Who it is for
Most owners of £2m+ homes do not need a review. The ones who do are those where the band is genuinely in doubt:
- homes within about 10% of £2m, £2.5m, £3.5m or £5m
- individual houses, listed buildings and homes with few recent comparable sales
- homes that have changed: an extension, a basement dig, a conversion, a lost bedroom or a shorter lease
- homes with defects or drawbacks a sales database will not show
- trustees, family offices and companies holding several homes, where the total across a portfolio adds up
Every step between bands is paid every year. The first step, at £2m, is worth £2,500 a year, or about £82,700 over 20 years if inflation averages 5%. That is an illustration, not a forecast.
What we do
- A 100% free consultationYou send us the basics through the consultation form. We tell you whether a review looks worthwhile and what it would cost, before any work starts.
- The factsWe check the details the Valuation Office is likely to hold against the home itself: floor area and how it is measured, rooms, outside space, parking, tenure and lease length, and any changes since the records were made.
- The 2026 evidenceWe gather sales of comparable homes around 2026 and weigh them against your home's position, condition and any drawbacks.
- A view on value and bandYou get a reasoned view of the likely 2026 value, the band it points to, and how strong the case would be if the Valuation Office disagreed.
- Ready for the draft listWe keep the evidence on file. When the draft list is published in late 2027, we can check your entry and ask for factual errors to be corrected.
- If it comes to a challengeIf the band still looks wrong once bills arrive, the same evidence forms the basis of a challenge and, if needed, an appeal. See challenges and appeals.
What you get
- A clear answer
- Whether your home is likely to be in scope, and in which band.
- The margin
- How far the likely value sits from each line, and what that is worth each year.
- The evidence
- The facts and comparable sales behind the view, kept ready for the draft list.
- A next step
- Whether to do nothing, correct facts, or prepare for a challenge.
What we do not do
We do not help anyone avoid the surcharge. Our job is to make sure the band is right, so you pay what the law requires and no more. We do not work for the Valuation Office or for councils, and we cannot promise any outcome. A review does not guarantee a different band, and the fee could be more than any saving, which is why we tell you at the free consultation whether a review looks worthwhile. A review is not a formal RICS Red Book valuation. If a later appeal needs one, we will tell you and explain the options. We do not give investment advice about whether to keep, sell or restructure the ownership of a home, though we can explain how the surcharge would apply to each option.
Review questions
Is a valuation review a way of avoiding the mansion tax?
No. A review makes sure your home is in the right band, so you pay what the law requires and no more than you legally should. If the evidence says the band is right, we will tell you so.
Why get a review before the Valuation Office has valued my home?
Because the value that counts is the 2026 value, and evidence about 2026 is easiest to collect now. When the draft list is published in late 2027 you will already know whether the Valuation Office's view looks right, and you will have the evidence ready if it does not.
Do you guarantee a lower band?
No. Nobody can. A review tells you where the home is likely to sit and how strong the case would be for a different band. Sometimes the honest answer is that the band looks right.
What does a review cost?
The first consultation is 100% free. A band check costs £395 and is credited against our success fee, which is 40% of the first two years' saving, nothing after that, and only charged if your band comes down. Independent valuations, where needed, are passed on at cost. Our fees page has the detail and a worked example.
Last checked against the government's Budget documents and consultation response on 30 October 2026. The surcharge is being legislated in the Finance Bill 2026-27 and is not yet law. Some detail is still to come in regulations.