30 Francis Close, Hitchin, SG4 9EJ

30 Francis Close is a one-bedroom end-of-terrace house in Hitchin (SG4 9EJ). It has a recorded floor area of 49 m² (around 527 sq ft), construction records dating it to 1950-1966 and council tax band B. At 49 m² this is the smallest unit on EPC record across the building (49–116 m²). The building's EPC ratings span F to C across 25 units on file. The latest certificate (January 2014) shows a D (score 57), a step below the typical UK home. Earlier certificates rated it C (January 2012); the latest reading is one band lower. Between certificates, window efficiency went from Average to Good; while lighting dropped from Average to Very Poor. The recommended improvements would push it to C (score 79). Main heating runs on electricity. The latest certificate is from January 2014, so improvements made since then won't be reflected.

Held since May 2007 — that's 19 years off the open market, well above the local norm. Across the public record there are 4 sales, relatively high churn for a single property. That sale landed at the peak of the pre-credit-crunch market, which is a useful reference point when interpreting the price. Sale prices here have outpaced England HPI: 11.9% per year against 0% for the wider region. Today's modelled estimate of £188,000 sits 50.4% above the 2007 sale of £125,000. On a £-per-square-foot basis, the last sale (£237/sq ft) was about 24.6% above the typical sold price in the postcode. At 49 m² it sits well below the postcode median (76 m² across 24 EPCs), making it one of the more compact homes locally.