Property Valuation: Every Question, Answered

It is an official document that states what your property is worth on a particular date. It is signed by a valuer the government has approved, and it explains how that figure was arrived at. Banks, tax officers, courts and embassies accept it as proof of value.

You can estimate it for your own planning, and our free calculators will help you do that. But for anything official you need a report from an approved valuer. A number you worked out yourself will not be accepted.

Normally 48 to 72 hours from the site visit, provided we have the basic papers. If the case is complicated or the property is far away, we will tell you at the start.

Yes, and you should be wary of anyone who says otherwise. If the tax department or a court ever questions the report, the first thing they check is whether the valuer actually inspected the property. Our engineers photograph every property with the date, time and location recorded automatically.

Ten things. Our credentials and registration number. A description of the property. The purpose and date of the valuation. What our engineer found on site. The method we used and why we chose it. The evidence we relied on. The calculations. The final value in figures and in words. Our signature and seal. And the photographs. We walk through each part here.

If you bought a property before that date, the law lets you treat its value as on 1 April 2001 as your cost, instead of what you actually paid. Since prices have risen enormously since then, this usually reduces your tax by a very large amount. Full explanation here.

No. It has to be supported by evidence such as the government rates for your colony at that time and records of what similar properties actually sold for. That evidence is what we assemble, and it is what stops the figure being challenged later.

No. If you bought after 1 April 2001 you simply use what you actually paid. You may still need a valuation for other reasons, such as a loan or a visa.

Yes. This happens constantly, particularly with older and inherited properties. We can work from property tax receipts, records held at the sub registrar office, and the notified rates for the area. Tell us what you do have and we will work with it.

Ideally the sale deed, property tax receipts, and the approved building plan if you have it. For inherited property, the previous owner's purchase papers help. Get the exact list for your case.

Someone needs to give our engineer access, but it does not have to be you. A tenant, a relative or a caretaker is fine. If the property is locked and nobody is nearby, tell us and we will work something out.

It depends on the type of property, its size and how far our engineer has to travel. Call us with the basic details and we will give you a firm figure before we begin. We do not start work and then surprise you with a bill.

No, and that is the point of hiring a registered valuer. Our job is to arrive at an honest, well evidenced figure. A number that cannot be supported is worse than useless, because it will be rejected and it puts you at risk.

Banks deliberately value conservatively, because they are thinking about what they could recover if they had to sell it quickly. That is different from an open market sale price. Both figures can be correct at the same time. We explain this fully here.