Updated 11 October 2026
A desktop valuation is a property valuation prepared without a physical inspection. The valuer works from comparable sales evidence, title and council records and the details you supply, then signs a written opinion of market value. For capital gains tax, where the date that matters is usually in the past, it is often the method that fits best.
At a glance
- A desktop valuation involves no site visit. A kerbside valuation views the exterior only. A full valuation includes an internal inspection
- For a past date, an inspection today cannot show the property as it was, so the evidence is documentary either way
- A desktop report signed by a qualified valuer is a valuation, not an agent appraisal and not an automated estimate
- Our desktop CGT reports cost $297 residential and $595 commercial, AUD inc. GST, delivered in 24 to 48 hours
- Lenders, courts and acquiring authorities can require an inspection, so check what the recipient needs before you order
In this guide
What is a desktop valuation?
A desktop valuation is an assessment of a property's market value at a stated date, completed without the valuer attending the property. The valuer analyses sales of comparable properties that settled around that date, checks title, land and council records, and relies on the property attributes the owner provides: land size, dwelling type, bedrooms, condition and any renovations.
The output is a signed report that states the value, sets out the comparable sales relied on and explains the reasoning. That is what separates it from an automated online estimate, which has no accountable author, and from an agent appraisal, which is a selling opinion and not a valuation.
Desktop vs kerbside vs full valuation
The three terms describe how much of the property the valuer physically sees. The valuation method, comparing the property with evidence of what similar properties sold for, is the same in each.
| Type | Inspection | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop valuation | None. Records, sales evidence and owner-supplied details | Tax valuations, retrospective dates, portfolio reviews |
| Kerbside valuation | Exterior only, viewed from the street. Also called a drive-by valuation | Lower-risk lending, confirming a property exists and its general condition |
| Full valuation | Internal and external inspection | Mortgage security, litigation, compulsory acquisition, unusual properties |
A full valuation costs more and takes longer because of the site visit. Whether the extra step adds anything depends on the date you need the value for.
Why a desktop valuation suits CGT
Most capital gains tax valuations are needed for a date that has already passed: the day a home was first rented, a date of death, the date of a transfer between family members. A retrospective property valuation has to describe the property and the market as they were on that day.
An inspection carried out today cannot do that. It shows the kitchen that was renovated in 2022, not the one that existed in 2015. For a past date the valuer depends on documents in any case: sales that settled around the date, records of the property at the time, and what the owner can show about its condition then. A desktop method is built around exactly that evidence.
It is also why the fee is lower. See what a CGT valuation costs for how desktop and inspected reports compare across the market.
Need a value for a CGT date?
Independent desktop reports prepared and signed by a Certified Property Valuer who is also a Chartered Accountant. Residential $297, commercial $595, AUD inc. GST, delivered in 24 to 48 hours.
Start your orderHow it worksWill the ATO accept a desktop valuation?
The ATO's guidance on market valuation for tax purposes asks that a valuation be objective and supportable, and it places weight on who prepared it and how the conclusion was reached. A report holds up when a qualified valuer has used evidence from the right date and shown the reasoning.
In our experience a valuation is questioned because the evidence is thin, the date is wrong or the author is not qualified, not because nobody walked through the house. We cover the tests in detail in what makes a valuation ATO compliant.
Is a desktop report only an indicative value?
Some valuation bodies and inspection-based firms describe a desktop report as an indicative value, and keep the word valuation for a report with an inspection. That is a classification of their own products. It is not the test the ATO applies.
The ATO's page on market valuation of assets lists what a valuation report should include. The date of inspection is on the list only "if applicable". Nothing on the page mentions desktop or kerbside reports, and nothing ranks a valuation by how much of the property the valuer saw. What it does ask for:
- The purpose and scope of the valuation, the asset and the date of the valuation
- Whether it is a retrospective assessment
- The records that explain the basis of the value, which in a desktop report are the comparable sales and the reasoning
- A professional valuer, properly instructed, whose fee does not depend on the result
The same page says valuations by professional valuers are more credible than those from someone who is not one, and that a taxpayer who engages and properly instructs a professional valuer will generally not be liable for penalties if the valuation is later found to be deficient. Both points turn on who prepared the report and how they were instructed, not on a site visit.
An inspection can add evidence where the value is needed at today's date and the property is unusual or has been altered in ways the records do not show. For a past date it cannot, because the property as it stood then is no longer there to inspect.
When a desktop valuation is not the right tool
A desktop report is prepared for tax purposes. It is the wrong product where the person relying on it requires an inspection.
Warning
Check what the recipient requires before you orderA lender will not accept a desktop tax valuation as mortgage security. A court or an acquiring authority may require an inspected valuation and an expert witness. If the report is going to anyone other than your accountant or the ATO, ask them first.
- Mortgage lending: lenders instruct their own panel valuers.
- Litigation and compulsory acquisition: an inspection is usually required.
- Insurance: a replacement cost assessment is a different exercise from market value.
- Rural holdings, thin markets and specialised commercial assets: these can still be valued for tax, but we quote them individually because the evidence takes longer to assemble.
What you need to supply
Because nobody attends the property, the report is only as good as the facts it starts from. We ask for:
- The property address and title details
- The exact valuation date, confirmed with your accountant
- The property as it was at that date: land size, dwelling type, bedrooms, bathrooms and condition
- Any renovations or extensions, and when each was completed
- Anything that affects value, such as an easement, heritage listing or subdivision potential
For a past date, describe the property as it stood then, not as it stands now. That is the most common error we see, and it changes the answer.
Common questions
What does desktop valuation mean?
A desktop valuation is a written opinion of market value prepared by a valuer without visiting the property. It relies on comparable sales evidence, title and council records, and the property details supplied by the owner. The name comes from the work being done at the desk, not on site.
Is a desktop valuation accurate?
It is as reliable as the evidence behind it. Where there are plenty of comparable sales around the valuation date and the property is typical for its area, a desktop report is well supported. Unusual properties and thin markets need more work, which is why we quote rural and specialised assets individually.
What is a kerbside valuation?
A kerbside valuation, also called a drive-by valuation, is one where the valuer views the property from the street but does not go inside. It sits between a desktop valuation, which has no site visit, and a full valuation, which includes an internal inspection.
How much does a desktop valuation cost?
Our desktop valuation reports for capital gains tax cost $297 for residential property and $595 for commercial property, in AUD including GST, delivered in 24 to 48 hours. The fee is the same whether the valuation date is current or retrospective.
Is a desktop valuation the same as an online estimate?
No. An online estimate is produced by an automated model with no person accountable for the figure. A desktop valuation is prepared and signed by a qualified valuer who selects the comparable sales, explains the reasoning and stands behind the conclusion in a written report.
Does the ATO require a property inspection for a CGT valuation?
No. The ATO's guidance on market valuation of assets lists the date of inspection as something a report includes only if applicable. It asks whether the value is objective, supported by evidence and prepared by a properly instructed professional valuer. It does not rank valuations by whether the valuer visited the property.
