Home/Estate & Probate

Estate and probate valuation for art and collectibles

Independent, defensible date-of-death valuations for executors, solicitors and families, with full documentation, division schedules, and a clear account of what has market value and what needs further attention.

Start a Conversation WhatsApp Us

Clearing an estate is difficult enough without also having to guess what a houseful of unfamiliar objects is worth. We document everything properly, tell you what has market value and what doesn't, and give executors and beneficiaries one defensible set of numbers to work from.

2–4

Weeks from site visit to report

Private

Confidential by default

On-site nationwide

Who We Work With

Executors, solicitors and families

Executors

You have a legal duty to account for estate assets accurately. We give you a documented, evidence-based record of every item of value, prepared in a form that stands up to scrutiny from beneficiaries, the court and the estate's solicitor.

Solicitors & trustees

We work directly with legal and trustee professionals, deliver in the format you need, and keep the family out of the technical detail where that's easier for everyone.

Families

Often the hardest part isn't the money, it's dividing things fairly without falling out. Independent values give everyone the same starting point and take the argument out of the room.

The Work

What an estate valuation involves

We attend on site, work through the property room by room, and record everything of consequence. Nothing is moved or removed without your instruction, and we work at whatever pace the family needs.

Where an item warrants specialist research (an unattributed painting, an unusual piece of furniture, an inherited card or coin collection), we do that research rather than reaching for a guess.

Room-by-room inventory with photographs of every recorded item
Identification and attribution of artworks, antiques and collectibles
Fair market value at date of death, with comparable sales evidence cited
Clear separation of items with market value from items without, so effort goes where it counts
Division schedules so beneficiaries can divide by value, with the same figures in front of everyone
Insurance figures for anything that needs cover while the estate is settled
Digital archive shared with the executor, solicitor and family as required
A written report addressed to the executor, stating the basis of value, the valuation date and the valuer's details, ready to hand to the solicitor

A Warning

The things that get thrown out

The most expensive mistakes in estate clearance are usually made in the first weekend, with good intentions and a skip bin. Once something has gone to the tip or the op shop, no valuation can bring it back.

Boxes of trading cards and comics: routinely assumed to be children's clutter, occasionally worth more than the furniture
Unsigned or unframed works on paper: often mistaken for prints when they are originals
"Ugly" ceramics and Asian works of art: taste and value are not the same thing
Paperwork: receipts, exhibition catalogues, letters and labels are provenance, and provenance is money
Costume jewellery boxes: real pieces get mixed in and go out with the rest

If you are about to clear a property, the cheapest thing you can do is have someone look before anything leaves. An initial walkthrough conversation costs nothing.

After The Valuation

If the estate decides to sell

Consigning to an auction house is one route, with a seller's commission, photography, cataloguing and insurance charges, and settlement some weeks after the sale. A managed private sale is another, and for some items we can make a direct purchase offer. Each route has different costs and timing, and the right one depends on what is being sold.

We set out the likely net figure for each route before the estate commits to any of them, with our commission or our offer agreed in writing first. A purchase offer from us is a buyer's price and is always shown separately from the valuation. There is never any obligation to sell, and an estate that keeps everything has still had a perfectly good outcome.

Questions we're asked most

What is a probate valuation and when is one needed?

A probate valuation records the fair market value of assets at the date of death. Executors often need one where an estate contains art, antiques or collectibles of meaningful value, so the estate can be administered accurately and assets divided fairly between beneficiaries. The estate's solicitor can confirm whether one is required, and will usually ask for it in writing.

How quickly can you turn an estate valuation around?

For a typical household we can usually attend within a week of instruction and deliver the report within two to four weeks of the site visit. If a property settlement date or a court deadline is driving the timetable, tell us at the outset and we'll work to it. Travel outside Auckland is itemised in the quote before we start.

What if the family has no idea what anything is?

That's the normal situation, not the exception. We identify and research everything from scratch. You don't need to know what you have before you call us. That's the job.

Can you help divide items fairly between beneficiaries?

Yes, and it's often the most valuable part of the work. Once every item is documented with a defensible value, beneficiaries can divide by value, with everyone working from the same figures. We stay strictly neutral and provide the same information to everyone involved.

Do you work with solicitors and trustee companies?

Yes. We deal directly with the estate's solicitor, accountant or trustee company and prepare the report in the form they need, which keeps the family out of most of the back-and-forth.

What happens to items that turn out to be worth nothing?

We tell you, and we tell you early. Knowing which items don't need valuing, storing or insuring is often the single biggest cost saving in the whole process. Market value and personal significance are different things, and the family decides what to keep.

Can you sell items on the estate's behalf afterwards?

Yes, if the estate wants to. The options are a managed private sale, consignment to auction, or for some items a direct purchase offer from us. Any commission or offer is agreed in writing before anything is offered, and we set out the likely net figure for each route so the executor can put a clear comparison in front of the beneficiaries. There is never an obligation. The valuation and any sale are separate decisions.

Is the process confidential?

Completely. Estate work is sensitive by nature. We don't discuss clients, contents or values with anyone outside the people you nominate, other than where the law requires it, and we're happy to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Explore

Other ways we can help

Settling an estate? Start here.

Before anything is cleared, sold or thrown out, have someone who knows what they're looking at take a look. The first conversation is free.

Name

Phone (optional)

I'm interested in

Tell us what you have and what it is for

Photos? This form cannot take attachments. Reply to our email with them, or send them on WhatsApp.

We reply within one working day. No spam, ever.

Prefer to talk? luke@heatherandco.co.nz · WhatsApp · 027 489 7801