Poland will introduce energy certificates required for the sale of houses

Warsaw - Poland is joining countries where an energy performance certificate is required for any property its owner wishes to sell. According to experts, a revolution may occur in the housing market in 2009. The prices of homes that are not adequately insulated may significantly decrease.
Next year, people will have their last chance to sell under-insulated houses profitably. From January 1, 2009, notaries will require so-called energy certificates that describe how much energy a given property consumes. Those that are the least demanding will be rated class A, while the most demanding will fall into class G. The lower the class, the lower the price of the apartment. According to experts, the problem is that in Poland, it is necessary to insulate up to 80 percent of properties.
Without a certificate, no transactions will be possible on the real estate market. Owners will have to pay several hundred zlotys for the certificate, but thanks to it, buyers will know the technical condition of the building. The document will also allow estimating monthly heating costs for the apartment. "People will not want to buy cold homes that cost a lot to heat," said Pawel Grzonbka from CEE Property Group to the Polska newspaper.
In countries where energy certificates have been introduced, such as Denmark, Sweden, Britain, and France, the market reacted quickly. The prices of uninsulated homes fell between ten and twenty percent, the newspaper reported.
The law introducing the certificates has already been signed by Polish President Lech Kaczyński. However, it is still unclear what the document will look like.
The Polish real estate market last saw a significant revival before the country joined the European Union, when people bought apartments out of fear of subsequent price increases. A year after Poland joined the EU, apartment prices in the country rose by up to twenty percent.