Why a renovation master plan is also crucial for your energetic renovation: “You need someone who looks at the whole picture” | MyGuide

Anyone who buys an existing home with an energy label E or worse will have to upgrade it energetically to at least a label D within five years. But it is also interesting for those who buy or live in a less energy-consuming home to see how you can now use the home. is already preparing for the future, knowing that we all have to achieve label A by 2050.

Yet a renovation project is about much more than just energy: comfort, the client’s program, technical aspects such as stability and building physics, aesthetic aspects, not to mention spatial planning and the legal framework, must also be taken into account. You can bundle all these aspects in a renovation master plan.”

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It is the ideal way to future-proof your home and mold it to your wishes. Based on the properties of the home and the needs and wishes of the owner, a multi-year plan is drawn up, in which not only the various works – both energy-efficient and aesthetic – but also the costs are spread over time.

One of the major advantages is that we work towards the highest achievable goal within x number of years and that all works are well coordinated. This way, inefficient renovations are avoided. Renovating a kitchen before the floor is insulated, for example. Or replace the windows without taking future facade insulation into account. It will cost you more in the long run to correct that. Moreover, this could also mean that certain works can no longer be carried out. Then we speak of so-called ‘lock-ins’.

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“A renovation master plan is drawn up tailored to the home,” says Angelos Koutsis of Bond Beter Leefmilieu. “Someone must visit the site to assess the condition of the home. This could be the architect, but energy houses also come along and there are also renovation coaches.”

The latter mainly look at the energetic picture. But comfort, safety and aesthetic qualities also play a role, as do spatial planning, water awareness, heat resistance and so on. You need someone who looks at the big picture. To approach all this in the right way, an architect is still the best-placed expert to draw up such a master plan. Read here when you should (not) engage an architect.

“Yet, in view of the end goal, we should not forget that a large proportion of homeowners will only renovate energetically,” says Koutsis. “Not everyone has the luxury to concern themselves with aesthetic aspects. Consider, for example, the 40 percent who already have insufficient resources to renovate their home. Then energy houses play an important role. They also provide clear, and often free, advice to owners about what needs to be addressed first, what the end goal should be and what you can already do with your existing budget.”

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How much you pay to draw up such a plan for your house or apartment obviously depends on your home: size, accessibility, available information, your wishes… For an initial advice with a cost estimate, you can count on a target price between 300 and 800 euros. That does indeed cost something, but by working with someone with expertise, you will be able to save money.

If you have someone come who only installs heat pumps, that person will only be able to give advice about heat pumps. If you bring in someone who has a holistic view of the entire project, they can see what the best solution is at that moment, depending on budgets and the energetic picture, and how you can possibly provide a heat pump within five to ten years. In other words, you look for the cheapest solution with the best results.

You will also avoid double investments, because you will not create lock-ins or carry out certain renovation works without taking into account what is yet to come. With a master plan you will gain a lot, rather than it being an extra cost.

When selling a home, the seller must be able to present an EPC (energy performance certificate). “This certificate largely indicates how energy efficient the home is and what investments are required. In terms of energy, it already gives a good indication, which leads to fewer surprises. The question is whether this is complete,” says Marc Dillen of Embuild Vlaanderen. “Because in addition to energy, comfort and environmental aspects are also important points of attention when you buy a home.”

“Just think about climate adaptation,” adds Angelos Koutsis. “To prevent overheating, you have places to collect water. Currently you do not receive an estimate of the costs you need to meet those requirements.”

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“There is not immediately a strict correlation between the EPC and the effective energy consumption,” Dillen continues. “And the point is that your energy consumption goes down. I think we should supplement the EPC with techniques to smartly reduce energy consumption. You can achieve label A, but still use a lot of energy. You should also be given more opportunities to achieve the same result. The EPC could therefore use some refinement.”

“Then we actually come back to the renovation master plan,” Koutsis concludes. “If you draw up such a plan in the beginning, you will get a clear view of all these matters and their cost.”

Do you want to renovate your home in an energy-efficient way? Discover the ten best tips from experts.

^{This article was created following a round table discussion at the Livios construction site about energetic renovation}

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This article was written by our partner Livios.be, an expert site that focuses on construction and renovation.

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