The short answer
Check what neighbouring properties of the same size and type are banded at. If yours is higher, you can challenge it with the Valuation Office Agency for free, and a successful challenge is usually backdated.
- Look up your band and your neighbours' bands on the official government website. It is public information and free.
- Compare like with like: same size, same type, same street, ideally the same build.
- Sanity check against 1991 values, which is what the English and Scottish bands were set against.
- If yours is out of line, contact the Valuation Office Agency directly. It costs nothing.
What will ruin it
A revaluation can go up as well as down, and it can affect neighbours. Only challenge where the evidence genuinely points one way, and never pay a company that offers to do this for a percentage of the refund.
Why it works
The English and Scottish bands were set in 1991 in a rapid valuation exercise and a meaningful number were simply wrong. They have never been systematically revisited, so the errors are still there.
Tipking is general household information, not professional advice. Test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.
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