A new law which should have been effective from January this year required all homes (and commercial premises) that are offered for sale (or rent) in Spain to have available an Energy Efficiency Certificate. This is a European wide initiative which will affect millions of homeowners, and comprises a report on the home´s energy efficiency.
Whilst the new law has not yet been passed by the Spanish Government (it is expected in the second quarter this year),it will not be possible to sell or rent a property unless it has the certificate, which should be paid for by the owner.
Below are some of the most frequent questions about Energy Efficiency Certificates for existing homes:
1. Has the royal decree regulating the Energy Efficiency Certificate been approved?Not yet, but it should be approved shortly and is expected to come into force by 1st June 2013 at the latest.
2. Who can issue an Energy Efficiency Certificate?According to the royal decree energy efficiency certificates should be issued by qualified professional technicians who are authorised to undertake building projects and thermal installations for buildings. The property owner may choose the technician of their choice.
3. What is an Energy Efficiency Certificate?It is a report that describes how efficient a home is in terms of energy consumption. It assigns an energy rating to each home on a scale which ranges from "A" (the best) to "G" (the worst).
4. Will I be able to sell a home which does not have a certificate after the law is passed?
No. You will have to have a certificate before selling your home.
5. Who will have to pay for the certificate?The owner of the property to be sold or rented.
6. How long is the certificate valid for?The certificate is valid for 10 years. This means owners will not have to obtain a new certificate during this period unless they renovate or change the property in any way.
7. If I want to sell my home and it has a poor energy rating, such as D, E or F, am I obliged to make any improvements?No, you are not obliged to make any improvements even if your property has a low rating.
8. Will a low rating affect the sale of my home? Can I sell it without any problems?You are free to sell your home. The only way it will affect a sale is how the rating influences the buyer.
9. How much will the technician who issues the certificate charge?As yet there is no established rate, which will be set by the local market. As a rough guide, the rate in other European Union countries is about 250 Euros + VAT for a 100 m2 home.
10. Will the technician need to visit the property?Yes. They have to visit the property to take measurements and collect information about the property before drawing up and certifying the report.
We are contacting all vendors at the moment to ensure that the Energy Efficiency Certificate is in place prior to the law being passed.
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