Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/624751
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 JANUARY 2016 Property & Construction III looking at real estate Keep a record House hunting can be a long process. Keep a notebook (or a file on your phone) about the price, location, type of property, and pros and cons for each view- ing. It will help you to keep track of the places you see and their features. Don't be shy to take a tape measure on your later viewings, so you can get a clear picture of the dimensions you'll be working with. This is very helpful when getting quotes from trade professionals and finding out if your couch will fit through the living room door. Quiz the seller If you've made some repeat visits to a particular property, it may be time to ask the seller some important questions. What are the neighbours like? Do they have a good rapport? If the prop- erty is an apartment, what sort of condominium agreement is in place? How much does mainte- nance of common areas amount to? Are there any long-standing issues with other apartment owners? Flick on a light switch and turn on the taps to check if they're up to scratch or if revamping the plumbing and electricity will need to be included in your renovation budget Building Industry Council launches online catalogue of green technology THE Building Industry Consultative Council, in collaboration with the Regulator for Energy & Water Services has developed a green building technology website www.ecobuild. gov.mt with the purpose of informing the public about the availabil- ity of different types of energy efficient tech- nologies, giving examples of possible building interventions, and providing building industry professionals with a wide range of information and tools to imple- ment better performing buildings. The website aims to provide easily accessible information for a wide range of viewers, from homeowners to professionals. It will enable the building industry to adopt design construction practices, building technologies that are energy efficient and which lead to an improvement in the energy efficiency of both new-build and existing buildings Green technologies also include the sustainable use of resources and the integration of renew- able energy systems within our buildings. This website includes a product catalogue of locally available green building technologies as well as listings of certified technicians, designers, and consultancy & specialist services linked with these green build- ing technologies. Non-technical advice for homeowners investing in energy-saving measures will be continually uploaded keep- ing visitors up to date with new developments. More detailed technical product information for building profes- sionals, technicians and develop- ers will also be available allowing site visitors to use the website as a reference tool, building their knowledge and gaining further insight supported by technical advice on how to make the most cost-effective choice of products. As part of the official launch of the website, interested compa- nies that provide green build- ing products and services are being invited to register on the website and submit information on their companies and services for eventual uploading onto the website. In order to ensure a higher level of security, the e-ID issued by the Identity Management Office is required to gain access to the com- panies and products registration area. Duly registered companies may choose to imme- diately submit products for moderation by a BICC appointed product review board prior to uploading. Should interested companies re- quire assistance or further clari- fications on how to register, they may contact BICC on ecobuild@ gov.mt or on 22479300. Registered company contact details are automatically hy- perlinked to the websites of the participating companies and it is possible to upload images such as company logos and product images as well as a short de- scriptive text. For each registered product, the product supplier can choose multiple platforms where best to promote their products. The website is a partially fund- ed through European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) Project 088: Renewable Energy Sources in the Domestic Sector. One of the aims of this project is to enhance consumer aware- ness with respect to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.