Council Tax Valuation for property built after 1991

clairesap

Hi,
I have just tried to appeal my council tax on the basis that most the 3 bedroom semis in the area around me which are larger houses with garages and larger gardens (mine has no garage and I don't own my parking space due to the house being in a development where the parking is owned by a management company and we have to pay an annual fee) are band C, yet mine is Band D. Looking at the sold prices for 2004 when I bought mine they were pretty similar to what I paid for mine and an estate agent has told me that mine is of a similar valuation to those in nearby streets and certainly now more valuable. However, the person who came out today said that they go on the sold prices when the houses were built in 1997 and pointed out that these were higher than nearby streets. When I told her that this would have been because the houses were brand new and clearly a new house in the same location and of a similar size to an old house is going to sell for more. If you buy an old house you pay a price which usually reflects that you will have to replace something, be it the boiler, windows, carpets, kitchen, bathroom etc. Therefore to value a house in a higher band because it was new when it was first sold and therefore sold for more than similar ones in the surrounding streets which were 30 years old seems to be a flawed concept and most unfair. Has anyone come across this extraordinary school of thought which if correct will mean all houses built after 1991 are in a higher band. The problem with my house is further compounded by there only being 4 like it so it is difficult to get an good average for sale prices.

Red_dog_Sam

As you're probably aware , Valuations bands have to be based on an assumed market value as at 1st April 1991. In that respect, values ore or post 1997 are not relevant. A new owner has just 6 months from the time of purchase to appeal a banding. However, a formal proposal to change the banding can be made with no time limit if there is a material change reducing the value of the property since it was originally banded - like additional buildings or roads that might lower the value of a property and that weren't there before. There's not much indication here that your property might fall into that category in which case there will be no grounds for a revaluation. Unfortunatley, a comparison of sale prices in the locality would make no difference for you now - though it could to the new owner if you sell it.