BER Rating

Is BER Rating done really seriously right now? I've heard that most companies would have a look at the age of the property, briefly skim the house and give the rating based mostly on the year the house was built, without making any big effort.

I got a BER rating done last week and I was surprised the guy spent so long measuring all the rooms of the house, all the windows, porch, checked the attic. It took him about 2 hours.

Can't answer for another other company.

haminka1 said:

Is BER Rating done really seriously right now? I've heard that most companies would have a look at the age of the property, briefly skim the house and give the rating based mostly on the year the house was built, without making any big effort.

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I think the problem is that (most) people don't want to pay a big fee. So, the BER Cert business is often driven by the cheapest possible Cert that can be provided by the cheapest possible person.

I have no doubt but that if you asked for a recommendation on this Board for someone good who would do an indepth review/rating for you that you would get some good recommendations.

mf

I have no doubt but that if you asked for a recommendation on this Board for someone good who would do an indepth review/rating for you that you would get some good recommendations.

mf[/quote]

mf, thanx - we are actually buyers and while looking for a property, we saw, that properties which were actually built from solid brick, double-glazed, renovated and with insulation added were rated lower /worse/ than those which were new but clearly not properly insulated /draft, mould round windows, humidity/. We are still living in a rented accommodation, the apartment was built 8 years ago and it is so drafty that even now we must turn on the heating to avoid freezing to death. In comparison, my mum had her 35 year old apartment renovated and all windows exchanged for double-glazed. I actually have to open the windows when it's minus five outside because it's so hot in the apartment. I bet the BER ratings for both would be vastly different and not reflecting the reality.

We had a BER completed on a house in Kildare in March, the guy
took about an hour to measure the place including looking at the attic.

He also gave tips on how to improve this rating, the total cost for
everything was €225 (3 Bed Semi). It wasnt the cheapest quote but the company
was recommended by a friend.

mf1 said:

I think the problem is that (most) people don't want to pay a big fee. So, the BER Cert business is often driven by the cheapest possible Cert that can be provided by the cheapest possible person.

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Speaking as a landlord (and should I ever be forced to get a BER done) that is exactly what I will be looking for, and I couldn't care less if they look at the house or not. If I was purchasing a house I would prefer to rely on a structural engineer or suitable qualified individual to give me a proper assessment of the property.

bronte, thanx, we had a good and meticulous surveyor to have a look at the house ...