Real estate board, City Green and the province team up to give home buyers and sellers more information about properties

When Dave and Sue Stevens first walked into the house they knew they wanted to buy it.

“We loved it right away. It had cove ceilings, hardwood floors and it was in Oak Bay,” Sue said.

They were surprised to learn, however, how drafty the house is.

“I was almost shocked,” Dave said. “There were even drafts coming through indoor electrical plugs.”

Even so, the 1955-built house received a rating of 59 out of 100 in a recent energy assessment.

According to City Green, a local energy advocacy group that commissioned the assessment, that’s 12 points higher than the average Oak Bay home, but less than a new home, which comes in at 77.

The home at 3133 Westdowne Rd. that the Stevenses will move into shortly is the first in Canada to have its assessment rating included in an MLS real estate database.

It’s part of a six-month pilot project whose partners include the Victoria Real Estate Board, the provincial Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and City Green.

Between Dec. 1 and May 30, 2010 the board hopes the owners of up to 200 Oak Bay homes for sale will sign up for an energy assessment. Home sellers who agree to have the test done will see the results posted on the MLS database, regardless of the rating.

At a tour of the Stevens’ 2,500-square-foot home Monday, board past-president Tony Joe said with the province eyeing mandatory energy assessments, the process could become as commonplace as pre-sale home inspections.

While the latter is generally done to check for structural problems, an energy assessment examines a home’s airflow.

“(Potential homebuyers) ask for water and hydro bills, and that tells us about consumption, but there’s nothing to show how a house functions,” Joe said.

Energy assessments pinpoint air leakage in homes and take into consideration heating and hot-water systems, insulation levels, windows and doors.

Windows are usually the first thing that come to mind when homeowners think about making their home more efficient.

But replacing dated wooden window frames with more energy efficient vinyl windows is a concern for owners of pre-1945 homes, said Oak Bay Coun. Pam Copley, who also works for B.C.’s heritage branch.

At the tour, she said there are options to help improve a drafty home without taking away from its unique heritage character. “Instead of replacing windows with vinyl, custom storm windows are available.”

The B.C. heritage branch has issued a fact sheet with suggestions for heritage home owners who may want to take part in the pilot project.

Energy assessments can be booked through one of six companies and cost $150. A $75 rebate is available through the Victoria Real Estate Board.

For more information, call the Victoria Real Estate Board, 250-412-0338 or go to www.vreb.org. To book a home eneryg assessment, call City Green at 1-866-381-9995 or email savings@citygreen.ca.