EU Renovation Chatter

 I sat today and watched a N-24 news piece over the EU.

There is a discussion going on within the EU....over the idea of getting people across the land to renovate their homes and apartments.  This is mostly driven to make them energy/heating proficient.

The term compulsory?  Well....it gets dragged up.

There's a suggestion that the EU law (as in draft form) would force you to reach x-status, and you'd have to spend money that might not exist in your pocket.

Just the idea of new windows in a house?  If you were in a German-made house from the mid-1960s....you have decent windows....but they probably aren't the new energy efficient windows.  What's the general cost....to yank out old windows (dispose of them), buy, and install a new window?  You could be talking about 1,200 Euro.  In a normal house....figure seven windows minimum.....8,400 Euro minimum.  

If we started talking about added insulation for the loft and on the sides of the house?  You could add 10,000 Euro.  

Forced into solar panels?  You could be talking about 12,000 Euro.  Just to consider a small solar panel unit for your balcony (self-help job)?  Probably in the 800-Euro range.

If you were the landlord of a 8-unit apartment house?  Well....if you were forced into this type of renovation....you'd clearly mark-up the rent....another 150 to 250 Euro a month.  The EU even aware of how rental prices would escalate in this situation?  I doubt it.

Getting a lot of grumbling to start up?  Well....to bring this up a year prior to the EU election....I think is a problem.  

Making a big difference?  My wife went to this path around a dozen years ago.....upgrading the windows and doors.  Afterwards, I'd say the heating consumption went down by 20-percent.  In some older houses....you might save 50-percent on better windows/doors.  But if you say there's 20,000 Euro of cost involved in this?  It'll freak out folks.