One-stop shop offers professional, trustworthy advice on successful house remodels
The EU-funded I-HEROS project is simplifying the complex processes associated with home renovation, particularly focusing on reducing housing emissions and improving comfort. To this end, it has established a one-stop-shop in Toulouse Metropole for homeowners seeking to renovate their homes. The initiative provides a single point of access for administrative support, technical tasks and professional contact. Advice is neutral and free for residents. “Our service seeks to provide guidance and coordination, allowing individuals to walk in without an appointment and discuss all available options with a single knowledgeable representative,” comments François Chollet, Vice-president of Toulouse Métropole in charge of the Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Transition. “The goal is to streamline the process, making it easier for homeowners to understand where to start and how to proceed with their renovations.”
Instilling confidence in home renovation
The building sector in Europe accounts for approximately 40 % of energy consumption and 36 % of greenhouse gas emissions, making renovation a critical aspect of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Despite its importance, the renovation rate remains at around 1 % across different European countries. I-HEROS offers a comprehensive range of solutions to make the renovation journey easier for homeowners. This includes a charter of commitment from professionals and a directory of trustworthy professionals to mitigate the prevalent problem of fraud and lack of trust in the renovation sector. “I-HEROS has formed a charter to set out reciprocal commitments between professionals and Toulouse Métropole, who also serve on its advisory board, to collectively address the home renovation sector’s objectives. This charter is open for all enterprises to sign, allowing them to demonstrate their commitment to high-quality building renovations. The signatories are included in the one-stop-shop’s directory, providing a pledge of trust for residents,” explains Chollet.
Setting a new standard across European cities
One-stop shops offer homeowners all the information and services they need to implement renovation projects. Essentially, they should provide administrative, technical and financial assistance, supporting citizens in the project set-up and development. “Our innovative strategy targets entire neighbourhoods, offering them comprehensive solutions for renovation. Despite being a relatively new approach on the European scale, it has shown promise in improving existing approaches assisting people with renovations,” notes Jean-Claude Dardelet, Vice-president of Toulouse Métropole in charge of Attractiveness, European and International Relations and Tourism. “Our unique neighbourhood-targeting strategy evolved as a novel method to further our project aims, setting a new precedent for cities across Europe,” highlights Dardelet. This one-stop shop in Toulouse Metropole, launched in February 2022, started with six full-time advisors and has since grown to 14. “Securing these full-time positions – as opposed to temporary ones – is a true achievement for us, allowing us to enrich our resources,” states François Chollet. Future plans for the service involve strengthening it further by doubling its operating hours and the number of condominium hotlines as well as providing dedicated appointments for condominiums. By conducting in-depth analyses of local needs and effectively communicating to homeowners about these services, I-HEROS aspires to stimulate the demand on the territory. Furthermore, drawing from the experiences of similar emerging services across Europe, I-HEROS anticipates refining the economic model of the one-stop-shop structure. The goal is to reduce the need for subsidies, while maintaining neutral and free advice for homeowners.
Keywords
I-HEROS, one-stop shop, Toulouse Metropole, home renovation, neighbourhood
