Any ideas how to ensure the house valuation is on the low side?

[Iliveinahovel]

I need a valuation to be on the low side for the house I now live in. Not out-of-this-world low, but somewhere realistic, i.e. 10% to 15% lower than an "average" similar house would be valued at. Currently the house is probably "average" with respect to the overall appeal and condition.

Have around 6 months until the valuation will be done. Any ideas? Let the garden overgrow?

Sorry but this would be dishonest. Do not do it.

Forget the EAs. Get the one surveyor, and tell them it’s for divorce not for sale, so you’re coming to them for a realistic valuation, not the fluffed up optimistic “get your business” valuation of an EA.
Also tell them you want it pitched as low as possible. They are professional and won’t lie, but there’s no reason not to tell them you want the lowest they can give.
Do this without telling your ex, so if you want to have a crack with someone else, he won’t know the first valuation.

And remember that he is “owed” money for waiting for the buyout, so it isn’t completely money for nothing.

@C8H10N4O2

Unfortunately, it was a clean break and cannot be reviewed

Then surely it was based on the house value at the time of the divorce, not on accrued value since?

You need legal advice if seven years have passed and he has not paid any child support. You need someone qualified to look at all the facts of your case to see what options you have.

Otherwise, shabby houses with overgrown gardens and looking in need of a bit of doing up will reduce the price you can get on just about any property.

@C8H10N4O2 it’s perfectly common for a deferred % payment to be made on the value at time of buyout.

And it’s sadly not related to maintenance.

OP already knows what she’s talking about.

I’d get a value based on what it was worth 7 years ago and pay him that and let him try to sue you for the rest, considering he hasn’t paid anything Towards its upkeep or childcare costs.

Purely anecdotal but purple bricks valued our house a lot lower than the other estate agents we used. They came round and said 'what's the least you'd accept' and then said it was valued at that price. We sold a month later for £25k more than that.

Become a hoarder

Our neighbour is doing this. Gardens are a total disgrace, house looks a mess, rubbish, cardboard and bins all over the place. My sympathies are swinging towards her STBXH, I can tell you. If you want to alienate decent neighbours, go ahead.

Honestly, if you need a RICS red book valuation, these things will not make a difference, and will just make your life more difficult! Hoarding, damage, weeds, dark colours, etc will all then need fixing, and if the surveyor is doing things legally, these things won't count. There are very strict rules that they have to follow, and the only flexibility is in the comparables that they can choose. I would be surprised that any legal process would accept things like an estate agent's valuation, and expect that they would require a RICS registered surveyor to do it. People who ran down the property to get a lower value, or asked and got a specified value from a surveyor - this is more likely coincidence: that happened to be the same value that they'd have got following a proper process (that is, if it was actually an official valuation, rather than just allow an estate agent, which I think would be more opinion based). But a registered surveyor has to provide the evidence, and can't just use opinion.

Threadbare carpets. A kitchen from ikea. Un-dress bedrooms

@Dishwashersaurous

Commit a horrendous crime in the house so it will forever be known ad the crime house and no wants to live there

solid work

@happydappy2

OP are you going to benefit from his pension?

I've heard of agreements where the EH gets a % of the house when the wife co habits, moves or re marries-, or when youngest child reach age 25 but he shouldn't be able to force you to hand over money to buy him out (when it's your house!)

No - the house was the only asset divided.

I have a mesher order on the house - pretty much, buy him out at 20% of (valuation - remaining mortgage) or sell and split to the same proportion before 31/12/2022. I do have a unilateral right to buy out though, so he can't refuse, if the valuation etc. is done as specified. @SaltedCaramelHC - yes, has to be a RICS surveyor, or an average of three written valuations from estate agents from a specific list.

A good solicitor will include in financial order that if the property when sold is x% higher than valuation, then proceeds are shared

Invent a ghost to put off buyers like they do in Scooby Doo

@TheRealityCheque

He will be entitled to get a valuation himself, also.

And there are criminal penalties for fraud / false misrepresentation

To be completely clear, I don't want to do anything illegal, and not trying to commit a fraud.

As many PPs have said you could left the property run down, but I don't think it'll have as much of an impact you want. I'd say to devalue a property you need to do something more serious such as (1) Get the boiler condemned so there is no working heating or (2) render the bathroom unusable or (3) take out the kitchen.

Just tell them that's what you want. And maybe get a couple of RICS surveyors and a few EA quotes and take an average of the lowest three.

When we last got a survey for remortgage the surveyor asked us 'what we needed' then put that figure down. We owe under 50% of the property anyway so to be honest it didn't make any difference to us!

I just had to get two valuations (different reasons).

When surveyor 1 came round, he had a quick snoop around and then I asked him how he would reach his valuation. He said he’d look at some comps in the neighbourhood, and take into account that the property didn’t need modernising. Then he asked me what I thought it was worth, and I told him. And funnily enough that’s exactly what he put in the report.

Surveyor 2 was here for maybe four minutes to do a rental valuation. He asked me what I thought it would rent for. I said, as it happens I’ve got an offer for X. And that’s what he put in his report.

Good solicitor condition includes condition that proceed if x% higher than valuation when sold is reduced

1. If he thinks you are making he property less desirable - deprivation of assets

Tell the valuation agent exactly what it is for and how you would love to deal with them for selling and you may be looking to buy as well . Worked for me.

When I got divorced (same thing, my house from before marriage) the surveyor asked why it was being valued. Asked what I wanted it valued at. Valued it at what I said. My ex was too lazy and cheap to pay for his own survey so had to agree to the valuation on mine.

@WhyYesYABU

Just tell them that's what you want. And maybe get a couple of RICS surveyors and a few EA quotes and take an average of the lowest three.

When we last got a survey for remortgage the surveyor asked us 'what we needed' then put that figure down. We owe under 50% of the property anyway so to be honest it didn't make any difference to us!

If he has a decent solicitor They’ll ask for all three valuations

Maybe a daft question, but if it's the value-mortgage and he gets 20% of that, can you extend the mortgage - borrow however much more you are allowed to for a renovation or similar on a short mortgage, then the "paid for" bit that he gets 20,% of will be much smaller? Not sure how legal that is though...

The ignorance of the divorce process on this thread is striking

@MaudieandMe

I’d get a value based on what it was worth 7 years ago and pay him that and let him try to sue you for the rest, considering he hasn’t paid anything Towards its upkeep or childcare costs.

Genuinely interested in why you would suggest this.

He doesn’t have to “try” to “sue” for the rest. He already has an established legal right to it, documented in the Consent Order.

He has clear legal recourse to return to court if OP doesn’t comply with the Order. He doesn’t need “try” anything. And he doesn’t need to sue. He just needs to download form D11.

Paint the kitchen purple.

Add lots of clutter.

Install low power light bulbs so it looks dark.