Chairman NAV calls for technical vastgoedcontrole: don't Buy a cat in a bag

LIVING. Looking for your dream house? Then you best not only guided by your feelings to a house. An architect or engineer looks beyond the ‘click’ that you have with a house and can immediately see the condition of the property rate. So, you're not buying cat in a bag. “We are convinced that buyers are the best as early as possible in the purchase and construction process be accompanied by a bouwprofessional,” says Kati Lamens, national president of Network Architects Flanders (NAV), on the bouwsite Livios.

Today, according to NAV-chairman Kati Lamens unfortunately often misguided renovated: “in Order to escape the licensing and EPB-duty start renovation projects often only with internal renovations. So-called "expensive" interventions on the building envelope be out pushed. Energy, or other actions to happen, often without attention to the big picture, so that the various interventions ultimately are not aligned and the optimum yield is not achieved, but the money is spent.”

Self renovation is not without risks

“Do-it yourself, without a preliminary audit and detailed technical advice, is not without risks,” says Lamens. “Thus, for example, new floors laid without insulation, roofs isolated with no shelter, windows replace will not take into account a later façade insulation from the outside... Worse: stabiliteitswerken happen without study or expert advice, subsidised insulation work do not take into account the physical condition of the property, existing moisture problems, thermal bridges... Unfortunately remain owners as long-term sit with a property that inadequately provides comfort and long-term everything except stable.”

see also: The golden rule, according to these architects? “A good preparation is half the work”.

Departure from masterplan

The opinion of Lamens? “Look before you leap, and set a master plan. What are the ambitions on an energetic level, in terms of comfort, ... you with your project want to achieve? What are the successive steps you need to take and in what time frame do you want this, may be phased, implemented? From the foregoing, it may become apparent that clients very much need a solid plan of approach or action plan.