Why the valuation date matters

Put the date in the instruction

A request for “the value of the house” leaves an important question unanswered: the value when? A present-day sale, an earlier family arrangement, and a tax instruction may require different dates. The date should be settled before the research begins.

There are usually several dates in the file. The inspection date records when the property was seen. The valuation date identifies the point in time being assessed. The report date records when the opinion was issued. Keeping them separate avoids an unnecessary source of confusion. The date belongs with the defined purpose and basis of the valuation, rather than being treated as a clerical detail (Fothergill, 2026).

A historic valuation needs historic evidence

A retrospective valuation asks the valuer to reconstruct the relevant position at an earlier date. That involves more than taking today’s figure and applying a general house-price percentage. The property itself may have changed, and its local market may have moved differently from a national measure.

Old photographs, plans, tenancy records, sales particulars, and dated reports can help establish the earlier condition. Ask when an extension was completed or when a significant defect became apparent. A current inspection cannot, on its own, tell us exactly what existed several years ago.

Evidence from a later transaction needs careful treatment. It may illuminate an earlier market, but it may also reflect events that had not happened at the valuation date. The report should explain the relevance of the evidence and avoid smuggling hindsight into the conclusion.

Tax dates need particular care

Revenue distinguishes the date of a gift or inheritance from the valuation date for Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT). In an inheritance, the date of death and the CAT valuation date can differ (Revenue, 2025b; Revenue, 2026c). The relevant adviser should identify the required basis and date for the instruction.

That distinction matters when a family already has a probate-related valuation and assumes it will serve every later purpose. A report may be useful background without being the correct report for another transaction or return. Reuse should be considered, not presumed.

Record what is known and what is assumed

A helpful retrospective brief includes the purpose, date, property interest, and evidence about the property at that time. It should identify alterations, occupation, and any significant event between the historic date and the inspection.

If records are missing, explain the assumption required and its possible effect. Sometimes further enquiries will resolve the gap. Sometimes the uncertainty must remain visible in the report.

I would rather see a carefully qualified opinion than a very definite figure built on an uncertain history. A date is not an administrative detail at the top of a page. It is part of the question the valuation is answering.