1july2027.com.au is an education site. It does not directly sell property valuation services. This review-style comparison uses published information, public price signals and service positioning to help readers understand their options. Providers are included as market context; inclusion is not a recommendation or endorsement.
Some of the services on this page are operated by the same group that operates this site, and are marked (same group) wherever they appear. The others are independent providers with no connection to us. You should be able to see which is which before you weigh anything else on this page.
This page helps readers compare pathways after learning about the 1 July 2027 CGT reform, SMSF annual valuation expectations, cost-base records and partner-led client support. Different owners need different evidence. A residential investor, an SMSF trustee, a tax return accountant and a real estate agency should not be forced through the same buying journey.
Use this comparison as a starting point, then speak with a registered tax professional before acting.
How to read this comparison#
Compare scope first
A desktop estimate, signed desktop assessment and inspected valuation are not the same product.
Match the use case
CGT, SMSF, partner workflow and premium evidence needs should be ranked differently.
Check price and risk
Low price matters, but defensibility matters more when tax exposure or dispute risk is high.
The simple assumption used below is a standard 2-bedroom residential apartment or unit in a metro/suburban location, current-date valuation, adequate comparable sales, no urgent turnaround, no retrospective date, no unusual title issue and no premium-advisory escalation.
Published prices are not always directly comparable. A free estimate or low-cost desktop assessment may not be a signed valuation report. Quote-based providers may be the right choice for institutional, complex or premium work even when their public price is not shown.
Which level a CGT figure needs — read this before the prices#
On 26 August 2026 the Australian Property Institute published its Levels of Property Valuation Advice guide. It is the reason the cheapest column below is not simply the best value.
| Level | What it involves | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Comprehensive report, full inspection inside and out | A figure someone else will test |
| Level 2 | Limited or kerbside inspection | Lower-stakes purposes, with the limitation stated |
| Level 3 | Desktop report — no inspection at all | Updating or monitoring an earlier figure |
| Level 4 | Automated estimate | “not a valuation product” — the guide’s own words |
Two of the guide’s positions bear directly on the table below. A desktop report is never a valuation compliant with the International Valuation Standards, because nobody inspected the property, and the report must say so. And where a figure will be tested by someone else — the ATO, a court, a co-owner, a beneficiary — the guide points to a Level 1 comprehensive report.
A CGT cost base is a figure the ATO may test. So for the 1 July 2027 reset, the on-site column is the one to price against, and the desktop column is not a cheaper version of the same thing — it is a different product with a stated limitation.
This does not withdraw the desktop, and the guide does not either: a Level 2 or Level 3 “may be appropriate, provided you read and accept the stated limitations”. An SMSF’s routine annual market value is a good example — the ATO’s floor there is lower, and a signed desktop sits comfortably above it. The point is narrower: a desktop stops being the answer to a question the ATO may test.
The guide changed no price and withdrew no product. Our group’s prices below include GST. Read the on-site figure as the CGT number and the desktop figure as what it is.
Mixed provider comparison#
Same operator group
Desktop from $279 · On-site from $646 (2-bed unit; houses higher; inc GST)
Best broad owner/investor pathway when price competitiveness matters but the user still wants a signed residential valuation path.
External market example
Desktop Assessment from $99 · In-Person Valuation from $300
Strong national benchmark. Read the product scope carefully because an assessment, estimate and signed valuation are different.
Same operator group
Desktop from $296 · On-site from $683 (2-bed unit; houses higher; inc GST)
Best for people who first need CGT triage, readiness prompts and a value-led path before ordering evidence.
External market example
Residential house/home/unit from $297 inc GST
Local Sydney example near the low end of published signed-valuation pricing.
Same operator group
Desktop from $362 · On-site from $835 (2-bed unit; houses higher; inc GST)
Best for higher-stakes CGT evidence where tax exposure, dispute risk or record quality makes defensibility more important.
External market example
Standard residential report likely from $400 + GST
National firm and useful benchmark for a conventional residential valuation where a formal report is needed.
Same operator group
Desktop from $329 · On-site from $759 (2-bed unit; houses higher; inc GST)
Best direct path for SMSF trustees who need annual property value evidence for accounts, reporting and audit support.
External market example
Standard residential valuations $300-$600
Useful public market range. Complex or commercial work is described at $1,000-$5,000+.
Same operator group
Desktop from $329 · On-site from $759 (2-bed unit; houses higher; inc GST)
Best when renovation, improvement, ownership or rental-use records need to be organised before choosing a valuation path.
External market example
Residential $350-$650 excl GST · retrospective CGT $700-$1,400 excl GST
Useful NSW range showing how retrospective CGT work can cost much more than a standard current-date valuation.
Same operator group
Register to request partner pricing details
Best for accountants, SMSF administrators and adviser teams managing repeat or bulk client valuation workflow.
External market example
Quote required
Relevant for complex, institutional, lender, portfolio or advisory-style work where a fixed public price is less useful.
Market guides also cluster around similar bands: Mozo describes full residential valuations at about $300-$600, kerbside valuations at $200-$350 and desktop / AVM work from free to $200. The important distinction is scope: a free or low-cost estimate is not the same thing as a signed, purpose-ready valuation report.
Segment-by-segment top 3 rankings#
These rankings are educational, not endorsements. They reflect the simple apartment assumption above, published price signals and the likely user pain point in each segment.
Entries marked (same group) are operated by the same group as this site; the rest are independent. We are not a neutral party in the segments where our own brands appear, and you should read those placements accordingly.
1. Standard 2-bedroom apartment, cost-sensitive owner
- Valuation ReadyStrongest public price signal for a signed pathway: on-site from $646, with desktop from $279 for lower-stakes uses only (2-bed unit). (same group)
- Dave Butler Sydney Property ValuationStrong published local Sydney price from $297 inc GST, but location-specific.
- OpteonNational benchmark; in-person from $300, with lower-cost desktop assessment positioned separately.
2. CGT evidence and 1 July 2027 planning
- CGT Valuation ReadyBest fit when defensibility, records and CGT framing matter more than lowest price. (same group)
- ValueMaxUseful CGT-specific public pricing signal for Melbourne/Sydney and retrospective complexity.
- Valuations NSWClear NSW range, especially for retrospective CGT where costs can rise materially.
3. SMSF trustee annual valuation
- SMSF Property ValuerBest direct ordering fit for SMSF trustees who know they need valuation evidence. (same group)
- SMSF Property Valuation ReadyBest if the trustee wants annual compliance readiness and reminders. (same group)
- AcumentisNational formal valuation benchmark; confirm SMSF scope before ordering.
4. Accountant, tax agent or real estate agency workflow
- SMSF Valuation ReadyBest fit for accountant-led SMSF or repeat client-book workflow. (same group)
- Valuation Ready Partner PortalBest for partner registration, bulk upload and agency/accountant intake. (same group)
- WBP GroupQuote-based provider for more traditional valuation engagement structures.
5. Premium, unusual or dispute-prone property
- Senior advisory pathwayConsider a senior advisory process for premium, unique or high-scrutiny properties. (same group)
- Herron Todd WhiteLarge valuation and advisory provider suited to formal, portfolio or institutional contexts.
- CGT Valuation ReadyPractical CGT evidence route when the case is residential but higher risk. (same group)
Strategy by property type#
The “suggested path” lines below mostly point at brands operated by the same group as this site. They are suggestions from an interested party, not neutral advice, and you are free to take any of these paths to an independent provider instead.
Premium landed houses#
Detached homes in premium suburbs can have larger dollar movements, more renovation history and more disagreement risk around market value. Owners may need more defensible evidence because a small percentage difference can become a large tax or estate-planning number.
Suggested path: start with CGT Valuation Ready for higher-stakes CGT evidence, use Valuation Ready when price competitiveness is the priority, and use CGT Cost Base to organise improvement and ownership records.
Low to middle cost apartments#
Apartments often have more comparable sales and may suit a faster, more cost-sensitive path. The risk is not always valuation complexity; it can be owners delaying action, missing strata/renovation records or assuming the reform only affects “wealthy” investors.
Suggested path: start with CGT Ready for quick triage, then move to Valuation Ready for the most competitive broad-service option if evidence is needed.
SMSF-held residential property#
SMSF property is not just about a future sale. The annual administration cycle means market value evidence can matter for accounts, member reporting, annual return preparation and audit support.
Suggested path: accountants and administrators should start with SMSF Valuation Ready. Direct trustees can use SMSF Property Valuer, while trustees who want compliance-readiness language can use SMSF Property Valuation Ready.
Properties with complex records#
Properties with renovations, extensions, partial rental use, inherited ownership or missing cost records need a record-first approach before valuation evidence is useful.
Suggested path: start with CGT Cost Base to understand record categories, then choose CGT Valuation Ready or Valuation Ready depending on risk and budget.
Normal owners versus SMSF trustees#
Normal residential property owners usually face event-driven valuation questions: sale, change of use, inheritance, transfer, dispute, or adviser request. SMSF trustees face annual governance questions as well as future sale questions.
Read the deep study: SMSF property vs normal property owners.
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Questions owners are actually asking#
These come up repeatedly in Australian property and finance forums right now.
Will the ATO accept a free online estimate or an agent's appraisal for the 1 July 2027 value?
What's the difference between a desktop assessment and a data-only estimate?
Will there be a valuation bottleneck around 1 July 2027?
▶ Watch: these questions explained#
Important#
This comparison is general education only. It is not tax, legal, financial or valuation advice. Providers are included as market context. Readers should compare scope, report type, independence, credentials, timing and tax-professional guidance before choosing a pathway.