The services that keep a house running are easy to forget until they fail to work. Broadband speed, mobile signal and whether there is a gas supply are all knowable before you buy, and rarely mentioned. The energy rating is always listed, but what it means for the bills is easy to miss.
Broadband
For anyone working from home, or simply living online, the broadband speed available at an address is part of its value.
- What we do
- We report what broadband is available at the postcode.
- Worth knowing
- A postcode-level picture, not a guarantee for this exact address.
Mobile signal
A weak signal indoors is a daily irritation, and a hard one to fix.
- What we do
- Where the data allows, we show coverage for each network at the property. Otherwise we use the wider area and say so.
- Worth knowing
- Predictions are computer-modelled. Test your own handset inside the property.
Mains gas & fuel supply
A home off the gas grid heats with oil, LPG or electricity, usually at a different cost and with different upkeep.
- What we do
- We report how likely it is that homes in the area are off the mains gas network.
- Worth knowing
- An area picture, not a statement about this house. Ask the seller how it is heated.
Energy (EPC)
The energy performance certificate is the best single clue to what a house will cost to heat, and what a lender will think of it.
- What we do
- We find the property's certificate where one exists, with its rating and recommended improvements.
- Worth knowing
- Not every property has a certificate. Absence is not evidence of poor performance.
None of these show on a floor plan. All of them show on the bills.
