Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

MrsB124

@lincroft1710 many thanks for your response.

Sorry, by accommodation, do you just meaning living areas and  bedrooms? If so it’s a link detached Dormer (linked by garage), 2 bedrooms & a bathroom upstairs (no en-suite), then living room, kitchen, family/dining room, cloakroom, and study (or Bedroom 3) downstairs.

There are quite a few Dormer bungalows (Also link detached) with the same footprint/look from outside on foot/google earth (but can’t see inside layout obviously except the few with fairly recent sales). There are about 15+ houses but lots have not been up for sale since 1995 👍

All 350 yards from us
these two are 3 beds upstairs and are on the avenue next to the ones In band D below?. 
Band E Jan 95 £80k.   Then June 07 £287k Jul 16 £332.5k
Band E Jul 05 £262k Then Sep 08 £273k 

All 300 yards from us 

Band D Dec 06 £260k Then Jan 10 £316k Then Aug 12 £305k  4 bed
Band D May 04 £202.5k Then Jul 11 £297k Then Jun 17 £345k (has en-suite) 4 bed
Band D Aug 06 £290k unsure if 3 or 4 bed
Band D Dec 00. £135k unsure if 3 or 4 bed

we bought in Oct 06 for £267k all are very similar m2 a few bigger than ours but only by about 5-10m2 max. We are Band F.

thanks a million for all of your feedback 😉👍

lincroft1710

MrsB124 said:

@lincroft1710 many thanks for your response.

Sorry, by accommodation, do you just meaning living areas and  bedrooms? If so it’s a link detached Dormer (linked by garage), 2 bedrooms & a bathroom upstairs (no en-suite), then living room, kitchen, family/dining room, cloakroom, and study (or Bedroom 3) downstairs.

There are quite a few Dormer bungalows (Also link detached) with the same footprint/look from outside on foot/google earth (but can’t see inside layout obviously except the few with fairly recent sales). There are about 15+ houses but lots have not been up for sale since 1995 👍

All 350 yards from us
these two are 3 beds upstairs and are on the avenue next to the ones In band D below?. 
Band E Jan 95 £80k.   Then June 07 £287k Jul 16 £332.5k
Band E Jul 05 £262k Then Sep 08 £273k 

All 300 yards from us 

Band D Dec 06 £260k Then Jan 10 £316k Then Aug 12 £305k  4 bed
Band D May 04 £202.5k Then Jul 11 £297k Then Jun 17 £345k (has en-suite) 4 bed
Band D Aug 06 £290k unsure if 3 or 4 bed
Band D Dec 00. £135k unsure if 3 or 4 bed

we bought in Oct 06 for £267k all are very similar m2 a few bigger than ours but only by about 5-10m2 max. We are Band F.

thanks a million for all of your feedback 😉👍

Those prices suggest everything should be in Band E.

It will be interesting to find out which house actually had the was the subject of the appeal in 2006/7.

MrsB124

lincroft1710 said:

MrsB124 said:

@lincroft1710 many thanks for your response.

Sorry, by accommodation, do you just meaning living areas and  bedrooms? If so it’s a link detached Dormer (linked by garage), 2 bedrooms & a bathroom upstairs (no en-suite), then living room, kitchen, family/dining room, cloakroom, and study (or Bedroom 3) downstairs.

There are quite a few Dormer bungalows (Also link detached) with the same footprint/look from outside on foot/google earth (but can’t see inside layout obviously except the few with fairly recent sales). There are about 15+ houses but lots have not been up for sale since 1995 👍

All 350 yards from us
these two are 3 beds upstairs and are on the avenue next to the ones In band D below?. 
Band E Jan 95 £80k.   Then June 07 £287k Jul 16 £332.5k
Band E Jul 05 £262k Then Sep 08 £273k 

All 300 yards from us 

Band D Dec 06 £260k Then Jan 10 £316k Then Aug 12 £305k  4 bed
Band D May 04 £202.5k Then Jul 11 £297k Then Jun 17 £345k (has en-suite) 4 bed
Band D Aug 06 £290k unsure if 3 or 4 bed
Band D Dec 00. £135k unsure if 3 or 4 bed

we bought in Oct 06 for £267k all are very similar m2 a few bigger than ours but only by about 5-10m2 max. We are Band F.

thanks a million for all of your feedback 😉👍

Those prices suggest everything should be in Band E.

It will be interesting to find out which house actually had the was the subject of the appeal in 2006/7.

I will send them an email to find out about the VT 😉👍

Cbay27

 I live in Cornwall and have just been successfully rebanded from B to A resulting in no council tax to pay til next financial year and a £230 rebate. Moved into the property two and a half years ago and was surprised at the band but didn’t take it anywhere, after seeing that neighbours with similar properties were band A I followed the advice on here in August and sent an email with examples of similar properties and found out today they have rebanded us to an A. So glad I took the time to do it. Thanks for all the help! 

mattconey

Hi All,
Hoping for some advice on how to move forwards with the VOA regarding our current banding review. We moved into a new build property in 2017, which at the time was put as band D. Our property is a two bedroom flat/maisonette and the block is made up of four properties. The two two flats downstairs, which we are one, have their own entrances which is why we're unsure of how to label it! The two flats upstairs have a shared entrance. Quite an unusual style (layout) of building.
When looking around at the local area, all of the older flats and maisonettes of a similar and larger size are band C. Quite a few new build flats which are bigger in floor space but similar layouts are band C. All of these are of similar value to ours.
I've sent around 30 of these properties to the VOA . They have come back to me and are adamant that the properties I've sent aren't comparable and are asking for buildings/properties build after 2009 with a similar layout to ours. They have stated this must be a two storey, semi-detached block. This is not particularly common, especially in our small market town and I haven't managed to find one similar. I'm 99% sure there isn't anything like it here. Is this just me being difficult or are the VOA being particularly picky?? Any advice would be really appreciated, thanks!

lincroft1710

mattconey said:

are the VOA being particularly picky??

Yes they are!

Just tell them you have sent the most relevant evidence you can find in the neighbourhood

mattconey

lincroft1710 said:

mattconey said:

are the VOA being particularly picky??

Yes they are!

Just tell them you have sent the most relevant evidence you can find in the neighbourhood

Thanks, I have been saying this and after 5 emails arguing said point, they've know expanded my allowed radius to find a comparable property... All fun and games. Lots of searching to do now!

MrsB124

MrsB124 said:

lincroft1710 said:

MrsB124 said:

@lincroft1710 many thanks for your response.

Sorry, by accommodation, do you just meaning living areas and  bedrooms? If so it’s a link detached Dormer (linked by garage), 2 bedrooms & a bathroom upstairs (no en-suite), then living room, kitchen, family/dining room, cloakroom, and study (or Bedroom 3) downstairs.

There are quite a few Dormer bungalows (Also link detached) with the same footprint/look from outside on foot/google earth (but can’t see inside layout obviously except the few with fairly recent sales). There are about 15+ houses but lots have not been up for sale since 1995 👍

All 350 yards from us
these two are 3 beds upstairs and are on the avenue next to the ones In band D below?. 
Band E Jan 95 £80k.   Then June 07 £287k Jul 16 £332.5k
Band E Jul 05 £262k Then Sep 08 £273k 

All 300 yards from us 

Band D Dec 06 £260k Then Jan 10 £316k Then Aug 12 £305k  4 bed
Band D May 04 £202.5k Then Jul 11 £297k Then Jun 17 £345k (has en-suite) 4 bed
Band D Aug 06 £290k unsure if 3 or 4 bed
Band D Dec 00. £135k unsure if 3 or 4 bed

we bought in Oct 06 for £267k all are very similar m2 a few bigger than ours but only by about 5-10m2 max. We are Band F.

thanks a million for all of your feedback 😉👍

Those prices suggest everything should be in Band E.

It will be interesting to find out which house actually had the was the subject of the appeal in 2006/7.

I will send them an email to find out about the VT 😉👍

@lincroft1710  I am still waiting to hear back about who was subject to the appeal In 2006/07. Emailed about 4 times now, so I’ve copied in customer services and asked for SAR under Freedom of Information . They have now acknowledged receipt and apologised for delay, so hope to hear back soon. 🤷‍♀️

mattconey

lincroft1710 said:

mattconey said:

are the VOA being particularly picky??

Yes they are!

Just tell them you have sent the most relevant evidence you can find in the neighbourhood

The VOA are sticking to their guns and I can't find any cottage flat blocks of four nearby to provide them with. Does anybody know of an easier way to try to find a specific type of property nearby? I'm allowed to search in a ten mile radius but can't find anything on Rightmove sold prices that match the exact style and age they're looking for. Needle in a haystack comes to mind...

lincroft1710

mattconey said:

lincroft1710 said:

mattconey said:

are the VOA being particularly picky??

Yes they are!

Just tell them you have sent the most relevant evidence you can find in the neighbourhood

The VOA are sticking to their guns and I can't find any cottage flat blocks of four nearby to provide them with. Does anybody know of an easier way to try to find a specific type of property nearby? I'm allowed to search in a ten mile radius but can't find anything on Rightmove sold prices that match the exact style and age they're looking for. Needle in a haystack comes to mind...

I used to say to people "drive/cycle/walk around the area, plus use Google Maps Streetview", but on a 10 mile radius that is just not practical.  Most apartment blocks will comprise more than 4, but why not look at these and see if they are cottage blocks joined together to form (for example) 8 or more apartments