Frequently asked questions

Whenever a robust and transparent statement of value is required.

Typical situations are divorce and equalisation of accrued gains, inheritance and division of an estate, the purchase or sale of a property, evidence of value for the tax office, as well as compulsory auction proceedings. An appraisal may also be necessary for disputes under company law or to safeguard investment decisions. In the initial consultation we clarify which scope makes sense in your case.

We appraise residential, commercial and special-use properties.

Our range of services covers condominiums, single- and two-family houses, apartment buildings, residential and commercial buildings, commercial properties as well as undeveloped land. In addition, we appraise special cases such as heritable building rights, listed buildings and properties with special rights or encumbrances.

We do not prepare brief appraisals, only complete appraisals.

We do not prepare brief appraisals. The professional effort required for data collection, review and valuation is almost identical, while a brief appraisal does not offer the necessary completeness and traceability. As publicly appointed and sworn experts (ö.b.u.v.), we therefore place value on complete, robust appraisals with clear reasoning — particularly where results need to hold up in court, before the tax office or in negotiations.

An initial professional assessment is possible, but a binding forecast is not.

For tax-related and procedural questions, we can classify the starting situation in advance from a professional perspective. In the case of inheritance tax, it is often sensible to first await the assessment notice or the valuation by the tax office. Only on this basis can it be seriously assessed whether an appraisal is likely to provide relevant added value.

Due to high demand, completion at our office usually takes at least six months.

Fortunately, we are usually very busy. For this reason, the processing time for an appraisal at our office is generally at least six months until completion. The exact period additionally depends on the availability of documents, the complexity of the property and the type of assignment.

The more documents are available, the faster and more precisely we can work.

We welcome floor plans, living-space calculations, building descriptions, tenant lists, statements of account and business plans. Everything is helpful, nothing is mandatory: missing documents are not a problem and can in many cases be submitted later or obtained by us.

Your presence is helpful but not strictly required.

During the inspection the property is viewed and documented. It is sensible if you or an authorised person provides access and is available for any questions. If you are unavailable, the appointment can also be carried out with a representative. In many cases the inspection takes about half an hour, and correspondingly longer for more complex projects.

For private appraisals, the costs depend on effort, encumbrances and complexity.

For private appraisals we calculate our fee as a flat rate based on the actual effort, the property-specific encumbrances and the complexity of the valuation case. We do not charge travel and reproduction costs separately. Nor do we base our fees on fee schedules. The only additional items are official disbursements, which are usually around €150 net. For court-appointed assignments, the remuneration is governed by the provisions of the JVEG (German Judicial Remuneration and Compensation Act).

The exact amount results from the occasion, the property and the available documents.

We work with individual fees that depend on the specific case. The decisive factors are in particular the occasion, the type of property, the availability of documents and the complexity. Following the initial review, we communicate the expected costs openly and transparently.

In many cases yes — depending on the occasion for the appraisal.

If an appraisal is prepared in connection with inheritance tax, income tax or a rented property, the costs can be claimed for tax purposes as income-related expenses, business expenses or estate liabilities. The exact classification depends on the individual case. We do not provide tax advice and recommend clarifying tax deductibility in advance with your tax advisor.

Generally the party required to pay the advance on costs.

For court-appointed appraisals, the court orders an advance on costs, which is initially paid by the applicant party. The expert's remuneration is governed by the German Judicial Remuneration and Compensation Act (JVEG). As part of the decision on costs at the end of the proceedings, it is determined which party ultimately bears the appraisal costs.

It is a particularly recognised quality mark for experts.

The public appointment of experts under Section 36 of the German Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung) aims to provide particularly qualified, reliable and experienced specialists for courts, authorities, businesses and the public. It makes it easier to find experts who are professionally and personally suitable, since publicly appointed experts are vetted by a competent institution and, even after being sworn in, are monitored with regard to their professional suitability and reliability. The appointment is made in the public interest and does not serve the personal goals of the applicant. It is a recognition of particular professional qualifications on the basis of the experts' code of conduct and does not constitute a professional licence. Anyone interested in a public appointment should carefully review the relevant regulations.

Our appraisals are geared to court requirements. The decision always rests with the court.

We carefully assess in advance whether an appraisal is sensible and robust in the specific case. According to our internal records, over the past 25 years our appraisals used in court proceedings have not been rejected on professional grounds. The final evaluation and assessment of evidence, however, always rests with the court.

The tax office can raise objections, for example in the case of formal or methodological deficiencies.

In the case of a market value appraisal under Section 198 of the German Valuation Act (BewG), the tax office reviews whether the formal and methodological requirements are met. If the tax office has queries or uncertainties, it usually issues a request for a statement. Where needed, we also support our clients in preparing this statement.

Our focus is on Hamburg; depending on the assignment we also operate beyond it.

In principle we operate in Hamburg. Depending on the assignment, we also work in the area around Hamburg and, for individual clients, in other regions of Germany. For courts, we sometimes operate throughout Germany.