2011 Awards for Excellence

Citation

(2012), "2011 Awards for Excellence", Property Management, Vol. 30 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.2012.11330aaa.004

2011 Awards for Excellence

Article Type: Editorial From: Property Management, Volume 30, Issue 1

The following article was selected for this year's Outstanding Paper Award for Property Management

"The cost-effectiveness of refurbishing Polish housing stock: a case study of apartments in Olsztyn''

Miroslaw BelejUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warmia and Mazury, PolandSally SimsOxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

Purpose - Climatic conditions in Poland vary tremendously each year with temperatures exceeding 25C in the summer and sub-zero in the winter. Therefore the provision of adequate heating and cooling in residential, public and industrial buildings is essential. Poland has recently embarked on a refurbishment process known as ``thermomodernisation'', which focuses on improving buildings' thermal and energy efficiency. This paper aims to present the results from a case study of refurbished apartments in Olsztyn, Poland, to determine whether this process increases market value.Design/methodology/approach - The research focuses on property in Olsztyn, Poland where residential property is typically situated in apartments within high-rise and low-rise buildings.Findings - The majority of housing stock in Poland was built during the 1970s to 1990s when the thermal properties of building materials were not considered in the construction process, the thermal performance in most residential buildings is very low and heating costs unacceptably high. The results suggest both occupiers and professionals consider thermomodernisation benefits the occupiers by reducing energy and maintenance costs and improving the amenity value of a home. However, whilst both thought that property value was increased this increase was not significant.Practical implications - This paper provides information on the financial benefits to the occupier from ``thermodernisation'', and encourages professionals to highlight these benefits when marketing property.Originality/value - No published research has explored this issue. This paper addresses this situation.

Keywords Residential property, Thermal efficiency, Market value, Poland, Service improvements

www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/02637471011086518

This article originally appeared in Volume 28 Number 5, 2010, pp. 298-319, Property Management

The following articles were selected for this year's Highly Commended Award

"Workplace impact of social networking''

James BennettMark OwersMichael Pitt andMichael Tucker

This article originally appeared in Volume 28 Number 3, 2010, Property Management