42a, Linden Street, Romford, RM7 7DP

42a is a two-bedroom semi-detached house in Romford (RM7 7DP). It has a recorded floor area of 34 m² (around 366 sq ft), construction records dating it to 1983-1990 and council tax band B. At 34 m² this is the smallest unit on EPC record across the building (34–217 m²). The building's EPC ratings span E to C, with this unit at the bottom. The latest certificate (May 2025) shows an E (score 50), well below the UK norm with real room to improve. The rating has held steady at E across 4 certificates since November 2009. Between certificates, wall efficiency went from Poor to Good and lighting went from Poor to Very Good; while window efficiency dropped from Good to Average and main heating dropped from Poor to Very Poor. The recommended improvements would lift it to C (score 77), a 2-band jump. Main heating runs on electricity.

It hasn't traded since October 2007, a hold of 19 years that's notably long for the area. That sale landed at the peak of the pre-credit-crunch market, which is a useful reference point when interpreting the price. Across 2003–2007, sale prices on this property compounded at 7.4% per year. Today's modelled estimate of £192,000 sits 50.6% above the 2007 sale of £127,500. On a £-per-square-foot basis, the last sale (£348/sq ft) was about 75.9% above the typical sold price in the postcode. At 34 m² it sits well below the postcode median (117 m² across 33 EPCs), making it one of the more compact homes locally. It lags the bulk of the postcode on energy efficiency (less efficient than 73% of similar EPCs).