Would you renegotiate after a survey casts doubt on EPC rating?

[Greenestofbeans]

We’ve had an offer accepted at £425k on a 4-bed semi. When it was first listed a while back it had an EPC of C, then it came off the market and the sellers did some work (roof insulation, installing a wood burner, house already had solar panels) and it was relisted with an EPC of A (94).

However, our surveyor has basically said the A rating is overly optimistic. The walls in reality aren’t what the EPC assumes (part timber frame, not fully cavity), and the loft insulation is patchier than stated in the EPC certificate. The survey said the actual performance is likely lower and energy bills will probably be higher than expected.

There aren't any structural issues, however it's likely the house isn't as energy efficient as it was marketed as being.

Would it be reasonable to renegotiate the price? Or is it not really worth it?

It’s a tricky one. Did the surveyor give you any idea of the what works would need doing and cost?

I think it would be tricky if they have a certificate saying it’s A. 🤷‍♀️

How many solar panels? Were they on the original epc? They can give a hefty kick to an EPC rating even if other elements are poorer.

EPCs for existing dwellings are more broad brush than people expect both for methodology and low cost reasons. And rarely represent actual bills - for a start they are only looking at some elements of running costs & they use out of date fuel price data. They will be reformed in the next couple of years but we are where we are for now.

And no, I wouldn't renegotiate. Even if it drops to a B on a reassessment, that's better than most existing dwellings and you can cheaply rectify the loft insulation situation.

Don't be daft.

When it was first listed a while back it had an EPC of C, then it came off the market and the sellers did some work (roof insulation, installing a wood burner, house already had solar panels) and it was relisted with an EPC of A (94).

Cries in period property.

As a vendor if you tried to negotiate about an EPC thats already been issued but might possibly not quite be right I'd think you were being a CF and I'd absolutely 100% refuse to drop the price.

As D is the average l, I would consider a C to be in the ‘good’ EPC banding, so going up to A wouldn’t make much difference.

Is it worth losing the sale over? Because that is the risk you're taking. Are there any calculators online to compare fuel consumption? I can't imagine the difference in fuel consumption would be that much. Even if its £25pcm, that's £300 a year, which seems neglible on £425k. Disclaimer: I'm selling a house and being dicked around by a buyer so not the most tolerant of renegotiating atm haha

Fat chance.

Does anyone actually care about EPCs? Not something I gave second thought when buying our house.

If you tried to negotiate a reduction because you don’t believe the valid EPC they do have, once they have stopped laughing and realise you are actually serious, they will probably give you a two word response.

What age is the property? C is really good. A is unlikely on a retro-fit. If the property is older, eg timber frame and single wall then the insulation they have done may cause you problems with damp and so on as older properties are designed to breath and not be “sealed”.

We were offered a cheaper mortgage deal because the house we were buying was a B. It might be useful to keep that A rating if those kind of deals come back in.

You want to negotiate over an EPC rating? If I was the seller, I’d laugh you out of the transaction pretty quickly.

I don’t think you have a reason to renegotiate. It was listed as EPC A and the surveyor said that A is “optimistic” which means it could potentially be A and there is no proof it’s deceptive.

Exactly.

It wouldn't occur to me to renegotiate over an EPC. I wouldn't want a house with a wood burner though, and would factor the cost of ripping the fucker out into my offer.

This seems a little irrational...
It's wouldn't be the seller's problem that you don't like wood burners.

Making an offer on a property based on my perceived costs is not irrational. I don't like wood burners because they are a health hazard, not because of aesthetics.

I don’t know anyone who gives a flying fuck about EPC ratings. They are a pointless waste of money imo.

I feel it is worth the risk, especially with the newer eco ones. You are, of course, allowed not to like them though!

Landlords do. Because of upcoming legislation. But even in that case it only needs to be C or above.

If you want to renegotiate use the projected increases in borrowing costs, projected increases in inflation and another expected round of cost of living increases as a reason. Everyone knows this is coming. Its a much more valid and understandable reason to adjust your offer.

What a strange comment. Adjusting your offer to take account of what you’ll need to do to maKe the house how you want is perfectly normal. In the same
way you might offer less because you thought it needed a new kitchen for example.

Thankfully, that's not how things work where I am.
House evaluation already reflects whether the house is done up or not.
Our house is being bought now by someone who's planning on doing some remodelling and it would be absolutely bonkers had they decided to offer under on a fully done up house just because they want to remodel things.

So if you go buy a house you want to extend, will you offer £70k under?

No worse than Victorian houses that are generally damp for most of the year as well as any carpet. So essentially you would only live in new builds devoid of any soul.