We hear this question more and more often. It is clear that ‘staying futureproof” is a hot topic that many of you want to learn more about. That is why you will receive more clarity about this in the coming period. So, are you curious about answers to the following questions:
- Is the energy label relevant for my mortgage?
- How does this affect the value of my home?
- How can I make my home more sustainable?
- What are the costs for sustainability?
Then sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media such as Linkedin. Do you already have a question? Then get in touch with us. We are happy to think alongside you.
Sign up
Let’s begin with background information
According to the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) there are, at this moment, approximately 8,043,000 houses in the Netherlands. These houses consist of:
- 18.5% were built before 1945 (we call this ‘typical 30’s’’)
- 57.5% were built between 1945 and 1995 (we call this ‘typical 60’s’’)
- 24% were built after 1995 (just for ease, we call this ‘new build’)
Typical 30’s
Pre-World War II houses are mostly located in good locations with large gardens. These buildings were constructed according to “De Amsterdamse school” (The Amsterdam School). This means that the focus was on sustainable and higher quality materials. The homes also have many design and finishing details. Some of these features are decorated front doors, stained glass windows, and high ceilings with mouldings and ornaments. Also, for the really lucky people… a room ‘en suite’. These houses are charming and very popular.
On Funda (real-estate website) these homes are often called: ‘a house full of original elements’. Sounds sexy, but there is one point of attention that (especially in these times) which shouldn’t be underestimated: the energy label. The average energy label these houses have is G (the lowest). This is mainly because there are many large and high rooms which need to be heated. The hollow spaces between ceilings and roofs are lacking, or hardly insulated. All of this means sky-high energy costs. Fortunately, there is good news! You can make these homes more sustainable. If you do, you will feel the result immediately in your wallet.
Typical 60’s
The war is over. The population grew at a rapid pace. Therefore many new houses had to be built. Construction was quick and cheap. There was no time or money to pay attention to quality or sustainability. These types of houses are often efficiently furnished and often slightly better insulated than the houses from the pre-war era.
The lesser building quality is mainly reflected in the materials used and the simplicity of the designs. For example, the window frames are made from pine. This wears down and rots faster than hardwood. They omitted stained glass windows altogether, due to the workload. These homes have an average energy label of D. There are still profits worth insulating such a home, but more limited.
Typical new build
The later houses have been built with more sustainability and energy efficiency measures in mind. From 1992 to 1999 they are ‘reasonably’ isolated and from 2000 to 2009 they are ‘good’ to ‘very’ well. Since 2009 the houses meet the most recent building standards. If we place these houses under the same category, they will have an average energy label of A or B. The most recently built homes are built in accordance to the most energy-efficient standards. The big advantage: you don’t have to invest much if at all, to make them more energy-efficient!
Very nice… But what is the impact on your mortgage?
For this we look at banks and other lenders. The majority prefer to invest in a mortgage portfolio with sustainable homes. This is also compulsory due to legislation, such as the Paris climate goals. This is also reflected in the mortgage terms & conditions.
- Homes with energy label B or higher receive a discount on their interest. This can come to an approximate 0.2% advantage on your interest.
- Homes that need to be improved may qualify for a loan with favourable conditions. As long as the money is spent on energy-efficient investments.
Due to ‘political pressure’ we expect that the urgency for sustainability will continue to rise. However, we do not have a crystal ball to confirm this. But we wouldn’t be surprised if houses with a bad energy label are more challenging and more expensive to finance in the future.
Stay tuned for ‘Klår Meets’
Shortly we will conduct interviews with Mie-Lan Kok (Mie-Lan Kok Real Estate Agency) and Rob Nijhuis (Trustan Bouw). We will discuss their expectation and vision on the impact of energy labels. How do energy labels impact the value of homes? And what points for attention and costs do sustainability entail? In short: listen along and it will become clear to you. Gain Clarity, Get Focus!
Do you have any questions?
