The building science centre BRE has introduced a new system for rating the quality of houses, which will put consumers in the heart of house building.
The new national Home Quality Mark will give home buyers and renters a clear indication of the quality and performance of a new home. It will illustrate the home’s overall running costs at a time when average energy bills top £1000. It will show the impact of the home on the occupant’s health and wellbeing as homes become more airtight, respiratory conditions rise and our population gets older. It will also demonstrate the home’s environmental footprint and its resilience to flooding and overheating in a changing climate. Additionally the mark will evaluate the digital connectivity and performance of the home as our reliance on new technology becomes ever more critical.
The new system will also give house builders the opportunity to differentiate themselves from others on the market.
Peter Bonfield, chief executive of BRE, commented:
“It is our long term goal that the Home Quality Mark will become the de facto sign of a better home – something that home buyers can rely on and use in their purchase decisions. It will also be used by house builders to demonstrate the quality and performance of the homes they deliver.”
The new system is currently being tested with a number of industry players. Recent BRE research showed that such a quality rating system would have wide consumer support, as 97 per cent of survey respondents supported it.
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