In article , Richard Faulkner
writes
In message .uk, Ed
Sirett writes
15 years purchase, or a 6.6% return.

I'm not convinced that this is achievable for offering merely the chance
of a £500 per year saving, (in fact, I am certain that it is not
achievable, in general).

Savings in heating costs? What do you base your assumptions on. Sorry you
"certainty" on?

I do this for a living and, in fact, I can just see the buyers laughing
at me, when I tell them that the reason that one of 2 apparently
identical houses is £7,500 more than the other, is because they can save
£500 per year on bills.

Have you tried? Have you had this experience? I gather not and you are
just guessing.

Tell them this house has virtually no heating bills making it super warm in
winter and very cool in summer (it works both ways), and summers are getting
hotter.

Also tell them that there is less to go wrong, which means less expensive
service bills, as the heating system is just a background system. Tell them
insulation never goes wrong and no service bills for it either.

Tell them the comfort levels are brilliant as their are no cold spots in
winter or hot spots in summer. Then see what their reaction is.

If you came across such a situation it is clear you wouldn't have a clue how
to highlight the virtues of such a house and sell it properly. God help
anyone hiring you to sell such a house.


The above post is IMHO unecesarily abusive.
I'm sure that RF has an extremely good idea of what really is important to
buyers and sellers of houses. I suspect that the precise details of how
the house is heated and how energy efficient it is might make a low 30th
on the wish list (if that).

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.

Thank you for the support Ed.

I have been doing this for 16 years, sell between 100 & 150 houses per
year, and have actually educated one, or two, local
developers/speculators into providing what people will pay the most
????
money for, without resistance. Some still think they know best.

New Contemporary Kitchen
= totally out-of-date and naff in five years time.
White bathroom suite with shower and nice simple tiling
Stripped wooden floors, or reasonable quality carpet (£10 per yd fitted)
You forgot 'laminated' flooring on solid floors, in place of underlay +
carpet thereby increasing the heatloss through the floor by a
significant %.
Nice newly decorated in plain pastel shades internal. Paint as
appropriate outside.
Cast iron Fireplaces
What the hell for if the chimney is no good ?.
Retain original windows where possible. Replace with White UPVC if not.
Try that on a listed building.
New C/H only if not already fitted.
New boiler if appropriate.
Damp proof course and timbers guarantee
Simple landscaping of gardens - gravel, railway sleepers, few shrubs,
Covered in dioxin and other
peoples crap - unless new, if which case they are not railway sleepers,
just lumps of wood, rather like estate agents brains.
window boxes, hanging baskets
Overhaul roof.
provide schedules of work & guarantees for work done as appropriate.

Dont bother with the extra expense of insulation, condensing boilers
You will after 2005 - just wait for the next building regs revisions.
etc.

All to do with presentation.
So buyers are stupid ?

Buyers attach little, or no, value to potential savings on energy bills,
and have a tendency not to believe any claims, even if true.

These are all factual recommendations for my local area, modified over
the years as tastes and demands change. people who do not take my advice
do not make as much money, or sell as quickly, as those who do.
Always buy the worst house in the best area, and avoid the 'best' house
in the worst area. Never believe what an estate agent tells you.



--
Andrew