Claire's Journey: Making Home Retrofitting Approachable

When Claire and her partner purchased their Birmingham house after renting it for 2.5 years, they knew they wanted to make it more energy efficient. Like many environmentally conscious homeowners, Claire had been thinking about retrofitting for nearly two years but felt overwhelmed by the complexity of the decisions involved.

"I've been concerned about climate change since I was a kid," Claire explains. "I know we're not making progress anywhere near as fast as we need to be. These are some of the things I can do as an individual, and I'm in the fortunate position that I can afford to do these things. It seems important that I put my money where my mouth is and actually do something."

The Challenge: Finding Independent Expertise

Despite her commitment to improving her home's energy efficiency, Claire faced a common challenge: finding independent experts who could work with individual homeowners. "When I tried maybe about a year ago to try and find someone to do a survey, like a proper retrofitting full thing, the only organisations I found were doing whole-level residential schemes, like house building schemes. Nobody was doing individual homeowners' properties."

The property had already undergone some improvements, including triple-glazed windows, and Claire had begun a garage conversion to create space for a potential future heat pump. However, with an aging boiler and uncertainty about their cavity wall insulation, they needed expert guidance to make the right decisions.

"I think the hardest thing is feeling like you've been just sold a bit of goods or slightly duped by somebody," Claire reflects. "Every expert that comes in looks at something the previous person went 'oh no, wouldn't have done that,' and it just always feels like you somehow made a bad decision and you should have done better."

Finding the Right Support

After struggling to find independent experts, Claire discovered Furbnow through a local community webinar about retrofitting experiences. What stood out was the promise of independent, knowledgeable expertise and a structured approach to home energy improvements.

"For me, the main thing is that I've bought access to an independent expert knowledgeable on retrofitting to allow me to actually understand what the whole thing looks like and what works for me rather than what someone else is trying to sell me," Claire explains. "I've read up a lot on retrofitting, but often very quickly get confused by the technical language and feel out of my depth."

The Journey with Furbnow

Stage 1: Home Energy Plan

The initial survey revealed insights that even surprised Claire, including significant heat loss through the solid floor - an issue she hadn't previously considered. The comprehensive assessment provided clarity about the property's current state and potential improvements.

What made the difference was how Furbnow made complex information accessible. "It was laid out really clearly and helpfully in terms of it didn't feel too overwhelming," Claire notes. "When we tried to do retrofit research on our own, the biggest thing was getting overwhelmed by the technical aspects. So I really appreciate that quite hard line to kind of make sure it's clear as to why stuff's being done, but also not overwhelming."

Link to an example Home Energy Plan.

Moving to Stage 2: Design and Tender

The decision to proceed to Stage 2 was influenced by several factors, particularly Furbnow's phased approach. "It was helpful to us to have it in proposed phases because that then meant we could say which bits we liked," Claire explains. "That made it kind of feel more approachable, more doable, rather than sort of feeling like we had to do everything."

Claire's experience with previous home improvements helped her recognise the value of expert support: "Your average builder, your average person working in construction, isn't necessarily going to know a lot of this stuff. We realized that this is going to require somebody who's really all over it and really tracking what is occurring and knows what to ask. That's when we really saw the value of what Furbnow was bringing."

Legacy and Looking Forward

For Claire and her partner, this project is about more than just immediate benefits. "We're not looking to necessarily make all our money back on new energy improvements," Claire shares. "This is a legacy we can leave when we sell our home, that whoever buys it next, at least one part of the housing stock will be better quality than the rest."

When describing Furbnow to friends, Claire emphasises how the service "takes the fear and the overwhelm out of it. It's helpful to have that organisation that can support you and make it make sense. They've been professional and supportive all the way through, and it feels far more doable than it feels when you're trying to work it all out on your own."

Key Takeaways

Claire's journey demonstrates how the right support can transform the daunting prospect of home retrofitting into a manageable project:

• Expert guidance helps homeowners understand the full picture of their property's needs
• A phased approach makes large projects more approachable
• Independent expertise provides confidence in decision-making.
• Professional support throughout the process reduces stress and uncertainty
  
  

For homeowners considering their own retrofit journey, Claire's experience shows that while the process may be complex, with the right support, it becomes not just manageable but empowering - a concrete way to contribute to a more sustainable future while improving your home's comfort and efficiency.

Are you thinking about improving your home's energy efficiency? Like Claire, you can benefit from independent expert guidance. Contact Furbnow at hello@furbnow.com or give us a call at 0330 165 6147 to start your journey toward a more comfortable, sustainable home.