Equipment Appraisal Blog | Understanding Machinery Appraisals

How to Prepare for a Construction Equipment Appraiser Site Visit

Posted by Equipment Appraisal Services on Mon, Nov 26, 2018 @ 02:47 PM

construction equipment appraisal

When you schedule an equipment appraisal for your construction equipment, whether it's a crane, cement mixer, or saw, the appraiser will visit your business to examine the equipment. Planning ahead for the appraiser's site visit will help the appraisal go smoothly for the benefit of all. Here's what you need to know about planning for a construction equipment appraisal site visit. 

Find Equipment Records 

The appraiser will want to know where and when you bought the equipment, how you've maintained it, and how the equipment is used. By gathering records related to your equipment ahead of time, you can provide the equipment appraiser with accurate information, rather than guessing. This could affect the valuation of your construction equipment. 

Records to look for include purchasing records, original receipts, maintenance logs, and replacement part orders. Appraisers may ask for other documentation, so this is not a complete list. Some appraisers let you know ahead of time what they need to see, so you can gather relevant materials. 

If you're having all of your construction equipment appraised, rather than one new asset, it's helpful to print out a list of all the assets you have. This way, you can ensure you don't miss anything. 

Schedule the Appraisal 

Appraisers know that situations requiring appraisals at times can be confidential.  Good appraisers know what to (and what not to) say when approached by curious employees.  Depending on the situation, appraisals sometimes need to be completed at off times rather than during the day.

 Prepare Yourself 

The appraisal will be a more enjoyable experience when you prepare yourself ahead of time.

This might mean reviewing equipment specifications or looking over maintenance logs so you can speak to how equipment is used at your construction company. It could mean writing up a list of questions you want answered. For instance, if you're considering whether to repair or replace a table saw, you might want to ask the appraiser for the estimated remaining useful life of the equipment or what it might fetch at auction, so you can make the right decision. 

Your reason for seeking a construction equipment appraisal may dictate the questions you have for the appraiser. For example, if you are selling equipment as part of business liquidation, then you might want to know more about the resale potential for equipment. If you are appraising construction equipment for tax purposes, then you might ask about maintaining that value over time, to protect your business. 

Speaking of preparation, it's important that you only hire an accredited appraiser who has demonstrated experience with construction equipment. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that the appraiser you hire will be able to accurately value the equipment. 

Tags: construction equipment appraisers

Using a construction equipment appraisal to keep up with current trends

Posted by Equipment Appraisal Services on Tue, Jun 20, 2017 @ 01:27 PM

used construction equipment.jpg

As the building industry rapidly evolves, are you keeping up with the changes that are happening? If you aren't, you might not have an accurate picture of how valuable your heavy machinery is in the market. Fortunately, a construction equipment appraisal can help you stay on top of changes and take advantage of growth in the market without subjecting your business to unnecessary risk. Here's how it works out:

Using a construction equipment appraisal to keep up with current trends

Current industry trends in construction primarily focus on one particular aspect of building design: efficiency. The general change in the population towards healthier living, sustainability and lower waste on construction projects mean that today's construction company must provide high-quality, sustainable products and techniques while cutting waste and the end cost of the structure to the client. But how do you keep up with these changing trends? One way is by using well-maintained equipment that holds its value well while providing years of reliable service.

But overall, the construction industry is growing both across the country and around the world. As the industry grows, what happens to the value of your construction equipment? As growth overtakes equipment production, existing equipment becomes more valuable, but to what extent? Many businesses find that having construction equipment appraised helps them understand how their equipment values change over time and how that can impact their overall asset values.

However, with this growth also comes the opportunity to replace aging equipment. But how do you decide when it's time to get rid of older construction machinery? A good equipment appraiser spends all their time looking at equipment and writing up reports on its value. This means that they generally have a good feel for how long the remaining useful life span of the equipment may be. By determining this information, you can decide whether you need to change out that older grader that is getting up in years or whether you want to hang on to the old backhoe you have on site because it's still expected to provide years of reliable service, despite its age. This means you can choose the right time to sell, trade in or donate your older equipment for your business' best interests.

When you know your equipment values, you can also make smarter business decisions. When you think that your equipment is worth more than is realistic, you're more likely to take on risky investments because you think  you have the equipment assets and collateral to back up the investment. But when that investment goes south, you'll quickly discover you don't have the assets to cover the financing you took out for the investment. Conversely, if you think your equipment is worth less than is realistic, you may be missing out on fabulous opportunities because you don't believe you have the collateral or assets to make the investment. That means you won't see the level of growth your business is capable of achieving.

By keeping on top of your equipment values, you can quickly take advantage of favorable trends to grow your business while avoiding investments that could prove too risky. Construction equipment appraisal provides you with a wealth of information about your machinery, from its expected useful remaining life to any range of different sale situations. Make sure you take the time to get this important information today to help protect your business interests.

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