Tax on a view could cost you dear

Recent reports suggest that local authorities are gearing up to snoop into our homes in order to re-evaluate them for Council Tax.

Employing a system called ‘intelligent proximity analysis’, valuation officers will be able to assess a home on a range of criteria including whether it’s in a good area or even if has a spectacular view - the new system will compute if a house is worth more because it overlooks a golf course, a historic city or is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

All these things, according to a survey by County Homesearch, can add many thousands of pounds to a property and that is something the Valuation Office Agency intends to find out in its survey of the country’s housing stock.

Jonathan Haward, Managing Director of The County Homesearch Company, says: “Many things impact on the price of a property. Even a particularly pretty house with the same accommodation as its more ordinary looking counterpart can fetch a premium of up to 25%, depending on its aspect.

“Certainly a house with a river frontage or a sea view can fetch 50% more than for a house of similar accommodation that does not enjoy such sought after location. No doubt that is something the valuation officers will be taking account of when they attempt to re-evaluate our homes.”

Last year The County Homesearch Company bought in excess of £100 million worth of property on behalf of their clients and they have been assessing the premium buyers have to pay for the privilege of overlooking a village green, having a sea view or a meandering river in front of their front door.

The 24 branches of The County Homesearch Company were asked to assess the respective costs of a property with or without a particular view.

“The survey shows that houses with ‘something extra’ such as being adjacent to a common or park, overlooking a river or perched above a city can add a great deal of money to the price of a property,” says Jonathan Haward.

“The Government is aware of this and by employing state-of-the-art computer models could soon be snooping into our homes to raise more revenue. Homeowners who currently have the added luxury of a ‘room with a view’ should beware, Government is watching and if their computing models work - which check on 287 ‘lifestyle variables’ – they may, according to Conservative Party estimates, have to pay a sizeable hike in their next years council tax bill.”