Beware past renovations for council tax liability.
- Thread starter Hagar
- Start date
Aside from the costs (stamp duty, estate agent commission, surveys, solicitors, removal company and whatever else crops up) buying and selling a house is a lot of hassle with plenty of scope for things to go wrong. Almost no one is going to do it purely to save a bit on their council tax.
Soldato
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2007
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- Wilds of suffolk
Indeed I was going to come to that next.
You seem to have missed the ensuite cleaning tax as I assume thats the one Hagar was on about
His issue with Ms Reeves from earlier post
It never takes long before some boomer turns up and suggests that because they don't fit the broader trends of their generation those trends don't exist. I'm not going though pointing at all the statistics that prove my point again only for you to say "yeah, but thats not my experience".
The fact you are so defensive when anything that is only vaguely related to you comes up baffles me. My generation has had a **** time buying houses. I haven't because I have been lucky. I don't argue with people when they suggest that broadly they have.
I think it might be the fact I've actually lived through all these problems so can view it from a different angle. Your generation is just going through a economic time that I went through in the 80's and 90's ( yes I know about the affordability now).
Living through a time doesn't change the simple fact that we have historic stats. Statistics are based on data from the whole country. They aren't anecdotal. They aren't seen through the eyes of unreliable narrators who only have a very limited viewpoint. Thats not a dig at you by the way, thats just the myopic nature of everyones views on broad topics when their experience is local and emotional.
I lived through the 2008 crash and it didn't even register on my life. I was relatively young at the time but it didn't change our lives one bit. Plenty of peoples lives were ruined or turned upside down. I can reconcile the completely different experience we had vs plenty of others and I don't doubt the impact it broadly had.
Indeed I was going to come to that next.
You seem to have missed the ensuite cleaning tax as I assume thats the one Hagar was on about
His issue with Ms Reeves from earlier post
Haha. A lifestyle choice. Save water bathe with a friend.
Better yet build a bathroom never get round to finishing it and just use it for storage
Better yet build a bathroom never get round to finishing it and just use it for storage
Keeping your coal in the bath used to be a thing i believe (or an urban myth).
Urban myth I think, we just keep dust and spiders in ours
I lived through it as well and bought my first place in 2007 which was at the height of that boom. I lost a significant amount of money by the time I was able to sell that place at a loss even 10 years later as no one really wanted 1 bed flats any more - people were more keen stretch themselves to get 3+ bedroom "forever homes" after the financial crash of 2008 rather than 1 bed starter flats to get on the ladder (their view was, if we can just afford it now, it will then get easier due to pay increases etc and we never need to move). Furthermore - I was in negative equity pretty much for the entire ownership period of having the flat due to the crash meaning I was paying higher mortgage costs as I couldnt get any "deals" so was on SVR once the initial fixed ended.
So yes; I lived through that yet, in conversations about young people trying to buy houses and how tough it is TODAY, you have never seen me go "youngsters these days don't have it as bad as when I did... crazy prices.... financial crash... negative equity... selling for a loss... grumble grumble grumble" as a response. On the contrary, I have repeatedly stated that youngsters have it tough to buy a house without having to compare them to my experiences.
Even if I seen the "your generation had it easier than us" (and no doubt it will be coming in around 15-20 years), I would accept that without taking it as a personal attack as, in general, they would be correct! For some reason, a certain other generation can't do similar and see it all as a personal attack on them and, for some inexplicable reason, they seem obligated to defend an entire generation even when the facts say they are wrong
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Even if I seen the "your generation had it easier than us" (and no doubt it will be coming in around 15-20 years), I would accept that without taking it as a personal attack as, in general, they would be correct! For some reason, a certain other generation can't do similar and see it all as a personal attack on them and, for some inexplicable reason, they seem obligated to defend an entire generation even when the facts say they are wrong
Exactly. I know that even as a mid-millenial I have had things way easier than those currently entering the workforce or wanting to buy a house. I know that many of my generation have had it hard but I know that its constantly getting worse in multiple areas for the younger generation and I do not envy them one bit.
I don't associate with my generation as a whole because why would I. I feel no need to defend everyone of my vague age.
I don't agree here because it creates a perverse incentive.
I've raised my EPC from D to A since buying 18 months ago, added loads of solar, battery, ASHP, refurbed most rooms, added an ensuite to the master bedroom (no actual extensions or anything).
I've added quite a bit of house value, the "green" stuff is what the government wants me to do, I shouldn't be disincentivised by an increase in CT because of it.
However, all houses do need re-valuing. 1991 is insanity given how many houses were not built on that data, and how the VOA refuse to release sales data for that time period.
I have stated several times that today's buyers have it tough with a property market manipulated by successive government's over several generations probably since the 1950's. Variability in taxation, the promulgation of buy to let have all distorted the markets to the advantage mainly of government and lenders. I would buy a house as a first time buyer in today's market but would find it hard and certainly it would likely be a doer upper.
What I dont associate with and it seems that you agree with me is lumping a whole generation together as a whole because I do not need to defend everyone of my vague age.
However when a remark meant to be a negative does associate everyone of a vague age with an action meant to disparage them, I will respond after a fashion.
Cheers boomer
And i am generally in favour of 2p off NI and 2p onto Income tax however the blind leading the blind in the labour government will do something far more complicated and not half as intelligent. It would mean I pay more tax whereas the much mooted worker would be unaffected by this measure.
Plus
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I think people are overthinking things.
valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk
I have a marker on our house as we had 2 extensions built in 2021, and I was informed that re-evaluation will be immediate as its automatic, and I assume/expect buyers will be informed of this situation.
As for why not instantly re-evaluate?, well as the government state its to not discourage people improving their homes by penalising them..
Considering CT has increase more than inline with house prices, the reality is those in more expensive houses always pay more council tax.. I don't know what going after those improving/extending their homes is really aimed at doing? I bought our house in need of renovation and yet had to pay the same council tax as someone with a much more (20%) expensive version of the same house, that didn't bother me..
How home improvements affect your Council Tax band – Valuation Office Agency
In this blog, we explain what happens to your Council Tax band when you make changes to your home.
valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk
I have a marker on our house as we had 2 extensions built in 2021, and I was informed that re-evaluation will be immediate as its automatic, and I assume/expect buyers will be informed of this situation.
As for why not instantly re-evaluate?, well as the government state its to not discourage people improving their homes by penalising them..
Considering CT has increase more than inline with house prices, the reality is those in more expensive houses always pay more council tax.. I don't know what going after those improving/extending their homes is really aimed at doing? I bought our house in need of renovation and yet had to pay the same council tax as someone with a much more (20%) expensive version of the same house, that didn't bother me..
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I thought this has been the case for a long time as when I did a loft conversion and extension in 2009 I was informed by the council that we would not see an increase in tax but when we sell the property the next owners would have it increase a band.
We were at the end of this a few years ago.
House had been extended by previous owner and was on Band C when we bought it.
The council re-evaluated the banding on it and it jumped 2 bands. We argued they were excessive and appealed and it only went up one band instead.
Neighbours either side did the same extensions and houses same size as ours but still on a lower banding.
House had been extended by previous owner and was on Band C when we bought it.
The council re-evaluated the banding on it and it jumped 2 bands. We argued they were excessive and appealed and it only went up one band instead.
Neighbours either side did the same extensions and houses same size as ours but still on a lower banding.