Home heating advice for selling your home

Selling your home is never easy and with house-buyers becoming more savvy about their long term energy costs, making sure your home is ‘energy fit’ may help it stand out against the competition.

David Blevings, OFTEC Ireland Manger said: “Selling a home can be a difficult experience. With the busy lives that many of us now lead, we want to do this in the quickest and simplest way possible. For this reason, why not take time to look at the following OFTEC home heating tips, that can help maximise your home’s potential and to help lure in potential buyers.”

When selling a home, OFTEC advises the following home heating and property selling tips:

• Consider switching to a condensing boiler – If your boiler is over 15 years old it could benefit from an upgrade. A new condensing oil boilerwill improve energy efficiency by up to 18% and can lead to a saving of approximately €250 on your oil bill every year thereafter. Grants are also available to householders who are considering replacing an inefficient boiler for a more energy efficient condensing boiler. Modern, cost-saving appliances can really add value to your home and are a real selling feature especially coupled with evidence of a commissioning certificate and warranty attached.
• Service your heating appliance regularly – Annual servicing of an appliance will improveefficiency, offer potential cost savings on energy bills and could extend the life of the product. Choose an OFTEC registered technician who can check the efficiency and safety of your appliance and ensure your boiler is operating as efficiently as possible. A documented record of servicing to show potential homebuyers and the mortgage surveyor is vital.
• Love your oil tank –Don’t forget the oil tank! This should be serviced annually to check that it is robust, fitting are correct and the storage is sound. Again, a record of servicing for potential buyers is very important.
• Home Heating Costs –Latest industry figures show that the cost of heating oil is now comparative to mains gas for home heating in Ireland*, ensuring it is still a cost-effective option for home-buyers who are concerned about long-term energy bills.
• Check you have a Building Energy Rating (BER) – To maximise the efficiency level on your BER think about adding insulation to your loft, energy efficient light bulbs and TRV’s/room stats to your existing heating system. These small additions can greatly improve your energy efficiency rating and will be at the forefront of any buyers mind. 
• Get the house properly checked -Get valuations, a homebuyer’s report or a full structural survey from an SCSI/RICS qualified surveyor. The valuation carried out by a mortgage company is only a valuation, and will not inform you if there are any defects that materially affect the property’s value.
• Freshen up -A fresh coat of neutral paint, new tiling or lino, and a couple of new kitchen doors can do wonders to smarten up a tired-looking property.
• Clean up – If you’d rather not re-decorate, it is still essential that the house is spotless.Getting cleaners in will make the place sparkle and will be money well-spent. Don’t forget the garden is now seen as an additional room, so ensure your garden feels like a great space for entertaining and relaxing.
• De-clutter and de-personalise – Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house, so get rid of personal ornaments and photos. Put things away that you don’t really use on a daily basis in the attic or storage.
• Get the word out – Always have a board up, and tell your neighbours. Word of mouth is a powerful tool. You never know who is waiting for your house to come on the market.
• Prepare for viewings -Everyone knows that first impressions count, so ensure your house is inviting for potential buyers.

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