The importance of a good energy label when renting or selling your property

Energy labels are becoming increasingly important. When buying, selling, or renting out homes, attention to a property’s energy efficiency is growing. Sustainability plays a bigger role in housing decisions, and the energy label serves as a crucial indicator for buyers, tenants, sellers, and landlords. Therefore, it is essential to have an accurate energy label prepared by an experienced energy label advisor.

Mark, from Marks Label, is one such advisor and shares the ins and outs of energy labels with us. Due to the growing trend towards sustainability, we are seeing various developments. Mark explains them below.

Financing and energy labels

Various mortgage lenders are integrating energy labels into their financing conditions, where favorable labels lead to lower interest rates. Starting in 2024, the energy label will affect the maximum allowable mortgage, allowing buyers to borrow more.

Funda and energy labels

Home seekers are increasingly filtering properties based on energy labels, with a preference for labels A, B, and C. Research from Funda shows that 61% of users are willing to make their future home more sustainable.

Rental points system in 2024

A good energy label is crucial for the rental points system and significantly affects the maximum base rent according to the Housing Valuation System (Woningwaarderingsstelsel).

Importance of an experienced energy label advisor

When choosing an energy label advisor, it may be tempting to opt for the cheapest option, especially online. However, in this case, cheap can be expensive. There is a significant difference between advisors; an experienced advisor knows how to maximize your label. When a property is made more sustainable, evidence is often lacking, particularly concerning insulation, which is frequently not visible as it is neatly hidden, and invoices are not always available. In such cases, an advisor might choose to mark it as 'unknown,' which is permitted but often detrimental to the label score. An experienced advisor has the right knowledge to uncover this evidence.

Another common scenario is that people make significant sustainability improvements first and then consult an advisor. However, it is often wiser to conduct an initial assessment to determine the right sustainability measures from the start. This approach can ultimately be more cost-effective and lead to better decisions.