Questions we are asked

The fee depends on the property type, its size and the purpose of the valuation, and it is fixed in advance — never a percentage of the value, which would compromise the independence of the result. Send us the details of the property and you receive a fixed fee before any work begins.

To open an appraisal we need six things: your full name; a mobile number; an email address; the address of the property — land or building — to be appraised; the floor plan of the building, if the assignment concerns a building; and a 50% deposit to begin. Once we have these, we confirm the scope, the fixed fee and the delivery date.

That is no problem — we measure the building ourselves and prepare the floor plan. This is an additional service with a small extra cost, which we quote in advance so there are no surprises.

Most residential appraisals are delivered within two to five business days after the inspection. Commercial, development and legal assignments take longer depending on complexity; we give you a delivery date at intake.

Yes. A valuation without an interior inspection cannot properly account for condition, layout, finish level or defects. Where a full inspection is genuinely impossible, we say so explicitly in the report and state the assumptions that were made instead.

Free market value is what your property is worth on the current market. Execution value is the figure financial institutions use for mortgage and loan applications — typically around 80% of the free market value. Reconstruction value is mainly for insurance: it is what a fire insurer would insure the building for, the cost to rebuild it at today's prices for labour, materials and equipment. A sale needs the first, a mortgage the second, and an insurance policy the third.

Our valuations are prepared to the standard lenders expect, including the value bases and documentation they require for a financing file. If your lender has a particular format or requirement, tell us at intake and we will report accordingly.

Yes. Reports for estates, divisions and disputes are written to be examined by the other side: the method, the evidence and the assumptions are all set out, so the conclusion can be tested rather than merely asserted.

The entire island — Oranjestad, Noord, Paradera, Santa Cruz, Savaneta, San Nicolas and everything between.

We report in English, Dutch or Spanish. By default we work in English, as it is international and understood by most clients, banks and institutions; let us know at intake if you would prefer Dutch or Spanish.