One valuation the court, the executor, and the heirs can work from.

In Short

What this appraisal is for

When an estate is being settled, the court, the executor, and the family all need the same defensible number. We provide fair market value appraisals suitable for probate filings, estate tax reporting, and equitable distribution among heirs — documented to the standard those processes require.

When You Need One

Who this is for

An estate appraisal answers to other people: a court, a tax return, and usually a family that has to agree. Most clients reach us at one of these points.

• The executor or personal representative has to file an inventory of the estate with the probate court.
• An estate tax return needs the fair market value of the personal property as of the date of death.
• Several heirs are dividing the contents of a home and want a neutral figure to divide by.
• The estate is deciding what to keep, what to sell, and what to donate, and needs values before it can choose.
• An attorney or accountant has asked for a USPAP-compliant report to support a filing.

The Report

What the report is used for

The standard of value for an estate is fair market value: what the property would change hands for between a willing buyer and a willing seller, on the date that governs the estate. That date is part of the assignment, so a report can be prepared for a date already past.

Every report is signed, certified, and prepared under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. It states the purpose, the standard of value, the effective date, and the research behind each figure — so the executor's file holds the reasoning and not only the total.

• An itemised schedule of the property, with a description of each item or lot
• The fair market value of each item, and the total for the estate
• The effective date of value, and why that date applies
• The market data and comparable sales each value rests on
• The appraiser's certification, qualifications, and signature

How It Works

Four steps, start to signed report

Most assignments are prepared remotely, from photographs and documents. Where an item genuinely has to be seen in person, we say so before you pay rather than issue an opinion we cannot stand behind.

1. You send photographs and an inventory of the items, with any provenance, receipts, or certificates you have
2. We reply with a fixed quote, before any work starts
3. We research comparable sales and market data for each item or asset
4. You receive a signed, USPAP-compliant report you can file

Your Part

What we need from you

• The date of death, which is normally the effective date of value
• A wide photograph of each room, then close photographs of the items themselves
• Close photographs of every mark, signature, hallmark, and label
• An inventory list, in whatever form you already keep it
• For any vehicle or machine: the VIN or serial number, the mileage or hours, and the title
• Anything the attorney or the accountant has told you the filing requires

For an estate, photograph rooms as well as items: a wide shot of each room shows what is there, and close-ups show what it is. Marks, signatures, and labels matter most. If an attorney or an accountant is already involved, say so at the consultation, and we will write the report to fit what their filing needs.

Price

What this costs

Household contents are quoted on the per-item schedule, from $10 an item, with a $150 minimum on any assignment. Large inventories are usually quoted from the $10 tier after we see the list. Vehicles and equipment in the same estate are quoted on the asset schedule instead — each car, boat, or machine is an asset line from $250, never item 41 at $10.

You get a fixed quote before any work starts, and the fee follows the research the assignment takes, not the value we find. If photographs cannot support the value, we say so before you pay — and if the fee would exceed what the property is likely worth, we say that too.

See the full pricing →