important than ever, as the UK government has introduced a number of strict targets to move towards zero carbon homes in the next few years.
A spokesperson from the price comparison website Local Quoter stated that making sure that both your windows and doors are up to date is one of the quickest ways to cut down on your energy bills.
New reports highlight that many homeowners are sceptical of making green developments, and paying for green features in their home.
The Energy Saving Trust and the Zero Carbon Hub are calling for a marketing plan that can help to promote zero carbon homes, making them more appealing to homebuyers who currently see them as experimental.
The information, found in ‘Marketing Tomorrow’s New Homes’, makes proposals that will mean zero carbon homes will not be marginalised and labelled as ‘green’.
One of the plans is to encourage small steps of installing green features across homes around the country, rather than radical changes, so that energy efficient homes will slowly become the norm.
The report also states that homebuyers don’t understand the whole zero carbon proposition, and are wary that there are political motivations behind promoting these green developments.
Though green developments include widely accepted measures such as installing double glazing to reduce the heat lost through windows, they also encourage measures such as solar panels and wind turbines that are less accepted. As such, homeowners are unwilling to pay for sustainable features which they believe to be untested on the broader housing market.
The report also highlights the fact that the language used to promote green housing needs to be changed if it is to get more homeowners aboard.
Neil Jefferson, chief executive of the Zero Carbon Hub, announced these proposals, saying that ‘it is vital that we create a positive public perception’ of zero carbon homes in the future.
Twelve communities around the UK have been awarded a green grant, worth up to £500,000 each, to help install a number of green technologies.
Work that may be carried out as a result of the grant includes insulation, energy efficient double glazing to keep more heat inside the home, wind turbines, solar power and other renewable energy technology.
As well as cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, such measures will work to help ensure that fuel bills are kept down for homeowners – which is especially important in the face of long term gas price rises.
The minister for energy and climate change, Joan Ruddock, said that this kind of action is particularly vital due to the fact that over a quarter of greenhouse emissions in the UK come from activities such as heating and lighting our homes, or through the use of electrical appliances within our homes.
Ruddock added that ‘by 2050 this needs to be almost zero and we can only achieve that through the creative initiative of local communities’.
The prize money has been awarded to the communities across the country through the government’s Low Carbon Community Challenge grant fund. This fund was set up to inform the government about local measures that help to cut down on carbon emissions.
Some of the winning towns are located in Exmoor, Cheshire, Halton and Middlesbrough, and money has been awarded to a mixture of both wealthy and deprived areas.
The area of Easterside in Middlesbrough has stated that they will use the award to help save their residents money on energy bills, by installing renewable energy systems and wind turbines.
