Rebanding help please

princess23

We live on an estate made up of many detatched properties of 3,4 and 5 bedroom houses. But one of the problems I have been asked is to find a property with a square footage the same as ours how can i do this is there anywhere where this information is public knowledge? Also the properties immediately in our area were also built no earlier than 1995 would this be acceptable (re reply from VOA). Finally when the VOA states local does this mean our complete postcode or first part of it. Many thanks

lincroft1710

Such information is not in the public domain. You will have to use a combination of leg/cycle work, driving and Google Maps Streetview. Your complete postcode will only cover relatively few houses. There is no easy way to do this. Just look around within say a mile radius and see if you can find anything that could be similar to your home

JimmyTheWig

princess23 wrote: »

· Evidence of identical or very similar properties in your locality which are in a lower band – exact addresses and postcodes

· Sales evidence in your locality (within two years of the valuation date of 1st April 1991) which suggests your property might be incorrectly banded

princess23 wrote: »

I spoke to our local authority a few weeks ago and was told if I could find a property with the same square footage as my own within a two mile radius this would be looked into

To me, this means that you need to find similar properties to yours (e.g. with the same square footage) within a two mile radius. Find out what band they are in. If it is band D then this is evidence in your favour. Were they sold between April 1991 and April 1993? If so, how much for, and what band would that put them in? If it is band D then this is evidence in your favour.

I believe from what you've said that you've found a couple of similar properties. Presumably they are within two miles?
That's a good start, but have you identified what band they are in?

princess23

Thanks for your reply. I am currently searching within a two mile radius but so far have only come up with houses that were sold in 1995. Considering the VOA asked for 1991-1993 I fear this wont be acceptable ? Once of the properties I have identified is the same bedrooms etc but has a double garage but is a Band D would this be suitable? I am unsure how to calculate the square footage using the measurement details of each room supplied on the for sale listing. If you can help I would be very grateful. Just to mention ours is single garage.

lincroft1710

Don't try calculating the area using room sizes as VOA use external area for comparisons. Compare the room sizes with yours, you don't have to calculate the areas. Having a double garage and being Band D is a good start!

princess23

As mentioned previously I am finding properties that are similar to ours or larger but my stumbling block is that they were sold in 1995. The VOA stated in their correspondence that they require a property between 1991-1993 will this prove to be a problem for me if I cannot find one or will they use the properties I have mentioned.

lincroft1710

Unless these houses are in a lower band, they will not help your case. 1995 prices are generally lower of those between 1991 and 1993 and there is little point in providing 1995 prices.

I'm ex VOA and the current VOA approach does surprise me as they actually have sale prices of virtually every dwelling in England and Wales, but cannot divulge this information

JimmyTheWig

princess23 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. I am currently searching within a two mile radius but so far have only come up with houses that were sold in 1995. Considering the VOA asked for 1991-1993 I fear this wont be acceptable ?

No, as you say they won't be interested in this.
But the good news is that they either want to know what similar houses sold for between 1991 and 1993, or they want to know what band they are in. You don't have any similar that sold in that timeframe, but do you know what band they are in?

Once of the properties I have identified is the same bedrooms etc but has a double garage but is a Band D would this be suitable?

Brilliant. That is one house in your favour.
Can you find others? Doesn't matter when they were sold, as long as you know the band.

princess23

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Both houses I have found are in Band D are larger than ours but were built in 1995. Unfortunately within a two mile radius of our postcode there was nothing built older than 1995 therefore I will supply the VOA with these details and hope it will be enough for them to reconsider our banding.

vickyk2476

feel you pain! I have provided VOA with identical properties within 0.5 mile (a/d and post codes), house sale prices within 2 years of 1991, and my house valuation post 1991 when bought (in 1998 - which was still under the banding given in 1991!) and STILL they have rejected my request for rebanding. I'm now trying again to get them to admit my property is in the wrong band.