As a buyer, you need to possess all the information related to the property you might be going to own. Some formalities are still mandatory in Luxembourg while others are highly recommended.
The Energy Efficiency Certificate (EEC): a requisite for the sale to be effective
One of the mandatory documents for the sale to be effective is the EEC, also known as “Energiepass”. In fact, before selling his property on the market, the seller must request experts to establish its Energiepass. The Energiepass measures or calculates (based on a theoretical calculation) the building’s energy consumption and deduces its greenhouse gas emissions.
Then, the information must be communicated to the buyer. Generally, such information is one of the key purchase criteria for home buyers who often look in priority for buildings that are not too greedy energetically. A house inefficient in terms of isolation costs a lot to heat and its value will be lower compared to one that complies with the strictest thermal standards.
“Any owner who never asked for an Energiepass — or those whose document is older than 10 years — shall require an expert appraisal before selling.”
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Obtaining the EEC is not only necessary to complete the sale: this step should be performed even before drafting the first ad for the sale! The potentially interested buyers will need this information to evaluate your property, to compare several ads and to select the relevant offers.
For information, all the owners that have never requested an Energiepass — or those whose document is older than 10 years — must request this appraisal before they sell.
Collect home-related bills to better anticipate your expenses
The seller can provide copies of his heating, electricity and water bills, and of any other document related to his home expenses. A copy of the three latest breakdowns of charges of the apartment established by the syndicate of the condominium may also be requested. As a buyer, these supporting documents are precious: they allow you to know concretely what the house — or the apartment — will cost you each month.
As a complement to the Energiepass, the heating bills will help you make a decision. If you notice they are rather high, do not hesitate to question the seller so as to know his habits and compare them to your own to determine if your bills will be similar (some people spend more on heating simply because they are more sensitive to the cold!).
“If they remain moderate, the heating bills will support your decision to buy.”
Condominium: gathering information on current expenses and potential works planned
If you buy an apartment or a flat located in a building, you logically become one of the co-owners. In this rather specific case, you shall obtain all the minutes of the latest general assemblies, as well as the expense statements, in order to know the annual expenses of the former owner. If major works are planned, this shall be mentioned in the minutes of the latest assemblies. Any maintenance, repair or reconstruction costs should be included into your budget.
In this context, it is worth having an overview of all the works decided by the general assembly of co-owners which will be charged to the seller before signing the proper deed of sale, unless otherwise specified in the latter.
To be sure to obtain all these documents before buying, get the advice of a real estate agency. Professionals can guide you step by step through the whole procedure and make you feel more comfortable. They will check for you that everything is settled according to the law and that you have all the necessary information to become a happy confident owner.
