EPC rating and sold prices in L38 (Sefton)
In postcode district L38 (Sefton), homes rated EPC C or better sold for 8% more per square metre than D–G homes (median £2,677 vs £2,471, 428 sales). Like for like — same size, type, build period and year — homes rated C or better sold for 3.8% more (95% range +0.3% to +7.5%). 0 of 1 sectors with enough sales show a difference distinguishable from zero. Data: HM Land Registry to 30 September 2026, EPC register.
From the raw gap to like-for-like
The homes are not alike: C+ homes here have a median floor area of 117 m² against 107 m² for D–G; both groups are most often built in 1967–1975; 87% of C+ and 93% of D–G sales are detached or semi-detached houses.
| Comparing C+ with D–G homes… | Difference | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Raw gap per m² (medians) | +8% | — |
| Whole price, nothing held equal | +15.4% | +6.9% to +24.6% |
| Same floor area | +10.7% | +5.5% to +16.1% |
| + same property type | +11.5% | +6.6% to +16.7% |
| + same build period | +11.7% | +6.4% to +17.3% |
| + same year of sale | +3.8% | +0.3% to +7.5% |
The first row compares median prices per m²; the second compares whole prices; each later row adds one more thing that must be equal, ending with the like-for-like premium (regression of log price; build period from the certificate, 12 bands). The raw gap per m² and the whole-price gap differ because C+ and D–G homes differ in size.
Postcode sectors in L38
| Sector | Sales | Raw gap | Like-for-like | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L38 0 | 130 | −1% | too few | — |
| L38 3 | 35 | +25% | too few | — |
| L38 9 | 201 | +8% | +3.4% | −0.5% to +7.4% |
▲ green: premium distinguishable from zero; ▼ red: discount; plain: no measurable difference. Small areas have fewer sales, so their 95% ranges are wider.
Sold prices by EPC band in L38
| EPC band (last certificate before sale) | Sales | Median £ per m² |
|---|---|---|
| B | 26 | £2,758 |
| C | 116 | £2,669 |
| D | 194 | £2,564 |
| E | 65 | £2,299 |
| F | 24 | £2,363 |
| G | 3 | too few |
A median is shown when a band has at least 10 sales.
How this is calculated
- Every standard sale (HM Land Registry Price Paid, category A) since January 2015 is matched to the latest energy certificate of the same address (postcode + house number or name + flat) lodged from 10 years before to 3 months after the sale; sales with no certificate or an ambiguous match are left out. Across England and Wales 92% of sales match.
- Price per m² uses the certificate's total floor area (15–1,000 m²).
- Like-for-like premium: regression of the log of price on “C or better”, log floor area, property type, the certificate's build period and the year of sale. The 95% range shows how precise the estimate is; when it includes zero, the data cannot tell the premium apart from none.
Caveats
- The band is the one on the certificate before the sale; certificates are a median 0.8 years old at the sale, but a quarter are over 4 years old and some homes were improved since.
- Condition, garden, parking, views and the exact position within the sector are not known; a premium could hide in them, or they could hide one.
- Individual sales and addresses are not shown.