Curbside property valuations

The middle option, and when it earns its place

A curbside valuation sits between a desktop assessment and a full inspection. The valuer attends the property and assesses it from the street — external condition, presentation, streetscape, apparent size and position — then combines that with the same comparable sales analysis that underpins any valuation.

What it adds over a desktop report is confirmation that the property is as recorded and in the condition assumed. What it cannot confirm is anything internal.

No access needed, which is often the point

The practical advantage is that nobody has to be home. That matters more often than people expect: tenanted property where arranging access is slow, vacant property, an owner interstate or overseas, a portfolio of several addresses, or a situation where the occupant would rather not have a valuer walk through.

For a lender assessing a loan in the middle LVR band, this is usually all that is required.

Where it fits in a lending decision

Lenders match the depth of the valuation to the loan-to-value ratio. Broadly: desktop assessments at low LVRs, a curbside inspection through the middle band, and a full internal inspection once the ratio passes 80 per cent. If you know roughly where you sit, you can anticipate what will be asked for.

What it will not tell you

A curbside valuation assumes the interior is consistent with the exterior and with the property's age and type. If the inside has been renovated to a standard the facade does not suggest — or if it has not been touched since 1974 — the assessment will not capture it. Where the interior is materially different from what the street implies, order a full inspection instead.