Dealing with the end of a marriage can be a stressful and traumatic experience, and the emotional impact is often made worse by any disagreement over the divorce settlement. While the best option will always involve reaching an amicable agreement, perhaps with the help of mediation, there are many times when this simply isn’t possible, and a matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation could play a huge roll in avoiding conflict or ensuring that any settlement you agree to is fair.

Here at Crown Survey and Valuation we provide RICS qualified surveyors to carry out matrimonial and divorce settlement valuations. The fact that all of our surveyors are RICS qualified and have a great deal of experience means that you can be certain that any matrimonial and divorce settlement valuations we provide are highly accurate, legally watertight and can be used as the basis for negotiating a divorce settlement or arguing your case in court. Armed with a matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation drawn up by a RICS qualified surveyor you’ll be in a position to be able to sort out your finances post-divorce and move on with the rest of your life.

How Matrimonial and Divorce Settlement Valuations Work

At the end of a marriage and the start of the divorce process it’s inevitable that you’ll have amassed assets which are owned jointly, and the most valuable of these is usually the family home. Whether you decide to sell the home and spit the proceeds along agreed lines, keep it as the family home for one partner with the other contributing toward upkeep (as is often the case when there are children involved), or have one of the spouses buy the other out by purchasing their half of the home, it’s vitally important that you know exactly how much the property in question is worth.

A RICS qualified surveyor will take the time to undertake an inspection of the property, taking into account the following aspects:

• Location – if the property is located close to things such as highly-rated schools or transport hubs the value of that property can be boosted, and the same applies to the proximity of shops and other local amenities.
  
• Type of Property – the type of property will have an impact on the value arrived at, including whether it is a house or flat. If it is a house the question of whether it is in a terrace, detached or semi-detached will have a bearing on the value, while the value of a flat may be impacted by the presence or absence of other flats above or below it. The size of the property will also be a factor. For survey and valuation purposes, the surveyor will use the RICS standard code of practice when noting the measurements for a property. Under this code the Gross Internal Area (GIA) measured is used for a flat, and the Gross External Area (GEA) measured is used for a house. 
  
• Description – the Crown Survey and Valuation surveyor will inspect the property inside and out, taking note of basic aspects such as the number of floors and the layout of the rooms. They will also inspect the degree to which the property has been maintained and kept in a state of good repair over the years, as well as detailing facts such as the year in which the property was built and whether it is of standard construction. 
  
• Utilities – the utilities for the property, such as gas, electricity and water, will be inspected to confirm that they are present as would be expected. The operation of the utilities and services will not be inspected or included in the matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation.
  
• Condition – the overall condition of the property will be included as a part of the valuation, both inside and out. This includes whether things such as windows, the roof (where accessible) and fixtures and fittings are in a good state of repair and have been maintained. If aspects of the property such as these require repair, maintenance or replacement it could have an impact on the final valuation reached.
  
• Tenure – the RICS qualified surveyor will look into whether the property is freehold or leasehold.
  
• Market conditions – one of the most important reasons why you should choose a RICS qualified surveyor to deliver your matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation is that, as well as inspecting the property itself, they will use their local knowledge of the housing market, including the prices which have been fetched when similar local properties were sold.

A surveyor can be hired by one party to carry out a matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation, but often they are hired by the couple jointly to act as an impartial judge and deliver a fair and balanced valuation. The advantages of commissioning a surveyor to draw up a fair and accurate matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation include the following:

• It makes it more likely that you’ll be able to avoid acrimonious disputes and court proceedings which – particularly in the case of divorces – can be time consuming, expensive and highly unpredictable in terms of the likely result.
  
• It means that you’ll receive the value of the home which is rightly yours if you decide to sell it, reflecting the investment you put into it during the marriage.
  
• It helps if you’re selling the property to have an independent valuation to point to if any prospective buyers question your asking price.

The details for matrimonial divorce and settlement valuations also apply to couples in a civil partnership who are having the partnership dissolved. If you’re in need of a matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation for your property and are looking for an RICS Surveyor near you, contact us today for a free quote. We specialise in building surveys and valuations and can carry out a professional inspection, so you can rest assured that the matrimonial and divorce settlement valuation we arrive at is a realistic reflection of the current value of your property.