ᐅ New Construction – Is Hiring an Energy Consultant Worth It?

Hello,
I will soon start building a two-family house, meaning two semi-detached units.
Now I am wondering if it is financially worthwhile to hire an energy consultant. Even with a 50% subsidy from KfW, the cost is still at least 3,000 euros.
Of course, you get a grant of up to 4,000 euros per unit, so 8,000 euros in total here. But that requires doing more work. What exactly needs to be done to achieve KfW 55 standard?
For each unit, I plan to install a gas boiler with underfloor heating and a central ventilation system. Whether or not it includes heat recovery will depend on the cost.
We will do most of the construction ourselves, except for the roof structure and a few other small exceptions.

What are your experiences and opinions?

Best regards
Lars199494

PS: Each unit has about 120 sqm (1,290 sq ft) of living space.

It is only worthwhile if you need it for the KFW 55 or 40 subsidy. Otherwise, it is a waste of money.

So, the loan with the built-in subsidy is a bit of a tricky issue, in my opinion. Sure, free money is always nice, but unfortunately, they only offer a fixed interest rate period of 10 years. That bothers me a bit.

There are (expensive) options to secure this now. But first, talk to your bank to see if the KfW loan is really the worst option. Why do you need the energy consultant, apart from proof for the loan?

Normally, the construction company can give you a good idea of the additional effort required to achieve KfW 55 standard. Then you can calculate whether it’s worth it. Only after that should you consult the energy consultant.

There is no construction company that could tell me that. And the energy consultant is definitely required for the certification. But they must have done the calculations beforehand as well. The costs for the energy consultant cannot be ignored, as long as you hire one.

Well, have you already given some general thought to your house? What type of wall construction, which and how many windows, insulation under the concrete slab or basement floor? If not, an energy consultant might actually be able to help and recommend a well-coordinated combination. In winter, you wouldn’t wear the thickest gloves but only thin socks and flip-flops. It’s similar with a house: it’s better to have moderate insulation everywhere rather than excessive insulation in one area and far too little in another.