278a, Slade Road, Birmingham, B23 7LX

278a is a mid-terrace house in Birmingham (B23 7LX). It has a recorded floor area of 18 m² (around 194 sq ft), construction records dating it to 1900-1929 and council tax band A. At 18 m² this is the smallest unit on EPC record across the building (18–142 m²). The building's EPC ratings span E to C across 13 units on file. The latest certificate (March 2025) shows a D (score 61), on the cusp of jumping into the C band. When first surveyed in August 2013 the rating was F, the property has climbed 2 bands since. Between certificates, wall efficiency went from Very Poor to Good, roof efficiency went from Very Poor to Very Good and window efficiency went from Poor to Good; while hot-water efficiency dropped from Good to Very Poor and main heating dropped from Good to Very Poor. The recommended improvements would push it to C (score 71). Main heating runs on electricity.

Held since July 2001 — that's 25 years off the open market, well above the local norm. Today's modelled estimate of £124,000 sits 254.3% above the 2001 sale of £35,000. On a £-per-square-foot basis, the last sale (£181/sq ft) was about 82.5% above the typical sold price in the postcode. At 18 m² it sits well below the postcode median (120 m² across 12 EPCs), making it one of the more compact homes locally.