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Cairns property valuation questions

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Acceptance & compliance

What is a property valuation?+

A valuer's formal, signed opinion of what a property was worth on a nominated date, with the comparable sales and the reasoning laid out underneath it. The date is not a formality. If a property started earning rent three summers ago, the figure that matters is the one from that day, not today's.

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

An appraisal is free, unsigned, and usually offered while an agent is competing for your listing. A valuation is independent of any sale, made as at a stated date, supported by comparable sales and signed by the person who prepared it. The difference shows up the moment somebody else has to rely on the number.

Who is qualified to prepare a property valuation?+

In Queensland, a valuer registered under the Valuers Registration Act. Their name and registration number appear on the report, which is what lets somebody else rely on it.

Timing & process

Will the ATO and an SMSF auditor accept the report?+

Yes. A valuer independent of the fund prepares and signs it, SISR 8.02B is the benchmark, and the comparable sales it relied on are attached rather than described. Where a fund property is let seasonally, that evidence trail is what keeps the annual figure from being queried.

Whose signature is on it?+

The valuer who reached the opinion, named with their registration. The model assembles evidence and signs nothing; nobody signs in the valuer's place. (from $550).

Is an Automated Market Assessment enough for tax purposes?+

No. Unsigned means no independent opinion and nothing anybody can rely on for reporting. It is for weighing up a decision. As for speed, signed desktop reports mostly leave the same day and an Automated Market Assessment arrives the next business day.

How long is a property valuation valid for?+

It is an opinion as at one date, not an open-ended one. Where the recipient sets its own currency window, that window is what governs, and your accountant or conveyancer will know it. Ordering close to when the figure is actually needed is generally the simpler path.

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 decision and often a deliberate range. A valuation reports settled evidence. Cairns makes this sharper than most: a sale a few kilometres away can belong to a different market entirely, so a campaign drawing on the wrong half of the city can sit a long way from the figure.

Can I move up to a signed report later?+

Yes, at any point. We credit the $79 against the signed report whenever you upgrade.

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

No. The rates notice normally states a land value, the land on its own with nothing built on it, assessed for rating at a date the council fixed. A property valuation covers the whole property on the date you need. They measure different things, so they rarely agree, and neither is wrong.

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