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Hornsby property valuation questions

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Acceptance & compliance

What is a property valuation?+

A valuer's signed opinion of what a property was worth on one nominated day, with the comparable sales and the reasoning set out beneath it. The nominated day is not decoration: in a market that moves as Hornsby's does, a figure without a date attached is not really a figure at all.

What is the difference between a property valuation and an agent appraisal?+

An appraisal is a free selling estimate, given while an agent is competing for a listing, and nobody signs it. A valuation is independent of any sale, effective as at a stated date, drawn from settled sales, and signed by the valuer who reached the view.

Who is qualified to prepare a property valuation?+

In New South Wales, a valuer with the professional qualification and standing to have their opinion relied on. Their name and credentials appear on the report, which is exactly what allows a third party to act on it.

Timing & process

Will the ATO and an SMSF auditor accept the report?+

Yes. A valuer independent of your fund prepares and signs it, SISR 8.02B is the standard it is written to, and the comparable sales are attached rather than summarised, so an auditor can follow the figure back to its evidence.

Who signs the report?+

The valuer who reached the opinion, named with their qualification. Not the model that gathered the evidence, and not anyone signing in their place. (from $550).

Is an Automated Market Assessment enough for tax purposes?+

No. Nothing in it is signed, so an auditor, an accountant or a revenue office has nothing to rely on. It is a tool for deciding. On timing: signed desktop reports usually go out the same day, and an Automated Market Assessment arrives the next business day.

How long is a property valuation valid for?+

It is effective as at its date, and here that matters more than most places. Hornsby transacts often enough that a figure from a year or two ago describes a market that has since moved. Where the recipient sets a currency period, that period governs; otherwise, order to the date you actually need.

Pricing & orders

Are the prices really fixed?+

Yes. $169 for signed desktop reports, $79 for Automated Market Assessments. Inspection valuations start at $550, with the exact price confirmed at checkout before you pay, never after.

Why is the valuation different from the price a property is advertised at?+

An advertised price is a marketing position, often a range set to attract interest. A valuation reports settled evidence, and settlement lags the campaign, so in a fast-moving market like this one the two can be describing different weeks entirely.

Can I move up to a signed report later?+

Yes, at any point. We credit the $79 against the signed report whenever you upgrade.

Is market value the same as the value on my council rates notice?+

No. A rates notice usually carries a land value, the ground alone with nothing standing on it, struck for rating at a date the council chose. A valuation covers the whole property at the date you need it, so the two figures are answering different questions and rarely match.

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