What is a valuer?
A valuer is a professional who carries out inspections in order to help determine the current market value of property and/or land. The role of valuer can be undertaken by an estate agent or by an independent professional (often a qualified surveyor). Typically, they act on the instructions of a vendor (seller) or a lending institution who are considering funding the purchase.
Buyers may also appoint a valuer to conduct a property valuation if they are considering purchasing a property (known as a vendor survey), in addition to structural surveys that assess its physical condition. Local authorities can also use valuers to help establish council tax and rating levels. Valuers may also be appointed to undertake residual valuation of land, i.e. work out the value of land with development potential.
Valuers will typically produce a property valuation as a report, supplemented with photographs and plans. Some of the details that a valuer may record include:
- The location.
- Measurements of the building and site boundaries.
- The number of rooms, layout and fit out.
- The general condition of the building.
- Any significant improvements that have been made.
- Any structural defects.
- Any landscaping.
- Any planning or other restrictions.
- Any potential risks or opportunities.
For more information, see Property valuation.
NB RICS property measurement, 2nd edition, published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in January 2018, defines a valuer as: ‘A Service Provider with an appropriate professional qualification in valuation or appraisal.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.
Comments
[edit] To make a comment about this article, or to suggest changes, click 'Add a comment' above. Separate your comments from any existing comments by inserting a horizontal line.