Renovating Your Home? When to Book a Home Energy Assessment
Home Energy Assessment

Renovating Your Home? When to Book a Home Energy Assessment

If you’re planning renovations, a Home Energy Assessment can help you avoid missed opportunities and costly rework. This blog explains when to book an assessment during a renovation project, how it supports better decisions, and why timing it correctly can improve comfort, efficiency and long-term value.
Published on 08 April 2026 : Updated 08 April • 3 minute read

Why energy planning matters during renovations


Renovation projects are one of the best opportunities to improve how a home performs — but energy efficiency is often considered too late. Decisions around layouts, finishes or extensions are sometimes made without understanding how they affect heat loss, ventilation or future upgrade options.

A Home Energy Assessment helps bring energy performance into the conversation early, when changes are easier and more cost-effective to make.

Before you finalise renovation plans


Booking a Home Energy Assessment before plans are locked in allows you to understand how your home performs and where improvements would have the biggest impact.

At this stage, the assessment can help identify:
  • Where heat is currently being lost
  • Whether insulation upgrades should be included
  • How renovations might affect ventilation or airtightness
  • Opportunities to future-proof the home

This can prevent design choices that limit energy upgrades later.

Before opening up walls, roofs or floors


Renovations often involve opening parts of the building fabric. This is an ideal time to consider insulation or airtightness improvements, as access is already available.

A Home Energy Assessment can highlight which areas are worth addressing while works are underway, helping avoid situations where finished spaces need to be reopened in the future.

Before upgrading heating systems


Many renovations include changes to heating or hot water systems. However, upgrading heating before understanding insulation and heat loss can lead to poor performance.

An assessment helps ensure heating decisions are made in the right order, based on how well the home can retain heat once renovations are complete.

During phased or long-term renovations


Not all renovations happen at once. Some projects are spread over months or years, depending on budget and priorities.

A Home Energy Assessment supports phased planning by:
  • Setting a clear starting point
  • Helping prioritise upgrades over time
  • Reducing reliance on guesswork
  • Supporting better long-term decisions

This is especially useful if you want to improve comfort gradually without rushing.

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After renovation plans change


Renovation plans often evolve. Extensions are added, layouts change, or budgets shift. If plans change significantly, revisiting energy performance can help ensure new decisions still make sense.

In some cases, an updated assessment may be appropriate to reflect changes to the home.

How a Home Energy Assessment supports renovation projects


A Home Energy Assessment doesn’t replace an architect or builder — it complements them. It focuses on how the home performs as a system, helping you understand the energy impact of renovation decisions.

This reduces the risk of missed opportunities and helps ensure renovations improve comfort, efficiency and long-term performance.

What happens next


After your Home Energy Assessment, you receive a clear report explaining how your home performs and which improvements may suit your renovation plans.

You can use this information to inform discussions with designers or contractors, adjust plans if needed, and move forward knowing energy efficiency has been considered properly — not added as an afterthought.

Booking the assessment at the right time helps ensure your renovation delivers lasting benefits, not just a visual upgrade.
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Mary Hilda Hurley, Retrofit Expert
Published on 08 April 2026: Updated 08 April • 3 minute read
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John and Brenda wanted a warmer, more efficient home as they looked ahead to retirement.

“For me it was more about the cost… Brenda was more about the heat. We brought both of our reasons together and found Churchfield. Churchfield were so helpful in every area.” — John Brady
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