Waldren Home
Inspecion Services
Surveys carried out can contain one or all of the following items for house purchase:
- Energy Performance Certificates EPC
- Chimney Stacks
- Roof Coverings
- Guttering
- Walls and Cladding
- Windows
- Doors
- Other Outside Detail
- Roof space
- Ceilings
- Inside Walls
- Floors
- Electrical
- Water
- Gas
- Drainage
- Grounds
- Services
- Building Services
- Cavity Wall Insulation
- Commercial Energy Performance Certificates
- Domestic Energy Performance Certificates
- Double Glazing Window Services
- Electrical Inspections
- Floor Plans
- Gas Safe (Corgi) Inspections
- Home Condition Surveys - Home Buyers Surveys
- Inventories
- Landlord Energy Performance Certificates
- Loft Insulation Surveys
- On Construction Energy Performance Certificates (New Dwelling)
- Plumbing and Heating Services
- Property Maintenance
- Property Management
- Property Sales
- Renewable Energy Surveys
- Solar Energy Surveys
- Pricing
- Energy Performance Certificate Guidance
- Home Condition Survey - Home Buyers Survey Guidance
- Terms and Conditions
- Industry standard abbreviations
- Houses for sale
- Letting Services
- Other Services
Websites for Further Information
Why is there so much difference between one EPC provider and another?
Yes as with everything, there are varying prices for Energy Performance Certificates from £29.95 to £175 for essentially the same thing but is it?
In order to understand the pricing you have to understand the varying layers of providers of Energy Performance Certificates or EPC's. Firstly to make it clear only two types of people can produce Domestic EPC's, those are Accredited Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors. The varying other people that you do come across are basically 'Marketing machines' or some other body involved in the Housing market taking advantage of a business opportunity or a Sales opportunity from which they can earn some income. They do not all charge excessively but many do, well over and above what normally a Domestic Energy Assessor or Home Inspector would charge you directly. The varying people whom offer EPC's include Solicitors, Panels, Marketing Panels and Estate Agents.
Why do I care I want the cheapest!
Yes and to be honest you could go for the cheapest and may have a perfectly valid EPC for your house sale or let, alternatively you could get a 'drive by' EPC which is not a valid EPC according to the rules that govern Energy Assessors. The cheapest EPC's are usually provided by Marketing panel companies whom basically work on volume and thus make money out of generating a lot of small amounts. The EPC is usually produced by a newly qualified Energy Assessor whom has little or no work and so is having to work for half the price or less of his usual fee just to generate some income. The Energy Assessor is having to take this work as currently the Domestic Energy Assessment business is over subscribed with Energy Assessors, however this is falling sharply as many Energy Assessors are unable to make a reasonable living out of it and so leaving the industry.
A note to this is that many panels offer EPC's at low rates to try and attract you into buying additional services from them including Conveyancing, Surveying and Estate Agency, they offer packages which can include the EPC.
Im selling my house through an Estate Agent and they offer to arrange an EPC for me!
Estate Agent rates for EPC's can vary greatly from cost to £175. Estate agents are in the enviable position of being the first point of contact for people whom are wishing to sell a house or let a property. They therefore have the opportunity to 'Sell' the various services that compliment or are required for a house sale or let. This sometimes leads to Estate agents basically taking an Energy Assessors fee that they get charged and up to doubling or tripling it for themselves. Unfortunately unless you shop around to find out for yourself, you may be caught out.
This can also be the case for Solicitors but in my experience to a far lesser extent.
So Why go direct to an Energy Assessor or Home Inspector.
Well firstly because they are the only individuals whom can legally produce Domestic Energy Performance Certificates whom are bound by a 'Code of conduct' and have complaint handling procedures set down by their Accreditation scheme. You do not deal with third parties you deal direct with the Energy Assessor or Home Inspector, so cutting out potentially the various layers of bureaucracy should there be a problem. You pay the Assessor or Inspector direct for his time and experience and not third parties whom may or may not be in business next week. Many EPC providers have changed their services from Home Information Pack Providers since their demise and many do not last long and go into Administration, without full filling their EPC bookings, However they have taken the money which you then must try to claim back..
Again most Energy Assessors or Home Inspectors charge a 'Fair' price for the work that is involved, this includes knowledge and experience, travelling to a from addresses, surveying which usually lasts approximately one hour and finally populating certificates according to the current guidelines. There are varying prices from Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors out there so there is still competition to keep prices 'fair' and 'competitive' but the degree of difference is far less.
I am still not convinced I should go directly to an Energy Assessor or Home Inspector
Well consider this as both a 'buyer of your next property' and a 'seller of your current property' and make up your own mind. The Government is considering various ways of which to use the Energy Performance Certificate to both Calculate Council tax and Stamp Duty on houses in the future. This could only be a few years away. Consider in those few years Will I still be in my house or will I still be in the house of which I am buying? If the EPC's are used as benchmarks in the future for these 'taxes' you could be out several hundreds of pounds each year if they are inaccurate. So it is essential they are as accurate as possible. Now consider this although all Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors are governed by the same rules and guidelines. These people still have to make a living, therefore they have to earn a certain income in a day. To earn this income they must do four to five 'Panel' jobs a day, rushing around to get them completed or do two to three of their own jobs to generate the same income and spend a little more time compiling site notes. Although mistakes do happen from time to time is it not better to minimise those potential mistakes and eliminate the potential for mistakes, so it does not cost you hundreds of pounds a year. If you are moving to a new home wouldn't you prefer a report which has been carried out by someone who is not having to rush around trying to make a wage and know that that report is as accurate as possible rather than a 'Panel' Assessor whom may only give a cursory glance as they are thinking about their next job.
Whom or Whatever you decide good luck with your house sale and move and I hope this information has given you an in site into the EPC industry.
If you visit this link it gives names and examples of Estate Agents and how much my customers have been quoted for an EPC from Estate Agents. If you have been quoted let me know and I will add it to the list. Estate Agent EPC Prices
81B Deepcut Bridge Road, Deepcut, Camberley, Surrey. GU16 6QP email:enquiries@G-Whis.co.uk