IRS-Qualified · USPAP-Compliant · Nationwide
Personal Property Appraisers for Life’s Most Important Valuation Decisions
Prestige Estate Services prepares credible, research-supported personal property appraisals for estate tax, probate, divorce, insurance, charitable donations, litigation, fiduciary administration, and private-client planning.
Report Review Standard All reports are reviewed by our board of ISA-certified appraisers holding the Certified Appraiser of Personal Property (CAPP) designation—the ISA’s highest level of accreditation.
Nationwide personal property appraisal service is coordinated through our in-house appraisal team. On-site and remote options are determined by the personal property, location, and intended use.
Professional Expertise Across the United States
Meet Our Appraisers
Meet the personal property appraisers who support Prestige Estate Services assignments nationwide. Our in-house team combines specialized personal property expertise with assignment-specific research, reporting, and professional appraisal standards.
Scroll Through & Meet Our Team!
More Than a Number
What Personal Property Appraisers Do
A professional appraisal turns tangible personal property, market evidence, and assignment requirements into a clear, supportable value conclusion. Our appraisers inspect or document the personal property, identify relevant characteristics, research appropriate markets, analyze comparable data, and communicate the result in a report suited to its intended use.
The intended use is central to the assignment. An estate tax appraisal may require a retrospective fair market value as of a date of death, while an insurance assignment may require a different value type and market perspective. By defining these requirements before valuation begins, the appraiser can select appropriate research, comparable data, assumptions, and reporting detail rather than applying one generic number to every circumstance.
Nationwide Personal Property Appraisal Coverage
Serving Clients Across the Country
Prestige Estate Services coordinates personal property appraisal assignments throughout the United States. Explore our coverage map and contact our team to confirm the appropriate on-site or remote approach for your personal property, location, deadline, and intended use.
Objects, Collections and Contents
Types of Personal Property We Appraise
Our assignments range from a focused collection to the contents of an entire residence. We value fine art, antiques, furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, silver, household contents, collectibles, vehicles, equipment, and other tangible personal property.
The appropriate level of documentation depends on the assignment and the personal property. Significant, unusual, or research-intensive objects may require individual descriptions and comparable sales, while lower-value household contents may sometimes be organized into logical groups. This allows the report to remain practical without overlooking personal property that warrants closer analysis.
Personal Property Appraisal Services
Specialized Valuations for Tax, Legal, Insurance and Fiduciary Needs
Each assignment begins with its intended use. That purpose determines the appropriate scope, value type, research, documentation, and report.
Our homepage provides an organized overview of the most common personal property appraisal needs. The linked service pages explain the assignment-specific requirements in greater depth, while our appraisal team can help determine which service and reporting format are appropriate for your personal property, deadline, and intended users.
IRS & Fiduciary Support
IRS-Qualified Estate Tax Appraisals
Personal property valuations prepared for federal estate tax reporting, Form 706 support, probate administration, and fiduciary review. Our reports define the assignment, document the personal property, analyze relevant markets, and explain the value conclusions.
- Fair market value conclusions
- Effective-date research
- USPAP-compliant reporting
Probate & Estate Administration
Probate Personal Property Appraisals
Executors, administrators, trustees, attorneys, and families use probate appraisals to document estate contents as of the required valuation date and support court filings, fiduciary accounting, beneficiary distributions, and estate administration. Our reports address tangible personal property—including art, antiques, furnishings, jewelry, collections, vehicles, and household contents—not real estate.
- Fair market value as of the required date
- Organized estate-contents documentation
- Support for executors, courts, and fiduciaries
- Explore probate appraisals
Divorce & Personal Property Division
Equitable Distribution Appraisals
Independent personal property appraisals help attorneys, mediators, and clients establish supportable values for furnishings, art, antiques, collections, vehicles, and other marital assets during division or settlement.
- Neutral valuation analysis
- Court-ready documentation
- Complex household contents
Insurance Coverage & Claims
Insurance and Damage-Loss Appraisals
We document and value tangible personal property for insurance scheduling, coverage planning, damage claims, loss analysis, and dispute support. Assignments are developed around the required value type and intended use.
- Replacement-value support
- Damage and loss documentation
- Research-backed conclusions
Noncash Charitable Contributions
IRS Charitable Donation Appraisals
Qualified appraisal services for art, antiques, collections, furnishings, and other donated personal property. We help donors, tax professionals, and recipient organizations address appraisal documentation associated with Form 8283.
- Qualified appraisal support
- Form 8283 coordination
- Comparable market evidence
Executors, Trustees & Fiduciaries
Personal Property Inventory and Valuation
Organized inventories and valuations help fiduciaries understand estate contents, plan administration, document distributions, and identify personal property that may require additional research or individual treatment.
- Room-by-room documentation
- Logical grouping when appropriate
- Review-ready schedules
Federal, State & Local Agencies
Government and Seized-Asset Appraisals
Personal property valuation services for seized and forfeited assets, surplus personal property, agency collections, and other government assignments requiring clear documentation, impartial analysis, and defensible reporting.
- Seized and forfeited assets
- Surplus and collection valuations
- Nationwide project coordination
Attorneys & Litigation Teams
Independent Appraisal Review and Litigation Support
Our appraisal review assignments evaluate an existing report’s scope of work, methodology, market evidence, assumptions, and reporting. Findings are presented objectively for counsel, fiduciaries, courts, and other intended users.
- USPAP appraisal review
- Methodology assessment
- Rebuttal and expert support
A Practical Starting Point
Online Photo Appraisal Guidance
For general value insight, our online photo service offers a convenient starting point based on client-submitted images and information. It is distinct from a formal appraisal report prepared for a legal, tax, insurance, or fiduciary use.
- $79 per item
- Convenient photo submission
- General valuation guidance
The Right Method for the Assignment
On-Site, Remote and Online Photo Appraisal Options
Not every valuation need requires the same level of inspection or reporting. We recommend the approach that fits the personal property, intended use, available documentation, deadlines, and degree of support required.
For complex contents, condition-sensitive personal property, large estates, and formal assignments requiring direct inspection.
For appropriate formal assignments supported by sufficient photographs, measurements, records, and client documentation.
For convenient, informal value guidance when a formal appraisal report is not required.
A Defined Path from Question to Report
Our Personal Property Appraisal Process
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Consultation
We clarify the intended use, personal property, effective date, timing, access, and available records.
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Scope
We define the value type, inspection method, research needs, and appropriate report format.
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Documentation
Relevant characteristics, condition, marks, measurements, photographs, and supporting materials are recorded.
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Research
The appraiser analyzes appropriate markets, comparable sales, provenance, rarity, and value factors.
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Report
You receive an organized report explaining the methodology, evidence, assumptions, and supported conclusions.
Standards That Support Credibility
What a Professional Appraisal Report Should Establish
A professional personal property appraisal should do more than state a number. The report should make the assignment understandable and show how the appraiser developed a supportable conclusion.
Clear organization matters to both the client and the intended reviewer. Photographs, descriptions, market evidence, assumptions, limiting conditions, certification, and qualifications should work together so that the reader can follow the analysis and understand what the conclusion does—and does not—represent.
Assignment Definition
Intended use, intended users, effective date, value type, personal property interest, and assignment conditions.
Personal Property Identification
Makers, materials, measurements, marks, condition, provenance, and distinguishing characteristics.
Market Analysis
Relevant markets, comparable data, valuation approach, adjustments, and reasoning.
Standards and Qualifications
Applicable requirements, USPAP obligations, disclosures, and appraiser qualifications.
Professional Support Across the Country
Who We Serve
Prestige Estate Services works with individuals and professional advisors who need organized, impartial, and supportable personal property valuations.
Our national structure supports assignments involving one residence, contents located at multiple residences, or family members and advisors located in different states. Clients work with a coordinated firm rather than assembling unrelated local providers. Consistent intake, research, reporting, and quality-control expectations help attorneys, executors, trustees, tax professionals, insurers, agencies, and private clients understand the work and rely on the final deliverable.
Common Questions
Personal Property Appraisal FAQs
Every assignment is different. These answers provide a starting point; our team can recommend the appropriate service after reviewing your intended use and personal property.
What does a personal property appraiser value?
Personal property appraisers value tangible personal property such as fine art, antiques, furnishings, decorative objects, jewelry, collections, household contents, vehicles, equipment, and specialty assets.
When is a formal personal property appraisal report needed?
A formal report may be required for estate tax and probate matters, charitable donations, divorce and equitable distribution, insurance coverage or claims, litigation, fiduciary administration, and government assignments.
Can an appraisal be completed remotely?
Some assignments can be completed through remote documentation, while others require an on-site inspection. The appropriate method depends on the intended use, personal property type, quantity, condition, available records, and reporting requirements.
Are your appraisal reports USPAP compliant?
Formal appraisal and appraisal review assignments are developed and reported in accordance with the current Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice as applicable to the assignment.
What makes an appraiser qualified for an IRS-related assignment?
For a federal tax assignment, the appraiser must satisfy the applicable IRS education and experience requirements for the type of personal property being valued and prepare the required declarations and supporting analysis. Prestige Estate Services evaluates the assignment and the personal property before determining which appraiser is appropriately qualified to complete the work.
What information should I provide when requesting an appraisal?
Begin with the city and state, intended use, relevant effective date, deadline, approximate quantity of personal property, and available access. Photographs, inventories, receipts, prior appraisals, provenance records, and videos of furnished rooms can help our team understand the likely scope and recommend an on-site or remote approach.
Why does the intended use affect an appraisal?
The intended use determines which definition of value, effective date, market, research, inspection, and reporting requirements apply. Fair market value for an estate tax matter is not interchangeable with replacement value for insurance coverage. Defining the assignment correctly at the beginning helps the appraiser produce a conclusion that is relevant, credible, and suitable for the people who will rely on it.
Do you provide real estate appraisals?
No. Prestige Estate Services exclusively provides personal property appraisal services. We do not provide real estate appraisals.
Plan the Right Assignment
Appraisal Information and Client Resources
Services
Begin With a Confidential Consultation
Let’s Determine the Right Appraisal Scope for Your Personal Property
Tell us what needs to be appraised, where the personal property is located, the intended use, and any important deadline. An appraiser can then review the likely scope and recommend the next step.
