Stamp duty may change to encourage people to make homes more energy efficient

[sam_cat]

Easy- " Houses cannot be sold unless they are EPC "C" rated or higher."    This would require places to be DG, loft and cavity insulated, and gas or HP.  People should be doing this in any case.

How would that work? In paractice?
Suppose you have a house - old, listed, that can't be brought up to C or better. What happens then? Or you just don't have the money to do the work - which is why you are selling?
They don't even do it for cars (emmissions-wise), which are much cheaper, so to propose it for houses defies belief. 

non-listed houses that cannot be brought up to C, maybe a scrappage sceme?

[linesrg]

Reducing VAT from 20 to 5% on such home improvements would be a start............ and not forcing you to get 'approved' contractors in to do the work would be another!!!

+1 to that.
A conscientious & careful DIYer, willing to take time, study the skills needed & do it properly may well end up with a higher standard finish!

The hard bit for allowing DIY for any scheme that involves government funding, subsidy or relief would be proving the quality (or even existence?!) of the work (not that using an 'approved' contractor is a guarantee of quality in some cases...). Any 'approved' inspection scheme would be bound to add costs, maybe even enough to outweigh any benefit?

While awaiting the ideal, I'll probably just get on with our rolling programme of improvements and & when funds & time allows...

David,

Exactly what we're doing.........

As I commented elsewhere though the kitchen upgrade cost as much as the outright purchase price of my second house in 1982. The dining room is 'ongoing' as we still have to progress the cornicing but already it is noticeably 'warmer' than it was.

I'll try not to think about just how much has been spent on the property.........

Regards

Richard

[Barrie]

Could be fun applying a scrappage scheme to a terraced house....

My parents house is in a conservation area and they have been quoted £15k to replace two windows, at ninety years plus they've decided not to bother.

[dimengineer]

Could be fun applying a scrappage scheme to a terraced house....

My parents house is in a conservation area and they have been quoted £15k to replace two windows, at ninety years plus they've decided not to bother.

One of my friends has a similar problem. He lives in a 30s semi in a conservation area (Pinner). All the houses are reasonably original, but he is NOT allowed to put in double glazing or EWI. Single skin construciton, so CWI not possible. Well, he can do double glazing, but only council approved, shockingly expensive stuff. So he's condemned to high heating bills.