Letters: DPE energy efficiency reports for French homes are misleading

To the Editor,

I am a property surveyor of more than 40 years in the UK and now retired to France. 

I recently put my house on the market, which meant engaging an ‘expert’ to carry out an ‘environmental survey’.

Two men turned up and I was shocked to see one of them digging into the roof joists, supposedly looking for termites.

This should be a non-destructive check. Similarly, digging a screwdriver into what are plainly brand new windows is nothing short of vandalism.

Property energy rating system in France eased (a little)

Among other concerns: there was no mention of the modern argon gas vacuum glazing (to latest regulations) in the report, nor that I have an ‘off-peak’ electricity meter which heats the water and radiators, plus runs the pool pump, during cheap-rate hours. 

Nor were they interested to hear the internal walls have been dry-lined and insulated. 

I even put up a ladder so they could see the additional weather proofing and insulation under the roof tiles. There was no mention of this in the report. The list goes on. 

Even the estate agent says the report bears no resemblance to the condition of the property. What sort of tin-pot report is this where relevant ecological matters are ignored? 

Apparently, the software used to evaluate a property is not sophisticated enough to allow for differences and adaptations. It is a total joke. 

And for this rubbish you pay an awful lot of money for inaccurate survey work that could affect your opportunity to sell. As a surveyor myself, l have never seen such an amateurish method. 

Nick Douglas, Aquitaine

To the Editor,

I fear that your previous correspondent complaining about flaws in French property surveys has failed to grasp the difference between a French DPE, effected by the seller, and a British property surveyor's report, effected by the buyer if they so wish.

A DPE is mandatory before sale and is carried out by an accredited energy performance assessor, not by a surveyor. 

Indeed, the French have no word (and little use) for surveyors.

There is no requirement for the inclusion in the DPE of the matters omitted from your correspondent's report and indeed it would be remarkable had they been included.

It's unfortunate that damage was caused in effecting a termite investigation, but why did he not tell the assessor to stop? 

Termite inspection is not mandatory and there was no need to suffer the damage nor expense. Of course, where termites are common, such an inspection would facilitate a sale.

Stuart Ross, by email

To the Editor,

I totally agree with Nick Douglas in his letter about DPEs. 

The survey does not represent the status of our house. 

We have an F rating [editor's note: the second lowest possible] for our detached country house, which has new roof insulation, double glazing and 40cm-thick walls. 

This rating is not going to attract buyers. 

The house is only 70 years old and is in a rural, yet not isolated, position in Lot-et-Garonne. 

We use off-peak electricity and have shutters all round, but there was no mention of any of this in the report. 

Like Nick, we also spoke to the estate agent who said they understood but have no influence over the survey.

The seller spends a lot of money, misses out on potential sales and potential buyers may well be put off by the rating without viewing and further investigation.

Ken Smith, Lot-et-Garonne