7 star energy rating quotes are all over the place

cardigan-weather

Our Hobart build is going through NatHERS assessment now and the draftsman keeps saying dont stress, 7 stars is mostly design. The builder keeps muttering about glazing packages. Someone is wrong and I suspect its my budget that pays either way.

For anyone who signed since the 7 star rules kicked in, what did compliance actually add? Double glazing everywhere or just some windows? Extra insulation? Did the assessor make you shrink windows or change orientation?

Ive read the official line that a smart design gets there for around 3k extra. Ive also heard of quotes moving 10k plus, mostly glazing. Would love real numbers, state and climate zone included, because Tassie cold is not Brisbane cold.

Not against the standard by the way. The rental we are in now is 2 stars of misery. Just want to budget with real figures instead of vibes.

JenW88

Signed in Adelaide last year. The assessor report wanted low-e double glazing on the south and west windows only, upgraded ceiling batts from R5 to R6, and a lighter roof colour. All up the variation was about $6,800 on a 220sqm single storey.

The thing nobody tells you: appliance choices count under whole-of-home. Our gas cooktop was costing us points and swapping to induction basically paid for itself in the score. Weird system but it worked out.

bench-seat-27

Building in Newcastle and ours came in around 4k over the old spec, mostly glazing on the western side and better door seals.

The draftsman did move the living room glazing in the first sketch though, so some of the cost got designed out before it ever hit a quote. Reckon thats where the it costs nothing crowd are coming from, they are counting the version where the design does the work.

davefrom-2009

Mate in Brisbane paid almost nothing extra because QLD houses were mostly getting there anyway with shading and fans. My cousin in Melbourne got slugged 11k because their plan had a glass wall facing west like a greenhouse audition.

Same standard, wildly different bills. The house design is doing the heavy lifting, not the star number.

fuzzy-muppet

MY 1970S HOUSE IS MINUS 2 STARS AND POWERED BY REGRET

honestly the new rules are the one thing i wont whinge about. insulation is the only reno that ever paid me back. spend the money, cry once

cardigan-weather

Quick update from the Hobart end. Assessor draft came back overnight. They want low-e double glazing on the south and west only, R6 ceiling, and they dinged us for the gas cooktop under whole-of-home. Looking like about 7.2k over the original glazing package if we keep gas, or closer to 5.5k if we switch to induction and drop one west-facing window size.

So the official 3k line was optimistic for our climate and our plan, but it is not the 11k horror story either. Design is doing most of the work. Thanks for the state-by-state numbers, that helped more than the brochure.

plot-twist-77

Adelaide follow up since Jen mentioned induction helping the score. We swapped cooktop mid-assessment and it was enough to avoid upsizing a couple of west windows. Assessor said appliance choices are the quiet lever people forget.

Cold climates still pay more in glazing though. Your 5.5k to 7.2k band sounds about right for Hobart if the plan is otherwise sensible.

BecW-Brissy

Brisbane update from a mate who signed last month. Their assessor barely touched the glazing package because the plan already had decent eaves and the living areas face north properly.

Extra cost was mostly better ceiling insulation and a couple of door seals. Under 2k. Completely different story to the Hobart and Melbourne numbers in this thread, which tracks with what people keep saying about climate zone doing the heavy lifting.

FairGo-Frem

Fremantle side we barely paid for 7 star either. Shading and the sea breeze do half the work here. Different planet from Tassie glazing bills in this thread.

Still glad the standard exists. Our last rental was a tin oven with carpet.

FairGo-Frem

Someone asked ages back about WA vs Tassie. We just got the NatHERS certificate for a Freo renovation extension and the glazing package barely moved because the existing eaves and orientation did the work.

Still paid for better seals. Cheap compared to the southern state numbers floating around here.

FairGo-Frem

Freo reno update: final NatHERS certificate landed without the glazing panic we feared. Orientation and eaves did most of the work; we still paid for better seals on the west openings.

If your assessor is pushing a package that feels like a brochure upsell, ask which stars come from fabric vs which come from glass before you sign.