Do I need an EPC to sell my house?

Yes — with one narrow exception. In England and Wales you must have an Energy Performance Certificate, or have commissioned one, before your home is marketed for sale. But before you book an assessor: there's a good chance you already have a valid one and don't know it.

Check first — it takes ten seconds

Every EPC issued is kept on the official government register, and certificates are valid for ten years. If your home was sold, let, or assessed at any point in the last decade, the certificate probably still stands — check your EPC here: postcode in, band and expiry date out. The tool reads the official register, and if your address is ambiguous it lets you pick the exact one.

The rules, in plain English

• You need an EPC — or to have commissioned one — before marketing begins. Not before completion; before the listing goes up.
• Certificates last ten years and survive a change of owner. The certificate belongs to the building, not to you.
• Any band is fine for selling. There's no minimum rating to sell a home. (Rentals are different — landlords currently need at least an E, with tighter rules on the way.)
• Marketing without one is an offence — trading standards can fine you (typically £200 per breach for a home), and the listing has to come down until it's sorted.

The exception: the commissioning rule

You can legally start marketing the moment an assessment is commissioned — booked, with the assessor engaged — provided you make all reasonable efforts to have it done within 7 days (a further 21 days' grace applies if the assessor is slow). In practice: book the assessment, keep the confirmation, and your marketing can start the same day.

If you do need a new one

Book an accredited domestic energy assessor through the government's find-an-assessor service. A domestic EPC typically costs somewhere between £35 and £120 depending on the region and the size of the home; the visit takes under an hour, and the certificate usually reaches the register within a few days. (Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own registers — our checker covers England & Wales.)

Selling without an agent? The EPC is step one

It's the first item in our step-by-step guide to selling without an estate agent — before the photos, before the price. Once it's sorted: see what your home is worth with the sold prices from your street, film the video tour, and list it free.