Building age
Building age is how old a building is, normally counted from the year of construction, that is, the year the building was erected. Age is one of the most widely used pieces of information about a property, because it says something about technical building standard, maintenance needs, energy use and which rules the building was erected under. The year of construction is registered in the matrikkel and is a key parameter both when buying and selling, in valuation and in analyses of a building stock.
The year of construction comes from the matrikkel, but the quality of the information varies. For newer buildings the year is usually correct, while for older buildings it may be estimated, missing, or refer to a later registration rather than the actual construction. One known issue is that many buildings have a registered year from the early 1990s because the information was entered into the register then, not because the building dates from that time. Building age should therefore be read with caution, particularly for older buildings, and checked against other sources such as SEFRAK registrations of older buildings or a condition report.
Age is closely linked to which regulations the building was erected under. A building follows the technical building requirements that applied at the time of construction, and the requirements have changed a great deal over time, up to today's TEK17. This means older buildings often have weaker insulation, different fire requirements and poorer accessibility than new ones, which affects energy labelling, conversion needs and costs. In refurbishment and change of use, parts of today's requirements can be triggered, and then the building's age and original standard determine the scope.
The age distribution in a building stock is also an analysis tool in its own right. For a manager or investor with several properties, the distribution of construction years gives a picture of the total maintenance backlog and future investment needs, because buildings from the same period often reach the end of the service life of roofs, façades and technical installations at roughly the same time. At area level, the age distribution says something about when a district was developed, and thus about the potential for refurbishment, densification or transformation.
A practical distinction runs between a building's formal age and its actual condition. Two buildings from the same year can be in completely different shape depending on maintenance and earlier refurbishment, and an older, well-maintained building can be better than a younger one with a backlog. Building age is therefore rarely used alone, but together with a condition report, an energy certificate and information about which works have been carried out. When buying commercial property, the building's technical generation, that is, which requirements it was erected under, is often just as important as the exact year.
In Placepoint you can see the year of construction and other building information from the matrikkel for each building on a property, and you can see the age distribution in an area. Remember that the year of construction is register information that should be checked for older buildings.
How the dataset appears on the map
The dataset is part of the map layer Buildings as Building age:
From Placepoint's dictionary: Building age
More information: Kartverket: about the matrikkel, Kartverket: property boundaries and matrikkel data
English: Building age / year of construction (bygningsalder; the age of a building, normally counted from its registered year of construction).
Filtering
The filter lets you narrow by Building Type.
Shown here with Hotellbygning selected under Building Type.
Common questions
What is building age?
Building age is how old a building is, normally counted from the year of construction. The year is registered in the matrikkel and is used when buying, selling, valuing and analysing.
How accurate is the year of construction?
For newer buildings it is usually correct. For older buildings it may be estimated or missing, and many buildings have a registered year from the early 1990s that reflects when the information was entered, not when the building was erected. Check against SEFRAK or a condition report.
Why is building age important?
Age says something about technical building standard, maintenance needs and energy use, and which regulations the building was erected under, up to today's TEK17. Older buildings often have weaker insulation and different requirements than new ones.
What is age distribution in a building stock?
The distribution of construction years in a portfolio or an area. It gives a picture of the total maintenance backlog and future investment needs, because buildings from the same period often reach the end of their service life at roughly the same time.
Does the year of construction trigger requirements in a conversion?
In refurbishment and change of use, parts of today's requirements can be triggered. The building's age and original standard then determine how extensive the upgrade becomes.