Rateable value per square metre
£/m² can make two valuations easier to compare, but only when the properties and valuation approach are genuinely comparable.
Rateable value ÷ recorded floor area. Use the official valuation record's area where possible.
When is £/m² useful?
For offices and many industrial properties it can be a useful orientation because it puts different-sized properties onto a common scale. It becomes misleading when you compare properties with materially different use, configuration, valuation schemes, quality or other relevant characteristics.
A nearby property can still be a bad comparator
Distance is only one fact. The useful question is whether you can explain why the other assessment is relevant to your property. If you cannot, a neat £/m² difference can create false confidence.
How Rates X-Ray uses it
The free X-Ray calculates your £/m² and, if you provide genuinely comparable figures, compares your result with their median. The methodology deliberately treats the comparison as a screening signal rather than a professional valuation conclusion.