What order should the work go in on a apartment built 1970–1989?

Start with a BER assessment to measure the house, then the insulation, windows and doors in one grant application, then the heat pump in a second application. Doing it out of order costs money: windows and doors done before the insulation (€3,100); new heating controls, then a heat pump (€1,045); 2 extra post-works bers (€490).

How much are the SEAI grants for this apartment?

The plan carries about €13,075 of SEAI's published grants, self-managed, against works costing about €24,268, which leaves about €11,193 to pay. Whether a grant is paid is SEAI's decision on the application.

Should I self-manage or use a One Stop Shop?

A close call on cost: about €11,193 self-managed in 2 stages, or about €9,708 through a One Stop Shop all at once. On paper a One Stop Shop is about €1,485 cheaper — within the uncertainty of our estimate of its fees, so treat the two as level on cost.

Retrofit plan for a apartment built 1970–1989

Start with a BER assessment to measure the house, then the insulation, windows and doors in one grant application, then the heat pump in a second application. Self-managed, about €13,075 in SEAI grants leaves about €11,193 to pay.

A worked example of the house published BERs most often describe: unfilled cavity walls (45%, the most common), heated now by electric storage heaters. The plan is the same with gas, oil, LPG or solid fuel. Make it yours

A close call on cost: about €11,193 self-managed in 2 stages, or about €9,708 through a One Stop Shop all at once.

Grants: €13,075
You pay: €11,193
Order saves: €4,635

Self-managed, 2 grant applications. A plan, not a BER assessment. Grants are SEAI’s published figures and SEAI decides each application; costs are medians, not quotes.

The plan, in order

Tap a step for why, the rule behind it and the source.

1Find out
- Energy assessment (BER and advisory report)no grant self-managed · €245
  A pre-works BER assessment gives the advisory report the windows and heat pump rules refer to, and the Heat Loss Indicator. Done by a registered BER assessor.
  €350 only through a One Stop Shop · Grant: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: Median costs of individual energy upgrades, read 25 Sept 2026
  - On the One Stop Shop route this is their Home Energy Assessment (€350 grant). Self-managed, it is a BER assessment you pay for.
2Insulation, windows and doors
- Cavity wall insulation€700 grant · €1,036
  Unfilled cavity walls: pumped insulation is the cheapest large saving and needs no planning permission.
  Grant: Wall insulation grant, read 8 Jun 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: Median costs of individual energy upgrades, read 25 Sept 2026
  - The cavity must suit full fill (the contractor surveys it).
  - Every external wall must be done — partial insulation is not grant-aided.
  About the cavity wall insulation grant
- Windows€1,500 grant · €4,196
  Older double glazing; new windows must be 1.4 W/m²K or better.
  Grant: Windows and doors grant, read 13 Jul 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: Median costs of individual energy upgrades, read 25 Sept 2026
  - Order matters: SEAI pays the windows grant only once attic and walls are insulated — before or at the same time. Source: Upgrading windows and doors leaflet, read 25 Sept 2026
  - After the works the house must show a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 or lower, or attic and walls rated Good.
  About the windows grant
- External doors€1,600 grant · €3,176
  Replacing inefficient external doors alongside the windows (up to two doors).
  Grant: Windows and doors grant, read 13 Jul 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: Median costs of individual energy upgrades, read 25 Sept 2026
  - Assumes two doors need replacing — confirm.
- Airtightnessno grant self-managed · €1,600
  Sealing gaps finishes the fabric work; with a test it proves the result.
  €1,000 only through a One Stop Shop · Grant: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: OSS Home Energy Assessment sample, read 25 Sept 2026
  - Grant-aided only on the One Stop Shop scheme.
- Mechanical ventilationno grant self-managed · €4,000
  A tighter house needs controlled ventilation to avoid condensation and mould. Where wall insulation goes in without it, the contractor must give you a ventilation advisory note.
  €1,500 only through a One Stop Shop · Grant: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: OSS Home Energy Assessment sample, read 25 Sept 2026
  - Order matters: Designed together. Source: Individual grants: Homeowner Application Guide, read 25 Sept 2026
  - Grant-aided only on the One Stop Shop scheme.
3The heat pump
- Heat pump technical assessment€200 grant · €500
  Built before 2007 without a BER showing a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 or less: SEAI requires a technical assessment before you apply for the heat pump grant. If the fabric works bring the heat loss indicator down, the new BER may remove the need.
  Grant: Heat pump systems grant, read 25 Sept 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: SEAI Retrofit Full Year Report 2024, read 26 Sept 2026
  - Order matters: A heat pump needs a well-insulated house. Doing the fabric first means the post-works BER from application 1 can show a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 or less — which is what lets you skip the technical assessment. Source: Heat pump systems grant, read 25 Sept 2026
  - Must be done before the heat pump application, by an SEAI registered technical advisor.
- Heat pump (air to water)€4,500 grant · €9,025
  Replaces the current heating with a renewable system; heats your water too.
  Grant: Individual grants: Homeowner Application Guide, read 25 Sept 2026 · Cost, a median not a quote: Median costs of individual energy upgrades, read 25 Sept 2026
  - Size it on the heat loss after the insulation and windows are done, not today's — a smaller pump costs less and runs better.
  - VAT is 9% when one business supplies and installs the heat pump system under one contract (Revenue). SEAI's homeowner guide says zero %, but Revenue sets VAT — check the quote shows 9%, not 23% or a split contract.
  About the heat pump (air to water) grant
- Radiators and pipework for the heat pump€1,000 grant
  Larger radiators or underfloor pipework so the heat pump runs efficiently at low temperatures. Grant-aided where the installer’s design requires it.
  Grant: Individual grants: Homeowner Application Guide, read 25 Sept 2026 · Included in the heat pump system median cost.
  - Paid only where the design needs it — assumed here; the installer confirms.
- Renewable heat bonus€3,525 grant
  Replacing electric storage heaters is what the €4,000 renewable heat bonus is for.
  Grant: Heat pump systems grant, read 25 Sept 2026 · Included in the heat pump system median cost.

Make this plan yours

What doing it in order keeps

about €4,635

The same works, done one job a year in the order people often start, against this plan. Grant rates are the same either way; what changes is which grants get paid and how many assessments you buy.

	One job at a time	This plan
Works and assessments	€26,503	€24,268
Grants paid	€10,675	€13,075
You pay	€15,828	€11,193

Windows and doors done before the insulation: €3,100
New windows are the upgrade people most often start with. SEAI pays the windows and doors grants only once attic and walls are insulated (before or at the same time). Done first, they are not paid.
Source: Upgrading windows and doors leaflet, read 25 Sept 2026
New heating controls, then a heat pump: €1,045
A common first step is smart controls on the old boiler (typically €1,745, €700 grant). The heat pump replaces them, and once a heat pump is planned the controls grant is not available at all. Money spent on a system you are about to remove.
Source: Heating upgrade grants (controls), read 25 Sept 2026
2 extra post-works BERs: €490
Every grant application needs its own post-works BER (about €245 each) and the €50 BER grant is paid once. One measure per application means 4 BERs; grouping them as SEAI allows means 2.
Source: Individual grants: Homeowner Application Guide, read 25 Sept 2026

The one-job-at-a-time order (windows and new controls first, a year apart) is our assumption about how people often start; SEAI does not publish it.

Self-managed or a One Stop Shop

€11,193 vs €9,708, a close call

Grant rates are the same on both schemes. What differs is which grants you end up with. Done one at a time in the usual order, this house loses about €4,635 to sequencing traps and repeat BERs; Cara's order keeps it. A One Stop Shop can also claim €3,650 of grants that exist only on its scheme (assessment, project management, ventilation, airtightness), against its own project management fee of about €1,900 and the assessment it charges for.

	Self-managed	One Stop Shop
Works, assessments and fees	€24,268	€26,183
Grants	€13,075	€16,475
You pay	€11,193	€9,708
Cash needed at the peak	€20,418	€9,708
How grants are paid	You pay, SEAI pays you back	Taken off the invoice

On paper a One Stop Shop is about €1,485 cheaper — within the uncertainty of our estimate of its fees, so treat the two as level on cost.
You can go at your own pace: 2 applications, each with an eight-month window.
The catch is cash: you pay first and SEAI pays you back, so you need about €20,418 available at the peak (less if your contractor agrees to take the grant directly).
Choose a One Stop Shop if you want one contract, grants off the invoice and the low-cost loan (available up to 31 December 2026). Self-manage if you want to go at your own pace, a stage at a time.

Grants only a One Stop Shop can claim: €3,650

Energy assessment (BER and advisory report) €350 · Grant exists only on the One Stop Shop scheme. Source: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026
Airtightness €1,000 · Grant exists only on the One Stop Shop scheme. Source: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026
Mechanical ventilation €1,500 · Grant exists only on the One Stop Shop scheme. Source: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026
Project management €800 · Pays towards the One Stop Shop's own project management fee (about €1,900 on these works). Source: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026

FixMyBER and Cara are not a One Stop Shop and cannot give access to that scheme. SEAI’s register lists the registered One Stop Shops; see them by county. The One Stop Shop fee is our estimate from SEAI’s sample assessment, which is why a small difference counts as a close call.

Cash flow, month by month

up to €20,418 out at the peak

Self-managed, you pay each contractor and SEAI pays the grant back afterwards.

When	What	Money	Running total
Month 0	Pre-works BER assessment	−€245	−€245
Month 2	Fabric (application 1): works and post-works BER paid	−€14,253	−€14,498
Month 4	Fabric (application 1): SEAI grant paid	+€3,850	−€10,648
Month 8	Heat pump (application 2): works and post-works BER paid	−€9,770	−€20,418
Month 10	Heat pump (application 2): SEAI grant paid	+€9,225	−€11,193

The largest amount SEAI owes you at any one time is about €9,225, for roughly 2 months between paying the contractor and the grant arriving (post-works BER, forms, then SEAI's stated 4–6 weeks). The low-cost Home Energy Upgrade Loan cannot be used for self-managed works (and is available only up to 31 December 2026). If your contractor agrees to take the grant directly — SEAI allows it; it is their choice — your peak outlay falls to about €11,193.

Contractor taking the grant: Individual grants: Homeowner Application Guide, read 25 Sept 2026 · The low-cost loan: Home Energy Upgrade Loan, read 30 Jul 2026 · Timing is our assumption: about two months from paying for the works to the grant arriving.

What to apply for, and when

2 applications, offer before any work

SEAI’s rule: the grant offer has to be in place before any work starts or materials are bought.

Cavity wall insulation · SEAI Better Energy Homes (individual grants) · Application 1 — before any fabric works start or materials are bought
Windows · SEAI Better Energy Homes (individual grants) · Application 1 — before any fabric works start or materials are bought
External doors · SEAI Better Energy Homes (individual grants) · Application 1 — before any fabric works start or materials are bought
Heat pump technical assessment · SEAI Better Energy Homes (individual grants) · Application 2 — after the fabric works and their post-works BER
Heat pump (air to water) · SEAI Better Energy Homes (individual grants) · Application 2 — after the fabric works and their post-works BER
Radiators and pipework for the heat pump · SEAI Better Energy Homes (individual grants) · Application 2 — after the fabric works and their post-works BER
Renewable heat bonus · SEAI Better Energy Homes (individual grants) · Application 2 — after the fabric works and their post-works BER

Worth knowing

1 to check, 3 left out of the plan

The BER scale changed on 24 May 2026: new certificates show A0, A, B, C, D, E, F or G instead of A1 to G. SEAI's scheme rules still say B2, the lower half of the old B band. A new "B" covers a little more than the old B2 did, so a B on a new certificate does not always mean B2. Source: CSO Domestic BERs Q2 2026 — background notes, read 26 Sept 2026
Not in this plan: heating controls. The heating controls grant is not available alongside or after a heat pump grant — and the heat pump comes with its own controls. Do not spend on new controls for a system you are replacing. Source: Heating upgrade grants (controls), read 25 Sept 2026
Not in this plan: solar pv. Not planned by default for an apartment (roof access is shared). Tell Cara if you have your own roof.
Not in this plan: floor insulation. Not planned by default: it needs the floor type (suspended timber or solid) and is grant-aided only on the One Stop Shop scheme. Tell Cara if your floors are suspended timber. Source: One Stop Shop: multiple energy upgrades (grant table), read 30 Apr 2026

What this plan is based on

your answers, SEAI's figures, our assumptions

The house in this plan is the one published BERs most often describe for apartments built 1970–1989:

No wall type dominates in published BERs for apartments built 1970–1989 (45% unfilled cavity, 26% filled cavity, 23% solid stone or brick). This plan uses the most common, unfilled cavity.
85% of them record windows that lose more heat than 2.0 W/m²K (new windows must reach 1.4), so this plan replaces them.
Planned with a home directly above, so no attic of its own.
The example is heated by electric storage heaters, the commonest heating in these BERs (50% electric, of every kind). The plan is the same with gas, oil, LPG or solid fuel.

From 3,873 published BERs. SEAI BER Research Tool, file of 8 September 2026. A pattern across similar homes, not a fact about any one.

County: Don't knowThe plan does not depend on it.
House type: Apartment
Built: 1970 – 1989
Heating (example): Storage heatersThe plan is the same with gas, oil, LPG or solid fuel.
Walls: Cavity, not filledThe most common (45% unfilled cavity, 26% filled cavity, 23% solid stone or brick)
Windows: Double, before 2000From the build date and published BERs for these homes
Attic: No attic of my own

This is a plan, not a BER assessment. Only an SEAI registered BER assessor can assess or certify a home.
Grant amounts and rules are SEAI's published figures as read on the dates shown beside each one. Whether a grant is paid is SEAI's decision on your application.
Costs are SEAI medians for this house type (Jan–Jun 2026) or labelled estimates — not quotes.
FixMyBER is not a One Stop Shop and cannot give access to the One Stop Shop scheme. Registered One Stop Shops are listed by SEAI.
Contractors are shown with their SEAI registration details only. SEAI registers contractors but does not endorse their work, and neither do we.

rules 2026-09-26.1