PTSB have launched a Green Mortgage – basically any PTSB Irish mortgage applicant can ask for the Green Mortgage – and get  the following

1. 10% off a Botanic Greenhouse at www.botanicgreenhouses.ie

2. €1,000 discount off a Shomera at www.Shomera.ie

3. 15% off a new bicycle at www.cycleways.com

4. Free electricity meter (worth €42) when you spend €150 at www.ecoshop.ie

5. 10% off all solar powered needs at www.solartechnology.ie

6. 10% discount and free delivery of all water collectors at www.ecoshop.ie

7. A tree planted in the mortgage customer’s name by the Tree Council of Ireland.

8. A chance to win one of 50 home energy surveys from National Energy Assessors .

Once customers have completed the tie breaker question on the Green Mortgage Form they will be in with a chance to win an Energy Assessment.

National Energy Assessors will conduct an assessment of the winning customers’ homes and advise them of any energy saving methods they could adopt into their home.

The irish Financial regulator did a survey of home insurance quotes in August 2007 . They only checked 7 of the major insurers – Allianz , AXA, Eagle Star, FBD, Hibernian, Quinn Direct and Royal Sun Alliance.
In  all the comparisons for properties occupied by the home owners  - Quinn Direct came up with the lowest quote. They used different profiles , ages, locations, house value etc – and in 5 out of 5 cases Quinn were the cheapest . In some cases the price difference was over 50% more from the other insurers.

Full Survey

With the introduction of the €4,200 ‘Greener Home Scheme’ grant last year, wood pellet boilers and stoves are now a popular choice for domestic heating .
With oil and gas prices probably rising in the future , it will be  significantly cheaper to run a heating system on wood pellets.
Wood pellet systems are also more  environmentally friendly because they use a renewable source of fuel.  Supply of pellets may be a problem – but hopefully suppliers will move in to fill ang gaps.At first glance, wood pellet  boilers appear to be expensive to install in comparison to conventional systems, but  this should be  outweighed by the running cost savings and environmental benefits over the long term.There are many types of  wood pellet heating systems  on the market with options available for automatic loading ,  self-regulated lighting, cleaning and ash removal.
The cost of storing pellets and feeding them to your boiler at the right times, is something that needs to be considered.  Many boilers have an integrated ‘day hopper’ that usually holds about 60 kg of pellets which will probably keep the boiler running for just a few days during the winter months. If you do not want to worry about remembering to refill the hopper manually every few days you will need a much bigger store that will feed into the day hopper as necessary, and of course if you can buy them in bulk and store them, the pellets will be significantly cheaper.

A large number of householders in Ireland  have been affected by damage caused by water leaks at some time . The damage is usually caused by washing machines, showers, burst pipes, leaking baths, dishwashers and burst water tanks. It’s also be caused by human error, such as leaving water to overflow when filling up baths and sinks.

Tips to avoid water damage:

• Regularly check your pipes and appliances to find any potential weak spots.
  When switching off taps, avoid over-tightening which can weaken washers and cause leaks. (
  Ensure pipes are well insulated to protect them from frost damage. (
  Don’t leave your central heating off for long periods during winter. When you go on holiday, use a timer to make sure the heating is on during colder periods of the day.
• Always go with a reputable tradesman. 
  Similarly, don’t carry out plumbing jobs yourself unless you’re qualified plumber. (
  Don’t get the water damage fixed without approval from your insurer, or it probably won’t reimburse you.
• Your home insurance is not a maintenance contract. The insurer covers you for damage caused by escaping water. However, if, for example, a leak occurs because you failed to keep pipes or drains clean, or because you failed to have your boiler regularly serviced, those pipes, drains or boilers won’t be repaired by the insurer. Only the damage caused by the water is covered. So maintain your water fittings!
• To resolve emergencies, you can buy home emergency cover which will cover temporary repairs for some of these things. It’s important to read the exclusions though; for example, plumbing problems related to radiators are covered, but the radiators themselves aren’t, nor is the cost of replacing parts damaged due to wear and tear. And there are many more exclusions where that came from!
• Damage caused by water to the building is covered under buildings insurance and damage to contents under contents insurance, so make sure you have the insurances you need.

House prices fell again in Ireland during August 2007 –  to bring the rate of decline to 3.3 per cent since the start of the year, according to the latest Permanent Tsb/ESRI house price index.  The index shows house prices nationally fell 0.3 per cent in August following on from a 0.4 per cent drop in July.
As a result, the average price paid for a house in Ireland in August was €300,375, compared with €306,173 in August 2006, a fall of 1.9 per cent over 12 months.
During the 12 months to the end of August 2007, house prices in Dublin fell by 0.6 per cent. Outside Dublin they dropped by 2.9 per cent over the same period.

Houses in  counties of Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow around Dublin showed some of the sharpest falls, dropping 1.3 per cent in August, bringing to 5.4 per cent the fall in prices in these areas over the year to date.

According to Permanent Tsb/ESRI estimates the average price of a house in these areas is €325,568, down from €344,186 in December 2006.

Niall O’Grady, head of marketing at Permanent Tsb, said: “While we have seen attention-grabbing stories about declines in the asking prices for some houses, the index confirms that the actual rate of change in house prices across the country remains modest.

“Since the start of this year, prices have declined by 3.3 per cent on average.”

Among the different types of property bed semi-detached house prices grew by 0.9 per cent in August, although they remain down 3.4 per cent on the year as a whole.

Purchasers buying their second or subsequent property paid on average 0.2 per cent less in August than in July and 3.5 per cent less than in January. First-time buyers were paying 3.6 per cent less than at the start of the year, and an average of €268,904.

1. Make sure you book your removal company well in advance.
2  Pack as early as possible once your date has been confirmed.
3. Label contents of all boxes … especially the one marked kettle!
4. Empty the loft.
5.Take cuttings of your favourite plants from the garden to take with you.
6. Redirect mail.
7. Check insurance cover whilst your contents are in transit.
8. Pack an overnight bag so those essential items are easily to hand.
9. Instead of putting unwanted items in the bin, why not give them to charity or find a good home for them?
10. Check where the nearest take away is at your new destination.

Many hosue sellers  choose to sell with the assistance of an estate agent / auctioneer  because it can be  more convenient, and can sometimes be  more effective, than selling privately.
Good agents have a wide net of prospective buyers, and know how to promote your home  You should choose  an agent with the following factors in mind:

Cost:
Most estate agents charge between 1-3% commission on the successful sale of your home, but check for hidden extras.

Valuation and price
Make sure you and the agent agree on the value of the house, because he or she will be negotiating on your behalf.
Market reach:
This is a critical factor in the selection process. You want an agency which can attract the largest number of potential buyers  for your home. Ask to see how they present properties, where they advertise, and their process for following through leads. Check if they have a website – look at it and ask if your house will be put on it. Some charge extra for posting on the internet – a pretty poor practice. Use google to see if their website appears in search results for “estate agents in ” your town or “auctioneers” in your area. Ask if they use Daft.ie or Myhome.ie. The more exposure – the better.

Reputation:
Talk to friends and neighbours who have recently bought or sold in the area, and find out the “inside story” of local estate agents.

Service:
You want to work with people you like and trust, and have your best interests at heart. Remember, an agent is working for you, so you should interview him or her in the same way you would interview a prospective employee. Be clear on how you expect to communicate with the agent, and kind of service you are looking for. If you are not happy with them – go elsewhere.

Regulation and Training
Legally, estate agents are not required to have formal qualifications. They don’t need to be part of any recognized professional body.  However, reputable agents  do have experience and qualifications, are members of relevant professional bodies . Qualified agents can choose to join a professional organisation such as the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute (IAVI) or the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV) but this is purely voluntary. Both these organisations have the benefit of voluntary compensation schemes that pay out compensation if an agent absconds with client funds. About half of Ireland’s 5000-odd holders of auctioneer’s licences are members of either the IAVI or the IPAV, although many licence holders don’t practice as estate agents.

The Construction Industry Federation has urged the irish Government to restore confidence in the housing market by slashing stamp duty.
Launching the CIF’s annual Construction Review, federation president Hank Fogarty called for a radical reform of stamp duty and mortgage interest relief to bring stability to the Irish housing market.

Fogarty said: “The house market has stalled as a result of negative sentiment.  On the supply side activity levels have fallen significantly and the prospects are that as low as 25,000 units will be built during the first six months of the year.  It is imperative, therefore, that confidence be restored sooner rather than later so that a serious shortfall in housing completion numbers does not arise in key growth areas.

“Government action needed to restore the required level of confidence includes a reduction in the penal top rate of stamp duty from 9% to 5% together with an increase in mortgage interest relief for first time buyers over and above what is already committed to by Government.  In addition, investor rates of stamp duty in the new homes market must be reviewed downwards so as to promote investment in the domestic Irish market rather than facilitating export of our investments abroad.”

Fogarty claimed that mobility within the housing market is significantly reduced and this will have a negative impact on overall economic activity and employment and exchequer receipts. ”With renewed confidence, housing starts and completions will rapidly return to the medium term requirement,” he said.

He added: “There can be no diversion from commitments on capital expenditure, and, if required, Government must borrow up to the limits permitted by the Stability and Growth Pact to fund infrastructure development planning.”

The new regulations that came into force from 1 January 2007 mean tha all newly constructed dwelling for which planning permission was applied for on or after January 1st, 2007 – must have an Energy Rating cert.

It is unlikely that properties that only had planning applications in January would be ready to be sold yet – but if you are buying  “off plan” -  a provisional BER certificate must be produced by the builder or .
When the new dwelling is completed, a full BER certificate must be supplied to the buyer, based on the plans of the dwelling as constructed (to take account of any design changes during construction. A Provisional BER certificate lapses on completion of the dwelling or after 24 months, whichever is the sooner.

If you hire a builder to build a house on your own site – then it is your job to organise the  BER certificate  prior to taking up occupation of the dwelling.

Who will check up on these BER certificates ?

If you fail to get  a BER cert -  you will be liable, on conviction in the District Court, to a maximum fine of €5,000.
Failure to secure a BER certificate at the proper time could hinder or delay the legal completion of a sale or letting or a future disposal of the relevant dwelling

From 1 January 2009 all existing buildings, when offered for sale or letting, will require a BER  Currently Building Energy Ratingsare only required  for new dwellings constructed or offered for sale, for which the planning application was submitted from 1 January 2007 and which are substantially completed by 30 June 2008. .

What is a BER?   -

A BER is an energy certificate for your house that will look much the same as those colour coded scales found on kitchen appliances, where A is good and G is bad. It will take into account such things as the ventilation, water heating and lighting.

How will it impact on the value of my house?

The impact of a lower BER on the marketability of dwellings offered for sale or letting will depend on such things as overall housing supply, demand and other property market factors. With the current slowdown in the housing market, purchasers will take factors such as energy performance into account.

Who can rate my house and provide a certificate?

Only Registered BER Assessors  can provide energy ratings for your house.
A full BER certificate will be valid for 10 years, providing there are no material changes to the property that will affect its energy performance. Such changes would include an extension.

What should I do if the rating is poor?

There is no penalty for getting a poor BER for an existing dwelling. However, new dwellings must comply with Part L ‘Conservation of Fuel and Energy’ provisions of the Building Regulations.

Affordable homes are homes provided at a discount to the market price for people who cannot afford to buy a home on the open market. Your affordable home is for you to live in as long as you want.  If you sell it within 20 years, you will have to pay back a percentage of the sale price to the local authority.

Your income needs to be classed as “low” -  between €25,000 and €58,000 if you are applying on your own and up to €75,000  if you are applying with someone else.  These are the approximate income limits only – lower income limits may apply.

1. If you sell within the first 10 years, you must pay back the full percentage from the sale that you got as a discount when you bought your home.
2. After 10 years, the percentage you must pay back reduces by one-tenth for each full year you live in your home.
3. If you sell your home after 20 years, you do not have to pay any ‘clawback’ to the local authority.