Do I need an EPC to sell my house?

The full guide

Do I need an EPC to sell my house? Yes — if you are selling a house in Kent, you need a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in place before your property goes on the market. It is a legal requirement across England and Wales, and your estate agent cannot advertise the property without one. The good news is that getting one is quick and inexpensive — at Hive EPCs we provide same-day certificates across East Kent, and we handle the whole process for you.

An EPC rates your home’s energy efficiency from A (most efficient) to G (least), and comes with recommendations for improvement. For a sale, the important part is simpler than it sounds: you need a current certificate lodged on the national register before the property is advertised, and the rating has to appear on the listing. That is the box your agent needs ticked before they can go live.

If you would rather just get it booked, you can request a quote now and we will arrange a visit that suits you. Otherwise, here is everything a seller actually needs to know.

When do you need the EPC by?

The EPC must be commissioned before you market the property — in other words, before it is listed for sale online, in the agent’s window, or in any advertising. In practice, the certificate rating and colour-coded graph have to be shown on the listing itself, so the sooner it is done, the sooner your agent can get the property live. If a buyer or their solicitor asks to see the full certificate during the process, you need to be able to provide it.

Because we offer same-day turnaround, a last-minute EPC does not need to hold up your launch. Many sellers who call us in the morning are on the market the same day.

What does the buyer and their solicitor do with it?

Once you are under offer, the EPC becomes part of the conveyancing pack your solicitor sends to the buyer’s side. The buyer’s solicitor will check that a valid certificate exists on the government EPC register and that the details are consistent with the property. An accurate, professionally produced EPC keeps this part of the process smooth — errors or a missing certificate can trigger enquiries that slow the sale down. This is a large part of why we receive so much work referred directly from solicitors and estate agents across Kent: a clean EPC means fewer questions later.

How long does an EPC last?

An EPC is valid for ten years. If your property already has one that is still in date, you can usually reuse it for the sale — there is no need to commission a new one just because you are selling. You can check whether an existing certificate is still valid on the government EPC register. If you have made significant energy improvements since the last assessment, though, a fresh EPC may show a better rating and present your home in a stronger light to buyers.

What happens if you sell without an EPC?

Selling, or marketing, a property without a valid EPC can lead to a penalty from Trading Standards. For domestic properties the fine is typically £200. More practically, your agent will not put the property live without one, so the real cost is a stalled sale. It is a small, straightforward box to tick — and one we make painless.

Are any properties exempt?

A small number of properties are exempt from needing an EPC to sell — for example, certain listed buildings where the required improvements would unacceptably alter their character, places of worship, and buildings due for demolition. These situations are narrower than most people assume, and getting it wrong can stall a sale. If you think your property might be exempt, it is worth checking properly first.

How do you get an EPC to sell your house in Kent?

You need a qualified, accredited domestic energy assessor to visit the property and carry out the assessment. That is exactly what we do. An assessment takes around 30 to 45 minutes for a typical home, and involves recording the construction, insulation, heating system, windows, and lighting. Once it is complete, the certificate is lodged on the national register and sent to you — usually the same day.

Here is how it works with Hive EPCs:

1. Get in touch for a fixed-price quote, with no hidden extras.

2. We book a visit that suits you, often same-day.

3. We carry out the survey — shoes off, in uniform, done properly.

4. Your certificate is lodged and sent to you, ready for your agent.

Our premium, thorough approach

Not all EPCs are produced to the same standard, even though they cost roughly the same. An assessment is only as good as the assessor who carries it out, and the difference shows in the accuracy of your rating — which matters when a buyer’s solicitor is reading it and when you are relying on it to reflect your home fairly.

We have been assessing homes across Kent since 2008 and have completed over 20,000 surveys. We are a small, local team who do the work ourselves — you are not being routed through a national booking service to whichever assessor happens to be nearest. That continuity is why we can offer genuine local knowledge and proper aftercare.

In practice, our approach means a few specific things:

• We check building control records before we visit, so the assessment reflects what has actually been done to the property.
• We measure externally rather than estimating, which produces a more accurate result.
• We record details some assessors overlook — such as a smart thermostat, which can count towards your rating.
• We treat your home with respect: shoes off at the door, in uniform, and we handle the booking legwork for tenants where a property is currently let.
• We are on hand afterwards if you or your solicitor have questions about the certificate.

You can read more about how we work on our About Us page, and if you are weighing up assessors, our guide to choosing a quality EPC assessor explains what to look for.

Why sellers and agents choose Hive EPCs

A thorough, accurate EPC protects your sale and gives buyers confidence. Get it wrong and it can surface as a query during conveyancing; get it right and nobody thinks about it again. That reliability is why so much of our work comes referred directly from estate agents and solicitors across East Kent — they know we will turn it around quickly and get it right the first time, which reflects well on them and keeps your sale moving.