Before a property sale: when a market value appraisal is worthwhile — and when it is not

Not every planned property sale automatically requires a market value appraisal. In many standard situations, a market price estimate by an experienced estate agent can provide an initial orientation. Anyone who primarily wants to know roughly what order of magnitude an asking price might be in does not in every case immediately need a comprehensive appraisal. The situation is different where there are particular uncertainties, where several parties have a say, where a sale is to take place under time pressure, or where the asking price has to be substantiated reliably.

A market value appraisal is worthwhile above all when an independent and verifiable basis for valuation is required. This can be useful, for example, in the case of high-value individual properties, unusual properties, family coordination, communities of heirs, or where there are significant differences of opinion about the value. Even where the state of modernisation, rights and encumbrances, or property-specific characteristics play a role, an appraisal provides considerably more clarity than a rough market estimate. What is decisive is therefore not the sale itself, but the question of how reliable the valuation needs to be in the specific case.