The Property Valuation; Balancing Science And Art

Conducting a property valuation has always needed a careful balance of art and science. In the current economic situation this statement holds even more truth than before. What has caused the latest bout of economic instability boils down to the activities of American mortgage lenders who over lent to people who simply could not afford their repayments.

The subsequent effects of these activities have been problematic to say the least. Interbank lending has all but dried up and the result for borrowers has been a severely restricted mortgage market. The effect on property valuations is thus, with less buyers on the market property prices must fall to entice potential buyers.

It is at times such as these that homeowners have to be extremely careful, beware of unscrupulous agents that will happily undervalue a property to achieve a quick sale. The best course of action for any homeowner is to use a well known, national agency that have built up a reputation over many years and subscribe to the codes of conduct of bodies such as the NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents).

Any person making a property valuation has to rely upon a certain logical process. The first step of this process is to visit the property and consider how it compares to other properties. This part of the process is called the comparative method and relies upon the agent's knowledge of similar properties.

The next step is to compare this property to other properties in the immediate area. The geographical location greatly effects the valuation due to factors such as local amenities, transport links, schools and crime rates. It is only after these two elements of the valuation process have been studied that the agent can factor in building improvements and individual features that will either raise or lower the valuation figure.

It does not end there however, once the property has been evaluated on its own merits it is time for the agent to consider how the property will perform in the current market situation. This can be considered one of the most difficult elements for the agent as it requires an element of guesswork and an intimate understanding of the property market. At times such as this it is made even harder due to the fact that a valid price one month may change by the next; whilst predicting the market is possible it is rarely advisable.

As a homeowner there are a number of resources that will help to gain a ball park figure of what a property may be worth. These online valuing tools are extremely useful although if a house is truly individual their accuracy can be questionable. Ultimately these services are great to get an idea of what a property is worth but do not give a valuation that is entirely accurate.

Hopefully this article has made it clear how the property valuation process is conducted and why it is important to take any valuation with a pinch of salt. The best course of action is to utilise as many resources as possible when having a property valued and then take an average of all the figures given. By doing this the most accurate figure can be found; bear in mind though that the most accurate figure will not always be the most attractive to buyers, after all you are selling a commodity and its price must be competitive. by Thomas Pretty