Short answer
A property valuation expresses an opinion as at its stated valuation date. There is no single expiry period that makes every valuation report valid for three months, six months or any other fixed period.
Whether an existing report is suitable for a proposed use depends on its purpose, date, intended users and scope, as well as the property, market and the requirements of the person relying on it. A report can accurately describe an earlier value while being unsuitable for a current decision.
Does a valuation expire after three months?
Not as a universal rule. A particular lender, court process, revenue authority or other relying party may have its own requirements about the age and scope of evidence. Those requirements should be confirmed for that instruction; they should not be applied to every valuation.
Ask the proposed user what evidence and date they need. Then ask the original valuer whether the report can support that use. Possessing a copy does not, by itself, extend permission to rely on it.
Which dates should I check?
The valuation date is the date to which the opinion relates. The inspection date records when the property was inspected, and the report date records when the report was issued. They may be different.
A report issued recently can assess a much earlier market. Conversely, an old report cannot be treated as a current valuation simply because the property looks unchanged. See inspection date versus valuation date.
The Australian Property Institute’s valuation process guidance describes enquiries, inspection, market analysis and reporting for an agreed purpose and a specified valuation date. The report should be read in that context.
What can make an older report unsuitable?
Before reusing a report, check whether any of the following have changed:
- The decision being made, valuation purpose or intended user.
- The date at which value needs to be assessed.
- Market conditions or the relevant comparable sales evidence.
- The property’s condition, accommodation, renovations, damage or approval status.
- Tenancy, lease terms, planning controls or the property interest being assessed.
- Information that was missing or assumed in the original report.
A small market movement may matter in one instruction and have little relevance to another. There is no automatic percentage change that determines whether every report needs replacement. The purpose of the valuation and scope of work provide the starting point.
Does a retrospective valuation expire?
The historical valuation date does not move forward as the report ages. A valuation of a property’s market value at an agreed past date remains an opinion about that date.
Later renovations or today’s market movement do not automatically change that historical value. However, a factual error, better historical evidence or a material unsupported assumption may justify review. A relying party may also ask for clarification or a report prepared to a different scope.
For example, a report prepared in 2030 to assess a property as at an agreed date in 2027 does not become a valuation as at 2030. Its suitability must still be checked against the instructed purpose, evidence and intended users.
Is a correction the same as an update?
No. A correction addresses an identified error in the existing report. Its effect depends on whether the error is material to the analysis.
A review considers whether the evidence, assumptions and reasoning remain supportable. An update may involve further investigation and a revised opinion under an agreed scope. A new valuation may be appropriate where a different date, property interest or purpose is being assessed.
The appropriate response cannot be decided from the report’s age alone. Read can a valuation be updated? for the distinction between those options.
Can the same report be used for another purpose?
It should not be reused automatically. A pre-sale valuation, historical CGT assessment and court-purpose report may involve different dates, evidence, reporting and reliance arrangements.
The proposed user should confirm their requirements, and the valuer should confirm whether the report can support the new instruction. An accountant or solicitor determines the relevant taxation or legal requirements. See can a valuation report be reused?.
Discuss an existing report
For property in Canberra, the ACT or surrounding NSW, provide the property address, valuation date, report date, original purpose and proposed new use. Include any known changes to the property and the intended user’s instructions. Northbourne Valuers can explain whether review, an update or a new instruction may be appropriate.
Prepared by: Tigran Amiyants, Certified Practising Valuer (CPV), Managing Director, Northbourne Valuers.
Last reviewed: 12 September 2026.
General information note: This page provides general property valuation information and is not a valuation report or legal, taxation, accounting or financial advice. A valuation depends on the agreed property interest, purpose, valuation date, evidence, scope and intended users. Obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances.