Glossary
Property media terms
The words that come up with property photography, EPCs, drones and floor plans, in plain English.
- Aborted visit
- A booking where the photographer attends but cannot work, because there is no access or the property is not ready. Ellie charges the full fee for an aborted visit.
- Accreditation scheme
- An organisation approved by the government to accredit energy assessors and audit their work. Ellie's scheme is ECMK.
- Aerial photography
- Photographs taken from a drone, used to show a property's setting, plot size, roof and neighbouring land.
- CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)
- The UK regulator for aviation, including drones. It sets the Drone and Model Aircraft Code and issues Flyer IDs and Operator IDs.
- Domestic energy assessor
- A person qualified and accredited to assess homes and produce EPCs. Assessors must belong to a government-approved accreditation scheme.
- Energy efficiency rating
- The A to G band shown on an EPC, with a numeric score. A is the most efficient and G the least.
- EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
- A certificate that rates how energy efficient a property is, from A (best) to G (worst), with typical energy costs and steps to improve. Required when a property is sold, rented out or built. Valid for 10 years.
- EPC register
- The national database of EPCs. Once lodged, a certificate can be found and downloaded by anyone using the government's find an energy certificate service.
- Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ)
- Protected airspace around most airports and airfields. A drone must not fly in it without permission from the airport or airfield.
- Floor plan
- A scaled drawing of a property's layout, room by room, used in marketing. Drawn from measurements taken on site. A marketing floor plan is not a survey.
- Flyer ID
- The CAA's proof that a drone pilot has passed the official online theory test. Lasts five years.
- Gross internal area
- The floor area of a building measured to the inside face of its outer walls on each floor. Often shown on floor plans as an approximate total.
- MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard)
- The rules for domestic private rented homes in England and Wales. Since 1 April 2020 a landlord cannot let, or continue to let, a covered property rated below E unless a valid exemption is registered.
- NOTAM (Notice to Aviation)
- An official notice of a temporary hazard or restriction to flying, such as an airshow. Checked before a flight.
- Open category
- The CAA category covering most leisure and low-risk commercial drone flying, within set limits on height and distance from people and buildings.
- Operator ID
- The CAA registration for the person or organisation responsible for a drone. It must be labelled on every drone they operate.
- Portal-ready images
- Photographs sized and exported to suit property portals and listing software.
- PRS Exemptions Register
- The government register where landlords record a valid exemption from MEES, for example when improvements would cost more than the £3,500 cap.
- Remote ID
- A system that broadcasts a drone's identity and location in flight. From 1 January 2026 it must be switched on when flying UK1, UK2 and UK3 class drones.
- Sky replacement
- An edit that replaces a dull or blown-out sky in an exterior photograph with a clear one.
- Vertical correction
- Straightening the lines of walls and doorframes in an interior photograph so the room does not look like it is leaning.
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