What was my house worth in 1991?

Divide your home’s value today by the house price growth factor for your region. Nationally that factor is about 5.3×, so a £325,000 home was worth roughly £61,321 on 1 April 1991. London has grown far faster (around 6.8×) and the North East far slower (around 4.2×), so always use your regional factor. That 1991 figure is the number your English council tax band was set from — and it has never been revisited since.

The method, step by step

1. Find what your home is worth today. Use your most recent sale price, a mortgage valuation, or the Land Registry Price Paid record for your address. A recent sale of your own property is the strongest starting point.
2. Pick the growth factor for your region. House prices have risen at very different rates around the UK since 1991 — roughly 6.8× in London against 4.2× in the North East. Use the factor for your region, not the national average.
3. Divide today's value by the factor. A £325,000 home in an average region works out at about £61,321 on 1 April 1991.
4. Compare that figure against the 1991 band thresholds. Band A in England covers values up to £40,000, Band B £40,001–£52,000, Band C £52,001–£68,000, Band D £68,001–£88,000, and so on. If your estimate falls below your current band's range, your band may be wrong.
5. Check it against your street. A back-calculated value is evidence, not proof. The VOA gives far more weight to comparable properties: identical homes on your street sitting in a lower band.

Growth factors by region

Divide today’s value by the factor for your region to reach the valuation-date figure. Wales uses a 2003 valuation date rather than 1991.

See the full regional breakdown, including which postcode areas fall where.

What the VOA actually accepts as evidence

An indexed 1991 value is supporting evidence. It shows the Valuation Office Agency that your band looks out of line, but on its own it rarely wins a challenge, because the VOA knows a regional index cannot capture one specific property. The evidence that moves cases is comparables: identical or near-identical homes close to yours that sit in a lower band, and any genuine sale prices from around 1991 to 1993 for similar properties on the same street.

Use the indexed figure to decide whether it is worth looking, then build the case on comparables. Our methodology page sets out exactly how we assemble that evidence.

1991 band thresholds (England)

Once you have your 1991 figure, compare it with the statutory thresholds: Band A up to £40,000, B £40,001–£52,000, C £52,001–£68,000, D £68,001–£88,000, E £88,001–£120,000, F £120,001–£160,000, G £160,001–£320,000, and H above £320,000. Scotland uses the same 1991 date with slightly different thresholds; Wales uses 2003 values across bands A to I. Full explanation of the bands.

Common questions