When you want to sell your home, one of the first questions you ask yourself is how much you can make from the sale. Financial return, in fact, is a very important motivation behind selling a home, so it’s understandable that you’d want to get the highest possible price for it. So, how can you get more money from selling your home? The answer is: increase the property’s value before putting it on the market. This may seem like an obvious solution, but given the wide range of measures that can be taken to achieve this goal—which vary in terms of the time, effort, and financial investment required—putting it into practice is far from straightforward. Let’s take a look at the various measures—some more invasive than others—that can be carried out on a property before putting it on the market.

Renovation of Systems and Improvement of Energy Efficiency

If you want to sell a somewhat older property, one of the critical issues may be the heating system. Modernizing it will increase the property’s value, potentially thanks to more environmentally sustainable solutions (such as installing solar panels, heat pumps, or exterior insulation). This will not only be viewed positively by those who care about the environment, but will also be seen as a way to save money in the future, since energy consumption with these types of systems is lower and less costly.

Replacing Windows and Flooring

Other weak points in older properties may include the flooring and windows, which are also among the first things that catch the eye when entering a home for the first time to assess whether it might be a good investment. As for the floors, the biggest issues are chips, visible cracks, and outdated choices in terms of materials, patterns, and colors. To address these issues, there are solutions on the market that, through low-cost and minimally invasive work, allow you to install new flooring that will immediately give rooms a more modern and well-maintained look. In the case of windows and doors, it may be worth replacing them if they’re particularly worn or in poor condition, but we also recommend—if you have old wooden windows and doors—trying to restore them through cleaning and refinishing; in fact, these are details that can have their own charm once restored. In general, one way to increase the value of your home is through green renovation, which involves making improvements aimed at reducing energy costs and, consequently, increasing the property’s value. These measures will become mandatory once the EPDD Directive takes effect. The EPDD Directive on “green homes” is a package of regulations proposed by the European Union aimed at promoting the renovation of existing buildings and the construction of new, energy-efficient buildings. The term “green homes” is used specifically to refer to properties that are energy-efficient and have harmful gas emissions that are zero or near-zero. In fact, the directive mandates zero emissions for buildings and, consequently, renovations for properties that do not comply with the standards. The requirement applies to all residential and non-residential buildings (with some exceptions) and stipulates that certain energy classes must be achieved:

• Residential buildings must achieve energy class E by 2030 and energy class D by 2033;
• Other buildings, on the other hand, must achieve class E starting in 2027 and class D starting in 2030;
• All new buildings must be zero-emission starting in 2028.

Specifically, the regulation states: By January 1, 2030, all residential buildings must meet energy class E. Three years later, it will be mandatory to upgrade to Class D. This upgrade requires a reduction in energy consumption of approximately 25%, achieved through measures such as exterior insulation, replacement of windows and doors, new condensing boilers, and solar panels. The goal is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, as mandated by the EU directive. The directive’s goal is to encourage the renovation of private and public buildings across Europe, with the aim of reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions from the building stock of the 27 member states. The directive is part of the Fit for 55 initiative, through which the European Union aims to reduce harmful emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. On average, buildings account for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of harmful gas emissions. The goal of the text is to help member states make buildings more energy-efficient, reduce the use of fossil fuels, and combat energy poverty and air pollution—both in our homes and in our cities. According to the European Commission, reducing these emissions is a crucial step toward achieving climate neutrality by 2050. At present, the directive does not provide for penalties in the event that buildings are not retrofitted. However, it would be up to governments to decide what penalties to apply, in addition to the automatic and significant loss in value of non-compliant buildings. In Italy, according to data from ANCE (the National Association of Building Contractors), over 9 million residential buildings out of 12.2 million do not meet the required energy performance standards; furthermore, 74% of our buildings were constructed before the comprehensive regulations on energy efficiency and seismic safety came into effect, resulting in a significant loss of value for the majority of Italian properties. What is a property’s energy class, and how is it calculated?

A building’s energy class is a metric that helps understand the energy consumption of various homes. The criteria used to assign a class are:

• construction materials;
• the type of windows and doors;
• the heating system;
• hot water production;
• the lighting system.

It is important to understand the parameters that influence the calculation, such as:

• the building’s layout and orientation;
• the type of systems installed;
• the presence of systems equipped with mechanical ventilation.

Winter heating is one of the main factors contributing to this calculation, along with the climate zone in which the home is located. The Energy Performance Certificate is mandatory; it indicates a property’s energy characteristics and must be issued by certified professionals. To differentiate energy classes, indicators ranging from A4—which denotes the most energy-efficient class—to G—the least efficient—are used. Each energy class is associated with a score ranging from 10—for the most efficient class—to 1 for energy class G. The lower the energy class, the higher the home’s energy consumption will be. Homes in energy class E make up the majority of properties in Italy today; they were built between the 1970s and 1990s. Energy class D buildings are relatively recent homes that, unlike energy class E homes, have better thermal insulation because the exterior walls have been thickened and the roof insulation has been improved. What measures can be taken to improve energy performance? To comply with the directive, energy consumption must be reduced by approximately 25%! How can you move up an energy class? The answer is less complicated than it seems because major renovations—such as improving the building’s thermal insulation, adding roof insulation (the so-called “thermal cladding”), or installing a photovoltaic and/or solar thermal system—aren’t always necessary. In fact, simply replacing old windows can lead to an improvement of two energy classes, as can replacing a heating system with a Class A condensing boiler. Other examples of less invasive measures to improve the energy class include cleaning the HVAC system, insulating roller shutter boxes, or installing smart thermostats. In short, there are various ways to make improvements, each with different costs, of course. How much does the energy efficiency class affect a property’s value? Compared to Class A homes, the cost per square meter of energy-inefficient homes is 20% lower; therefore, those who have purchased such a home have made a sound investment. According to the annual report on energy certification prepared by Enea in November 2022, the distribution by energy class confirms that more than half of all properties have poor energy performance (nearly 60%); however, a comparison between 2020 and 2021 shows a reduction of approximately 2% in the percentage of properties in energy classes F and G, primarily in favor of classes A4–B (+1.5%), resuming the positive trend observed during the 2016–2019 period, which had been interrupted in 2020 The fact remains, however, that over 25% of properties need to be renovated! Let’s now turn to the less invasive and more immediate measures for improving a property before selling it.

A fresh coat of white paint

There’s no better way to make a home look cleaner and better maintained right away than by giving the walls and ceilings a fresh coat of paint: with a modest investment, you can give the property an instantly neater and fresher look, which is sure to make a good impression on anyone who comes to visit. Fixing cracks and imperfections in the walls, refreshing the wall colors, and erasing the signs of wear and tear will make the property more appealing, and buyers will be happy to pay a little extra to avoid the hassle of having to paint and perform minor routine maintenance once they take possession of the home.

Choosing Better Lighting

The brightness of a space is an important factor when choosing a home. To increase the property’s value, therefore, a useful step can be to renovate the lighting systems with this in mind. If you don’t want to undertake such a major and potentially costly project, even simply replacing the light switches, outlet covers, and light fixtures with something more modern—and opting for energy-efficient light bulbs—can be a way to immediately make a good impression on potential buyers, who might be willing to pay a slightly higher price to have these types of fixtures in their new home.

Pay Attention to Outdoor Areas and Outbuildings as Well

To increase a property’s value in preparation for sale, it’s important not to overlook the outbuildings and all outdoor areas of the property. An apartment with well-maintained balconies and terraces (where the same measures regarding flooring and painting, for example, should be applied) will immediately have a higher value, as will a house with a well-maintained garden, since the property will generally appear to be in better condition, leading buyers to be willing to pay its true value. Basements and garages, if present, should also be enhanced with the same care, because while simply having them available (especially in large cities) is an added value in itself, offering them for sale in good condition can certainly lead to a further increase in the property’s price. CaseBelle Studio has been operating in the area since 2015. This free service offered by CaseBelle is aimed at all prospective buyers who have given up on purchasing a home due to a lack of time to oversee the work, the distance from their residence, or simply because they had recently completed a renovation and perhaps spent much more than they had budgeted. ** The ability to combine high-quality materials with professional renovation expertise is the strength that has allowed CaseBelle studio to satisfy dozens and dozens of clients over the past few years. A single specialized point of contact will guide you from start to finish and will be supported by a team of professionals, all working to minimize organizational complexities while keeping costs under control.**

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