Probate, inheritance, and getting the property valuation right

One property can give rise to several questions

After a death, a family may be dealing with unfamiliar paperwork while managing much more personal concerns. A property valuation is one part of that process. It helps to know precisely which part before commissioning the work.

The instruction may concern the estate administration, an inheritance tax matter, a proposed transfer, or a later sale. Those purposes are connected, but they are not identical. The solicitor or tax adviser should specify the interest, basis, and date required. The valuer can then prepare the appropriate opinion.

Do not assume all dates are the same

The Courts Service explains that estate assets are valued as at the date of death for probate purposes (Courts Service, 2025). Revenue’s guidance distinguishes the date of a gift or inheritance from the valuation date for Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT). A CAT valuation date can fall after the date of death (Revenue, 2025b; Revenue, 2026c). This is a reason to take a clear professional instruction, rather than assume that a date-of-death figure answers every tax question.

If an estate already holds a report, keep it available. It may provide useful evidence about the property’s earlier condition and circumstances. Ask the relevant adviser whether it can be relied upon for the new purpose or whether a further report is needed.

Establish exactly what belongs in the valuation

A house may sit beside farmland, share access with another holding, or include a separately occupied unit. There may be a life interest, a lease, a right of residence, or a dispute about the extent of the property. Legal interpretation belongs with the solicitor. The valuation should follow the confirmed interest or clearly stated assumptions.

An inventory and a clear plan can prevent something important being omitted. Identify outbuildings, adjoining parcels, and any interests held through a different arrangement. Do not assume that everything behind a particular entrance forms one legal asset.

Access and authority also need attention. The person who knows the property best may not be the person authorised to instruct the work. Agree that point early and establish who can arrange an inspection.

Keep records before the property changes

If contents are being removed or repairs are proposed, retain appropriate dated photographs and records. Explain what changed and when. A later inspection should not erase the evidence of an earlier condition.

Where the family intends to sell, distinguish the formal valuation instruction from the agency appointment. They may require different work and terms. Advice about presentation and marketing should not retrospectively reshape an independent historic opinion.

My approach would be to make the paperwork easier to follow: identify the purpose, establish the date, describe the interest, and explain the evidence. That gives the family and its advisers a sound starting point without suggesting that the valuation settles the wider legal or tax position.