Many first-time buyers do not know what energy label their home has. While that label can determine their borrowing capacity. A better label can often provide extra mortgage space. By raising this topic in your interview, you immediately open doors for sustainability opportunities.
Solar panels or a heat pump quickly sound like "too big" for starters. Make it clear that there are also feasible, small steps. Think of HR++ glass, radiator foil, draught strips or a water-saving shower head. These are relatively cheap investments that quickly have an effect on living costs - and are therefore immediately interesting.
First-time buyers often don't know that sustainability can be co-financed. You can make them aware of schemes such as the Energy Savings Loan or the possibility of using extra mortgage space for energy-saving measures. By doing so, you remove financial barriers and increase the likelihood of future-proof advice.
The government encourages sustainability with attractive subsidies, for example for insulation, heat pumps and solar panels. Show starters that these subsidies make their investment more affordable. Often, this is the decisive factor that makes sustainability suddenly possible.
Sustainable living is not a competition. Advise your starters to start in small steps and make choices that suit their situation. In this way, they will spread the costs and experience results quickly. You will help them keep an overview and gain confidence in their choices.
By actively including sustainability in your advice, you offer first-time buyers not only financial insight, but also future value. You show that you are thinking along with them about lower costs, a higher home value and a more sustainable house. In this way, you immediately turn a first mortgage interview into an investment in your client's future.
At SustainableXL we support intermediaries with practical tools and advice. This way, you can show start-ups in concrete terms what is possible, what schemes are available and how they can achieve sustainability step by step.
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