This year, Skipton Building Society took part in a major retrofitting programme to gain a first-hand experience.
The Big Retrofit Project included the transformation of an inter-war detached home over 12 weeks.
With just 7% of homes in England and 5% of homes in Wales being built in 2012 or after, this project featured some challenges many homeowners may face themselves.
After considering how disruptive the project would be and whether the tenants would need to vacate the premises, potential lending restrictions were thought about. To insulate the property, a cavity wall insulation was chosen over spray foam to avoid potential lending limitations.
While the cavity wall was seen as the preferable choice in this scenario, the retrofit team still had to consider the materials used and method of installation to ensure it would not cause issues with finance later. It was also noted that if the house was situated on an exposed hillside with little cover from the elements, this may not have been an appropriate measure.
Maintaining communication with the lender was key here, to get a sense of what it felt comfortable lending against.
A test carried out by Leeds Beckett University showed the team that most heat was being lost through the property’s walls, reassuring them that insulating this part of the home was the most effective decision.
In addition to solar panels, a photovoltaic (PV) battery and inverter were installed to provide an opportunity to harness on-site renewable electricity generation.
Not only will this make the home more sustainable, but the inverter collects excess energy produced by the solar panels, which can be stored and used for later. This excess energy can also be exported back into the national electricity grid, and homeowners can be paid for this energy by their supplier.
Obtaining a home survey early revealed some asbestos in the property, highlighting the need to get upfront information so it could be dealt with quickly.
Once everything was installed, the team asked the installation specialists to carry out a handover with training on how to use the new equipment.
This helped the team realise how crucial it was to advise homeowners to do the same to avoid damage and ensure the measures were being properly used.
This also raised the importance of having proper certification, warranty agreements and regular servicing, as well as the contact details of the specialists. This information will only help a homeowner get the most out of their investment.
At the invoicing stage, the contractor factored in VAT exemptions, which some energy-saving materials and heating equipment benefit from. This will be worth noting to a homeowner as it could mean costs are lower than they expected.
