Convincing the VOA Listing Officer (almost like Mission Impossible)

CSL_2

I need to find anywhere in the Greater London Post Code area - say from E1 to SW20 a Bellway One Bedroom Semi-detached house of about 39m2 to 42m2 built in the early 1970s to late 1990s. Reason for this is to try and convince the VOA Lambeth Listing Officer that my small one bedroom semi should be in Band C and not Band D. Grateful to hear from anyone who knows the exact address of one of these tiny semi-detached houses. Even just the Post Code would be fine. Please click on link below to see exactly what I am searching for.


http://journals.aol.co.uk/clivesteuk/convincing-the-voa-listing-offic/

CSL
[EMAIL="Clivesteuk@aol.com"]Clivesteuk@aol.com[/EMAIL]
Monday 19th November 2007

vivatifosi

Hi CSL,

I have successfully argued at Tribunal that my semi-detached house was of the same value as an end of terrace house. While semis generally are worth more, that is often to reflect the fact that they are generally bigger. However the fact remains, they like end of terraces have another house attached to them and that's that.

From experience of living in one bedroomed houses, I'd say you stand a much better chance of identifying EOT houses that are one bedroomed as there are many more of them than there are one bed semis! You may however potentially have a problem if the plot that yours is on is much bigger as my one bedroom was on a tiny plot.

I'm assuming that your Listing Officer must feel that they have evidence based on semis or they wouldn't have been telling you that's what you need. As guppy said, get feedback from them so you know what direction to go in.

In my case I did have to provide evidence that semis and EOTs were priced the same, which I could do by comparing my house to the house price data on the various websites from 2000-2007. I also used asking price data from the local newspapers pre-2000 (ie before house price data became available). I put this all into an Excel spreadsheet and went through it at length.

vivatifosi

Something else I'd mention CSL,

I notice yours looks like a cluster home (although I appreciate Cluster Homes are generally in 4s). Where I live, market preferences mean that cluster homes (whether or not they are semis) sell for less than traditional "in a row" one bedroom houses. In your case, it is the whole length of the longest wall that is adjoining, plus it looks like you only have one garden.

I have no idea whether or not that's the case where you live, but may be something else worth looking at.

Again, I'd ask the LO what their opinion is on it.

CSL_2

Think that I have been too particular in wanting to find identical Bellway ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached houses in Greater London area. My post of 19th November onwards refers.

Now being in a more realistic frame of mind, I don`t think that I am going to find identical Bellway semis. I would welcome news from anyone who knows the location of any type of ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached house anywhere in Greater London area.

CSL
Wednesday 21st November 2007
[EMAIL="Clivesteuk@aol.com"]Clivesteuk@aol.com[/EMAIL]

moominlaura

Do you know what band your neighbours properties are in? If you are in a bigger band then they are then they should alter your band in line with theirs.

If it is the same as theirs then maybe you should talk to your neighbours and get them involved in trying to reduce their bands as well. Everything always works better when your in a group!

Do you know how much the house was worth on the 1st April 1991. or if it was built after that date what it would of been worth round April 1991. The banding on properties are based on those values and you should easily be able to find out.

CSL_2

moominlaura wrote: »

Do you know what band your neighbours properties are in? If you are in a bigger band then they are then they should alter your band in line with theirs.

If it is the same as theirs then maybe you should talk to your neighbours and get them involved in trying to reduce their bands as well. Everything always works better when your in a group!

Do you know how much the house was worth on the 1st April 1991. or if it was built after that date what it would of been worth round April 1991. The banding on properties are based on those values and you should easily be able to find out.

Yes, I have lists of all neighbours properties within a 350 metre radius. Problem is that it does not do me any good as all of these are large terraced Victorian houses and a number of 1950s and 1960s two and three bedroom terraced houses. The Lambeth Listing Officer will only allow comparison on a like for like (or very similar) basis. There are no other ONE BEDROOM SEMIs in Clapham SW4. Thats the reason why I am seeking info from anyone reading this, for details of ANY One Bedroom Semi ANYWHERE in the Greater London Post Code area.


Yes, it was worth about £62,992 in the second quarter of 1991 according to the Nationwide House Price calculator. Again, the VOA do not accept this figure on its own.

If anyone is reading this for the first time, then would be grateful if you would go to my first post of 19th November, which explains the difficulty more succintly

CSL
[EMAIL="Clivesteuk@aol.com"]Clivesteuk@aol.com[/EMAIL]
Thursday 22nd November 2007

guppy

CSL wrote: »

Now being in a more realistic frame of mind, I don`t think that I am going to find identical Bellway semis. I would welcome news from anyone who knows the location of any type of ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached house anywhere in Greater London area.

Try Rightmove...you can search for houses with 1 Bed+, in ascending order of price. Include those sold STC. You'll need to filter out the incorrectly listed stuff, but there are some on there...

Like this one...I don't know your area though, so no idea if this is comparable:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-14786326.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

guppy

Here are some more, all south of the river:

Camberwell
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-9798246.rsp?pa_n=5&tr_t=buy

Brockley
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-5539941.rsp?pa_n=5&tr_t=buy

West Norwood
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16518299.rsp?pa_n=6&tr_t=buy

You should be able to work out addresses from the Rightmove maps

CSL_2

guppy wrote: »

Try Rightmove...you can search for houses with 1 Bed+, in ascending order of price. Include those sold STC. You'll need to filter out the incorrectly listed stuff, but there are some on there...

Like this one...I don't know your area though, so no idea if this is comparable:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-14786326.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

Guppy

Fantastic!!

Matches perfectly the exacting demands of the VOA:-

One Bed semi in a Greater London Post Code area - SE6 1BA
Council Tax Band C - Lewisham Council
Circa 40m2
Small garden at rear
Allocated Parking (OSP)
Built in 1980s

All I need now is to find another 3 with similar specifications and then I can go back to the VOA and request a Second Review.

CSL
[EMAIL="Clivesteuk@aol.com"]Clivesteuk@aol.com[/EMAIL]
Friday 23rd November 2007

PS. Discounted those at Camberwell, Brockley and West Norwood in your post of 8.52pm as they don`t match criteria. Once again thanks for the SE6 1BA info.

guppy

Glad that helped some. One more thing you might try...putting in an FOI request asking for a list of the bandings of all similar sized one bed houses in a given area of London.

CSL_2

Even though I now have details of just 1, ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached house in SE6, thats meets VOA criteria, I would still welcome news from anyone reading this for the first time.

Grateful to know if there are any ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached houses in your Greater London Post Code area??

CSL
[EMAIL="Clivesteuk@aol.com"]Clivesteuk@aol.com[/EMAIL]
Saturday 24th November 2007