Only a personal on-site inspection allows for a reliable assessment of value-relevant factors such as the actual state of repair, degree of modernisation, or hidden defects.
Courts and tax authorities regularly expect that an inspection has taken place as part of a complete market value appraisal – otherwise, the evidentiary value of the appraisal report may be called into question.
Only for an initial, non-binding orientation, for example prior to a decision to sell, may a purely desk-based assessment be used in exceptional cases.
Even if the owner refuses to allow an interior inspection, we can generally still proceed, but we must explicitly note this limitation in the appraisal report and explain its impact on the reliability of the result.
In practice, a refused inspection often results in reductions in accuracy, as hidden defects or special features cannot be taken into account.
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