Both take a whole-home approach, considering how different improvements could work together and where your available budget may be most effectively spent.

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What is the main difference between the two services?

 

The simplest answer is:

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Desktop Green Home Assessment

We assess the property remotely.

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Comprehensive Green Home Survey

We physically visit and inspect the property before completing the assessment.

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The professional analysis that follows can cover many of the same subjects.

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The difference is the level of property information available to us when preparing our recommendations.

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Desktop Green Home Assessment – £495 + VAT

 

The Desktop Green Home Assessment is designed for homeowners who want independent professional guidance without requiring an on-site visit.

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Because the assessment is completed remotely, it is available throughout the UK.

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You provide us with detailed information about the property, including photographs, energy use and relevant documents.

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We then carry out our desktop review and prepare your Green Home Action Plan.

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What information is used for the Desktop Assessment?

 

We normally ask for information including:

• full property address

• photographs of the exterior

• photographs of principal rooms

• photographs of the loft where accessible

• photographs of windows and doors

• photographs of the heating and hot-water equipment

• photographs of electrical equipment where relevant

• current EPC if available

• gas and electricity consumption

• current energy tariffs

• existing heating information

• information about known insulation

• floor plans where available

• details of existing solar or renewable technology

• information about planned building work

• details of any existing or planned electric vehicles

• your priorities

• your approximate green-home budget.

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The better the information supplied, the more useful the desktop assessment can be.

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What can the Desktop Green Home Assessment consider?

 

Depending on the property, we can consider areas including:

• energy consumption

• insulation

• windows and doors

• heating and hot water

• heat-pump potential

• solar PV

• battery storage

• ventilation

• MVHR and heat recovery

• heating and cooling

• air conditioning

• EV charging

• smart controls

• energy tariffs

• grants and funding

• planning considerations

• Building Regulations

• indicative costs

• potential savings

• priorities and sequencing.

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The objective is to give you an independent overview before you begin spending significant money.

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Who is the Desktop Assessment best for?

 

The Desktop Green Home Assessment can be ideal if:

• your home is relatively straightforward

• you can provide good photographs and information

• you already have floor plans

• you mainly want strategic advice

• you are considering several green technologies

• you want to know where to start

• you want help prioritising your budget

• you live outside our normal on-site survey area

• you want a nationwide professional service at a fixed price.

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It can also work particularly well where homeowners are comfortable gathering information about their own property.

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What are the limitations of a desktop assessment?

 

The obvious limitation is that we have not physically inspected the building.

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We can only assess what can reasonably be established from:

• the information you provide

• photographs

• plans

• EPC information

• energy data

• publicly available property information

• other appropriate remote research.

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There may therefore be aspects of the property that cannot be confidently assessed remotely.

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For example, a photograph can show us a loft but may not reveal every detail of its construction.

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An EPC may indicate insulation but does not necessarily tell us everything about how that insulation was installed.

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A homeowner may not know the construction of an altered wall or roof.

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Where uncertainty exists, we will say so and may recommend further investigation before work is undertaken.

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Comprehensive Green Home Survey – from £895 + VAT

 

The Comprehensive Green Home Survey includes a professional visit to the property.

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This gives us the opportunity to look at the home directly rather than relying entirely on photographs and information supplied remotely.

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Following the site inspection, we undertake the wider research and professional analysis required to prepare the Green Home Action Plan.

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This is our premium assessment service.

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What happens during the on-site survey?

 

Depending on the property and safe accessibility, we can look directly at areas including:

• external construction

• roof form

• loft

• insulation

• windows

• doors

• heating equipment

• hot-water equipment

• radiator arrangements

• ventilation

• electrical and plant areas

• potential solar locations

• possible heat-pump positions

• potential battery locations

• parking and EV charging

• overheating issues

• planned building work.

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We can also discuss your objectives while at the property and understand how different parts of the home are actually being used.

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Why can an on-site visit make a difference?

 

There are things that are simply easier to understand when standing in the property.

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For example:

A photograph might show a roof.

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A site inspection can make it easier to understand:

• roof relationships

• orientation

• shading

• neighbouring buildings

• access

• potential equipment locations.

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A photograph might show a boiler.

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The survey may also reveal:

• available cylinder space

• radiator arrangements

• plant-space limitations

• possible pipe routes.

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Likewise, physically walking around a property can reveal relationships between rooms and building elements that are difficult to appreciate from photographs alone.

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What does the Comprehensive Green Home Survey consider?

 

The wider analysis can consider the same broad green-home subjects as the Desktop Assessment, including:

• current energy use

• building fabric

• insulation

• windows and doors

• heating

• hot water

• heat pumps

• solar panels

• battery storage

• ventilation

• heat recovery

• heating and cooling

• EV charging

• tariffs

• grants

• planning

• Building Regulations

• indicative costs

• possible savings

• project sequencing.

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The significant difference is that these recommendations are informed by our own physical inspection of the property.

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Who should choose the Comprehensive Green Home Survey?

 

The on-site survey is particularly suitable where:

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• the property is older

• the construction is unusual

• the house has been substantially altered

• several major green improvements are being considered

• significant expenditure is planned

• information about the existing building is limited

• you want us to inspect the property ourselves

• you are planning substantial renovation or extension work

• heating, insulation and renewable technologies need to be considered together

• you would simply prefer the greater depth of an on-site assessment.

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For somebody contemplating £20,000, £30,000 or considerably more of green-home expenditure, the additional knowledge gained from physically seeing the property can be particularly valuable.

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What do both services have in common?

 

Both services are based on the same principle:

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Start with the home, not the product.

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We are not arriving with a predetermined recommendation that you should buy solar panels, a heat pump or a battery.

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Instead, we consider the different opportunities available to the property.

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Both services can help you answer questions such as:

• Where is my home wasting energy?

• Should I insulate before changing the heating?

• Is solar likely to make sense?

• Is battery storage worthwhile?

• Should I consider a heat pump now or later?

• Would an air-to-air heat pump make sense?

• Should I prepare for an EV?

• Are my windows genuinely worth replacing?

• Which grants should I investigate?

• What should I spend my budget on first?

• Which improvements should be completed together?

• Which work can wait?

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That strategic overview is at the heart of both services.

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Do both services include energy-bill analysis?

 

Yes, where suitable information is provided.

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Energy consumption is an important part of understanding the property.

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We may consider:

• annual electricity use

• annual gas consumption

• alternative heating fuels

• current tariffs

• solar generation where applicable

• EV consumption

• household occupancy.

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This helps us distinguish between a house that simply appears inefficient and one that is actually consuming unusually large quantities of energy.

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Do both services consider grants?

 

Yes.

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Where relevant, we can identify current grants and funding opportunities that appear worth investigating.

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Eligibility remains dependent upon the individual scheme, property and homeowner circumstances.

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Grants change over time, so any funding identified within the report must be checked and confirmed before committing to work.

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Do both services look at energy tariffs?

 

Where relevant, yes.

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This is becoming increasingly important.

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A future green home may involve:

• solar generation

• battery storage

• heat pumps

• EV charging

• export tariffs

• time-of-use electricity tariffs.

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The equipment and the tariff can increasingly work together.

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Reviewing how the household buys electricity can therefore form part of the wider assessment.

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Do both services include costs?

 

Where appropriate, both reports can include indicative cost ranges for potential improvements.

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This helps put recommendations into context.

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For example, it is not particularly helpful to tell somebody that their home might benefit from:

• solar

• insulation

• battery storage

• a heat pump

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without also helping them understand the scale of expenditure involved.

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Indicative costs are provided for early budgeting and are not a substitute for detailed contractor quotations.

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Do both services include savings and payback?

 

Where sufficient information is available, we can consider potential savings and indicative financial returns.

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This may include:

• solar savings

• insulation savings

• heating costs

• battery-storage considerations

• tariff savings

• broad payback implications.

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No responsible assessment can guarantee future energy savings.

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Actual results depend on:

• energy prices

• household behaviour

• weather

• tariffs

• installation quality

• future consumption.

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The purpose is to help compare alternatives rather than promise a fixed return.

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Do both services give me a written report?

 

Yes.

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Both services conclude with a written Green Home Assessment Report and Action Plan appropriate to the level of service undertaken.

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The report can identify:

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NOW

Improvements that deserve immediate consideration.

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NEXT

Measures that should be planned or coordinated with other work.

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LATER

Longer-term opportunities linked to future events such as:

• heating replacement

• roof replacement

• refurbishment

• extension

• EV purchase.

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This means you do not need to carry out every recommendation at once.

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Is the £495 Desktop Assessment simply a smaller version of the £895 survey?

 

No.

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This is an important distinction.

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The Desktop Green Home Assessment and Comprehensive Green Home Survey are two separate services.

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The Desktop Assessment has been specifically designed as a remote nationwide consultancy service.

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The Comprehensive Green Home Survey has been designed for homeowners who want us to physically inspect the property as part of the assessment.

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The difference is not simply that one report contains fewer pages than the other.

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The fundamental difference is how the property itself is assessed.

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Can I buy the Desktop Assessment first and then upgrade?

 

You can commission an on-site survey at a later date if circumstances change, but the services should not be regarded as a two-stage package.

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If you already know that you want the property physically inspected, it is normally better to commission the Comprehensive Green Home Survey from the outset.

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The Desktop Assessment involves its own professional research, analysis and report preparation and is therefore a complete service in its own right.

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Which service gives better value?

 

That depends on what you need.

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For a straightforward home where the homeowner can provide comprehensive information, the £495 Desktop Green Home Assessment can offer excellent value.

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It gives access to a detailed whole-home professional review anywhere in the UK without paying for:

• survey travel

• site time

• associated visit costs.

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For a complex property or homeowner wanting the highest level of assessment, the Comprehensive Green Home Survey from £895 + VAT provides the additional benefit of a professional on-site inspection.

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The question is therefore not which service is universally “better”.

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It is:

Which level of assessment does this property justify?

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A simple way to choose

 

Choose the Desktop Green Home Assessment if:

“I want professional independent advice and I can provide good information about my house.”

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Choose the Comprehensive Green Home Survey if:

“I want someone to physically inspect my house before recommending what I should do.”

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That is the simplest distinction.

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What if I am planning to spend £20,000–£50,000?

 

The scale of the proposed investment should be considered.

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If you are contemplating:

• a heat pump

• solar panels

• battery storage

• substantial insulation

• replacement windows

• ventilation

• EV charging

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as part of a major whole-home programme, the additional cost of the Comprehensive Green Home Survey may be relatively small compared with the decisions being made.

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For example, spending £895 on professional assessment before committing £30,000 to works represents only a small percentage of the overall project budget.

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The objective is to help ensure that the larger sum is spent intelligently.

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What if I mainly want to know where to start?

 

The Desktop Green Home Assessment may be exactly what you need.

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Many homeowners are not yet ready to start work.

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They simply want to understand:

• what the options are

• what might be worthwhile

• what might cost too much

• what should be done first

• what can wait.

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The Desktop Assessment can provide that strategic starting point without requiring a site visit.

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What if I have an older or unusual home?

 

We would generally lean towards the Comprehensive Green Home Survey.

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Older properties can contain:

• solid walls

• unusual roof construction

• historic alterations

• extensions from different periods

• outdated heating

• moisture issues

• complex window arrangements.

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These can be difficult to understand fully from photographs alone.

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A physical inspection therefore provides additional information before recommendations are made.

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What if I live a long way from APN Green Homes?

 

That is exactly why we developed the Desktop Green Home Assessment.

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The remote service allows us to work with homeowners throughout the UK without travel making the fee uneconomic.

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You provide the property information.

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We provide the professional whole-home assessment.

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Desktop Green Home Assessment — £495 + VAT — available nationwide.

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Which Green Home Survey should you choose?

 

Choose Desktop if you want:

• nationwide service

• fixed £495 + VAT fee

• independent whole-home advice

• no site visit

• analysis of your supplied property information

• review of energy consumption

• green upgrade recommendations

• cost and saving considerations

• a Now / Next / Later Action Plan.

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Choose Comprehensive if you want:

• an on-site professional inspection

• deeper understanding of the existing property

• assessment informed by what we see ourselves

• the full whole-home analysis

• a detailed Action Plan

• advice before substantial green-home investment.

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Comprehensive Green Home Survey — from £895 + VAT.

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Still unsure which one you need?

 

If you can provide good photographs, energy information and details of a relatively straightforward home, the Desktop Green Home Assessment will often be an excellent starting point.

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If the property is older, complicated, unusual or you are planning major investment and want the property physically inspected, choose the Comprehensive Green Home Survey.

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Either way, the purpose is the same:

Understand your home before spending thousands of pounds changing it.

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Desktop Green Home Assessment

£495 + VAT — Nationwide

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Comprehensive Green Home Survey

From £895 + VAT — On-site professional assessment

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APN Green Homes — independent whole-home advice before you invest.

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NEXT STEPS

Every home is different, so the right next step depends on your property, your budget and what you want to achieve. APN Green Homes can help you turn the information you have just read into a practical plan for your own home. Whether you are considering one improvement or looking at a complete whole-home energy upgrade, we can help you understand what is suitable, what should be prioritised and where your money is likely to make the greatest difference.

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Choose one of the options below to get the ball rolling:

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BOOK A GREEN HOME SURVEY
Get a detailed assessment of your home with practical, property-specific recommendations and a clear plan for the improvements worth considering.

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BOOK A PHONE CONSULTATION
Talk through your property, ideas and priorities with us and get some initial direction on the best way forward.

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EMAIL US
Send us details of your property, photographs or any questions and we can advise you on the most appropriate next step.

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GIVE US A CALL
Prefer to speak to someone? Give us a call and tell us what you are hoping to achieve.

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Your greener, more efficient home starts with understanding the right improvements for your property — and putting them in the right order.