Buying a house instead of building? Energy certificate? Renovation? Type of heating?

Hello,

as some may still remember, I asked questions about building a house here some time ago.

Now I read an article in the Financial Times today saying that the real estate market collapsed sharply in the first quarter, meaning prices are plummeting and homeowners who hoped to achieve an increase in value are now putting their houses on the market. Ergo, prices are moving in a downward spiral from which one can certainly profit.

I also have a few questions about this.

If someone sells such a house, does it now have to have this energy certificate?

From which year of construction is such a property interesting, i.e. would require little renovation?
For some buildings it says "renovated 2006" — I suppose that is a flexible term, right?

Which type of heating should one rely on? I found houses with oil/gas central heating (I suppose oil is the worst choice?)

I hope I’m in the right place with these questions.

Best regards

Hello Cmajere,

this is a rather extensive and partly confusing topic, as there are many different dates from which an energy certificate should be available depending on the property. The energy certificates also differ between consumption-based and demand-based certificates.
In general, the energy certificate must be made accessible to future tenants and/or buyers of an apartment/property, meaning they must be granted insight, but the certificate does not need to be handed over.

I will try to present the whole thing in a reasonably clear way:

First of all, since when is the certificate mandatory?
For new residential buildings since 01.10.2007
For old residential buildings (building application submitted by 31.12.1965) since 01.07.2008
For old residential buildings (building application submitted from 01.01.1966) since 01.01.2009
For non-residential buildings from 01.07.2009

Which type of energy certificate is mandatory?
For old buildings (already completed buildings) there was freedom of choice between consumption-based and demand-based certificates until 30.09.2008.
Since 01.10.2008, for old buildings with fewer than 5 residential units and whose building application was submitted before 01.11.1977, the demand certificate is mandatory. Unless the residential building has subsequently been renovated at least to the standard of the 1977 thermal insulation regulation (WSV), then a consumption certificate is also permissible.
For residential buildings with 5 or more residential units, freedom of choice between consumption- and demand-based certificates continues to apply.

What is the difference between the certificates?
The consumption certificate only indicates the average energy consumption of the last three heating periods of an apartment or building. However, this does not allow for a real comparison with other apartments or houses. Additionally, it can easily be manipulated or falsified by entering incorrect basic values (see energy certificates from the Internet).

The demand certificate is calculated and compiled by a specialist based on the actual building components present (insulation thicknesses, etc.) and taking into account the existing technical systems (heating, hot water supply, etc.); thermal bridges can also be considered and much more.
Improvement suggestions for the reduction of energy demand can also be recorded or included here.
This certificate thus offers an objective comparison option of the energy demand with other apartments or buildings.

For these reasons, I as a tenant or buyer would always insist on having a demand-based energy certificate whenever possible.

Any type of heating, whether oil or gas, heat pump or wood, has its advantages and disadvantages. The demand certificate also offers a comparison option here, since the type of heating is included in the demand certificate.

Residential building that was renovated in 2006?
If it is a single-family house (i.e., fewer than 5 residential units) and the building application was submitted before 01.11.1977, the question arises whether it has subsequently been brought at least to the standard of WSV 1977. This must be proven with appropriate documentation.
Yes, then legally a consumption certificate is sufficient.
No, then the demand certificate is mandatory.
If the building application for the single-family house was submitted after 01.11.1977, a consumption certificate is legally sufficient.

I hope I have contributed a little to clarification.

Best regards
Danton

Engineering and Planning Office
Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Brandenburg
Consulting Engineer and Building Surveyor
Insurance Specialist (Construction Contract)

The prices for real estate have certainly declined, but whether prices for truly good properties (location, construction condition, etc.) really plunge, I consider to be exaggerated. This only applies to distressed sales and those are not the norm; anyone who has some time waits and does not necessarily sell today.

Real estate in Germany is not yet as low as its counterpart in the USA. Over there, it looks quite different. Here, it is simply not that far along yet. There are certainly one or two bargains, but finding them is difficult.

Hi,

we are also considering whether to build new or buy something finished.

What puts me off about new builds are all the non-transparent costs. Here you still have the garden (around 10,000 or so?), additional costs, maybe the foundation slab, and suddenly you're another 50,000 down.

On the other hand, it is often hard to find a nice finished house. Or is it more worth it to buy something and then maybe renovate a bit? We are looking in the range of up to 10 years old.

At the age of about 10 years, it will be difficult to find something; most offers for built houses are from 25 years old onwards.

The additional costs must be analyzed very carefully, especially noting what has been stipulated in the contract; the most significant points are the costs for the notary and land transfer tax. Surveying costs, soil reports, etc., connections to the city network (gas/electricity depending).

Then, of course, the garden layout, although I tend to go for full lawn and that's that ^^ which is relatively inexpensive compared to the other costs.

Best regards