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When in the process should you book in your valuation?
Once you're sure that you want to staircase and have sufficient funds in place - or are reasonably sure that you can realise them - then booking your valuation should be the first thing you do. Bear in mind that your housing association will only let you proceed if you've cleared all rent arrears etc. and you'll have to pay the requisite application fee.
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What if your housing association imposes 'special conditions' on your surveyor?
Experienced RICS valuers know that staircasing valuations are subject to regulations which are generally common to all housing associations. This includes, for example, producing up to two valuation figures. If you've made any improvements to your property, one of the figures you're given will reflect this.
However your housing association, whichever one it is, will not include any improvements you've made in their approved valuation, therefore your surveyor/valuer also gives you a figure which discounts these (if you have made any).
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Can you appeal against the valuation figure?
Yes, however you might find it very difficult to overturn. If you wish to, you should start by researching the prices of comparable properties in the vicinity of yours and in the first instance, take the matter up with your surveyor. The challenge you face is that to go further than this, you'll need to produce more compelling evidence and/or spend additional money.
You could, for example, get a valuation from a different RICS valuer, but there's no guarantee that the outcome will be any different.
Many commentators have stated that lenders and housing associations are unlikely to side against a surveyor regarding a RICS valuation. Appeal to the RICS itself is also possible, but once again, unless your surveyor can be proved to have acted unprofessionally or grossly incompetently, it's extremely unlikely that you'll succeed doing this.
Controversy - Grenfell and dangerous cladding
In the wake of the Grenfell tower disaster caused by extremely flammable cladding, some people in Help to Buy or Shared Ownership blocks where suspect cladding is a feature, looked either to staircase or sell their properties. Now in theory, if cladding on a building carries an enhanced risk of fire, it might be reasonable to assume that prices might have fallen and that therefore these people would have to pay less for their staircasing.
This is a developing matter, however, anecdotally we have found that not a few surveyors actually decline to offer a valuation in this situation for fear of stepping into an unresolved legal minefield.
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What is the next stage in the process?
The Memorandum of Staircasing stage is the next stage in the staircasing process. Once you've had your valuation returned, have instructed a solicitor and have made your application to staircase to your housing association (after clearing any arrears and paying the fee), they'll issue this memorandum, which, most importantly, lists what extra percentage share you're going to buy, how much it will cost you and what rent you'll then have to pay.
Staircasing? Need a RICS Valuation?
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