Is this the right report for you?
Most people only ever encounter a property valuation in the context of buying or selling. A private valuation is different: it’s a formal figure produced for a purpose that has nothing to do with a sale — settling someone’s estate or making sure your insurance is set correctly.
The key phrase to know here is Red Book valuation. “Red Book” is the informal name for the RICS Valuation – Global Standards (named after the colour of the cover). A Red Book valuation isn’t a rough estimate or a verbal opinion — it’s a formally documented report, prepared by an accredited RICS Registered Valuer, that follows strict rules about independence, evidence, and reporting. Because of that, it’s accepted as reliable by solicitors, HMRC, insurers, and courts — an estate agent’s informal appraisal or an online automated estimate is not.
When you'd need this
Settling an estate (probate)
When someone dies, their property usually needs a formal valuation as at their date of death — not today’s value, but what the property was actually worth on that specific date, sometimes years in the past. This figure is used by the executor to complete the estate’s paperwork and, if the estate is large enough, to calculate any inheritance tax owed to HMRC.
Insurance reinstatement
This is different from all of the above: it’s not what your home would sell for, but what it would cost to completely rebuild it from scratch if it were destroyed — clearing the site, materials, labour, professional fees, the lot. Get this wrong and you risk being under-insured (a real problem if you ever need to claim) or over-insured (paying more in premiums than necessary).
How we work
Enquiry & Booking
Get in touch to tell us the property address and the purpose of the valuation. We will confirm availability, agree a fee and arrange a convenient inspection time with you or the current occupier.
Inspection & Research
Your RICS-registered surveyor visits the property, carries out a thorough inspection and gathers comparable market evidence from recent local sales to support their valuation opinion.
Report Delivered
You receive a clear, formally structured valuation report, signed by the surveyor and ready to submit to HMRC, your solicitor, lender or any other relevant party.
PRIVATE VALUATION SURVEY FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I just use an estate agent's valuation for probate or divorce?
Estate agents have a commercial interest in a sale going ahead, so their valuations aren’t considered independent. Solicitors, HMRC, and courts specifically require a Red Book valuation from an accredited, unconnected RICS surveyor instead.
What is a "date of death" valuation, and why isn't it today's value?
For probate, the valuation has to reflect what the property was actually worth on the specific date the person died — which might be months or years in the past — not its current value. This requires research into what comparable properties were genuinely selling for at that time.
Can a private valuation be challenged later by HMRC or the other party in a divorce?
It can be queried, which is exactly why it needs to be evidenced with genuine comparable sales data and produced by an accredited valuer — if it’s ever challenged, your surveyor can explain the basis the figure was reached on.
Is a reinstatement valuation the same as a market valuation?
No — a reinstatement valuation calculates what it would cost to completely rebuild the property from scratch (for insurance purposes), which is often quite different from what the property would actually sell for on the open market.
How long does a private valuation take from booking to report?
This varies depending on the purpose — a straightforward current valuation can often be turned around within a week, while a retrospective valuation for a historic date may take slightly longer due to the additional research required into historic comparable sales.
Do I need a private valuation if I'm just curious what my house is worth?
Not necessarily — if there’s no formal purpose (probate, divorce, tax, insurance), a free estate agent appraisal may be all you need. A formal RICS valuation is worth the cost specifically when the figure needs to hold up to legal or financial scrutiny.