Rating Conundrum...

BatCat

Hi Folks,
I'm looking for guidance here on what's the best way to proceed in terms of the rates for my house.
We live in a semi detached house. A couple of years ago we had the chance to buy the house attached to ours which was in a very rundown state. We bought it, did it up with the help of some fabulous builders and are now looking to move in. We have made doorways between the houses so we can move from one to another.
(Please note we're not rolling in cash!!!!!)
Anyhow, we're now nearly at the point where we can start living in the house nextdoor and so will have to pay rates. When we first entertained the idea of the two houses I phoned the rates office who said it was a simple matter of filling in a form and saying the two houses were one rateable unit.
I contacted the rates office last week and they are now saying what they suggest doing is that they send someone around and revalue the house as one unit.
This sounds like it would cost me more money in the long term and makes me nervous.
I'm also nervous about the house being valued too highly considering the plan to use rateable value for calculation of water rates.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
BatCat

NAR

Are there any other detached properties on your road that would have a similar footprint? You could look up their rateable value online and see if it is more or less than 2 x your current ratable value.

AlwaysWorking

The advice Land and Property Services first gave you would have meant you paying twice the rates (assuming the house next door had the same value as yours). By getting it revalued as one unit, the valuer will value the house as it is...and this may not be as much. A detached house converted from two semis may not provide the layout that would appeal to everyone looking for a house of that size and since it has to be valued like for like, it won't have the same valuation as a purpose built detached house of that size.

wifeforlife

Either it's one house or it's two houses. Whatever way you go about it, it's going to be a higher rates bill.

If you live in one and leave the other house empty you'll still pay rates on it from April 2011 as the legislation is changing.

If it was me, I'd want it rated as one home as the value would be lower than 2 separate properties.

Cate

ballyblack

To get it rated as a single large home for cheaper rates you might need more than a connecting door