The government's 2030 deadline for EPC C compliance is four years away, but the average major energy improvement — from initial assessment through planning, procurement and works — can take considerably longer than most landlords expect and from late 2026, the very way EPCs are measured and reported is changing.

There's no getting around the fact that April has been an unusual month to try to read the property market. The ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East — higher energy prices, inflation concerns, rising mortgage rates — have introduced a level of uncertainty that nobody was anticipating at the start of the year.

May is a key month for sellers, but more homes are competing for attention. If you are thinking of moving this spring, here is how the current market is shaping buyer behaviour and what helps a home stand out.

March has been a month of genuine contrasts in the property market. Asking prices have edged up, buyer activity has held relatively firm, and the spring selling season has arrived broadly on cue, yet there's an undercurrent of uncertainty that anyone thinking about moving needs to be aware of.