Home quality mark HQM

On 3 March 2015, BRE (Building Research Establishment) introduced a voluntary, national Home Quality Mark (HQM) for new housing, to ensure quality isn’t compromised in the drive to build more homes. Ref BRE, New Home Quality Mark puts consumers at the heart of house building.

The mark was launched a Ecobuild, and is intended to influence the way consumers choose homes to buy or rent, giving them confidence that they are choosing a well built, cost-effective home. It will also allow house builders to highlight the innovative features of their homes and differentiate themselves in the marketplace.

Homes built to the Home Quality Mark will be independently evaluated by a licensed BRE Global assessor using a 5-star rating system indicating the quality and performance of the new home, according to:

• Overall running costs.
• The impact on the occupant’s health and wellbeing.
• The home’s environmental footprint.
• Its resilience to flooding and overheating.
• The digital connectivity and performance of the home.

Developments built to standards such as Passivhaus or the Code for Sustainable Homes can be credited under the mark where compatible criteria apply.

A number of stakeholders are working with BRE on the development of the mark from its current beta testing stage, and it is currently being trialled on the E4 brick house under construction on the BRE Innovation Park in Watford. Builders have been able to register developments under the mark since June 2015. BRE Academy will be launching a new training course for assessors in the summer of 2015.

Chief Executive of BRE, Dr Peter Bonfield said, ‘It is our long term goal that the Home Quality Mark will become the de facto sign of a better home – something that home buyers can rely on and use in their purchase decisions. It will also be used by house builders to demonstrate the quality and performance of the homes they deliver.’

--BRE_Group

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