Toulouse. These thermal sieve homes: the sales boom
The most energy-intensive homes, E, F or G, will soon no longer be rented. Owners, some of whom cannot afford to renovate them, put them up for sale.
Are you cold in winter and too hot in summer? You probably live in what is called a “thermal strainer”, one of those poorly insulated homes whose owners are invited by the public authorities to renovate them. The recent Climate and Resilience law will prohibit the rental of G housing (the most energy-intensive) from 2025, F from 2028 and E from 2034, deemed indecent from these dates. At the same time, there is a real boom in the sales of these homes. According to a study by the SeLoger site, the thermal strainers on sale from these “thermal passages” could be 43% specialized in Toulouse in one!
For the Observatory of real estate morale published by the site, nearly eight in ten future buyers seek to negotiate the price of these homes down. “This influx of goods labeled E, F and G will thus have an impact on the price by sanctioning the least rated housing”, analyzes Séverine Amate, spokesperson for SeLoger.
Nearly 5 million energy-intensive homes
Nearly 5 million homes would be very energy-intensive (F and G), according to the government, in France. “To upgrade a G-class housing to D, in order to be able to rent it after 2034, you must at least change the heating system, have exterior insulation done, change the joinery”, Denis Morra list, president of AC Environnement, a real estate diagnostic network (50 agencies in France), “an owner will have difficulty upgrading his home to D without investing at least € 50,000 in work”. According to Ademe and Rénov’Occitanie, the average overall energy renovations observed in Haute-Gonne is rather between 25,000 and 50,000 euros.
For Olivier Colcombet, president of the Optimhome real estate network, the bill could be a little more expensive: “When we embark on the renovation of a home, in general, we do not limit ourselves to energy issues and we also embark on work aimed at improving the quality of the bathrooms, the electrical network, the plumbing, etc. of the co-owners.
“He might have a bottleneck. Everyone will have the same date in mind, while the workforce is limited, ”also warns Olivier Colcombet. Faced with strong demand, the price charged by companies could increase.
One can wonder if the buyers of these “thermal strainers” are aiming for “the good deal”, to lodge there. Or to invest and rent the renovated housing, after upgrading. The risk is that these dwellings remain energy-intensive, with owner-occupiers. Or vacant and dilapidated. The current boom could also put stress on the rental market.
Often modest owners
The DPE (energy performance diagnosis) classifies dwellings according to their energy performance, from A, the best rated category, to G, the class of the most energy-intensive dwellings. It must be attached to the deed of sale or rental contract. Its method of calculation was revised in 2021. According to a study by Notaries of France, employees, workers and retirees represented 47% of owners of goods labeled F or G and 44% of goods labeled E. Households with modest incomes, including the files are still not considered among the most attractive by the banks. Those over 65 are also hardly supported by banks. However, the Occitanie Region offers, via Arec (regional climate energy agency) loans at 1%, up to 75,000 euros, to finance a comprehensive renovation essential to make its housing more virtuous.