Documents required for a property valuation
A checklist organised by purpose, and, more usefully, what to do when half of it does not exist. Older family property almost always has gaps, and gaps are rarely fatal.
The core set, needed for almost every valuation
- Title document. The sale deed, gift deed, partition deed, conveyance deed or allotment letter through which the property came to the present owner.
- Property tax receipt. The latest one, showing the property is on the municipal record and in whose name.
- Identity of the owner. PAN, Aadhaar or passport, depending on the purpose of the valuation.
- Approved plan or layout, where one was issued and is available.
- Land record extract. Khata, 7/12 extract, mutation entry or the equivalent in your state.
Clear photographs taken on a phone are fine for all of these. Originals do not need to travel anywhere, and we will tell you if anything genuinely needs to be seen in original.
Additional documents by purpose
| Purpose | Also bring |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | The earlier chain of title showing when the property was first acquired, which decides whether the 1 April 2001 option applies. Improvement bills if you are claiming them. |
| Bank loan | Occupancy or completion certificate, latest utility bill, allotment and possession letters for builder or authority property, and the lender's own valuation format if they gave you one. |
| Visa and immigration | Passport copy, and details of every property to be included if a consolidated net worth statement is needed. |
| Court and legal | Death certificate, will, succession or legal heir certificate, any existing partition or settlement deed, and the court order if the valuation is directed by one. |
| NRI | Passport and OCI or PIO card, plus the name and number of a local contact who can provide access to the property. |
What to do when documents are missing
This is the section most people actually need. A property that has been in a family for forty years rarely has a complete file, and that is normal rather than alarming.
The original sale deed is lost
A certified copy can usually be obtained from the sub-registrar's office where the document was registered. The registration details on any later document in the chain will help locate it. This is routine and is usually a matter of days rather than weeks.
There is no approved plan
Common for older independent houses and for properties in areas that were regularised later. The valuer measures the property physically and records what exists, noting in the report that no approved plan was produced. That is a legitimate and disclosed limitation, and it is far better than a report that implies a plan was seen when it was not.
The property is still in a deceased owner's name
Very common, and not an obstacle to valuing the property. We will need the death certificate and whatever succession documentation exists. Tell us at the outset so the report is addressed correctly, because a report naming the wrong person is of no use to a bank or a court.
There is unapproved or additional construction
Disclose it. It will be measured and recorded, and it does affect the assessed value. A report that quietly ignores an unauthorised floor is worse than useless, because it will be discovered by whoever relies on it and your credibility goes with it.
The honest summary. Send us what you have, and tell us plainly what is missing. In thirty five years we have very rarely met a property that could not be valued. We have met plenty where the client held something back and the report had to be redone.
How to send them
WhatsApp is what most clients use, and it is perfectly adequate. Photograph each document flat, in good light, with all four corners visible and the text readable. Email works equally well if you prefer, particularly for larger sets. If you are sending a long chain of title, a single PDF is easier to work with than thirty separate images.
Related reading
Not sure what you have is enough?
Send us photographs of whatever documents you hold. We will tell you what is missing and whether it matters, at no charge.