A real estate agent and home seller must present the home in the best possible light. A house should be clear of clutter, paint should be touched up, and the landscaping should be trimmed, pruned, and weeded. These efforts at preparing a home for sale create a solid first impression and assist a potential buyer in visualizing themselves in their new home.

However, after the initial courting and falling in love period, problems are often encountered when the home is viewed in a more critical light by the buyer or home inspector. Additionally, buyers may encounter unexpected difficulties when qualifying for the mortgage. A home performance test - performed prior to the house going on the market or soon thereafter - can alleviate both of these problems.

For those homes that perform well enough to qualify under the Energy Star for Homes program (some homes may qualify even with no retrofitting or improvements), potential home buyers can apply for an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). These types of mortgages acknowledge that utility costs are a monthly expenditure on par with a mortgage payment, property taxes, and home insurance, and thus understand that a better performing home will positively affect the ability of a homeowner to be financially able to meet his or her obligation. In other words, less risk means better rates and more individuals who can qualify because income to debt ratios are adjusted. See the Energy Star for Homes website for more details.

A home performance test includes a visual inspection of the exterior and interior structure as well as discussion of particular areas of concern for the homeowner. It is important that the homeowner be completely forthcoming about all areas of concern. This may be difficult for the homeowner while they are presenting their home in the most favorable light possible during the sales process. However, these problem areas represent the best sources for improving the structure and the salability of the home. Unless there are significant health and safety issues discovered during the audit, the results and recommendations will be confidential.

After this initial evaluation, our auditor will perform a series of tests on the mechanical systems and other appliances that may impact the home environment. These tests will identify if there is excessive spillage or backdrafting of combustible gases, check the performance of certain mechanical systems, and form the basis for any recommended upgrades or necessary service.

A test of the building shell follows the mechanical testing. A blower door test will help to identify leakage areas that may need further air sealing or insulation. An optional Infra-red camera examination provides a non-invasive method for identifying specific areas that result in sub-optimal building performance.

Before visiting your client’s home, we need some general information about the house. This includes:

• Specific areas of concern (high utility costs, cold rooms, etc.)
• Square footage
• Types of heating and cooling systems
• Types of cooking appliances
• Approximate age of house
• Utility bills (past year is ideal)
• Number of rooms
• Types of insulation - if known
• Builder/model type - if known
• Any renovations or other work that could affect the house’s performance.
  
  

A basic audit will generally take two and a half to four hours. In the first half-hour, we would like to discuss specific areas of concern with the homeowner and to learn where all the thermostats and mechanical systems are. Afterwards, we will begin the interior and exterior inspections and then begin the testing procedures. Our auditor needs to have access to all areas of the house - including closets, crawl spaces, attics, etc. If there are areas that cannot be accessed, that will limit our ability to gather information about the home. During this phase, we prefer to work independently to minimize distractions and to facilitate a more meticulous inspection; however, we may have specific questions during this time and want to talk with an available homeowner. After the visual inspection and testing the mechanical systems, we will begin the blower door test. During this time, it is important to minimize any opening or closing of doors or windows, and to not use any ventilation equipment, such as bathroom fans, dryers, or kitchen fans. While the blower door is operating, we may ask the homeowner to witness some of the areas of concern.

After the testing is completed, we will sit down and go over the results with the homeowner or agent. This will include an explanation of what we tested, what further tests may be needed, and what work can be done to address areas of concern.

Our goal during the test is to observe, measure, and recommend actions that may be necessary. We do not perform any remediation, retrofitting, or other services at this time. The energy audit is to educate you, the homeowner and agent, as to how the home performs and what steps can be taken to improve its performance. The testing and measurement procedures are non-invasive, with a few exceptions (i.e. a hole will be drilled and subsequently covered during the draft test of certain furnaces).

Aspen Enterprises provides a limited number of other services that can improve the performance of the home. However, our performance testing services are not used to drive business for these other services, and you have the right to use any other company to provide those services. Additionally, most of the recommendations will usually fall outside of the scope of our traditional work, and thus any further actions will be performed by a third party.

While we can provide you information and education about the home, and identify further steps to reduce energy costs, increase comfort, reduce the likelihood of an unfavorable home inspection test ordered by the homebuyer, and make home safer and more durable, we cannot:

Perform all remedial services. We do not have expertise to perform electrical work or service on mechanical systems. However, we are constantly identifying new trade partners and evaluating their customer service. We may be able to recommend some companies with whom we have had a positive experience, or you may use whomever you decide.

Give you a silver bullet. While there are circumstances where a particular home has an egregious trouble area, most homes underperform in a variety of areas. We will offer you qualified expertise as to which areas may increase performance for the least cost.