Log on to winter warmth

Tue 22 Feb 2022

The rising cost of energy bills will be figuring in many households’ expenditure and budgeting this year (2022), but Shouler & Son reports that running costs are not something housebuyers in and around the Melton Mowbray area are identifying as a priority when it comes to making an offer on a property.

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) has been part of the suite of documentation required for the sale of a house since 2007. The EPC rating from ‘A’ (the highest) to ‘G’ (the lowest) of the property has been something estate agents have had to show in all marketing material since 2013.

By way of an aside, since 2018 it has been unlawful to market for letting any  residential - or commercial - property designated below ‘E’ on the energy performance scale.

However, Shouler & Son’s residential professionals admit that it is very unusual to be asked about a home’s EPC and attendant running costs. For potential purchasers who do enquire, the information provided is neither a deal breaker not a deal maker.

Energy efficiency is something which brand new home developers may make more of as a selling point, with modern building regulations and standards being very strict on the matter.

But there is a fuel source which is often a talking point when it comes to showing prospective purchasers around a property - particularly at this time of year - when we may have passed the bleak midwinter but the warmth of spring sunshine is still a long way off.

An open fire source - whether it be an inglenook fire place in a period property or a wood burning stove in a rural kitchen or a modern log burner in the living room - are often made in to central features by today’s householders.

At what point energy running costs might be a hard driver when it comes to making decisions about house purchases remains to be seen.

For the time being and, particularly, in the darkest and coldest months of the year, the presence of warmth in a home’s living spaces, via a ‘real’ fire or just a general sense of cosiness, offers a warm glow to potential buyers and estate agents alike.

To talk with Shouler & Son about marketing your home for sale or for more information about current instructions, contact Shouler & Son, tel 01664 560181, email sales@shoulers.co.uk or see shoulers.co.uk.