How to check whether you can dispute a low bank valuation

You've received your bank valuation. It's R200,000 below what you and the seller agreed. Your bond approval hinges on this figure, and now you're wondering if you have grounds to push back. The answer depends on whether the valuation contains errors, omissions or misapplied methods—and you can check this yourself before deciding whether to dispute it.

A bank valuation is not an opinion; it's a technical assessment using specific criteria. If the valuer has ignored recent comparable sales in your area, underestimated the condition of your property, or made a factual error about the improvements you've made, those are disputes worth raising. What you cannot do is simply argue that you disagree with the number. You need evidence.

Read the report for gaps and errors

The valuation report itself is your first tool. Request it from your bank or bond originator in full—not just the headline figure. Read through the comparable properties section carefully. Are the "comps" genuinely similar to yours, or have they chosen properties that sold at lower prices in less desirable locations? Check the dates: comps should be recent, usually within the past three to six months. If the report leans on sales from a year ago during a slower market period, that's a factual point to flag.

Look at the property description. Has the valuer recorded all the features that add value—a granny flat, a renovated kitchen, solar panels, a newly paved driveway? Walk through your own property and compare what you see to what's written. If significant improvements are missing or understated, you have concrete grounds to request a review. Also check the property size, number of bedrooms, condition rating and any outstanding defects. Factual errors here directly affect the valuation.

Request details about the valuer's methodology

Ask your bond originator or the valuation firm to explain how they arrived at the final figure. Were they using a specific valuation approach—sales comparison, cost approach, or income approach? In South Africa's residential property market, sales comparison is most common, but the method matters. If the valuation firm cannot clearly explain their reasoning, or if you suspect they've applied a method unsuited to your property type, that's a basis for querying the work.

Verify that the valuer is actually registered. Ask for their PPRA (Professional Property Practitioners' Registration Authority) registration number or equivalent credentials. You can then confirm their standing independently. A valuer working outside their competence or without proper registration weakens their assessment.

Phone comparable property owners and agents

The comps cited in the report are public information once a property has sold. Contact the selling agents for the comparable properties listed in the valuation. Ask them directly:

• What was the actual condition of the property when it sold?
• Were there any incentives, bulk sales, or unusual circumstances affecting the price?
• How does it genuinely compare to your property in size, location and finishes?

If the agents suggest the comps were in poorer condition, needed work, or were in a less desirable micro-location than yours, document those calls. This is evidence the valuer may have chosen inappropriate benchmarks.

Gather your own supporting data

Before formally disputing, compile a folder of evidence: recent sales of similar properties in your area with better prices, photographs of improvements made since the last valuation (if this is a revaluation), receipts for significant renovations, and copies of the comparable properties as they appeared on property portals when they sold. If you've already had an independent valuation done, include that too.

Take this package to your bond originator and ask whether they will request a review of the bank's valuation based on the new information. Many banks will ask the original valuer to reconsider if you present credible contradictory evidence. You may need to pay a small review fee, but this is far cheaper than a formal dispute.

If the bank declines to review or the valuer stands by their figure, you can then decide whether to commission a second independent valuation—but by then you'll know whether you have a real case. Strove can connect you with registered independent valuers who can assess whether a dispute is worth pursuing and support your position if it is.