The UK is way ahead of New Zealand in terms of numbers of certified Passive House buildings so it’s certainly instructive to see what we can learn. A recent article in the Guardian provided a very well written summary of Passive House benefits. Jon Bootland, the chief executive of the Passivhaus Trust, is quoted as saying there are 7000 Passive House homes currently in development. (Remember Passive House and Passivhaus are exactly the same thing in different languages.)
There are two key points I zoomed in on:
Resale value goes up 5-10%. [Bootland] would expect a [certified] Passivhaus to sell for between 5% and 10% more than a similar property built to normal energy efficiency standards.
The phrase ‘Passive House principles’ is essentially meaningless. Bootland warns anyone looking to buy a Passivhaus to be wary of unclear marketing claims. “A lot of people will say a house has ‘Passivhaus principles’, which actually has no meaning really.” A true Passivhaus will always have a certificate to prove its status and your solicitor should be sent the paperwork during the conveyancing process.
It is a great article that covers a lot of ground. Worth reading and keeping on file for potential clients.