A better-performing building, without moving its residents out

In Geneva, the owner of a heated building reports the building’s heat expenditure index (IDC) to the cantonal energy office every year. Above 125 kWh/m²·year, an energy audit and improvement measures are required. Beyond a higher threshold, the building must be renovated to bring it back below 125. That threshold will soon fall. It stands at 222 kWh/m²·year until the end of 2026, then 180 from 1 January 2027. We coordinate the audit and the studies, then price the options so that you can decide.

With a condition survey. Quotes come afterwards. The CECB, the cantonal building energy certificate, rates the building envelope and the energy balance from A to G; the CECB Plus adds up to three renovation proposals suited to your objectives and budget. It is drawn up by a certified expert and becomes mandatory for a Buildings Programme subsidy application once the contribution reaches CHF 10,000. We coordinate these studies, then have the selected options priced.

That depends on the condition of the building and on your cash flow. The order, however, always matters. Insulating the building envelope before replacing the heating makes it possible, for example, to size a smaller system. A renovation in stages is still possible if it follows an overall plan: that is one of the roles of the CECB Plus. We cost each option with its return on investment. The aim is a coherent whole, not an accumulation of measures.

The Buildings Programme of the Swiss Confederation and the cantons supports the insulation of the building envelope and the replacement of fossil-fuel heating with renewable energy; each canton sets its own conditions. The rule to remember: apply before you start. In Geneva, the application must reach the cantonal energy office at least 14 days before the works begin; in the canton of Vaud, it must be approved beforehand. The schedule takes this into account.

At the owners’ meeting, in accordance with the Swiss Civil Code. Works needed to maintain the building’s value are decided by a majority of all co-owners, not only of those present. Useful works, which increase value or yield, also require that this majority hold more than half of the shares. Embellishment work in principle requires unanimity. We prepare the costed options put to the vote, then liaise with your representatives during the works.

Two cantonal laws apply in addition to the building permit. In Geneva, the LDTR makes the renovation of housing subject to authorisation, and the State sets the maximum rents after the works, for a limited period. In the canton of Vaud, the LPPPL makes substantial renovations of rented housing subject to authorisation in districts with a housing shortage; tenants are informed at least 40 days before the application is filed. Both weigh on the yield. It is best to check them as early as the feasibility study.

Often, yes. In Lausanne, we are managing the renovation of a building of 26 apartments without rehousing the occupants; in Geneva, another building was renovated in two handover phases so that nobody had to move out. Tenancy law permits such works if they can reasonably be imposed on the tenants, who may, however, claim a rent reduction for as long as the disturbance lasts. Keeping occupants informed, both by the property manager and by us, therefore matters as much as the phasing.