VALUER
REPORT STANDARD
REPORT VALID FOR
ACCEPTED BY
What Is a Help to Buy Valuation?
A Help to Buy valuation is an appraisal of your home’s value conducted by an RICS Registered Valuer. Its purpose is to assess the current market value of your property, which is what calculates the amount owed on your equity loan.
The repayment reflects the property’s value at the time of repayment, not its original purchase price. If your home’s value has increased, so has your repayment amount. Whether you’re remortgaging, selling, or using savings to pay off the loan, engaging an RICS Registered Valuer early streamlines the whole process.
TARGET’S CHECKLIST
- Valued by a RICS Registered Valuer
- A Red Book valuation report
- Supported by comparable sales evidence
- Not an estate agent appraisal — these are rejected
What Target (the Scheme Administrator) Requires
Target administers the government’s equity loan scheme, and it only accepts valuations that meet its rules. Get a report that doesn’t fit the bill and you’ll pay for it twice — these are the requirements your valuation must meet.
The 3-Month Validity Window
Your valuation report is valid for three months from the date it’s issued — that’s the window you have to initiate repayment with Target. Redemption can take longer than you expect, so book the valuation once your remortgage or sale is genuinely in motion.
DAY 0
Your Red Book valuation is delivered — the clock starts now.
MONTHS 0–3
Use the report to initiate repayment with Target and instruct your solicitor.
AFTER 3 MONTHS
An expired report can’t be submitted — a further valuation is needed.
How Repaying Your Equity Loan Works
Book your valuation
Instruct a RICS Registered Valuer — get your quote online in two minutes.
Inspection & report
We inspect, gather comparable evidence and deliver a report that meets Target’s requirements.
Submit to Target
Use the valuation to initiate repayment — Target calculates the government’s share from your report.
Repay the loan
Settle via remortgage, sale or savings — your solicitor completes the redemption within the validity window.
Help to Buy Valuation Cost
Your exact price depends on the property and takes two minutes to get online. The price you see is the price you pay — no callback, no haggling.
THE RED BOOK STANDARD
What a Red Book Valuation Means
Every valuation we provide is carried out by a RICS Registered Valuer and reported to the RICS Valuation — Global Standards, known as the “Red Book”. That’s what makes the figure defensible: a consistent, evidence-based method, comparable sales, and a report format that institutions trust.
- ✓ RICS Registered Valuer
- ✓ Red Book methodology
- ✓ Accepted by HMRC, lenders, housing associations & courts
FAQs
Do I need a second valuation if my report expires?
Your valuation is valid for three months. If your repayment hasn’t completed by then, we can usually issue an extension of the existing report rather than starting again — a quicker, cheaper option, provided the market hasn’t moved significantly. If too much time has passed, the scheme administrator will require a fresh valuation. Tell us your target completion date when you book and we’ll time the inspection to give you the most runway.
Is it a desktop or physical inspection?
Physical, always. The Help to Buy scheme doesn’t accept desktop or drive-by valuations — your valuer must inspect the property in person and support the figure with evidence from comparable local sales. That’s what makes the report compliant, and it’s also your protection: the repayment figure is based on what your home is genuinely worth, not an estimate from a screen.
What if the valuation is lower or higher than my purchase price?
Your repayment isn’t based on what you paid — it’s the equity loan percentage applied to your home’s value today. If your home has risen in value, you’ll repay more than you borrowed; if it’s fallen, you’ll repay less. That’s how the scheme is designed. Our job is to make sure the figure is accurate and properly evidenced, so you repay what you actually owe — not a penny more.
How fast can you turn the valuation around?
Quickly — we know repayments run to deadlines set by your solicitor and the scheme administrator. We offer same-week inspection slots across the North West, with your report back within days of the visit. If you’re working to a specific completion date, tell us when you book and we’ll confirm the timeline before you pay.
Can I use my mortgage lender's valuation?
No — the scheme requires an independent RICS valuation that you instruct yourself. Your lender’s valuation is done for the lender, and an estate agent’s appraisal isn’t accepted either. The report must come from a RICS Registered Valuer, follow Red Book standards, and include comparable sales evidence — which is exactly what we provide.