Home renovation work is no longer just about a coat of paint or replacing a faucet. Since rental properties classified G on the energy performance diagnosis (DPE) are banned, and this ban will extend to properties classified F in 2028, renovating now involves navigating a regulatory framework that redefines priorities. The renovation project now hinges on the coherence between the work items, the administrative timeline, and the actual budget.
Impact of the DPE on a home’s renovation strategy
The energy performance diagnosis now dictates the entire logic of a renovation project. Since January 1, 2025, a property classified G is considered uninhabitable. A landlord who has not renovated can no longer sign a new lease.
This regulatory pressure alters the order of priorities. Renovating a kitchen or replacing a floor becomes secondary if insulation and heating systems keep the property in an energy-consuming class. The energy audit, mandatory when selling F and G properties, provides a quantified action plan. Each DPE now includes a QR code for online verification that allows for checking the validity of the diagnosis and the certification of the professional.
For an owner-occupier, the pressure is less immediate, but the logic remains the same: the work strategy must integrate the impact on the DPE from the outset. For example, replacing windows without addressing attic insulation may gain a few comfort points without changing the energy class. Many articles discussing work on Cécile Bricole detail this type of arbitration between priority items and secondary interventions.
Global renovation or staged renovation: what project feedback shows
The state directs its aid towards high-performing global renovations, combining insulation, ventilation, and heating into a single package of work. On paper, this approach is optimal. In practice, feedback from the field diverges on this point.
A global renovation requires a budget that can be mobilized all at once, coordination among several trades, and a property vacated for several weeks. For a home occupied by its owners, these conditions are not always met. Staged renovation remains common, provided a precise technical order is respected.
The technical order that avoids rework
- Insulation (attics, walls, floors) comes first because it determines the sizing of the heating system. Insulating after installing a heat pump leads to oversized equipment.
- Ventilation must be reviewed simultaneously with insulation. A property made airtight without an appropriate mechanical ventilation system accumulates humidity and indoor pollutants.
- Heating comes next, calibrated to the reduced heat loss from insulation. The choice between a heat pump, pellet boiler, or other options depends on the building, local climate, and remaining budget.
- Finishes (floor coverings, interior joinery, painting) close the project once the technical items are stabilized.
Reversing this order generates measurable additional costs: replastering after duct installation, premature replacement of poorly sized equipment, loss of benefits from aids conditioned on overall energy gain.
Renovation budget: items that estimates do not show
Establishing a renovation budget generally begins with collecting quotes from craftsmen or companies. The amounts displayed cover labor and materials. However, several items are often missing from these estimates.
The cost of temporary relocation is rarely anticipated. For a heavy renovation (internal insulation, electrical work, heating replacement), leaving the property for several weeks is necessary. Short-term rentals, storage fees: these costs can represent a significant part of the total budget.
Regulatory compliance costs constitute another blind spot. An electrical panel found to be non-compliant during the project, a chimney flue needing to be lined, a wastewater evacuation needing to be redone: these technical surprises appear once the walls are opened. Planning a safety margin in the initial budget remains the only realistic safeguard.
RGE craftsmen and access to financial aid
Using RGE-certified craftsmen (Recognized Guarantor of the Environment) is a condition for accessing most public aids, including MaPrimeRénov’. The number of RGE-certified companies has decreased in recent years, which extends intervention times in certain regions.
Checking the validity of the certification before signing a quote avoids unpleasant surprises when submitting a file. A craftsman whose certification has expired between the quote and the end of the project can cause the loss of aid benefits. Requesting a dated RGE certificate at the time of signing the quote is a simple reflex that secures the financial setup.
Managing a renovation project without a project manager
Many homeowners coordinate their renovation work themselves to save on the fees of a project manager or architect. This approach works for projects limited to one or two trades. Beyond that, managing the interfaces between craftsmen becomes the main friction point.
A drywall installer waiting for the electrician, a tiler who cannot proceed until the screed has dried: each day of delay costs time and sometimes money if a craftsman charges for an unnecessary trip. Formalizing a shared schedule, even a simple one (a table with intervention dates and dependencies), reduces this risk.
The final acceptance of the work is another often-overlooked step. Checking the compliance of the work done against the signed quotes, documenting reservations in writing, and keeping invoices allows for activating guarantees (ten-year guarantee, perfect completion guarantee) in case of defects detected later.
The regulatory timeline surrounding the DPE, the decrease in the number of RGE craftsmen, and the refocusing of aids on global renovations change the way to approach a renovation project. Planning the items in the correct technical order, budgeting for unforeseen expenses, and securing the certifications of the participants remain three concrete levers to address before the project begins.