Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

ben637

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

The following come to mind

1. The 1990 sale price was incorrectly recorded

2. For some reason house prices there bucked the national trend and showed a massive increase from 1990 to 1991

3. It was a repossession sale

4; The builder went bankrupt and the liquidators sold off the houses well below market value or in an incomplete state.

5. The plot and house were sold separately.

6. The band is incorrect


If any of 1 -5. don't apply then one has to ask why no-one has challenged their band during the past 29 years. Have you talked to your neighbours, there still may be one of the original owners around. Also some may have the original title deeds which show the 1990 sale prices.


Sales of subject dwellings around April 1991 are usually paramount evidence. Incorrectly recording a sale price does happen, but fortunately not often. Try and find similar size and type houses on other estates and see what their bands are..

Tanks for your response, very useful. 

I have the original title deed showing the price paid for our house and for next doors. Unfortunately next door is a different type so not comparable to mine. It does put theirs 2 bands higher than it perhaps should be (although I think there may be some improvements that could reduce that to one band).

I am keen to get some more title deeds of identical properties as this seems to be important evidence (all houses would have been sold around a year before April 1991). It is an estate of about 30 hours where 6 are the same size as mine. All built at the same time by Wimpey so I don't expect anything unusual.
I know I can pay a small fee to see the title deeds of other properties so that is my next task. If I get 2 more that are the same property type as mine and they show the same result I feel it is a strong case.

As for similar houses on other estates. Unfortunately where we are there are not properties of the same style to be able to do a close comparison, most of the houses are at least 30 years older, so I would just be going on size alone and may not be able to be very sure. I will still have a look to see what I can dig up.

lincroft1710

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

The following come to mind

1. The 1990 sale price was incorrectly recorded

2. For some reason house prices there bucked the national trend and showed a massive increase from 1990 to 1991

3. It was a repossession sale

4; The builder went bankrupt and the liquidators sold off the houses well below market value or in an incomplete state.

5. The plot and house were sold separately.

6. The band is incorrect


If any of 1 -5. don't apply then one has to ask why no-one has challenged their band during the past 29 years. Have you talked to your neighbours, there still may be one of the original owners around. Also some may have the original title deeds which show the 1990 sale prices.


Sales of subject dwellings around April 1991 are usually paramount evidence. Incorrectly recording a sale price does happen, but fortunately not often. Try and find similar size and type houses on other estates and see what their bands are..

Tanks for your response, very useful. 

I have the original title deed showing the price paid for our house and for next doors. Unfortunately next door is a different type so not comparable to mine. It does put theirs 2 bands higher than it perhaps should be (although I think there may be some improvements that could reduce that to one band).

I am keen to get some more title deeds of identical properties as this seems to be important evidence (all houses would have been sold around a year before April 1991). It is an estate of about 30 hours where 6 are the same size as mine. All built at the same time by Wimpey so I don't expect anything unusual.
I know I can pay a small fee to see the title deeds of other properties so that is my next task. If I get 2 more that are the same property type as mine and they show the same result I feel it is a strong case.

As for similar houses on other estates. Unfortunately where we are there are not properties of the same style to be able to do a close comparison, most of the houses are at least 30 years older, so I would just be going on size alone and may not be able to be very sure. I will still have a look to see what I can dig up.

I don't think you can obtain 1991 data from the Land Registry.


If the 1990 sale price of the neighbour also shows the band to be too high then I'll repeat the question, why hasn't anyone appealed their band? Either there is something odd about these sales/sale prices or you have some very complacent neighbours!

ben637

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

The following come to mind

1. The 1990 sale price was incorrectly recorded

2. For some reason house prices there bucked the national trend and showed a massive increase from 1990 to 1991

3. It was a repossession sale

4; The builder went bankrupt and the liquidators sold off the houses well below market value or in an incomplete state.

5. The plot and house were sold separately.

6. The band is incorrect


If any of 1 -5. don't apply then one has to ask why no-one has challenged their band during the past 29 years. Have you talked to your neighbours, there still may be one of the original owners around. Also some may have the original title deeds which show the 1990 sale prices.


Sales of subject dwellings around April 1991 are usually paramount evidence. Incorrectly recording a sale price does happen, but fortunately not often. Try and find similar size and type houses on other estates and see what their bands are..

Tanks for your response, very useful. 

I have the original title deed showing the price paid for our house and for next doors. Unfortunately next door is a different type so not comparable to mine. It does put theirs 2 bands higher than it perhaps should be (although I think there may be some improvements that could reduce that to one band).

I am keen to get some more title deeds of identical properties as this seems to be important evidence (all houses would have been sold around a year before April 1991). It is an estate of about 30 hours where 6 are the same size as mine. All built at the same time by Wimpey so I don't expect anything unusual.
I know I can pay a small fee to see the title deeds of other properties so that is my next task. If I get 2 more that are the same property type as mine and they show the same result I feel it is a strong case.

As for similar houses on other estates. Unfortunately where we are there are not properties of the same style to be able to do a close comparison, most of the houses are at least 30 years older, so I would just be going on size alone and may not be able to be very sure. I will still have a look to see what I can dig up.

I don't think you can obtain 1991 data from the Land Registry.


If the 1990 sale price of the neighbour also shows the band to be too high then I'll repeat the question, why hasn't anyone appealed their band? Either there is something odd about these sales/sale prices or you have some very complacent neighbours!

I agree that it does seem very unusual. Prices in our area have grown faster than average I believe. And if you take freely available house sales figures and work backwards  and use the Nationwide index, the bandings appear about right or too close to challenge. But that is because the first freely available sales are around 2000 and later mark and potentially already diverging from the index. The original prices from 1990 are harder to get (as they are only stamped on the original deed as far as I can tell). It may simply be that people don't work hard enough for the evidence or aren't even aware of original sales prices.

If a neighbour appealed but without providing any/much original sale price evidence, maybe they would be unsuccessful.I can imagine it is a bit chicken and egg if all bands are too high.

I feel it is very unlikely that we would be unfortunate to move up a band based the data I have seen so far so I feel it is worth a try. If I am able to get the 1990 sale price information of a couple more houses identical to mine I will post here.

The final thing to note is I have been measuring on Google Earth, the land area for each of the 6 identical properties. Mine is the smallest (ranging from 360m2 to 550m2), I suppose building size is more important? (they are all the same)

lincroft1710

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

The following come to mind

1. The 1990 sale price was incorrectly recorded

2. For some reason house prices there bucked the national trend and showed a massive increase from 1990 to 1991

3. It was a repossession sale

4; The builder went bankrupt and the liquidators sold off the houses well below market value or in an incomplete state.

5. The plot and house were sold separately.

6. The band is incorrect


If any of 1 -5. don't apply then one has to ask why no-one has challenged their band during the past 29 years. Have you talked to your neighbours, there still may be one of the original owners around. Also some may have the original title deeds which show the 1990 sale prices.


Sales of subject dwellings around April 1991 are usually paramount evidence. Incorrectly recording a sale price does happen, but fortunately not often. Try and find similar size and type houses on other estates and see what their bands are..

Tanks for your response, very useful. 

I have the original title deed showing the price paid for our house and for next doors. Unfortunately next door is a different type so not comparable to mine. It does put theirs 2 bands higher than it perhaps should be (although I think there may be some improvements that could reduce that to one band).

I am keen to get some more title deeds of identical properties as this seems to be important evidence (all houses would have been sold around a year before April 1991). It is an estate of about 30 hours where 6 are the same size as mine. All built at the same time by Wimpey so I don't expect anything unusual.
I know I can pay a small fee to see the title deeds of other properties so that is my next task. If I get 2 more that are the same property type as mine and they show the same result I feel it is a strong case.

As for similar houses on other estates. Unfortunately where we are there are not properties of the same style to be able to do a close comparison, most of the houses are at least 30 years older, so I would just be going on size alone and may not be able to be very sure. I will still have a look to see what I can dig up.

I don't think you can obtain 1991 data from the Land Registry.


If the 1990 sale price of the neighbour also shows the band to be too high then I'll repeat the question, why hasn't anyone appealed their band? Either there is something odd about these sales/sale prices or you have some very complacent neighbours!

I agree that it does seem very unusual. Prices in our area have grown faster than average I believe. And if you take freely available house sales figures and work backwards  and use the Nationwide index, the bandings appear about right or too close to challenge. But that is because the first freely available sales are around 2000 and later mark and potentially already diverging from the index. The original prices from 1990 are harder to get (as they are only stamped on the original deed as far as I can tell). It may simply be that people don't work hard enough for the evidence or aren't even aware of original sales prices.

If a neighbour appealed but without providing any/much original sale price evidence, maybe they would be unsuccessful.I can imagine it is a bit chicken and egg if all bands are too high.

I feel it is very unlikely that we would be unfortunate to move up a band based the data I have seen so far so I feel it is worth a try. If I am able to get the 1990 sale price information of a couple more houses identical to mine I will post here.

The final thing to note is I have been measuring on Google Earth, the land area for each of the 6 identical properties. Mine is the smallest (ranging from 360m2 to 550m2), I suppose building size is more important? (they are all the same)

The VOA take virtually no notice of garden size except when a garden is extremely large

ben637

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

The following come to mind

1. The 1990 sale price was incorrectly recorded

2. For some reason house prices there bucked the national trend and showed a massive increase from 1990 to 1991

3. It was a repossession sale

4; The builder went bankrupt and the liquidators sold off the houses well below market value or in an incomplete state.

5. The plot and house were sold separately.

6. The band is incorrect


If any of 1 -5. don't apply then one has to ask why no-one has challenged their band during the past 29 years. Have you talked to your neighbours, there still may be one of the original owners around. Also some may have the original title deeds which show the 1990 sale prices.


Sales of subject dwellings around April 1991 are usually paramount evidence. Incorrectly recording a sale price does happen, but fortunately not often. Try and find similar size and type houses on other estates and see what their bands are..

Tanks for your response, very useful. 

I have the original title deed showing the price paid for our house and for next doors. Unfortunately next door is a different type so not comparable to mine. It does put theirs 2 bands higher than it perhaps should be (although I think there may be some improvements that could reduce that to one band).

I am keen to get some more title deeds of identical properties as this seems to be important evidence (all houses would have been sold around a year before April 1991). It is an estate of about 30 hours where 6 are the same size as mine. All built at the same time by Wimpey so I don't expect anything unusual.
I know I can pay a small fee to see the title deeds of other properties so that is my next task. If I get 2 more that are the same property type as mine and they show the same result I feel it is a strong case.

As for similar houses on other estates. Unfortunately where we are there are not properties of the same style to be able to do a close comparison, most of the houses are at least 30 years older, so I would just be going on size alone and may not be able to be very sure. I will still have a look to see what I can dig up.

I don't think you can obtain 1991 data from the Land Registry.


If the 1990 sale price of the neighbour also shows the band to be too high then I'll repeat the question, why hasn't anyone appealed their band? Either there is something odd about these sales/sale prices or you have some very complacent neighbours!

I agree that it does seem very unusual. Prices in our area have grown faster than average I believe. And if you take freely available house sales figures and work backwards  and use the Nationwide index, the bandings appear about right or too close to challenge. But that is because the first freely available sales are around 2000 and later mark and potentially already diverging from the index. The original prices from 1990 are harder to get (as they are only stamped on the original deed as far as I can tell). It may simply be that people don't work hard enough for the evidence or aren't even aware of original sales prices.

If a neighbour appealed but without providing any/much original sale price evidence, maybe they would be unsuccessful.I can imagine it is a bit chicken and egg if all bands are too high.

I feel it is very unlikely that we would be unfortunate to move up a band based the data I have seen so far so I feel it is worth a try. If I am able to get the 1990 sale price information of a couple more houses identical to mine I will post here.

The final thing to note is I have been measuring on Google Earth, the land area for each of the 6 identical properties. Mine is the smallest (ranging from 360m2 to 550m2), I suppose building size is more important? (they are all the same)

The VOA take virtually no notice of garden size except when a garden is extremely large

Good to know, thanks.

With regards to getting the original purchase price of the other properties, I did some looking back over emails as a number of years ago I had purchased various deeds through a third party website and this included a document that showed the first purchase price along with easements. From looking back over correspondence it looks like the document showing easements was provided as part of "other documents held by land registry" as they are referred to in the title register document. I found my bank records and it looks like I paid almost £40 to get that level of information. I have found what looks like the same service on www.land-registry-documents.co.uk (as the site I used last time seems to not work) so am trying this out with one property to see if I get that information. It may be possible to get this direct from land registry but it is a bit complicated and you have to do by post. I would likely request the wrong thing if doing it that way.

I definitely feel like there is a barrier to this information and hoping that is means no one has challenged until now (rather than challenged and failed).

Once I have pulled together evidence, is there a best way to raise with the VOA? I think I have seen at least three methods in my research:

1) via gov.uk, fill in an online form. Not sure you can attach files as it looked pretty basic
2) by email. I found a link on my councils website: https://www.southglos.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-valuation-bands/
3) by post

I want to be able to provide all evidence clearly so email or post feels best but wondered if it matters?

lincroft1710

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

The following come to mind

1. The 1990 sale price was incorrectly recorded

2. For some reason house prices there bucked the national trend and showed a massive increase from 1990 to 1991

3. It was a repossession sale

4; The builder went bankrupt and the liquidators sold off the houses well below market value or in an incomplete state.

5. The plot and house were sold separately.

6. The band is incorrect


If any of 1 -5. don't apply then one has to ask why no-one has challenged their band during the past 29 years. Have you talked to your neighbours, there still may be one of the original owners around. Also some may have the original title deeds which show the 1990 sale prices.


Sales of subject dwellings around April 1991 are usually paramount evidence. Incorrectly recording a sale price does happen, but fortunately not often. Try and find similar size and type houses on other estates and see what their bands are..

Tanks for your response, very useful. 

I have the original title deed showing the price paid for our house and for next doors. Unfortunately next door is a different type so not comparable to mine. It does put theirs 2 bands higher than it perhaps should be (although I think there may be some improvements that could reduce that to one band).

I am keen to get some more title deeds of identical properties as this seems to be important evidence (all houses would have been sold around a year before April 1991). It is an estate of about 30 hours where 6 are the same size as mine. All built at the same time by Wimpey so I don't expect anything unusual.
I know I can pay a small fee to see the title deeds of other properties so that is my next task. If I get 2 more that are the same property type as mine and they show the same result I feel it is a strong case.

As for similar houses on other estates. Unfortunately where we are there are not properties of the same style to be able to do a close comparison, most of the houses are at least 30 years older, so I would just be going on size alone and may not be able to be very sure. I will still have a look to see what I can dig up.

I don't think you can obtain 1991 data from the Land Registry.


If the 1990 sale price of the neighbour also shows the band to be too high then I'll repeat the question, why hasn't anyone appealed their band? Either there is something odd about these sales/sale prices or you have some very complacent neighbours!

I agree that it does seem very unusual. Prices in our area have grown faster than average I believe. And if you take freely available house sales figures and work backwards  and use the Nationwide index, the bandings appear about right or too close to challenge. But that is because the first freely available sales are around 2000 and later mark and potentially already diverging from the index. The original prices from 1990 are harder to get (as they are only stamped on the original deed as far as I can tell). It may simply be that people don't work hard enough for the evidence or aren't even aware of original sales prices.

If a neighbour appealed but without providing any/much original sale price evidence, maybe they would be unsuccessful.I can imagine it is a bit chicken and egg if all bands are too high.

I feel it is very unlikely that we would be unfortunate to move up a band based the data I have seen so far so I feel it is worth a try. If I am able to get the 1990 sale price information of a couple more houses identical to mine I will post here.

The final thing to note is I have been measuring on Google Earth, the land area for each of the 6 identical properties. Mine is the smallest (ranging from 360m2 to 550m2), I suppose building size is more important? (they are all the same)

The VOA take virtually no notice of garden size except when a garden is extremely large

Good to know, thanks.

With regards to getting the original purchase price of the other properties, I did some looking back over emails as a number of years ago I had purchased various deeds through a third party website and this included a document that showed the first purchase price along with easements. From looking back over correspondence it looks like the document showing easements was provided as part of "other documents held by land registry" as they are referred to in the title register document. I found my bank records and it looks like I paid almost £40 to get that level of information. I have found what looks like the same service on www.land-registry-documents.co.uk (as the site I used last time seems to not work) so am trying this out with one property to see if I get that information. It may be possible to get this direct from land registry but it is a bit complicated and you have to do by post. I would likely request the wrong thing if doing it that way.

I definitely feel like there is a barrier to this information and hoping that is means no one has challenged until now (rather than challenged and failed).

Once I have pulled together evidence, is there a best way to raise with the VOA? I think I have seen at least three methods in my research:

1) via gov.uk, fill in an online form. Not sure you can attach files as it looked pretty basic
2) by email. I found a link on my councils website: https://www.southglos.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-valuation-bands/
3) by post

I want to be able to provide all evidence clearly so email or post feels best but wondered if it matters?

You may be able to check if there have been any appeals on neighbouring houses by looking at the Council Tax Valuation List for your road.

If you are within the 6 month time limit for appealing your CT band, then use the online form. If outwith the time limit then up to you if use e-mail or snail mail but make sure it goes direct to the VOA not via the council. You don't need to attach files just give basic info at this stage.

Woamwedo

I previously reported how I got my last house rebanded lower after 27 years. In a newbuild now, did my research and got my new house rebanded lower more or less immediately, from E to D. There is no secret or magic bullet. Use the VOA website and simply check how nearby or similar properties are banded. Any that are lower, immediately makes your case. Don’t be put off by threats that your band could increase or it could affect your neighbours, increases are as Martin states very rare. The case for my new house being rebanded was built on two identical homes on the same development being a band lower. When I queried this and made my ‘proposal’ for a lower band, it turns out the developer had supplied the VOA with a development plan and then changed the house design. The VOA were under the assumption we were a 4 bed property when it is actually 3. There is still the anomaly though of other properties on the development being in the wrong band, if for no other reason than the median house prices are much lower than the nearby big city. But I suppose that is for the other owners to find out for themselves. 

Woamwedo

I should have added above that it will save me £420 this coming year and given the indexation of Council Tax is always upwards, it is a sound ‘investment’ for future years. Council Tax is hardly likely to change in my lifetime.

lincroft1710

Woamwedo said:

Don’t be put off by threats that your band could increase or it could affect your neighbours, increases are as Martin states very rare. The case for my new house being rebanded was built on two identical homes on the same development being a band lower. When I queried this and made my ‘proposal’ for a lower band, it turns out the developer had supplied the VOA with a development plan and then changed the house design. The VOA were under the assumption we were a 4 bed property when it is actually 3. There is still the anomaly though of other properties on the development being in the wrong band, if for no other reason than the median house prices are much lower than the nearby big city. But I suppose that is for the other owners to find out for themselves. 

Dwellings can be under assessed as well as over assessed, it is just that the latter tends to be more common. But those querying their CT band do need to be aware that it may be that the neighbours' bands are incorrect not theirs.


Your experience shows that the VOA should not just rely on a developer's plan. When I was in the VOA if a band was lowered for a particular house type, then that reduction should be applied to other houses of that type. So hopefully the VOA should check the rest of the estate, especially as there might have been other houses wrongly identified. 

newbuildbudget

Very pleased to say that I have successfully contested a council tax banding. We moved into a new build at the end of September and we were not convinced by the banding, especially considering what we knew other people paid locally, what we had paid at a precious property and what our house would have been ‘worth’ if it existed 30 years ago. 

We have been reduced from an E to a D. Given the current climate, this reduction (and small rebate given what we’ve overpaid) is very welcome!