This is the traditional role that property consultants have always performed in Botswana. Narrowly, a Valuer is a trained professional who has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the factors that create, maintain or diminish values of real estate. The South African Institute of Valuers defines a Valuer as a professional who has been educated and trained to determine the value of fixed property, execute feasibility studies and provide expert advice on property related matters. An independent Valuer can provide impartial and motivated reports on the value of real or limited rights in land. In Botswana, in order to function as a Valuer you need to be registered with the Valuation Surveyors Registration Board of the REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF BOTSWANA. The Lead Partner is registered Valuation Surveyor.

With the presence of inflation and fluctuating economic conditions and the need for innovative corporate strategies, valuations are required at least once every year on each real estate asset. The various purposes for which valuations are required include accounting, insurance, sale, purchase, rent, funding, property tax, mortgage, appropriation (compensation upon compulsory purchase), probate, liquidation or receivership, mergers or take-overs, arbitration, bankruptcy, rating and expert witness valuations, commercialisation, privatisation, stock exchange, etc. We are general practitioners and are involved in all these areas.

The general high volume of funds involved in real estate production makes it essential that the real estate unit is adequately insured. This is imperative in order to avert possible total loss of the colossal money sums constituted in the property should some unforeseen calamity befall the subject property.

In this respect, we advise on the insurance value or adequacy of cover and suggest ways of averting risky incidences.

We give advice of property values for possible sale or purchase within prevailing or likely market conditions, and advise on the most appropriate mode of disposal or acquisition.

We advise on the rents appropriate to properties in question, rents to be fixed upon review of tenancy and negotiate appropriateness of rents fixed in new or renewed tenancies or tenancies about to be reviewed.

Company Asset Valuations for Balance Sheet, Privatisation, Taxation, Liquidation, Receivership, Mergers, Take-over or Bankruptcy Valuations of real estate may be required for a variety of accounting reasons. We, thus, provide relevant values as required by a client in the respective functions above.

Lending institutions normally want to know the nature of the proposed security, its basic character and location, its apparent condition, its value; whether this value will be maintained and whether there are any factors which might significantly affect its value over a given period of time.

Our role in these circumstances is to consider all relevant market factors peculiar to the proposed real estate security and advise our client on the appropriate market value of the property. In a related role, we advise on market values appropriate to forced sale circumstances, which may not allow adequate time to market a given property.

Rates represent an important source of local government revenue and potentially the most buoyant means of funding local authority services. Valuation Rolls form the basis on which rates are levied. We at APEX PROPERTIES can prepare Valuation Rolls in line with the Rating Act as our staff have been extensively involved in the preparation of the valuation rolls in the past.

Where the valuation roll exhibits any anomalies in the entries, APEX PROPERTIES can object on behalf of its client to have an erroneous entry corrected in line with the Rating Act before or at the Rating Valuation Tribunal thus saving the clients valuable time and financial resources. The Rating Act offers those seeking remission of the whole or part of the rate payable to do so to the rating authority stating reasons why remission is sought.

APEX PROPERTIES offers would-be remission seekers an opportunity to have this done for them being well conversant with the procedures and operations of the local government machinery.

Compulsory acquisition and compensation valuations are undertaken where a public authority for general public use acquires private property and the value has to be ascertained for adequate compensation. APEX PROPERTIES offers such valuations for affected clients and also appears as expert witnesses in instances where the compensation amount cannot be agreed with the acquiring authority.

These are carried out after the death of the property owner where change of ownership and sharing of the assets is required. We provide such valuations and also offer any other related advises.

Statutory Valuations or Valuations for taxation purposes is a service offered mainly to quasi-government agencies like the Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) in line with the Property Transfer Tax and Income Tax (Withholding Tax). This service can also be extended to individuals and corporate bodies alike. Other services offered include general advice on taxation of property and VAT regarding commercial and industrial properties.

The increasing complexity and sophistication of today's accounting, tax, insurance and corporate asset management roles, make it necessary to have effective and efficient advice on values of rural property. Valuations of farmlands, woodlands, rural buildings, implements, pastoral lands, ranches, processing plants, plantations tourist's resorts and growing crops are carried out by our firm.

Plant and Machinery Valuations and Asset Condition Verifications This is a specialized type of valuation, which is carried out with appropriate consulting engineers or scientists. The concentration is on installation costs, depreciation charges, exchange rate incidence, insurance liabilities, duty and/or import costs, and other considerations appropriate to the purpose of valuation. Particularly, we pay great deal of attention and work to detail in analyzing the mechanical aspects of machinery as they relate to the purpose of the plant. A condition survey is a detailed study of the engineering processes in a processing plant or factory.

In executing this function, we test the functional integrity of the machinery at each stage in the process flow. A lot of background research is needed with appropriate engineers who are retained on an association basis with APEX PROPERTIES.

In the end we certify the working condition of the machinery and how long it can sustain full throttle operations. A normal condition survey would also serve as an asset register taking stock of all paraphernalia that go with the plant and machinery. We have done a lot of work in this direction.

Chattels: We also value furniture, equipment and motor vehicles for various purposes. In a related role we carry out asset verification functions.

Plant and Machinery Valuations and Asset Condition Verifications This is a specialized type of valuation, which is carried out with appropriate consulting engineers or scientists. The concentration is on installation costs, depreciation charges, exchange rate incidence, insurance liabilities, duty and/or import costs, and other considerations appropriate to the purpose of valuation. Particularly, we pay great deal of attention and work to detail in analyzing the mechanical aspects of machinery as they relate to the purpose of the plant. A condition survey is a detailed study of the engineering processes in a processing plant or factory.

In executing this function, we test the functional integrity of the machinery at each stage in the process flow. A lot of background research is needed with appropriate engineers who are retained on an association basis with APEX PROPERTIES.

We at APEX PROPERTIES act as arbiters and expert witnesses in any land dispute provided such a service is confirmed with us in writing as stipulated in our conditions of engagement.

Cognisant of the investment needs of clients in the competitive investment markets and economies of the new millennium, APEX PROPERTIES has set high standards on techniques used in the assessment of values and prices of real estate. In executing property appraisals, we, based on discounted cash flow concepts, advise our clients on values of real estate in comparison with values obtaining on other investment options whilst taking into account the purpose of valuation.