Second Home reclassification

[yottie]

Does any-one know where I can get the gen on the possibility of changing a holiday home status to that of a principal residence please.

 

[JohnD]

Are you thinking of Capital Gains tax, or Council Tax, or something else?

 

[yottie]

All of those !

 

[holmslaw]

I think he's talking about doubling the value of a property.

 

[JohnD]

For Capital Gains tax, it is your choice. You should write to HMRC saying when it became your main home to avoid later argument. If you are married, your spouse cannot have a different main home to you. Your previous home ceases to be your main home, so will start clocking up Capital Gains. You may find it an advantage to have, if not a valuation, at least examples of homes in the same area and what they have recently sold for to support your claims of current value.

For Council tax, start by notifying the two councils concerned. in some cases (e.g. areas blighted by holiday homes) they may require further evidence that you really are living there most of the time.

For other purposes (planning permission etc, esp in areas blighted by second homes) the council may require evidence, and may refuse to re-classify it. Start by writing to them.

 

[Richardp]

we have loads of second homes pushing up the prices causing problems for our local youngsters, and second home owners pretending to live in them full time so's they don't have to pay the extra rates.
very sad, but as Ned Kelly said ''such is life''.

 

[tim west]

Didnt Ned Kelly also say " I keep telling you its the pot under the bed not this bucket!"

 

[yottie]

Many thanks JohnD..In response to the other post : I spent 40 years working in a congested city and when I retired bought a modest house in the country. I paid over the odds for it, but that was the price the "local" was asking. I was born in a small town but , to get on, decided to "get on my bike" and better myself. I am now reaping the rewards. I'm afraid I have little sympathy for people (young or old) who are born in a lovely place and assume they have a divine right to stay there without having to
move like the rest of us.