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Who carries out the valuation?
Your valuation is carried out by Mark, with over 45 years in the antiques trade. He looks at the contents in the house with you, the executor or the solicitor. You can ring him direct on 07764 405701.
What does the written valuation contain?
An itemised schedule of the household and personal goods, each item or group of items at its open market value as at the date of death. That is the value GOV.UK asks for when you estimate the estate’s value, and the basis HMRC applies (explained below).
Every written valuation we prepare includes:
- A comprehensive written inventory of items with realistic market values
- Preparation of documentation accepted by HMRC for inheritance tax purposes
- Discreet, respectful handling of sensitive situations
- Assistance in identifying which items are suitable for auction and which should be cleared or donated
- Flexibility to work directly with solicitors, executors, or family members
What is a probate valuation?
It is the open market value of someone’s belongings on the day they died. Section 160 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 defines that value as:
“the price which the property might reasonably be expected to fetch if sold in the open market at that time”
Inheritance Tax Act 1984, section 160
That is a different thing from what it would cost to replace something, or what it means to the family. GOV.UK lists the contents to include as “household and personal items, including antiques, electrical goods, furniture, jewellery, paintings, and stamp collections” (Estimate the estate’s value).
Insurance valuations: is a probate value the same?
No. An insurance valuation can use replacement values, and HMRC’s guidance to its own staff warns that a valuation “for insurance purposes” using replacement values “may include too high a value” for probate (IHTM21041).
We prepare written valuations for insurance as well. Tell us which one you need when you ask, so the report is written for the right purpose.
When do you need a professional valuation?
Not for everything. GOV.UK says you can get “a professional valuation for anything worth over £1,500”, and that you can “estimate the value of cheaper assets, such as electrical items and ordinary household goods”. For things like jewellery and paintings, it says to work out how much you would have got if you’d sold them (GOV.UK, getting accurate valuations).
If you aren’t sure which items are worth a written valuation, ask Mark for a free verbal valuation first.
Can auction results be used as evidence of value?
Yes. HMRC’s guidance to its own staff says that “sales after the death, particularly those at auction, provide the best evidence of the open market value at the date of sale” (IHTM21041). The figure used is the hammer price, before commission and without any buyer’s premium.
So if contents go into our sale after the valuation, keep the sale statements and pass them to whoever is dealing with the estate. The same guidance says costs that arise after the death, such as valuation or selling costs, are administration expenses and are not deducted from the value of the goods.
Which HMRC form is it for?
Form IHT407, “household and personal goods”, goes with the main Inheritance Tax account, IHT400. HMRC asks you to attach a copy of any professional valuation you have (IHT407 on GOV.UK).
Most estates are “excepted estates”, which means full details are not sent to HMRC. You still need an estimate of the estate’s value to apply for probate.
Last checked 13 October 2026
This page covers England and Wales. Thresholds, forms and rules change, so check the sources below before you rely on any figure. If the estate is complicated or disputed, talk to a solicitor.
Sources
- GOV.UK, If Inheritance Tax is due or full details are needed (professional valuations, changes to values, HMRC checks)
- GOV.UK, Estimate the estate’s value and Check if you need to send full details of the estate (household goods, excepted estates)
- GOV.UK, Inheritance Tax: household and personal goods (IHT407)
- HMRC Inheritance Tax Manual, IHTM21041 (how household goods are valued) and IHTM21011 (form IHT407)
- Inheritance Tax Act 1984, section 160
Fees for a written valuation
A written valuation is chargeable, and the fee is paid at the time of the visit. Ring Mark on 07764 405701 or the office on 0113 250 2626 to talk it through before you book.
Who can book a written valuation?
We welcome enquiries from members of the public, solicitors, executors and estate professionals. We work regularly with solicitors, estate agents and executors, and can work directly with them or with family members.
Ask for a valuation
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Or ring Mark on 07764 405701.
Questions about probate valuations
What if things sell for more or less at auction later?
HMRC’s guidance says sales after a death, particularly at auction, generally provide the best evidence of open market value at the date of sale. It uses the hammer price, before commission and without the buyer’s premium.
GOV.UK says to tell HMRC about changes once the values are final or 18 months after the person died, whichever is sooner. Some changes must be reported sooner, for example if the value of the estate goes up or down by more than £50,000 before exemptions or reliefs. Your solicitor can advise.
Can the same firm value, sell and clear?
Yes. Mark values the contents, anything that will sell goes into our own fortnightly auction, and what won’t sell is cleared or donated. A written valuation is chargeable. A clearance is chargeable too, but its cost may be covered or reduced by what sells at auction.
How do I value house contents for probate?
Value them at what they would fetch if sold on the open market on the date of death, not what they would cost to replace. GOV.UK says you can estimate cheaper things, such as electrical items and ordinary household goods, and can get a professional valuation for anything worth over £1,500. For jewellery and paintings, work out what you would have got if you had sold them (GOV.UK).
If you want a written valuation of the contents, Mark can prepare one. It’s chargeable, with the fee paid at the visit.
Who can do a property valuation for probate?
For the house or flat itself, GOV.UK says you can get property or land valued by an estate agent or chartered surveyor (GOV.UK). We don’t value property. We value the contents: the furniture, jewellery, pictures, silver and other household and personal goods inside it.
What happens if you undervalue an estate for probate?
We can’t give legal or tax advice, so read HMRC’s guidance and talk to the solicitor dealing with the estate. GOV.UK says you need to give accurate valuations, and that HMRC may check the information, which can include the Valuation Office or its Shares and Assets Valuation team checking the values (GOV.UK, if Inheritance Tax is due).
If you later find a value was wrong, the same guidance explains how and when to tell HMRC about changes.