Fast, reliable EPCs in Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill

Yes, you need a valid EPC before you can market a house for sale in the UK. The property's EPC rating must appear in property listings and marketing materials.

Exemptions: Some types of property are exempt including some listed buildings where improvements would unacceptably alter their character. Temporary buildings used for under 2 years, and stand-alone properties with a total floor space of less than 50 square metres are also exempt from the requirement to have an EPC. There is no minimum rating required to sell a house (unlike renting, which has strict efficiency minimums).

Yes, you need a valid EPC before you can market a house for rent in the UK. The property's EPC rating must appear in property listings and marketing materials.

In the private rented sector around Haywards Heath, roughly 52% of properties sit below an EPC C — the band the government has put forward as a future minimum standard for rented homes — while 2.1% are rated F or G, which falls short of the EPC E floor required to let a property now. We can complete the EPC assessment and recommend the most cost-effective route to raise the rating.

These figures come from a review of more than 13,000 currently valid domestic EPCs for Haywards Heath in the government’s open dataset. The set covers certificates lodged over the last ten years. 

Where we have produced an EPC for a Haywards Heath property and it does not meet MEES requirements, we can follow up with practical advice on the least disruptive and most cost-effective improvements to reach the target rating. We are also happy to offer more detailed MEES guidance, including on exemptions — get in touch if you would like to discuss this.

We will need access to all rooms, and also access to utility meters (gas and electricity), your boiler if you have one, and access to any lofts. If these are obscured or inaccessible it can either have a negative impact on the rating, or it may not be possible to lodge an EPC at all. Please ensure these areas are as clear as possible.

EPCs are usually emailed within 24 - 48 hours. Sometimes we need to spend a little extra time to check details or planning permission records to ensure data we enter is accurate. If you have a tight deadline let us know at the time of booking and we can normally accomodate an urgent request.

Usually between 40 and 90 minutes depending on how large or complex your house is. A good local assessor will take their time to ensure accuracy and answer any questions you may have. As we are based locally we can spend more time on site and less time traveling.

An EPC is valid for 10 years.

As an EPC is valid for 10 years, your expired certificate reflects what was observed 10 years ago and using a previous methodology. The type of data collected has evolved over time and is now a much more detailed and precise reflection of your home's energy erformance under 'standard occupancy'. 

For example, an assessment will now include precise measurements of all your windows, and the direction they are facing. Earlier surveys would have assumed an average amount of glazing.

Energy prices are also part of the calculation, and as the price of electricity has gone up significantly that is reflected in how electric heating and hot water are assessed.

In Haywards Heath, EPCs tend to recommend the same handful of upgrades again and again. Across over 13,000 valid certificates from the area, the typical home comes in at C 71. On paper, the measures listed on those reports would lift it to B 82. The suggestions that show up most often are:

• Solar photovoltaic panels at 2.5 kWp appear on 61% of local EPCs, usually priced at £3,500 to £5,500.
• Solar water heating follows closely, on 52% of certificates, at a typical £4,000 to £6,000.
• Solid-floor insulation is flagged on 29%, again often in the £4,000 to £6,000 range.
• Low-energy lighting for every fixed outlet turns up on 25%, and is usually only about £20.
• Cavity wall insulation is recommended on 22%, commonly £500 to £1,500, and suspended-floor insulation on 21%, typically £800 to £1,200.

For landlords the numbers are more pointed. Just over half of privately rented homes in Haywards Heath, 52%, still sit below band C. The government has said those properties will need to reach C by 1 October 2030, though the legislation itself has not yet been passed. Whatever the wider rules end up looking like, the recommendations on a specific EPC are still the clearest place to start.

That said, here are some simple things you can do that will help:

• Making sure windows and doors are draft proofed.
• Fitting low energy LED light bulbs to as many fixed fittings as possible.
• If we cannot see the loft is insulated because we either cannot gain  access or because the loft is boarded over, we have to report insulation as 'unknown'. This can have a negative effect on the epc rating. Please have any loft insulation paperwork available to prove loft insulation is fitted if this is the case.
• Cavity wall insulation can have a significant effect on an EPC rating. If insulation was installed and then covered by render, it may not be visible during the assessment. In that case, we have to assume the walls are uninsulated, which can lower the rating. Please have the relevant paperwork available if your cavity walls have been insulated.
• If your double-glazed windows were installed after 2002 and the date is not visible in the units, please have the window installation paperwork ready. Confirming the date can improve the EPC rating.
• Upgrade heating controls so you have a programmer, room thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to manage energy use. At least 50% of radiators need to have TRVs for them to be counted in the assessment.

Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill are our main areas, and we serve EPC  clients within 10 miles of our base near Haywards Heath, from Crawley to the North, Nuthurst and Cowfold to the West, Chailey and Fletching to the East, and Plumpton, Hassocks and Brighton to the South. Our location means that whether you need us in Bolnore Village or Franklands Village, Wivelsfield or Warninglid we are on hand and can take care of your EPC survey in a timely manner.

You can use the government website linked below. Simply enter your postcode, and a list of properties with EPCs (showing expiry dates) will appear. If your property isn't on the list, you don't have one. If it appears on the list but is expired, you need a new one.

https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate

Most of the 'nationwide' EPC providers don't actually produce EPCs. They are effectively booking agents who farm out the jobs to the lowest bidder. There are often hidden extra fees, travel costs. lodgement fees and VAT to add to their advertised low price. Assessors working for these 'panels' have to complete many EPCs per day, rushing from job to job to make a living. If there is a problem, good luck trying to find a human on the end of the line to talk to.

We are different. Being locally based we spend less time traveling, and we take the time to ensure an accurate rating and to answer any questions you may have. We never outsource our work, and are always available to take your calls.

As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for.

No, we believe we offer excellent value for money as we take our time to do a thorough survey, and make sure we are available for any questions you may have both during and after the assessment. See the answer to the question above to see why some 'low cost' options don't usually end up being good value.

Yes, EPCs are one side of our business. For our full range of property marketing services including professional property photography, floorplans, Matterport virtual tours and videography visit our other website, https://sussexpropertymarketing.co.uk