27 April 2026
Short answer: yes. An EPC is a legal requirement before you market a property for sale in England and Wales. Your estate agent will ask for it before they put the listing live, and without one, the property simply won't go on the market.
Before the first day of marketing. Not at exchange, not at completion. Before. Estate agents in Greater Manchester will ask for your EPC certificate number before they put the listing live. If you're thinking about selling, it's worth getting the EPC sorted early so it doesn't hold anything up.
10 years from the date of issue. It's worth checking the national EPC register to see if you already have a valid one. Many people book a new one when they don't need to. If yours was done in the last 10 years and nothing major has changed, you might already be covered.
Technically you can be fined up to £200 for marketing without a valid EPC. In practice, your estate agent simply won't list the property until you provide one. It's one of the first things they'll ask for, so getting it done before you instruct an agent saves time.
Yes. I can usually visit within 24-48 hours and have the certificate back to you the same day or next day. If your sale is time-sensitive, call me directly on 07718 285708 and I'll fit you in as soon as I can.
Buyers see the rating (A-G) on the listing. A better rating can be a selling point, but a D or E won't stop a sale. What matters is having a valid certificate. If you want to know what you could do to improve your EPC rating, I can talk you through the options during the assessment.
I cover all of Greater Manchester and can usually visit within 24-48 hours. Book online or give me a call.
