Council Tax Challenge - What other evidence can I get?

Mikeef

I live in a street of 6 detached houses. They were all new builds in 2020. They are all identical houses, the only difference is the size of gardens. Checking the purchase prices for each house, they range from £320,000 up to £345,000, purchased between Aug and Nov 2020. We are all in band E. I did the checks as per the MSE website and the Nationwide valuation as of 1991 comes in at £78,359 for the most expensive house, putting it in band D. The other 5 houses also fall into band D as they are all cheaper.

I went to look at how to challenge on the VOA's website and it states "The VOA will not consider average house price information from websites such as Nationwide House Price Index, Nethouseprices, Rightmove or Zoopla as strong evidence."

If this is the case, how can I challenge if this is the only data I have?

Anyone else tried with just this data?

Thanks
Mike

Hoenir

Did some purchasers receive incentives? Did the builder offer part exchange? 

Mikeef

I'm not sure for all of them. I certainly didn't. Mine is the most expensive in the street and all the other were purchased as a cheaper price. Would that matter?

Exodi

Mikeef said:

The VOA will not consider average house price information from websites such as Nationwide House Price Index, Nethouseprices, Rightmove or Zoopla as strong evidence.

If this is the case, how can I challenge if this is the only data I have?

Nationwide values my house at £360k and Zoopla values my house up to £440k.

You have to find comparables - just one house that is within the vicinity of equal type, size and age that is a lower band (disclaimer: there is the chance they'd decide the house you found is is accidentally too low rather than yours being too high)..

Specifically if you live in a 3 bed detatched house, you should be comparing to other 3 bed detached houses. You should ensure that your house is within 10% of the sqm of comparable houses (can be confirmed using EPC's which can be checked online easily), likewise with age I think they should be within a decade (there's actually some weird rules they had around this that I can't remember).

One thing I would say, I can see you live in a house that you purchased between £320k - £345k in 2020 and it is a 3 bed detatched - I purchased my house for £295k in 2019 and my house is robustly band E (and I spent a significant amount of item challenging it on multiple occasions).

The fact that you might see (if you do intend to challenge it) older houses that are twice the size on the market for £100k more than yours is worth, yet a lower council tax band, is frustrating, but unfortunately irrelevant and not comparable.

Mikeef

Exodi said:

Mikeef said:

The VOA will not consider average house price information from websites such as Nationwide House Price Index, Nethouseprices, Rightmove or Zoopla as strong evidence.

If this is the case, how can I challenge if this is the only data I have?

Nationwide values my house at £360k and Zoopla values my house up to £440k.

You have to find comparables - just one house that is within the vicinity of equal type, size and age that is a lower band (disclaimer: there is the chance they'd decide the house you found is is accidentally too low rather than yours being too high)..

Specifically if you live in a 3 bed detatched house, you should be comparing to other 3 bed detached houses. You should ensure that your house is within 10% of the sqm of comparable houses (can be confirmed using EPC's which can be checked online easily), likewise with age I think they should be within a decade (there's actually some weird rules they had around this that I can't remember).

One thing I would say, I can see you live in a house that you purchased between £320k - £345k in 2020 and it is a 3 bed detatched - I purchased my house for £295k in 2019 and my house is robustly band E (and I spent a significant amount of item challenging it on multiple occasions).

The fact that you might see (if you do intend to challenge it) older houses that are twice the size on the market for £100k more than yours is worth, yet a lower council tax band, is frustrating, but unfortunately irrelevant and not comparable.

Its a 4 bed detached by the way. So are you saying the 1991 calculator is inaccurate?

Exodi

Mikeef said:

Exodi said:

Mikeef said:

The VOA will not consider average house price information from websites such as Nationwide House Price Index, Nethouseprices, Rightmove or Zoopla as strong evidence.

If this is the case, how can I challenge if this is the only data I have?

Nationwide values my house at £360k and Zoopla values my house up to £440k.

You have to find comparables - just one house that is within the vicinity of equal type, size and age that is a lower band (disclaimer: there is the chance they'd decide the house you found is is accidentally too low rather than yours being too high)..

Specifically if you live in a 3 bed detatched house, you should be comparing to other 3 bed detached houses. You should ensure that your house is within 10% of the sqm of comparable houses (can be confirmed using EPC's which can be checked online easily), likewise with age I think they should be within a decade (there's actually some weird rules they had around this that I can't remember).

One thing I would say, I can see you live in a house that you purchased between £320k - £345k in 2020 and it is a 3 bed detatched - I purchased my house for £295k in 2019 and my house is robustly band E (and I spent a significant amount of item challenging it on multiple occasions).

The fact that you might see (if you do intend to challenge it) older houses that are twice the size on the market for £100k more than yours is worth, yet a lower council tax band, is frustrating, but unfortunately irrelevant and not comparable.

Its a 4 bed detached by the way. So are you saying the 1991 calculator is inaccurate?

I think the fact it's a 4 bed detached new build makes it even less likely it would be a band D (assuming it's not excessively small).

"So are you saying the 1991 calculator is inaccurate?"

I'm not going to have a boxing match with you over what the VOA should or shouldn't accept, my comment is based on my experience going through the process you're thinking of entering. You can take it or leave it but I would suggest you're not going to dictate to the VoA what sources they accept. Especially not algorithm based online valuation tools.

The MSE page you mention in your OP specifically mentions: 

Step 2: The valuation check

A second crucial step is to estimate what your home was worth in 1991, as that's when and how the council tax bands were defined.

This CAN'T be used as evidence if you challenge your band. But it enables you to check out various property prices on your street and it's an important test that you're on the right track if you do decide to challenge.

To make the valuation, follow the steps below:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/

Mikeef

Exodi said:

Mikeef said:

Exodi said:

Mikeef said:

The VOA will not consider average house price information from websites such as Nationwide House Price Index, Nethouseprices, Rightmove or Zoopla as strong evidence.

If this is the case, how can I challenge if this is the only data I have?

Nationwide values my house at £360k and Zoopla values my house up to £440k.

You have to find comparables - just one house that is within the vicinity of equal type, size and age that is a lower band (disclaimer: there is the chance they'd decide the house you found is is accidentally too low rather than yours being too high)..

Specifically if you live in a 3 bed detatched house, you should be comparing to other 3 bed detached houses. You should ensure that your house is within 10% of the sqm of comparable houses (can be confirmed using EPC's which can be checked online easily), likewise with age I think they should be within a decade (there's actually some weird rules they had around this that I can't remember).

One thing I would say, I can see you live in a house that you purchased between £320k - £345k in 2020 and it is a 3 bed detatched - I purchased my house for £295k in 2019 and my house is robustly band E (and I spent a significant amount of item challenging it on multiple occasions).

The fact that you might see (if you do intend to challenge it) older houses that are twice the size on the market for £100k more than yours is worth, yet a lower council tax band, is frustrating, but unfortunately irrelevant and not comparable.

Its a 4 bed detached by the way. So are you saying the 1991 calculator is inaccurate?

I think the fact it's a 4 bed detached new build makes it even more hard to believe it would be a band D.

"So are you saying the 1991 calculator is inaccurate?"

I'm not going to have a boxing match with you over what the VOA should or shouldn't accept, my comment is based on my experience going through the process you're thinking of entering. You can take it or leave it but I would suggest you're not going to dictate to the VoA what sources they accept. Especially not algorithm based online valuation tools.

Don't take offence. I was only getting your take on it. I think the Nationwide calc varies on where you are in the country. I'm only quoiting what my calculations came back as and based on that, my house is a band D not E.  Thanks for your input.

lincroft1710

I'm ex VOA and dealt with CT band appeals for 12 years. Often compared actual 1991 sale prices with NW and (I think) Halifax estimates. Both consistently undervalued giving CT payers the impression that their bands were too high, when they were in fact correct.