Help to Buy Valuations
"We exist to make your next step accessible and stress-free, provided trusted guidance, compliant with Homes England requirements and clear valuations to support your journey in buying additional equity or selling."
- Dan Knowles FRICS, Managing Director and RICS Registered Valuer
A Help to Buy valuation is a RICS "Red Book" Market Value report, carried out by an RICS Registered Valuer, that Homes England requires before you can sell your home or staircase (buy more equity). It must meet the requirements of the scheme administrator (currently Lenvi), and reports are valid for three months. We provide compliant Help to Buy valuations across London and surrounding counties from £400+VAT.
Which applies to you?
Selling or staircasing — we cover both
The report is the same RICS Red Book valuation; what differs is what it's for.
You're selling
If you bought with a Help to Buy equity loan and are selling, you need a Red Book Market Value report by an RICS Registered Valuer. You repay the scheme administrator based on the higher of the price achieved and the valuation, so the figure matters. We can value before you market, while you're marketing, or once you've agreed a price.
You're staircasing
Buying a larger share of your home — staircasing — needs the same Red Book valuation. It sets the price of the equity you're buying, so a well-evidenced figure protects you from paying more than you should.
Worried your valuation won't meet Homes England's requirements?
The scheme administrator (currently Lenvi) sets specific requirements for what counts as an acceptable valuation — and they catch some firms out. We carry out Help to Buy valuations constantly and know exactly what's needed, so your report is compliant and accepted without the back-and-forth that delays a sale or staircasing.
Request a quoteA common question
Already agreed a sale price? We may be able to value at it
Many people only discover they need a Help to Buy valuation once they've already agreed a sale — so the natural worry is whether we'll value at the figure you've agreed. An agreed price is genuinely important evidence, and where the evidence supports it, we'll value at the agreed figure.
To do that properly, we'll routinely speak with your selling agent to understand the background to the sale and to verify anything that helps our assessment. What we can't do is simply rubber-stamp a figure the evidence doesn't support — and that discipline is exactly what keeps your report robust and accepted by the scheme administrator.
How it works
From first call to finished report
Request a quote
Tell us about the property and whether you're selling or staircasing. We'll come straight back to you.
Inspection
An RICS Registered Valuer inspects the property and, where relevant, speaks with your selling agent.
Your report
A compliant Red Book valuation, normally within about a week, built to be accepted first time.
Updates if needed
Reports are valid for three months; if yours is close to expiry we can usually update it on a desktop basis.
Why it matters
Why getting a Help to Buy valuation right matters
The figure is tied to real money — what you repay on the equity loan, or what you pay for extra equity. An over-optimistic or poorly evidenced valuation can be rejected by the scheme administrator, delay your move, or cost you more than it should. A robust, defensible report is worth far more than a quick one.
See the difference for yourself
Before you decide, look at an example of one of our Help to Buy reports. The care and evidence that goes into them is where the real difference lies — and on Help to Buy valuations, that difference matters more than on almost any other report we produce. We'd genuinely rather you saw the quality first.
Download an example reportOur fee includes the time we spend getting your valuation right — including speaking with your selling agent where relevant — and a report built to be accepted first time.
"Much of our Help to Buy work comes from people recommending us to neighbours who've sold or staircased in the same building or development — something we're always grateful for."
Quotation by — Richard Stacey MRICS, Director & RICS Registered ValuerGood to know
Help to Buy valuations: frequently asked questions
What is a Help to Buy valuation?
It is a RICS "Red Book" Market Value report, carried out by an RICS Registered Valuer, that Homes England requires before you can sell a home bought with a Help to Buy equity loan, or staircase to buy a larger share. It must meet the requirements of the scheme administrator (currently Lenvi).
Who can carry out a Help to Buy valuation?
It must be an independent RICS Registered Valuer working to the RICS Red Book — not an estate agent's appraisal. We have a number of RICS Registered Valuers and carry out these valuations across London and surrounding counties.
Will your report meet Homes England's requirements?
Yes. The scheme administrator (currently Lenvi) sets specific requirements that catch some firms out. We carry out Help to Buy valuations constantly and prepare every report to meet those requirements, so it is accepted without delay.
I've already agreed a sale price — can you value at that?
Where the evidence supports it, yes. An agreed price is important evidence, and we'll routinely speak with your selling agent to understand the background and verify anything that helps. What we can't do is rubber-stamp a figure the evidence doesn't support — which is what keeps the report robust and accepted.
How long is a Help to Buy valuation valid?
Reports are valid for three months. If your transaction runs beyond that, the valuation will usually need updating before the scheme administrator will accept it.
Can I get an update if my report is about to expire?
Usually yes, on a desktop basis without revisiting the property and at a reduced fee. To meet Homes England's requirements, a desktop update must be provided within two weeks of the expiry of a report from when we inspected — so it's best to come back to us before your current report lapses.
How much does a Help to Buy valuation cost?
Our Help to Buy valuations start from £400+VAT. The fee reflects the time we put into getting the figure right and evidenced — including liaising with your selling agent where relevant — so the report is accepted first time and stands up to scrutiny.
How quickly can you provide the report?
We're normally able to provide a report within about a week of being instructed, and can often meet tighter deadlines where needed. Larger portfolios may take longer, and we'll flag any timing implications early.
Cladding & balconies
What if my building has cladding or timber balconies?
Where a building has cladding or vertically stacked timber balconies, there may be fire safety concerns — and we need to know the building is safe before we can value. This is usually evidenced by an EWS1 form, and the rating decides whether we can proceed.
Let's get your valuation right, first time
Tell us about your property and whether you're selling or staircasing — we'll take it from there.
Request a quote