Valuations of Antiques & Chattels

As John Taylors is a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors regulated firm you can expect the highest standards of Valuation procedure as set down by the world's leading professional body for qualifications and standards in land, property and construction. The valuers in our Auction Department can provide inspections and written valuation reports of personal property for the purposes of assisting in the Grant of Probate, transfer of ownership and insurance. Details of the main types of valuation are given below. If you are looking for a valuation of items prior to entering them into auction please see our Selling at Auction pages.

Valuations for assisting in the grant of Probate

When someone dies their estate has to be valued for taxation purposes. These valuations are carried out for solicitors or in many cases the executors of deceased estates. The value used for assisting in the grant of Probate will be a comparison with the sale prices of identical, or similar, items achieved at around the valuation date. When considering the result of an auction, the price achieved is taken to be the finally accepted bid, often called the 'hammer price' without any adjustment for buyers or sellers premiums, commission or other charges.

Usually a report giving only the total value of the contents is required but itemised reports can be provided on request or if individual items have a significant value. We can also assist in identifying and valuing bequeathed items.

Priority is given to this type of valuation since they are usually required as quickly as possible. If there are items of value that are going to be sold in the auction rooms we can organise swift removal and storage if they are no longer covered by insurance with the property no longer being occupied. We also offer full or part house clearance services and property valuations.

Transfer of ownership

As for valuations for assisting in the grant of Probate a report for transfer of ownership will detail items requested with a value based on a comparison with the sale prices of identical, or similar items.

Insurance Valuations

It is important to have an accurate assessment of your personal property since many insurance policies have a single item limit of £1,000 so your antiques and collectables may not be adequately covered. Equally, it is also important not be over insured and incur unnecessarily high costs. A professional valuation will ensure you can agree the correct level of cover needed with your insurance company and broker and will, in the event of a theft or claim, assist in the identification and recovery of items and ensure a swift conclusion.

Prior to the valuation being carried out you should discuss what information is required by your insurance company or broker and we may need to do an assessment visit to give you an idea of the time the inspection will take.

The valuation will provided detailed descriptions with measurements and distinguishing features along with digital images. The values represent our opinion of either replacement with a replica where a copy of the original item, as near as possible to the original in terms of nature, quality, and age of materials but created by means of modern construction methods or replacement with a facsimile, being an exact copy of the original item, created with materials of a closely similar nature, quality and age using construction methods of the original period.

Two copies of the valuation are usually provided one for you and one for your insurance company. To enquire further about our valuation services please complete the request form or call the Auction Rooms on Tel. 01507 611107