Straight answers, no sales call

Mornington property valuation questions from a town with two of everything.

If yours is not below, ask a real valuer and somebody who signs reports answers.

Acceptance & compliance

What is a property valuation?+

A valuer's signed opinion of what one property was worth on one nominated day, with the comparable sales and the reasoning set out beneath it. It answers for one address rather than for a suburb, and in Mornington that distinction does more work than usual.

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

An appraisal is a free, unsigned selling estimate given while an agent competes for the listing. A valuation is independent of any sale, effective as at a stated date, evidenced by settled sales and signed. An appraisal also assumes you are selling, and most Mornington owners who need a figure are not.

Who is qualified to prepare a property valuation?+

In Victoria, 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 whose opinion it is, named with their qualification. Not the evidence engine that gathered the sales, and nobody signing in their stead. (from $550).

Is an Automated Market Assessment enough for tax purposes?+

No. Nothing in it is signed, so there is no independent opinion for an auditor, an accountant or a revenue office to stand on. Use it to decide, not to report. On timing: a signed desktop report usually goes out the same day, and an Automated Market Assessment the next business day.

How long is a property valuation valid for?+

It is effective as at its date rather than open-endedly. Where the recipient applies a currency period, that period governs, and your adviser will know which. A good share of the Mornington work we do is written to a day already behind the owner, where currency is not the question at all.

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. A Mornington campaign will also lean on the name of the place, and the name covers two halves of a town that are close to the same size, so it is a poor stand-in for what the sales near one address actually show.

How long does a property valuation take?+

A signed desktop report is usually ready the same business day. An inspected report waits on access, and across a town that runs from a tight centre out to much larger ground, that step is worth booking rather than assuming. An Automated Market Assessment arrives the next business day.

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

No. A rates notice generally carries a land value, the ground on its own with nothing standing on it, struck for rating at a date the council chose and for a purpose that is not yours. A valuation covers the whole property at the date you actually need, with the sales behind it named. Two different questions, and the answers rarely line up.

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