So doing a Domestic Energy Assessor Course and I now realise the importance of certificates even for doors

[CalvinHobbes]

I am sure you all already know this but as we are preparing to build this has been a useful lesson for me in what we should look out for when making buying decisions for our new home. I hadn't realised that even doors had certificates and sometimes we can accept receipts for certain things. This means a lot for EPC ratings which will be increasingly important when selling or renting. Our golden rule is that if you can't see it, it doesn't exist. The owner has to prove otherwise.

Houses should all come with manuals I suppose.

[nod]

But they don’t 

We already have to provide to many certificates 

That are meaningless But expensive 

Build warranty 

As built Sap 

Air test 

Contaminated land 

Bird bar etc 

The list goes on 

[ProDave]

I recall one member here had done a lot of work to his previous house to improve the insulation and air tightness.  When he came to sell the house he showed the EPC assessor details and photographs of all the extra insulation he had added and the assessor completely ignored it all and just made the standard assumptions for the age of the house.

 

THAT we all thought was very very poor.

 

When I got the EPC done for our previous house, the assessor said something stupid that he could only take solar PV into account if the generation meter was next to the normal electricity meter.  How stupid is that?

[nod]

16 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I recall one member here had done a lot of work to his previous house to improve the insulation and air tightness.  When he came to sell the house he showed the EPC assessor details and photographs of all the extra insulation he had added and the assessor completely ignored it all and just made the standard assumptions for the age of the house.

 

THAT we all thought was very very poor.

 

When I got the EPC done for our previous house, the assessor said something stupid that he could only take solar PV into account if the generation meter was next to the normal electricity meter.  How stupid is that?

We recently sold a rental property 

We had renovated and insulated As above ignored all of that and gave the same rating as next door 

He did say he had twelve to do that day 

£35 

[ProDave]

All of us with recent new builds, have a properly done as built SAP that is based on real figures and real air test results.  but that only lasts 10 years.

 

So if we sell >10 years from completion we would be expected to get a new EPC done.  What are the chances of that being right?

 

I suspect it would be a case of get the cheapest you can regardless of the result to satisfy the law, then show the buyers the properly done as built SAP and tell them to ignore the new one?

 

Or would it be possible in 10 years time to get the original assessor to re issue the as built SAP for another 10 years?

[nod]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

All of us with recent new builds, have a properly done as built SAP that is based on real figures and real air test results.  but that only lasts 10 years.

 

So if we sell >10 years from completion we would be expected to get a new EPC done.  What are the chances of that being right?

 

I suspect it would be a case of get the cheapest you can regardless of the result to satisfy the law, then show the buyers the properly done as built SAP and tell them to ignore the new one?

 

Or would it be possible in 10 years time to get the original assessor to re issue the as built SAP for another 10 years?

I think you could go back to the original Sap assessor 

Whilst it would be pointless for any of us to mislead the sap accessor It’s all done on trust 

A self builders air test can be trusted As we are all aiming for the best possible airtightness 

I work on many different housing sites and can’t remember  the last time I saw an air test being carried out 

But most are rated at 2. Something 

[CalvinHobbes]

4 hours ago, ProDave said:

All of us with recent new builds, have a properly done as built SAP that is based on real figures and real air test results.  but that only lasts 10 years.

 

So if we sell >10 years from completion we would be expected to get a new EPC done.  What are the chances of that being right?

 

I suspect it would be a case of get the cheapest you can regardless of the result to satisfy the law, then show the buyers the properly done as built SAP and tell them to ignore the new one?

 

Or would it be possible in 10 years time to get the original assessor to re issue the as built SAP for another 10 years?

I suppose if they are still working but we are told to use the latest software and obviously it updates so the assessor has no influence over the algorithms. Also we are given conventions which are supposed to be applied. I think there are small things that you can watch out for. Like a plug in electric heater shouldn't be included but there is an exception. So basically, I personally wouldn't have it on view.  Still on the course,I appreciate hearing complaints/issues. 

[CalvinHobbes]

4 hours ago, nod said:

We recently sold a rental property 

We had renovated and insulated As above ignored all of that and gave the same rating as next door 

He did say he had twelve to do that day 

£35 

I was told to tell clients to expect me to be there for between an hour and an hour and a half. I don't understand how anyone could do 12. Unless possibly in social housing but there are strict protocols. If you are unhappy complain to their accreditation body, it should be on the end of the epc. 

[CalvinHobbes]

4 hours ago, nod said:

But they don’t 

We already have to provide to many certificates 

That are meaningless But expensive 

Build warranty 

As built Sap 

Air test 

Contaminated land 

Bird bar etc 

The list goes on 

As a self builder honestly I appreciate your feeling, the sheer fecking expense of everything is awful. That said there is a point for at least some of it. You can't depend on people's honesty sadly and a new buyer needs something independent to go on. 

[CalvinHobbes]

£35, could that be part of the problem? Do you think going for the cheapest could compromise the standard? It shouldn't,  obviously - the code of conduct and insurance is there for a reason. I would be extremely annoyed if I received or gave a substandard epc. 

[ADLIan]

There are 2 types of energy assessor:

• On construction. Primarily to show compliance with building regs so must be able to understand drawings, building regs, building technology and many pages of full sap documentation. Can offer lots of advice on energy efficiency, build efficiency, cost effectiveness etc, etc. As part of as built assessment the epc is done. Cost £100s per property. 
• Domestic. Use rdsap and undertakes ‘survey’ of property. Lots of box ticking. Cost £35 per property, do 10 a day including travel??? 

Make your own mind up where the expertise is. For disclosure I’m ‘on construction’ but leaving as red tape, evidence gathering (photograph all parts of the build process please) will mean I’ll spend 90% of my time chasing information, that is probably not available, rather than doing assessments and advising clients

[Mr Punter]

43 minutes ago, ADLIan said:

There are 2 types of energy assessor:

 

Plus another for commercial epcs.

[CalvinHobbes]

3 hours ago, ADLIan said:

There are 2 types of energy assessor:

• On construction. Primarily to show compliance with building regs so must be able to understand drawings, building regs, building technology and many pages of full sap documentation. Can offer lots of advice on energy efficiency, build efficiency, cost effectiveness etc, etc. As part of as built assessment the epc is done. Cost £100s per property. 
• Domestic. Use rdsap and undertakes ‘survey’ of property. Lots of box ticking. Cost £35 per property, do 10 a day including travel??? 

Make your own mind up where the expertise is. For disclosure I’m ‘on construction’ but leaving as red tape, evidence gathering (photograph all parts of the build process please) will mean I’ll spend 90% of my time chasing information, that is probably not available, rather than doing assessments and advising clients

Fair, I have a lot to learn even to become a DEA at this point, nor do I want to feck up/ tick the wrong boxes. 😬 I have seen the training for NDEA's, Sap assessors etc, thermal etc.