Built for everyone in the property chain

Spotting a leaseback opportunity before the auction

Marcus sees a ground-floor flat in Wolverhampton listed at auction with a guide price of £68,000. Before bidding, he pulls the HouseData report. The EPC shows the property dropped from a C to an E after a 2019 certificate — unusual for a flat that hasn't changed hands. He checks the planning tab: no building control sign-off for an extension that appears on Google Street View.

The PRISM Consent Gap Score flags a HIGH risk of unauthorised works. Marcus calls the auctioneer and confirms the vendor removed an internal wall without approval. Armed with this, he bids £12,000 below guide — and wins.

Catching an expiring EPC before it becomes a compliance headache

Priya inherited a flat in Croydon and rents it through a local agent. She hasn't thought about the EPC since her mother had one done in 2015. HouseData's daily property agent runs overnight, spots that the certificate expires in 47 days, and fires an alert to her dashboard and email.

Under current MEES regulations, Priya can't legally re-let without a valid EPC rated E or above. Her agent hadn't flagged it. She books an assessor the same week and gets a new D rating — crisis averted.

Pre-screening a property before ordering searches

Sarah receives instructions on a Victorian terrace in Levenshulme. Before ordering the standard CON29 and environmental searches (£250+), she runs the address through HouseData. Within seconds she sees: the property sits 140 metres from a former gas works flagged on the contamination risk layer, there are three planning applications from 2021 for rear extensions on the same street (none with building control completion), and the EPC floor area has grown by 18 sqm between certificates with no corresponding planning consent.

She advises her client that additional environmental and building regulation enquiries should be raised with the seller's solicitor before committing to the full search pack — potentially saving the client hundreds of pounds if the deal falls through early.

Using PRISM to triage his caseload

James handles 15–20 active conveyancing files at any time. He integrates the PRISM API into his case management workflow, running a batch score on every new instruction. Properties that score LOW get a streamlined process. Those flagged ELEVATED or HIGH get immediate deep-dive attention.

Last month, PRISM flagged a Grade II listed cottage in Bath where the EPC showed a room count increase but Historic England records showed no Listed Building Consent. James raised the issue in his requisitions — the seller produced consent from 2018 that hadn't been registered. Without the flag, James might not have spotted it until after exchange.

Winning an instruction with data-backed pricing

Tom is competing against two corporate agencies for a four-bedroom detached in Roundhay. The vendors have already had two online valuations — both wildly different. Tom arrives at the market appraisal with HouseData's research view open on his tablet.

He shows the vendors every comparable sale within 400 metres over the past three years, filtered by property type. He overlays the UKHPI trend for Leeds to show the 6.2% annual growth and explains how the EPC rating (B) positions the property above 80% of local stock. The vendors can see the data isn't his opinion — it's Land Registry fact.

Reassuring tenants during a flood scare

After heavy rainfall, three tenants in Nadia's managed properties email asking whether their homes are at flood risk. Instead of spending hours on the Environment Agency website, Nadia pulls each address on HouseData. Two are in Flood Zone 1 (minimal risk). The third, a ground-floor flat in Barking, sits on the boundary of Flood Zone 2.

She forwards each tenant a link to their property's flood data with the EA's own risk assessment. For the Barking flat, she proactively contacts the landlord to discuss flood resilience measures and checks whether the buildings insurance covers flood damage.

Avoiding a money pit before the survey

David and Mei have their offer accepted on a 1930s semi in Leamington Spa. Before paying £600 for a full building survey, they check HouseData. The planning tab shows the neighbour at number 42 applied for — and was refused — a two-storey rear extension last year, citing "overbearing impact on number 40" (their property). A new application for a reduced scheme was submitted two weeks ago.

They also spot that the EPC total floor area is 78 sqm, but the listing describes it as "extended to 95 sqm." The PRISM score flags ELEVATED risk for the 22% floor area increase with no matching planning consent.

Their solicitor raises formal enquiries. It turns out the conservatory was built in 2009 under permitted development — but the vendor can't produce the building regulations completion certificate. The couple renegotiate and the vendor obtains a retrospective regularisation certificate before completion.

Tracking her home's value before listing

Helen is considering selling her four-bedroom detached and moving to a bungalow. She's not in a rush, so she adds her property to HouseData and lets the weekly digest do the work. Each Monday, she gets an email showing comparable sales in her postcode, the latest UKHPI trend for her region, and any new planning applications nearby.

Over three months, she watches the average price for detached homes in her outcode rise from £242,000 to £251,000. When a near-identical house two streets away sells for £265,000, her digest highlights it. She calls her agent the same day.

Checking a rental property before committing to a 12-month tenancy

Aisha has been offered a role in Nottingham and finds a modern two-bedroom flat in the city centre at £950/month. Before signing, she searches the address on HouseData. The EPC rating is C (68), which is fine — but she also checks nearby schools for her daughter, flood risk (Flood Zone 1, minimal), and the crime data overlay, which shows low rates for the immediate area.

Crucially, she spots that the building has three active planning applications for change of use to short-term lets on floors above. She knows from experience that this could mean noise, transient neighbours, and reduced building security.

Holding a landlord to account on energy bills

Ryan and three housemates are paying £180/month each on a pre-payment gas meter in a Victorian terrace. The house feels freezing. Ryan checks the EPC on HouseData: the property is rated F, with recommendations for cavity wall insulation and a new boiler that would bring it to a D.

Under MEES regulations, the landlord shouldn't be renting a property rated below E. Ryan screenshots the HouseData report, sends it to the landlord with a polite email referencing the regulations, and copies in the letting agent.