A 'smart' house is worth 80% more than one that needs renovation

In Italy, despite an improvement between 2018 and 2023, with an increase in class A buildings (from 8% to 15%), 75% of the Italian building stock remains in the three worst energy classes. This not only contributes to energy poverty, but also has an impact on the economic value of real estate.

Over the past 10 years, in fact, the Italian real estate market has shown increasing interest in energy-efficient buildings (classes A and B): from 2014 to 2023, real estate transactions for renovated buildings in higher energy classes rose from 7 per cent to 38 per cent, while sales of new buildings rose from 49 per cent to 70 per cent over the same period.

Consequently, the market value of refurbished buildings is also on the rise, which is 2,316 euro/sqm in 2023, 43% higher than that of habitable buildings (1,615 euro/sqm) and 80% higher than that of buildings to be renovated (1,290 euro/sqm). A trend that, on the one hand, underlines how investments in renovations and buildings that meet high energy standards are increasingly considered to be of strategic value, and on the other, highlights a greater awareness for properties that can guarantee a lower environmental impact as well as economic advantages in terms of energy savings.

This is what emerges from an analysis by the Teha Group's Community Smart Building - in its third edition and with the support of partners Abb, Ance Lombardia, BTicino, Irsap, Kone, Mcz Group and Principe Ares, conducted - which investigated the evolution of the Italian building stock in terms of energy efficiency, highlighting the impact of this performance on the market trend for smart and sustainable buildings.

"The green and smart renovation of Italy's housing stock," explained Benedetta Brioschi, partner and head of Teha Group's Community Smart Building, "is not only necessary, but also a significant economic opportunity. Real Estate is already implementing advanced technologies and actively investing in this direction, demonstrating a concrete commitment to a more sustainable and efficient future, but it is essential that further investments are made to enhance and accelerate this process",