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By Michael Rothe
For decades, there were only three really important criteria for determining value when buying real estate: 1. the location, 2. the location, 3. the location. The condition and furnishings of houses and apartments can be improved or renovated - but the location is permanent and the development of the surrounding area is at least foreseeable.
But this mantra no longer applies without restriction. The value of a property increasingly depends on its energy efficiency, the industry agrees. Energy efficiency has moved up the list of criteria significantly in recent years, partly due to the sharp rise in prices. In addition, there are requirements for homeowners resulting from the EU Directive on the energy performance of buildings result. Their implementation is regulated by the controversial Building Energy Act.
Buying an apartment with a good efficiency class A+, A, B, C or D or renovating it to this standard has decisive advantages. On the one hand, ongoing ancillary costs can be saved, as the energy costs per square meter in class B, for example, are only around half as high as in E. Furthermore, subsequent expenditure on energy-efficient refurbishment is saved.
The Hamburg Institute of International Economics has examined the real estate offers in the 400 districts and independent cities for their energy efficiency and presented the results in the Postbank Housing Atlas. According to the results, on average around one in three owner-occupied apartments in Germany has at least good energy efficiency. Saxony is in an even better position. With the exception of Leipzig, the Vogtland district and the district of Görlitz, which falls well behind, the Free State is better everywhere. In the state ranking, only Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Thuringia rank higher.
East-facing apartments significantly greener than those in the west
In general, the east is much further ahead in this area than the west, with almost half of the condominiums there being green in the truest sense of the word. The main reasons: the large stock of refurbished prefabricated buildings and the higher proportion of newer buildings.
According to Manuel Beermann, responsible for Postbank's real estate business, the advantages of energy-efficient buildings are obvious. "Owners save on heating costs, no longer have to renovate in the near future and can expect their property to retain its value," says the expert.
"However, making the purchase dependent on this criterion alone is not enough, as buyers usually pay a premium for the better energy standard," warn the authors of the study. In 64 regions, more than 1,000 euros per square meter are being asked for. Munich is the most expensive. There, the difference between offers with and without good energy efficiency averages 1,727 euros per square meter. In Bavaria's state capital, an apartment with the lower standards E, F, G and H costs an average of 8,077 euros per square meter, with a higher class 9,805 euros.
Surcharge of up to 500 euros per square meter
In Saxony, the differences are not quite as great, with a maximum of 504 euros in Leipzig (2,690 to 3,194). The comparative values for Dresden: 2,840 and 3,151 euros. In most districts, the surcharge is between 100 and 130 euros. Buyers in the district of Bautzen only have to invest twelve euros more per square meter, in the district of Görlitz it is twice as expensive - which is still extremely low compared to the rest of Germany. In Central Saxony and Meißen, energy efficiency enthusiasts even have a financial advantage. There, condominiums in class D and above cost less on average than those with lower efficiency. This is mainly due to the location. In many old towns, there are hardly any new buildings and the energy-efficient buildings are located in less attractive suburbs.
"Despite the price advantages for efficiency in these regions, in some cases a less energy-efficient apartment can pay off, even with a surcharge and refurbishment costs, if its location justifies it," says Beermann. He is convinced that a nice condominium in a central old town location will maintain or increase its value in the future. A very energy-efficient apartment outside or in less attractive surroundings will not be put in a good location, even with money. The manager's tip: "Prospective buyers should never make sweeping judgments, but should check features such as location and furnishings and compare these with their budget and personal requirements."
Energy requirements and their implementation
- According to the directive on the energy efficiency of residential buildings adopted by the European Parliament in March, their total energy consumption is to fall by an average of 16 percent by 2030 and 20 to 22 percent by 2035.
- The EU Commission's original proposal for minimum standards and a refurbishment obligation for the most inefficient residential buildings in a country was dropped in the course of the negotiations.
- In Germany, implementation is based on the Building Energy Act, according to which every new heating system must be powered by 65 percent renewable energy since January 1 of this year.
- This is how energy efficiency is categorized:
- Class A+: less than 30 kWh/m² (passive house, KfW Efficiency House 40);
- Class A: 30 to 50 kWh/m² (3-liter house, KfW Efficiency House 55);
- Class B: 50 to 75 kWh/m² (low-energy house, most new buildings);
- Class C: 75 to 100 kWh/m² (KfW Efficiency House 100);
- Class D: 100 to 130 kWh/m² consumption (well-renovated stock);
- Class E: 130 to 160 kWh/m²;
- Class F: 160 to 200 kWh/m²;
- Class G: 200 to 250 kWh/m²;
- Class H: from 250 kWh/m² (old, unrenovated, poorly insulated houses); (SZ/mr)
