Home - Council Tax Banding

UK_Eddie

I have recently bought a house that is in Band 'D', suggesting that in April 1991 it was valued at between £68,000 and £88,000, and this is where my query lies. The previous owner bought the property in Nov 1981 for £32,000. All the evidence I can find would suggest a growth over the next 9 and a half years was (on average) around 30-40%. 
I have tried to research the value back in 1991 but the pre digital world seems non existent, there are limited sources and it all seems more than a little hazy. Even this site talks about the rush back in 1991 and the inaccuracy of the 'second gear valuations'. 
I believe that the house should almost certainly in Band 'C' but maybe even Band 'B'. There are comments on the net stating that we should go to libraries and trawl through the old newspapers property pages, but time is against me. 
From what I understand on buying the house I only have 6 months to appeal the Banding with the VOA and must provide 'evidence ' and cannot challenge the Banding again. The house didn't benefit from any work being carried out to improve the house during the 80's, so can't claim to have increased in value over 100% in the 9 and a half years to the 1991 valuation.
My question. What constitutes as  'evidence' for the VOA? Many thanks, Eddie 

lincroft1710

1981 prices were a lot, lot lower than 1991, I bought a 5 yr old 3 bed semi in 1979 for £17,500 and that is in Band C. Cannot remember what I sold it for in 1989, but it was probably around 400% (yes four hundred) more than I paid for it . Check bands of other similar houses in the road and immediate area. What did you pay for your house?

UK_Eddie

lincroft1710 said:

1981 prices were a lot, lot lower than 1991, I bought a 5 yr old 3 bed semi in 1979 for £17,500 and that is in Band C. Cannot remember what I sold it for in 1989, but it was probably around 400% (yes four hundred) more than I paid for it . Check bands of other similar houses in the road and immediate area. What did you pay for your house?

Hi Lincroft1710, Thank you, I paid £223,000 in Nov 2020. Regards Eddie

noh

Try looking for data again. Most sources I can find suggest a rise of 250 to 300% in house prices over the period 1981 to 1991. 
For example this spreadsheet from Nationwide BS giving average prices since 1952. 
https://www.nationwide.co.uk/-/media/MainSite/documents/about/house-price-index/downloads/uk-house-price-since-1952.xls
Anecdotally I bought a flat in 1985 for £20500 and sold three years later for £50250 nearly 250% rise.

noh

Nationwide also have a calculator here.
https://www.nationwide.co.uk/about/house-price-index/house-price-calculator#tab:sectionHousePricecalculator

p00hsticks

There was a very sharp increase in property prices in the late 80's due to the rush to buy before Multiple Mortgage Tax Relief was abolished, as announced in the 1988 budget.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage_interest_relief_at_source 

lincroft1710

UK_Eddie said:

lincroft1710 said:

1981 prices were a lot, lot lower than 1991, I bought a 5 yr old 3 bed semi in 1979 for £17,500 and that is in Band C. Cannot remember what I sold it for in 1989, but it was probably around 400% (yes four hundred) more than I paid for it . Check bands of other similar houses in the road and immediate area. What did you pay for your house?

Hi Lincroft1710, Thank you, I paid £223,000 in Nov 2020. Regards Eddie

£223K in 2020 would suggest a Band C where I live, but not all areas have increased as much, Currently local to me prices are about 4 times those of 1991.