If you want to make your own home more sustainable, it is important to get a clear picture of your personal situation. What matters when making a good assessment?
Mark: “How you want to finance and how you can finance sustainability measures depends on your situation. What has already been done to your home? What is your home’s energy label? Do you have savings you want to use? Or do you have room to possibly increase your mortgage? In many cases more is possible than you might think.”
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Where do you start?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"It all sounds logical, but where do you begin?
Mark: “I always recommend starting with the Upgrade Check. It is an excellent starting point and easy and quick to do yourself. The Upgrade Check gives you immediate insight into the sustainability options for your home. After the check, everything is clearly laid out: the costs, subsidies, energy savings and CO2 reduction. On top of that, the check also estimates your home’s potential new energy label. So with the Upgrade Check you can see almost at a glance what is possible in your situation, and you can decide whether and where you want to start.”
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/what-is-the-upgrade-check","text":"More about the Upgrade check"}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"How do you finance making your house more sustainable?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Mark: “This naturally depends on your personal situation. And make sure to look into which subsidy schemes the national government and your local council offer for financing sustainability measures. It is definitely worth investigating these options as well.
You can use your savings, take out a personal loan, increase your mortgage, or choose a special loan through the National Heat Fund. Depending on your situation, you can select the financing option that fits you best.”
"}},{"componentType":"accordion","accordionList":[{"title":"Using savings","richBody":{"value":"As long as the interest you earn on your savings is lower than the interest you pay on a loan, using your savings can be a good choice.
Mark: “It remains a personal decision. Some people like to maintain a larger financial buffer. In that case, borrowing may be the better option.”
"}},{"title":"National Heat Fund","richBody":{"value":"With the Energy Saving Loan from the National Heat Fund, you can borrow money under favourable conditions for improvements such as insulation, solar panels or a heat pump.
Thanks to cooperation with the government, the interest rate is low. “It is a good solution if you do not have enough savings or if your borrowing capacity is limited.”
"}},{"title":"Personal loan","richBody":{"value":"If you do not have sufficient savings, you can also apply for a Personal Loan to finance these improvements. “The interest on a Personal Loan is usually higher than a mortgage interest rate, but the term is generally shorter and there are no additional costs such as for advice, notary, valuation or arrangement fees.”
"}},{"title":"Increasing your mortgage","richBody":{"value":"You can also make your home more sustainable by increasing your mortgage. You must have sufficient borrowing capacity for this. There is, however, additional borrowing capacity specifically for sustainability measures. Under certain conditions, you can borrow up to 106 per cent of your property’s value. “We then place the funds for sustainability measures into a sustainability account.
You can use this account for approved energy-saving measures. It is important to be aware that increasing an existing mortgage may involve additional costs, such as advice fees, valuation costs and sometimes notary fees. Also make sure to consider the affordability of your mortgage.”
Mark: “If you already have an ING mortgage, you can arrange many things yourself. But if you want to discuss your options, you can request a free exploratory consultation with a mortgage adviser.
Of course, you can also contact an independent mortgage adviser. Together, you can map out your situation and determine the best solution for you.”
"}}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"What other tip does Mark have?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Mark: “Remember that every step counts, big or small. And make sure the ‘shell’ of your home is in good shape. So check where you can still insulate and ensure proper ventilation.
Then look at what a heat pump and solar panels could do for you. And most importantly, make it enjoyable for yourself. I now find it genuinely fun to see when and how much our solar panels produce.
When the sun is shining, our washing machine or dryer programme starts at home.”
"},"alignedImage":{"position":"left","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/706fc2cd-c04e-4139-b95a-ba9c54cd8d00/ING_Artikel-hypotheekadviseur-Mark-NIET-GEBRUIKEN","altTextNL":"Mark Heukels","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/a844cdafb5ab9fa/original/ING_Artikel-hypotheekadviseur-Mark-NIET-GEBRUIKEN.jpg","extension":"jpg"}},{"componentType":"cta","textLink":{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/your-mortgage","text":"Make an appointment with our advisers"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":""},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/mortgage-advice/advice-independent-adviser","text":"Or make an appointment with one of the 2,700 independent advisers"}]},{"componentType":"linkList","iconTitle":{"title":"And what’s also useful to know…"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/national-heat-fund","text":"National Heat Fund: borrowing on favourable terms"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/upgrade-your-apartment-with-your-hoa","text":"Making your apartment building more sustainable with your Homeowners’ Association (HOA)"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/more-green-around-the-house","text":"More greenery around your home"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/ventilation","text":"Energy-efficient ventilation"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/heat-pump","text":"How does a heat pump work?"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/gas-free-living-step-by-step","text":"Going gas-free step by step: here’s how"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/foundation-risks","text":"Repairing foundations and preventing further damage"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/energylabels-for-homes","text":"All about energy labels"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/increase-self-consumption-of-solar-power","text":"How to use more of your own solar power"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/tips-to-keep-your-house-cool-in-summer","text":"How to keep your home cool in summer"},{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/home-battery","text":"Home batteries"}]}]},"complementaryZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Also interesting..."},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Subsidies","intro":"These are the subsidies for sustainable renovations.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/ad83ddc7-b3fe-448a-8f9b-f76ffd6dc54b/Large_Web-and-Screen-Three-young-girls-peek-over-ledge-smiling","type":"image","width":1920,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/5b51ed4362897aa4/original/Large_Web-and-Screen-Three-young-girls-peek-over-ledge-smiling.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/government-subsidies"}}]}]}}}