Are you ready to retrofit? 4 questions!

?Fed up with shivering in a draughty home in winter or quaking at the thought of the next energy bill? It could be time to embark on a retrofit journey, but first there are some questions you should consider in order to save yourself time, money and stress further down the line.

1. Why do I want to retrofit?

It may be that you want to make your house warmer and more comfortable, or the walls are plagued by damp, or perhaps you’re simply set on saving the planet. Understanding your motives and priorities can lead to establishing clear objectives that will then shape your retrofit project. Writing down what you want to achieve, with information about every room and with input from every family member, can be a good start.

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2.Will a retrofit benefit my property?

The ultimate aim should be to improve the level of comfort, ventilation and air quality in your home, so before you get started, it’s important to understand your energy usage. Take accurate meter readings, preferably every month and on the same day each month, as well as the property’s temperature and humidity. Armed with this energy consumption data, you could work out peak heating periods and the findings will also be useful when the work is finished and you want to see how the results compare.

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3.What is the scope and timescale for my retrofit project?

However tempting it might be to launch into a complete house overhaul, maybe start small and work through each room. Just like any building work, factor in the disruption involved when you’re going to be living in a property and work out what’s sensible and practical. It’s always a good idea to consider fabric first – meaning your building’s walls, floors, roof, windows and doors – before you start changing boilers and adding solar panels as this will make a considerable difference. And before you even start, make sure you’re up-to-date with any maintenance around the house that might impact retrofit work.

?4. Should I call in an expert?

Although EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates) are a good guide – which you’ll have been given if you bought your house after 2007 – they aren’t the best foundation on which to base a retrofit. Instead, a proper energy assessment by a trained assessor is the way to go, although it’s worth bearing in mind that not all retrofit assessors and co-ordinators are accredited and the scope of assessments can vary; for example, their remit might not always include an air test or thermal imaging.We believe the more quantitative the survey, the more accurate the results, which should ultimately prevent you from going ahead with unnecessary upgrades or for example, not considering adequate ventilation when installing insulation.

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