What does a bank valuer actually check?

By Parish Rao · 29 August 2026 · 5 minute read

Your loan amount comes from a number someone else decides by walking through your property once. Here is what they are actually doing.

Ask most home loan applicants what a bank valuer does and you get a vague answer about checking the flat is real. There is a lot more happening in that one visit than that.

Their job is not to price your home, it is to protect the bank's money

A bank valuer is a registered valuer either employed by the bank or empanelled with it, sent to establish the property's market value before the bank decides how much to lend against it.

Banks in India typically lend a set share of that value. It is often up to about 90 percent for smaller loans and closer to 75 percent for larger ones, with the exact figure set by each bank's own credit policy. The valuer's number is the base the whole calculation runs on, so a cautious valuation directly means a smaller loan.

What they actually look at during the visit

• Recent sale prices of comparable flats or plots nearby, which is the main method used for most residential property.
• The building's age, construction quality and general maintenance, not just its size on paper.
• Clear title and whether the building plan and occupancy certificate are in order, since an unresolved legal issue can affect the number even if the property itself looks fine.
• The exact carpet or built up area, measured on site rather than taken from the builder's brochure.

None of this is about your income or your ability to repay. That is the bank's credit team's job. The valuer's only job is the property.

Why two banks can value the same flat differently

Different valuers, different comparable sales used, and different levels of caution baked into each bank's own policy all move the number. This is normal and is not evidence that either valuer got it wrong.

If a valuation comes in lower than you expected, ask whether anything was missed first, an extra room, a terrace, a recent renovation. Asking for the number to simply be raised rarely works.

What this means for you

Keep your papers ready before the visit: the sale deed, the building plan, and proof of any addition or renovation you have made. A valuer working from complete information has less reason to be conservative.

See our bank loan valuation service, or use the loan against property calculator to see what a bank is likely to lend once its own limits are applied.