Losing a loved one is never easy, and dealing with legal and financial matters can add to the stress. When it comes to property inheritance, a professional RICS Red Book valuation is often required for probate or inheritance tax purposes to ensure that any property included with the estate is accurately valued. Since the most valuable asset in most peoples estates is their property, obtaining a fair and independent valuation could make all the difference when determining the amount of Inheritance Tax (IHT) that needs to be paid. A clear and professional report can also minimise the risk of the kinds of conflicts that can very often occur when there is uncertainty about the value of the estate.
Most probate valuations require a historic or retrospective valuation backdated to the date of death. A historic or retrospective valuation is not just a random guess or an estimate based on inflation rates; it's a meticulous process carried out by experienced Chartered Surveyors who use historical data, local market trends, and their knowledge and expertise.
You are not required to have the property valued by a RICS Registered Valuer - you can get a valuation through an Estate Agent instead. However, do bear in mind that the process is more likely to be investigated by HMRC if a non-RICS accredited valuation is supplied.
A valuation can be disputed by HMRC if they believe that the valuation provided seems too low or inconsistent with other valuations locally. In these situations, a statement would be required from the non-RICS valuer (the Estate Agent) to explain any differences, and a new valuation can be requested. If HMRC finds that the value has purposely been adjusted to limit the amount of inheritance tax payable, a fine totalling 100% of the difference can be charged to the executor and beneficiaries.
Lockwood Chartered Surveyors are here whenever you need us for expert valuations and come recommended by wills and probate Solicitors.
We needed a RICS survey completed for our Help to Buy loan. Andrew was brilliant at responding quickly, getting us booked in and writing the report within the same day that he came out to the house! Professional and excellent customer service - would definitely use him again!
Friendly, fast service and nice people. Thank you for everything.
Survey was very thorough and the report produced very quickly.
We were very pleased with the survey. Andrew made a very thorough report which was easy to navigate. This helped us with any enquiries we had about the property we were purchasing.
Extremely efficient company to deal with. The Survey report and potential issues are so detailed.
Thank you for your service, which enabled us to see problems that otherwise would have gone undetected.
Copyright Lockwood Surveyors Ltd 2026. Regulated by RICS | Lockwood Chartered Surveyors is the trading name for Lockwood Surveyors Ltd (Company No. 15564043) | Registered in England: Anglia House, 6 Central Avenue, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0HR.
Andrew has been very professional, proactive and overall a pleasure from the start. Andrew was always quick to respond to any queries. Very competitive rates in comparison to other business.
With the Easter bank holiday in mind Andrew completed the survey on Wednesday and I had the report by Thursday!
I would be happy to recommend Lockwood Chartered Surveyors to anyone.
Excellent service!