Published: 08/10/2025 By Sam Haskell
With the Autumn Budget announcement confirmed for 26th November, property owners face renewed uncertainty over tax and relief reforms, particularly in areas such as inheritance tax, capital gains tax, and stamp duty. Sam Haskell, Chartered Surveyor and Valuer at Symonds & Sampson, suggests that it is wise to prepare, and to engage the services of professionals, including solicitors, accountants and of course our surveyors and valuers, to review ownership of assets.In the first instance, Symonds & Sampson can provide an informal indication of value for internal accounting purposes, thus enabling you to make informed decisions when discussing assets with family members and other professionals. Then, if decisions involve action, we can complete the formal Red Book Valuation of assets, as required by HMRC.
This Red Book Valuation is suitable for a broad range of assets. The diversity of expertise within our firm can provide valuations for farms, land and agricultural buildings, rural estates, country houses, residential property of all sizes, commercial premises, as well as farm machinery and equipment.
A Red Book Valuation differs significantly from a market appraisal. The Valuation is in accordance with the RICS Valuation Global Standards, which are a set of mandatory rules, best practice guidance, and ethical standards that RICS-qualified valuers must follow for all property valuations. A Red Book valuation is a reliable, independent and professional assessment of value that can be used in financial and legal settings.
With changes to taxation often announced in the Budget, having an up-to-date valuation of owned assets is essential for assessing potential tax liabilities. All Red Book valuations are undertaken by one of our qualified RICS Registered Valuers, who combine local market knowledge with professional rigour.
Sam’s advice is to get in touch to arrange your valuation in good time, allowing for strategic planning before or appropriate actions after the budget. For further information, please contact Sam on 01258 472244, or one of our Valuation experts in your nearest Symonds & Sampson Office.
View more information about our Valuation Services here.
