Tarman Appraisals & Consulting

Services - Appraisals

We offer appraisal services to our clients depending on your needs, such as:

• Insurance; replacement cost
• Charitable contribution; fair market value
• Equitable distribution (divorce); marketable cash value
• Estate; fair market value
• Inventory; your discretion

The Appraisal Process

Our appraiser first comes to your home for the “on site” inspection. During this inspection photographs and dimensions are taken and the condition of items is noted. In your best interest please have the items you wish to have appraised out and easy for us to access. Removing items from boxes or clearing the way to them in storage areas or closets minimizes the time the appraiser has to spend in your house.

Once all of the inspection requirements are completed we begin the research phase of the appraisal. Research is done for both identifying and establishing values of the items. The appraiser establishes values through prices and sales at galleries, shops, shows, auction records, on line, in newspaper advertisements and ads, tag and estate sales and price guides. Old appraisals, invoices and receipts, notes and letters referring to an item are all useful for identification purposes so please have those available on the day of the appraisal. It is best to have copies made so the appraiser can take them to do their research.

Report writing is the next step in which the appraiser utilizes the photographs and notes taken on site and writes the descriptions, complete with appropriate values, as they will be read by insurance agents, auditors, attorneys, family members, etc.

Document preparation finalizes the descriptions and photographs of the items and compiles them into a bound report including a cover letter and the appraisers qualifications. Depending upon the purpose of the appraisal there may also be included a glossary, bibliography, value summary, table of contents, etc as needed.

Verbal opinions of value (VOV) are not appraisals. They are opinions expressed by the appraiser verbally, without research, based on the appraiser’s expertise and knowledge base. You are welcome to take notes, writing down what the appraiser says. VOV are helpful if a formal document is not needed or required, but basic information is. Most VOV last an hour or two depending on the nature of the item(s).