If you've ever typed "how much is my house worth" into Google, you'll know what comes back: a pile of instant estimates that pull your postcode, guess your bedrooms, and spit out a number. They're a decent starting point. They're not a valuation.
A Personalised Valuation Report is different. It's a written document, prepared by one of our agents, that puts a defensible figure on your property backed by real local evidence. We deliver it by email within 24 hours of your request. There's no cost and no obligation.
If you just want to request one, here's the form. If you'd rather know what you're getting first, keep reading.
Quick answer
A free written valuation of your property, prepared by Callum Clarke of Clarke Residential, covering Chorley, Lancashire & Greater Manchester. Delivered within 24 hours. Suitable for probate, remortgage, divorce proceedings, capital gains tax, or anyone thinking about selling. Request it at clarkeresidentialea.co.uk/personalised-valuation-report or call 01257 781 557.
What's Included in the Report
Every Personalised Valuation Report we send contains:
- A considered valuation figure for your property with a sensible asking-price range (realistic low, likely mid, best-case high)
- Comparable local sales — the actual sold properties we've used as evidence, with addresses, sale prices and dates
- Current market activity in your postcode — what's for sale, what's selling, what's sitting
- A realistic time-to-sell estimate based on current buyer demand for your type of property
- Any small improvements we'd flag that would meaningfully move the figure (and the ones that wouldn't)
- Clear notes on anything that makes your property unusual — tenure quirks, planning history, flood zones, listed status, cladding, lease length
It's a proper document you can forward to a solicitor, lender or family member. Not a screenshot of a spreadsheet.
When People Request One
Most requests we get fall into one of five categories:
1. Probate & estate administration
Easily the most common. When a loved one has passed away, the solicitor handling the estate needs a written market appraisal for the probate forms and for HMRC inheritance tax purposes. HMRC accepts a written valuation from a qualified estate agent — ours includes everything required: the address, our details, the valuation figure, the date, and the methodology. We also know this is a difficult time, so we handle it sensitively and quickly.
2. Remortgaging or releasing equity
Before you sit down with a mortgage broker or lender, it's worth knowing what your property is actually worth today. Our report gives you a defensible figure to support your loan-to-value calculations. Especially useful if your home has appreciated significantly since you bought it, or if you've extended or improved it.
3. Thinking about selling
Before you commit to listing, see what your place could realistically achieve, how long it's likely to take, and what the market is doing on your street right now. Many people request a report, sit with it for a few weeks or months, then come back to us when they're ready. That's fine — the report is yours to keep.
4. Divorce or separation
Family solicitors regularly ask us for written valuations when a couple is separating and the matrimonial home needs to be valued for the financial settlement. An independent, written agent valuation is often required by the court. We can provide one jointly addressed to both parties or to the solicitor directly.
5. Capital gains tax (CGT) & buy-to-let
Selling a second home, a buy-to-let, or a property you inherited? HMRC may require a retrospective valuation — the market value at a specific historic date. We can produce these too, backed by sold-price data for that period.
How It's Different From an Online Estimate
An automated online valuation (Zoopla, Rightmove, our own instant valuation tool) works by averaging recent sales in your postcode and applying rough adjustments for bedrooms and property type. It's useful. It's also wrong at the edges — because an algorithm can't see your refurbished kitchen, your extended loft, your north-facing garden, or the house next door that was repossessed in 2019 and dragged the postcode average down.
A Personalised Valuation Report is prepared by Callum Clarke — an experienced local agent who physically knows the streets your property is on. He picks the actual comparable sales that match your house, not an algorithmic average. If your home has quirks — a long leasehold, a rear extension, a shared driveway, a stunning view, a knackered roof — the report accounts for them.
How to Request Your Report
Three ways:
- Online, 2 minutes: Fill in the form. You'll be asked for your postcode, property type, bedrooms, and a few quick details about condition, extensions and renovations. The more you tell us, the more accurate the report.
- Phone: Call Callum directly on 01257 781 557 (Chorley / Lancashire) or 0161 399 0828 (Greater Manchester).
- Email: contact@clarkeresidentialea.co.uk with your address and a bit of context about what the valuation is for.
Your report lands in your inbox within 24 hours. If we need any clarifications, we'll ring you first before producing it.
What It Costs
Nothing. The Personalised Valuation Report is completely free and comes with absolutely no obligation to sell with us. We offer it because:
- If you later decide to sell, you've already met the agent you'd be working with.
- If you don't sell, you've still got a professional document for your solicitor, lender or records.
- Either way, we've been genuinely useful to you — and that's how our best clients find us.
Common Questions
Will HMRC accept it for probate?
Yes. HMRC accepts a market valuation from a qualified estate agent for probate and inheritance tax purposes, provided it's dated, signed and based on comparable evidence. Our report includes all of this. If your solicitor asks for a specific format, let us know and we'll match it.
Is this the same as a RICS valuation?
No. A RICS Red Book valuation is a formal surveyor's report, which some lenders and courts specifically require, and typically costs £400–£1,000+. Our Personalised Valuation Report is a market appraisal from a qualified estate agent, which is sufficient for probate, remortgage conversations with brokers, pricing decisions, and most matrimonial settlements. If you specifically need a Red Book valuation, we can refer you to a local RICS surveyor.
Do you need to visit the property?
Not for the Personalised Valuation Report. We work from the details you provide, Land Registry data, and comparable sold evidence from the surrounding streets. If you'd prefer a free in-person valuation instead, we offer those too — just book one here.
What areas do you cover?
We produce reports for properties across Chorley, Clayton-le-Woods, Whittle-le-Woods, Buckshaw Village, Euxton, Leyland, Coppull, Adlington, Astley Village in Lancashire, and Horwich, Blackrod, Worsley, Monton, Ellenbrook, Walkden, Tyldesley, Swinton, Salford, Bolton in Greater Manchester. If you're outside these areas, call us — we'll either help or point you at a local agent we trust.
Is my data safe?
Yes. We're ICO-registered. We only use your details to prepare your report and to follow up if you ask us to. We don't sell your data, we don't share it, and we don't put you on marketing lists you didn't ask for.
How is this different from your Instant Online Valuation?
The Instant Online Valuation gives you a figure in five seconds using HM Land Registry UK House Price Index data. It's useful as a starting point. The Personalised Valuation Report is a proper written document, prepared by Callum, that takes into account your specific property and includes comparable evidence. Think of the instant tool as a weather forecast, and the Personalised Report as a doctor's note.
About Clarke Residential
Clarke Residential Estate Agents is an independent, award-winning agency based in Chorley town centre. We hold the Excellent Award for Sales in the Best Estate Agent Guide 2027, we're rated 5.0 on Google, and we're on the Armed Forces Covenant. We cover Chorley and the surrounding Lancashire villages from our office on Queen's Road, and we cover Greater Manchester from our second line in Worsley.
We're genuinely independent. One agent handles your valuation, your sale, and everything in between. No call centres. No being passed around.
If you want a proper written valuation on your home — for probate, remortgage, divorce, CGT, or just because you're curious — we'd be glad to put one together for you.