3f, Hardcastle Gardens, Bolton, BL2 4NZ

3f is a two-bedroom semi-detached house in Bolton (BL2 4NZ). It has a recorded floor area of 62 m² (around 667 sq ft), construction records dating it to 1900-1929 and council tax band E. At 62 m² this is the smallest unit on EPC record across the building (62–256 m²). The building's EPC ratings span D to B, with this unit at the bottom. The latest certificate (July 2025) shows a D (score 65), on the cusp of jumping into the C band. Earlier certificates rated it C (March 2023); the latest reading is one band lower. Between certificates, wall efficiency dropped from Good to Very Poor and window efficiency dropped from Good to Average. The recommended improvements would push it to C (score 72).

It hasn't traded since December 1996, a hold of 29 years that's notably long for the area. Only one transfer is on record with HM Land Registry, suggesting it has stayed in the same hands for a long time. Today's modelled estimate of £298,000 sits 198% above the 1996 sale of £100,000. At 62 m² it sits well below the postcode median (113 m² across 29 EPCs), making it one of the more compact homes locally. It lags the bulk of the postcode on energy efficiency (less efficient than 76% of similar EPCs).