Flat 8, The Birches, 15 Porters Wood, St. Albans, AL3 6ER

UPRN:10093186440Flat/Maisonette1 bedsBuilt -

LeaseholdCouncil Tax: -EPC: B (81)

Data freshness:Listing· freshPlanning· 4mo agoOwnership· freshEPC· 6mo agoRisk· 5mo agoCrime· freshConnectivity· 1mo agoSchools· 1mo agoAmenities· 2mo agoArea· Census 2021

Flat 8, The Birches, 15 Porters Wood, St. Albans, AL3 6ER

HP Score

/ 100

Mixed

Verdict

2 days ago

Verdict: INVESTIGATE, on a scale of Buy, Investigate, Avoid.
Mixed signals - investigate

Evidence

18 of 21 sources

Sale Estimate

£225,000

£214k - £236kHigh

Estimate

£225k

Range

£214k – £236k

Rent Estimate (pcm)

£1,150

£1k - £1k

Monthly

£1,150

Yield

6.13%

Verdict

Derived from HomePortfolio scores

Flat 8 earns an INVESTIGATE rating with HP Score 69/100. Investment score 65/100 reflects moderate fundamentals. Crime intensity is low. Walkability is limited (32/100). Flood risk is not assessed: check the Environment Agency long-term flood map before offering. Tenure is leasehold. Every figure here comes from the live HomePortfolio API; anything it does not publish is left out.

Key SourcesEPC RegisterPortal listingsOfcom Connected NationsOfcom mobile coverageMarket estimates (third-party AVM)Defra strategic noise mapping, England Round 4 (Contains Defra data © Crown copyright and database right 2023-2024, Open Government Licence v3.0)Walk ScoreONS Census 2021Police.ukHM Land Registry covenantsHM Land Registry leasesHM Land Registry Price PaidPlanIt / council planning portalsOverture Maps PlacesOfsted / DfE GIAS

HP Score

69/ 100

Mixed

Investment Score

65/ 100

Moderate

Crime Score

23/ 100

Moderate

Walkability

32/ 100

Mixed

Transit & Bike

Transit 4Bike 31

Walk Score, out of 100

Opportunity

Why this could be an opportunity

Low confidence1 independent sourceListing checked 9 Nov 2026

This rests largely on a single source. Treat the score as a prompt to investigate, not a conclusion.

Valuation edge2.5/15
claims [AVM +0.0% (HIGH), sold-comps +4.7%, £/sqft +4.8%] → measured edge +0.50pp of the ask; on later-registered sales an AVM discount carried no edge and a sold-evidence gap at most +0.5pp
Market estimate used (HIGH confidence) · snapshot 11 Nov 2026
- valuation_snapshotsestimate for 10093186440· as of 11 Nov 2026
- property_comparablessold-evidence family (implied value + £/sqft): 12 comps, dispersion 10.6%· as of 14 Nov 2026
Rental economics9.1/40
gross yield 6.1%; range width penalty ×1.00
- valuation_snapshotsrent estimate 1150/mo (range 1100-1200)· as of 11 Nov 2026· verify before relying on this
Stress margin0/30
stressed cash flow -311/mo, -27% of rent (6.75% on a 75% loan; disclosed service charge and ground rent); fails the stress - earns nothing
- listing_factsservice charge / ground rent from the advert· as of 9 Nov 2026
Seller motivationNot scored
context, not scored: 0 price cut(s), 109 days on market; homes with a cut sold 0.2-0.3pp further below the cut ask, which is not an edge
- portal_listingsprice_changes + first_published_date· as of 9 Nov 2026
Risk & liquidity14.7/15
248 sales/12mo in area; valuation range width 10%
- property_intelligencetransactions_12mo

4 of 4 components scored. Ranks on gross yield, the stress margin, risk and disclosed facts. A pricing claim earns only its measured edge: today 0 for the market estimate and at most +0.5pp for sold evidence. The score itself is not yet checked against the outcomes of homes it scored.

Economics

What happens to your money

Price sensitivity

£169,000£258,500

The same scorer re-run at hypothetical asking prices, holding rent, comps and listing history constant. Not a prediction of what the seller would accept.

Your assumptions

Purchase price£225,000

At the asking price

Monthly rent£1,150/mo

Evidenced range £1,100-£1,200

Interest rate5.4%

Loan to value75%

Cash required: £70,800
Net cash flow: £37/mo
Cash on cash: 0.6%
Score at this price: 26

After a 8% void allowance, 15% management and 10% maintenance. Lender coverage (rent ÷ interest): 1.51 - clears the usual 1.25 test. These are your assumptions, not evidence: only the pre-filled rent and price come from the record.

Evidence

Where every number comes from

valuation_snapshotsestimate for 10093186440Valuation edge · as of 11 Nov 2026
property_comparablessold-evidence family (implied value + £/sqft): 12 comps, dispersion 10.6%Valuation edge · as of 14 Nov 2026
valuation_snapshotsrent estimate 1150/mo (range 1100-1200)Rental economics · as of 11 Nov 2026 · verify before relying on this
listing_factsservice charge / ground rent from the advertStress margin · as of 9 Nov 2026
portal_listingsprice_changes + first_published_dateSeller motivation · as of 9 Nov 2026

Risks

What could kill this deal

Score confidence is low
largely a single source - treat the number as a prompt, not a conclusion
Rental economics needs verification before you rely on it
rent estimate 1150/mo (range 1100-1200)
Seller motivation could not be scored
context, not scored: 0 price cut(s), 109 days on market; homes with a cut sold 0.2-0.3pp further below the cut ask, which is not an edge

Property risk deep-dive →

Plan

Before you offer

1. Get two written rental appraisals from local lettings agents.
The rent estimate rests on area-level evidence, not lettings on this street.
2. Treat the gap to the estimate as unproven - compare recent sold prices on the street yourself before pricing an offer around it.
On later completions, homes listed below their estimate sold at the same share of the asking price as the rest.
3. Commission a full structural survey, not a basic condition report.
The score prices market evidence, not the fabric of the building.

Every step above was generated from a specific gap or flag in the evidence - no generic advice, no invented tasks.

Valuation & Market

Sale Estimate£225,000

Rent Estimate (pcm)£1,150

Gross Yield6.13%

1y Growth+28.8%

3y Growth+1.0%

5y Growth+1.6%

10y Growth+2.6%

Last Sold Price-

View Market Details

Risk Overview

Flood RiskUnknown
SubsidenceModerate
RadonModerate
MiningLow
LandslideLow
Air QualityLow
NoiseModerate

View Full Risk Report

Planning Activity

Recent Apps

0AL3 6ER

Approval Rate

-12mo

Development

low

26/1997/PAHSE
Prior Notification - Single storey rear extension 2.66m in height x 5.74m in depth with 2.40m height to eaves
Pending
26/1944/PASP
Prior Approval - Installation of roof-mounted Solar PV with a maximum installed capacity of 490.28 kWp (824 PV modules). The system will be connected through three SolarEdge SE100K three-phase inverters with 412 S1200 power optimisers, achieving a maximum AC power output of 299.70 kW and an estimated annual generation of 419.06 MWh
Pending
26/0560/TPO
Proposed Works: Reduce the crowns of both Oak trees in the rear garden by approximately 30%, reducing them back to the previous reduction points established during the most recent works approximately five years ago. Carry out a crown clean and light crown thinning to both trees. Tree Preservation Orders: TPO1250 (T1) ? Oak, individual tree, confirmed 20/07/1992. TPO1250 (T2) ? Oak, individual tree, confirmed 20/07/1992. Previous Application: TP/2020/0533 ? Valid from 07/09/2020. Reasons for Works: Routine maintenance and continued management of the trees. Manage the overall size and spread of the crowns. Improve light to the property. Reduce interference with nearby properties and the adjacent road.
Pending

View Planning Timeline

Ownership

Corporate Ownership62.8%
Overseas OwnershipNo
Lease Term Remaining-
CovenantsRestrictive
Lease TypeLeasehold
Last Ownership Change-
SourceLand Registry

View Ownership Details

Connectivity

Broadband (Standard)

5 Mbps

Mobile 4G/5G Coverage

EEThreeO2Vodafone

EV Charger

PTAL Rating

View Connectivity Map

Area Profile

Median EarningsLocal authority£45,543

Population Density1,700 /km²

Owner Occupied67%

Age Distribution

0-15 24%16-64 64%65+ 12%

View Area Profile

Schools Nearby

St Albans Girls' School
0.4 mi
Area grades2024
Inspected after Ofsted withdrew the single overall grade.
Wheatfields Infants' and Nursery School
0.6 mi
Area grades2025
Inspected after Ofsted withdrew the single overall grade.
Wheatfields Junior Mixed School
0.6 mi
Good
Bernards Heath Junior School
0.7 mi
Good

2 of 10 nearby schools with published figures were oversubscribed in 2026 - demand, not a catchment.

View All Schools

Comparables

View All

The Birches, 15 Sandridge Park
-
£320k
-
The Birches, 15 Sandridge Park
-
£249k
-
The Birches, 15 Sandridge Park
-
£258k
-
The Birches, 15 Sandridge Park
-
£253k
-

Boundary data not available for this property

No registered title polygon, building footprint, or street match for this property yet.

Why: No HMLR INSPIRE / OSM footprint / OS Open USRN match for this UPRN

Source: HM Land Registry INSPIRE / OpenStreetMap / OS Open USRN