How to find comparable properties for your band challenge
How to choose similar homes for a band challenge, matching on type, age, size and location, using the free GOV.UK band list and EPC register, with a worked table.
A comparable is a home near yours of the same type, built around the same time and about the same size. GOV.UK asks for the addresses of up to five of them in a lower band. Choose them because they match your home, not because their band is low: the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) can see every band on the street.
What makes a good comparable
- Same type. Detached with detached, semi with semi, terrace with terrace, flat with flat. A flat isn't a comparable for a house.
- Similar age. Built in the same era, ideally by the same builder or on the same estate.
- Similar size. The VOA says size can usually vary by about 10%, and to go by floor area rather than bedrooms.
- Close by. In a town, the same street or estate. In the countryside, the same village or area; the VOA mentions up to 10 miles, or further for unusual homes.
- No big difference since. An extension, a conversion or a garage turned into a room changes the comparison.
These points come from GOV.UK and the VOA's own guidance. They're a guide to what similar means, not pass-or-fail rules. Our free check ranks homes on the same points, and the distance and size cut-offs it uses are our own choices.
Step 1: list the bands around you
Look up your street and the streets nearby on GOV.UK's band checker. Note every home that looks similar to yours, whatever its band. A list of only the lower-banded ones won't show you the real pattern.
Step 2: check size and age
The free EPC register gives the floor area of most homes and an age band. Check that the certificate is for the right address and that the area looks plausible. If a home has no EPC, old sale listings often include a floor plan. Where you can't find the size, mark it as unknown rather than guessing.
Steps 1 and 2 for your postcode in seconds: every band, matched by type, era and EPC floor area.
Step 3: check for changes
Your council's online planning search shows extensions and conversions, with dates. A home that was extended after 1991 was banded as the smaller home it was then.
Step 4: sort the list
Put each home into one of three groups: a strong match, a possible match that needs more information, or not comparable. Then look at the bands of the strong matches only. A consistent pattern tells you more than a single low-banded home.
Step 5: pick up to five
Use the best matches, not the longest list. A band lower across several close matches is easier to accept than one home three bands lower, which usually means something about that home is different.
A worked table
| Address | Band | Type and age | Floor area | Changes | Include? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Park Road (yours) | D | Semi, 1930s | 96 m² | None | — |
| 14 Park Road | C | Semi, 1930s | 92 m² | None known | Yes: same pair, 4% smaller |
| 3 Elm Close | C | Semi, 1930s | 101 m² | None known | Yes: same estate, 5% larger |
| 20 Park Road | C | Terrace, 1930s | 78 m² | None | No: different type, 19% smaller |
| 9 Park Road | C | Semi, 1930s | 118 m² | Rear extension, 2004 | Possible: find its size before 2004 |
(The addresses are illustrative.)
- GOV.UK — Challenge your Council Tax band
- GOV.UK — How Council Tax bands are assessed
- Valuation Office Agency (VOA)
Links open on GOV.UK. We explain the rules in plain English; the official guidance is always definitive.
See how your band compares with similar homes.
The check grades the evidence for your postcode, including when a challenge isn’t worth making. It’s free; the £39 challenge is optional.