Asset valuation is the other half of inventory. Without value, there is no basis for lots, monetary balancing payments or decisions on indivisible assets. The key question is not always 'who values?', but 'do I need an appraiser or is a well-founded professional estimate enough?'.
When an independent appraiser is essential
- Assets with a specialised market: art, antiques, collections, classic vehicles, musical instruments.
- Assets subject to tax obligations (inheritance or gift taxes) where the declared value may be reviewed by the administration.
- Assets in open dispute between the parties, where an independent valuation acts as a neutral anchor.
- Assets with a high unit value relative to the inventoried total, where a small margin of error has material impact.
Common methodologies
Three approaches cover almost all movable assets: market value by comparables (verifiable references of recent transactions), depreciated replacement cost (relevant for assets in use) and capitalisation of cash flows (rarely applicable to chattels, yes for income-generating items). A good report makes the chosen methodology explicit and justifies it.
What to demand from the appraiser's report
- Detailed identification of the asset, with photographs and inventory references.
- Methodology applied and justification of the choice.
- Comparables or references used, with source and date.
- Range of value, not only a single number, and the key assumptions that condition it.
- Professional qualification of the appraiser and declaration of independence.
Integration in the case file
The appraisal report is incorporated as a document of the corresponding asset, and its cryptographic fingerprint (hash) is referenced in the audit log together with the date of inclusion. If the report is later updated, history is preserved and the new version receives a new fingerprint, without overwriting the previous one.