Non Domestic BER by the back door

SilverBER

Training providers tell you what you want to hear. They are snake oil salesmen and when you challenge them on it after the fact (too late cos they have your money) they tell you that you arent marketing yourself properly. They then tell you to post spam on websites like Daft etc in order to drum up business. They then tell you to make personal calls to estate agents etc. I have a few agents that I work with and they tell me that they are sick and tired of getting personal visits, phone calls and emails from assessors looking for work. I don't blame the assessors though, they are trying to make the best of a bad job.
A guy on Twitter this evening offered BERs for €125. Madness!

mary b

Anglinarch - There is no such thing in this business now as the going rate because it is changing(dropping) by the day. But I have to admire your optimistic outlook "figure ill make the money back that i spent in the first year?" Not a chance. Invest it in bank shares, you have a far better chance of making some money and believe me it is not as big a risk as getting into this game. I have spent in the region of 30,000 euro between courses, domestic and non- domestic, blower doors, thermal imaging, websites etc. Sum total turnover from BERs Air tightness test etc to date 5,000 euro. I wish I studied accountancy instead!!!!!!! Non domestic sector is dead in the water and will remain so for the next few years.

SilverBER

Your story is a familiar one, mary b.
On the flipside of this is there any other association, company, organisation or public body can foist a system of expense for the promise of untold wealth such as this on people without getting their arse hung up in court?
If a company misleads a customer through clever wording of an advertisement they get sued. Why does the same thing not apply here? It would not surprise me to see a perturbed assessor having a day in court over this and if that happens there will be a deluge of claims. After all litigation works both ways.

chatterbox007

Apart from the 50 million assessors on the register the main thing that is killing the BER business is the lack of inforcement. Any landlord I know has no intension of getting it done especially with falling rents and the tennants rarely ask. Unless it is necessary on the prtb form or something the market will remain dead.:mad:

trad

This is why I keep plugging on about BER every time a tennant has an issue on this forum.

No6

BER is not a full time buisness for most people it is only an add on service. It has taken me two years since doing the domestic course with registration and advertising (a total waste of time!!) to break even. I havn't done the Non dom, air tightness, thermal imaging etc coursees and I didn't spend 1000's on equipment and at this stage I am very very glad that I didn't!!!

anglinarch

Mary b - sounds like you spent alot of money, i was thinking of the course fee and registration which is around 2k and going by word of mouth and seeing what i might pick up along the way.... the building industry in general is dead for the next few years, any construction professionals with jobs right now are lucky.... but when things turn around this industry will also.... it's a long road to becoming an accountant, but you should think of maybe doing Quantity Surveying.

anyway i dont seem to be allowed to join as of yet

'Graduate members of RIAI are currently not listed on the qualifying professional organisations and memberships/titles listed on our website. Therefore you are not eligible to apply to register as an interim non domestic BER assessor.'

No6

RIAI Tech membership is now accepted as an level 8 equilivant so some of us can now train up (if we want) and do level 3,4&5 non dom assessments. Theres also a change for some engineers and surveyors with level 7 basic degrees (I think) see here for details http://www.sei.ie/Your_Building/BER/Non_Domestic_Buildings/Registration_of_Non-Domestic_BER_Assessors/Levels_3_4_and_5/Equivalent_Qualifications/

sinnerboy

"deemed to be equivalent to NFQ Level 8 for the purposes of registration as interim non domestic BER assessors."

Welcome indeed - thanks No 6

No6

Its about time someone recognised us at's for what we are!!!:D