Model valuation£417,0008 Busby Close
Local market context
Orchard Cottage, Birch Park, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LS
1 planning record
Estimated value
£452,000
Newest record on this page: June 2026. Land Registry and EPC registers update monthly, so this page can trail them by 2–3 months.
Property type
Detached
Habitable rooms
5
From EPC
Floor area
97 m²
1044 sq ft
Energy rating
E
Score 54
Council tax
Band E
Tenure
Private Rental
About this valuation
How the figure is worked out and what it's based on. If you know this home, you can tell other visitors what you think it's worth.
Our estimate
£452,000
Your note and figure are shown publicly on this page.
How the estimate is made
The estimate for Orchard Cottage is modelled from its 97 m² EPC floor area, the absence of a recorded sale and recent sales of comparable homes in CO2 0LS. It is an automated estimate, not a survey or mortgage valuation: condition, layout and improvements that aren't on record can move the real figure either way.
What it's based on
Floor area
97 m² from the EPC lodged in June 2026
Sales of this home
No sale recorded since 1995
Recent sales in CO2 0LS
No recent sales of other homes in the postcode
This page or the full report?
| Data | This page | Full report |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | No sales shown | Latest available records, read when you order |
| Valuation | Estimate from the last refresh | Analysed against comparable sales |
| Planning | 1 application | Full history, plus nearby schemes |
| Flood risk | Not shown | Included |
Sales history & valuation
Every recorded sale of this home, how its price has moved, and what neighbouring properties have sold for.
Orchard Cottage has no Land Registry sales on file, suggesting it has stayed in the same hands since registration began.
No sales recorded with HM Land Registry
That can mean the property has never traded since the registry began publishing in 1995, was a new build that hasn't been registered yet, or is held in the same hands long-term.
What this page doesn't show
Nothing is flagged from the data on this page, but these checks are only run in the report. The detail, evidence and what to ask about it are in the Risks Report.
- Flood risk from rivers, sea and surface waterIn report
- Subsidence and ground-stability signalsIn report
- Refusals, enforcement and big schemes nearbyIn report
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About Orchard Cottage
A plain-English summary derived from public records, EPC certificates, sold prices and local data.
Orchard Cottage is a detached house in Birch, Colchester, Colchester (CO2 0LS). It has a recorded floor area of 97 m² (around 1044 sq ft), construction records dating it to before 1900 and council tax band E. The latest certificate (June 2026) shows an E (score 54), well below the UK norm with real room to improve. The rating has held steady at E across 2 certificates since November 2014. Between certificates, roof efficiency went from Good to Very Good, window efficiency went from Very Poor to Average and lighting went from Very Poor to Good; while hot-water efficiency dropped from Good to Average and main heating dropped from Good to Average. The recommended improvements would lift it to C (score 75), a 2-band jump. Main heating runs on oil. This certificate was lodged in the last six months, so the rating reflects current condition.
One planning record on file: an extension approved in 2001. Past consents include an extension, meaningful when judging how the property has evolved. At 97 m² it's 18.3% larger than the typical home in the postcode (82 m² median across 8 EPCs).
Before you decide
Everything you need to know about Orchard Cottage
The true value, the hidden risks and the full sale history, in one report.
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The data behind every report
Energy performance
Every EPC certificate filed against this property — current rating, recorded improvements, and where there's headroom to reach a higher band.
Recommended upgrades on file would lift this property by multiple EPC bands.
Current Certificate(1 of 2)
Jun 2026
EPC Rating
A
B
C
D
E
E54
F
G
Main Heating
Gas
Main Fuel
Oil
Hot Water
Average
Windows
Average
CO2 Emissions
5.5 t/year
Occupancy
Rented
Certificate validity
Valid until 30 June 2036
Property Improvements
Changes detected from historical EPC data
Jun 2026from Nov 2014
Hot Water
GoodAverage
Hot water efficiency decreased
Windows
Partial DoubleFull Double
Windows upgraded, improving insulation
Roof Insulation
InsulatedWell Insulated
Loft insulation upgraded to recommended levels
Low Energy Lighting
8%100%
More low energy lighting installed
Planning history
Applications and permits filed against Orchard Cottage, Birch Park, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LS, sourced from the PlanIt planning register.
Orchard Cottage has an approved single-storey rear extension on the planning record.
1 application on record at Orchard Cottage, Birch Park, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LS
1decisions1extensions2documents1nearby
- Feb 2001ExtensionFullOutcome in report
Extension: Single storey · Rear of property
Single storey rear extension.
- Documents
- 2 docs on file
- Reference
- F/COL/01/0004
Unlock Orchard Cottage, Birch Park, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LS's full planning history
You're seeing the shape of it. The report has the substance.
- Every decision — granted, refused or withdrawn (1 on record)
- All 1 application on this property in full, plus 1 notable nearby
- The 2 documents, officer reports & conditions
- What the pattern means for extending or converting here
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Versus other Birch Park homes
Four headline reads against 8 similar houses on this street, drawn from the latest EPC and Land Registry data.
Orchard Cottage outperforms the street on epc rating by a wide margin.
EPC Rating
54 (E)
Street avg 33 (F)
Floor Area
97 m²
Street avg 153 m²
CO₂ Emissions
5.5 t/year
Street avg 9.3 t/year
Habitable Rooms
5 rooms
Street avg 6 rooms
The neighbourhood at a glance
A condensed read of the local area. Each tile links through to the full breakdown on the Colchester district page.
Daytime road noise here sits well below conversation level — a quiet pocket of the postcode.
Crime
311/mo
Steady year-on-year across the wider district.
Nearest stop
1.0 km
Birch Road — bus stop.
Closest school
1.2 km
Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School. 2 schools nearby.
Nearest schools
- Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPrimary1.2km
- Layer-de-la-Haye Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary1.8km
Nearest stops
- Birch RoadBus stop1.0km
- GarageBus stop1.1km
- The AngelBus stop1.1km
- Lower RoadBus stop1.4km
Most reported crime locally
- Violence & Sexual Offences1,964 reports45%
- Anti-social Behaviour433 reports10%
- Vehicle Crime333 reports8%
- Public Order314 reports7%
Go deeper on the local area
A Local Area report breaks down crime, transport links, schools and air quality in depth.
Road noise across the postcode
Modelled day and night-time noise levels around CO2 0LS from Defra's strategic mapping. The pin marks this postcode's centroid.
Daytime· 07:00 – 23:00
42.0dB
Night-time· 23:00 – 07:00
35.4dB
55 dB
60 dB
65 dB
70 dB
75 dB
80 dB
Defra Road Noise Strategic Mapping, Round 4
Get a survey for this property
Level 3 Building Survey
Victorian-eraDetached BungalowEPC EPre-1919 buildNo mains gasSolid (non-cavity) walls
Because the property was built before 1919, has no mains gas supply, and has solid (non-cavity) walls, we believe a Level 3 building survey should be considered.
From £1,020 · Includes VAT
Similar properties nearby
A handful of close matches in the same postcode area, ranked by likeness on bedrooms, type and floor area.
£462k
1 Church Cottages, School Hill, Birch
CO2 0LZ
£441k
1 Ash Grove
CO2 0AH
3 bed
£486k
1 Church Road, Layer De La Haye
CO2 0EN
£405k
1 Creffield Cottages, Birch Street, Birch
CO2 0NL
£404k
1 Greate House Farm Road, Layer De La Haye
CO2 0LP
4 bed1 bath
£400k
1 Chestnut Avenue
CO2 0AL
3 bed
£527k
1 Chancery Grove, Mersea Road, Blackheath
CO2 0BQ
3 bed3 bath
£534k
1 Birch Way, Birch
CO2 0NQ
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Start your researchHow to read this page
Where every figure above comes from, how current it is and what it can't tell you.
- How the estimate is made
- The estimate for Orchard Cottage is modelled from its 97 m² EPC floor area, the absence of a recorded sale and recent sales of comparable homes in CO2 0LS. It is an automated estimate, not a survey or mortgage valuation: condition, layout and improvements that aren't on record can move the real figure either way.
- Where sold prices come from
- Sold prices are HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, which covers residential sales in England and Wales since 1995. No sale is recorded for Orchard Cottage, which usually means it hasn't changed hands since 1995 or the sale was not for value. Sales normally appear two to three months after completion, so the most recent ones take time to show up anywhere.
- Reading the EPC
- Energy Performance Certificates rate homes from A (most efficient) to G and last 10 years. The latest one for Orchard Cottage was lodged in June 2026 at band E and is valid until June 2036. 2 certificates are on record, which shows how the home has changed.
- Planning records
- Planning applications are collected from local authority registers through PlanIt. 1 application is matched to Orchard Cottage. Councils sometimes file applications under a different address format, and applications on neighbouring land aren't listed here; the report covers both.
- Area figures
- Crime is police-recorded street-level data over the last 14 months, which places each incident at an approximate point. The 2 schools and 30 stops listed are measured in a straight line from CO2 0LS, not by walking route. Road noise is Defra's strategic noise modelling, averaged across the postcode.
- Council tax band
- Orchard Cottage is in council tax band E. Bands are set by the Valuation Office Agency from historic values (1 April 1991 in England, 1 April 2003 in Wales), not today's price; the amount you pay depends on the council's rate for the band.
Common questions
The questions buyers, sellers and homeowners most often ask about Orchard Cottage, Birch Park, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LS. Each answer is also embedded as structured data for search engines.
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- Every home in CO2 0LSSold prices, values and energy ratings for the postcode
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- Orchard Cottage, Birch Park, Birch, Colchester valuationHow the estimate is built and what moves it
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