When you have an office with a lot of furnishings, equipment and other items, those possessions have value, a value that is often overlooked in accounting and business appraisal. Corporate office FF&E appraisal looks at the value of your business' furnishings, fixtures and equipment, so that you have a better picture of what those assets are really worth for your business. Here's a look at the different kinds of personal property are valued during this type of equipment appraisal.

What Kind of Personal Property is Covered in a Corporate Office FF&E Appraisal?

• Furniture. From your lobby sofas to your break room tables and all of the desks, chairs, credenzas, filing cabinets, bookcases and other furniture in between, your office furniture is a big investment in your office's functionality. Because it's important to recognize the difference in value between commercial and residential furniture, an appraisal helps protect that value.
• Furnishings. Beyond your furniture, the other items you have in your office to give it some character and personality can be a big investment. From the customized artwork in the lobby to the fountain that brings tranquility to your breakroom, these items have significant value that needs to be defined, characterized and documented against any future loss, such as a fire, flood or other disasters.
• Fixtures. Do you have display cases? Brochure racks? Other items that help to showcase your business and everything it represents? These fixtures are often developed at significant costs to help promote your business, costs that should be protected. By documenting what these fixtures are worth, you can more easily determine reasonable costs for replacement down the road.
• Computers. What is the value of your office computers? Between the time that you purchase your office's computer equipment and the point that you retire it, how much has it changed? Having the current value of this equipment makes it easier to replace in any number of situations, whether it's a power surge, lost laptops during travel or that cup of coffee that wasn't quite far enough away from the keyboard.
• Other IT Equipment. What other machinery do you have in your office that keeps your IT assets running? Routers, hubs, printers, scanners: whatever IT equipment you have in your office, being able to prove the value of that equipment is important to your bottom line, especially given its often high market cost.
• Specialty Equipment. What other specialty equipment do you have in your office? A Keurig in the break room? Kitchen equipment in the cafeteria? Video games in the break room? Whatever other equipment you have in your office that isn't otherwise covered can be looked at under this type of assessment.

By having a corporate office FF&E appraisal performed on the personal property in your office, you can have a much better idea of what those items are actually worth, making it easier to leverage that value for your company's growth, make smarter sell or no-sell decisions, fight a bad tax assessment or get the items replaced during an insurance claim. However, it's vital that you have the appraisal performed the right way, using an accredited equipment appraiser. Because they don't have a vested interest in the outcome of the appraisal, they'll provide you with the most accurate, unbiased valuation based on tested methodologies that have stood the test of time. 

When you've kept your medical facility off of the market and it's privately held, what happens when you need to make changes or decisions about the business that are dependent on its value? A private medical facility equipment appraisal can help you determine exactly what you have and what it's worth, giving you the information you need to make smart decisions for your facility. Whether you run a nursing home, hospital, physical therapy center or similar facility, knowing what happens during the equipment appraisal process can help you through the process.

What Happens in a Private Medical Facility Equipment Appraisal?

Though medical equipment does have its own markets for resale and value, these markets are somewhat limited and may be strongly influenced based on location, new medical discoveries and new treatments. These create challenges to the market that are unique, because most other industries don't follow these same types of trends when determining the value of machinery. But whether it's an MRI, exam table, heart monitor or other durable medical equipment, the equipment should be considered when you're undertaking important decisions for your medical facility. Why? Because that value impacts the decisions you're making by providing you with a solid financial picture of your facility.

But why should you have an equipment appraisal performed on your private medical facility's equipment? As equipment ages, it loses value, which is why it's value is depreciated on tax tables for accounting purposes. However, the value from the table isn't necessarily the end value of the equipment. We've all had pieces of machinery that were completely depreciated within a few years, but continued to provide solid service for many years beyond that point. That equipment has value and should be included in the estimated value of your private medical facility's assets. It can be used to secure loans, provide an accurate view of your medical facility's financial health, as a negotiating point for the sale of the facility and many other purposes. The best way to determine that value is through an equipment appraisal from an accredited appraisal specialist. 

During the equipment appraisal process, the appraiser will take a look at the value of comparable machinery, preferably the same model from the same manufacturer. This value will then be adjusted, using a tested methodology that has been tested in a wide range of legal, insurance, tax and financial circles. These adjustments are based on the equipment's overall condition, whether it has signs of abuse, if it appears to be fully functional, demand for the equipment in the market and other factors that may come into play in the process. The information is condensed into an appraisal report.

Your equipment is a large part of your facility's assets, and knowing its value is vital to ensuring that you'll be able to leverage those assets when you need them. Having the information from your valuation report available makes it easier to decide when equipment should be replaced, when it should be leveraged for collateral to grow your business or other important decisions for your asset recovery strategy. However, it's important to work with an independent, accredited equipment appraisal specialist in these situations, because as an independent third party, the appraiser will have no interest in working in favor of a supplier, manufacturer or other sales-based organization.

When you own or operate a golf course, country club or similar facility, keeping your customers and members happy is a vital part of the success of your business. But when it comes time to update your facility, take advantage of a local land sale for expansion or undertake new construction, do you really know what your business is worth? Older equipment may have been fully depreciated, but is still a vital part of regular operations. A large part of your overall assets can be tied up in a range of different types of equipment, and knowing what that machinery is worth gives you a strong advantage when you're considering a bank loan, need to deal with insurance to replace equipment lost in a fire or have to work through a court case. Here's a quick look at the types of equipment that are common to this type of facility and what's involved in golf course country club asset appraisal.

How is a Golf Course Country Club Asset Appraisal Carried Out?

Green and Facility Maintenance Equipment

Tractors, mowers, aerators, sprayers: your golf course or country club has a lot of capital tied up in your green maintenance equipment. Because much of this equipment is similar to that used in agriculture, it will have a similar value to that type of machinery. However, some of your machinery provides a much finer finish than simple farming equipment, and that needs to be taken into account. You also have floor cleaners, power tools and other equipment used to maintain your facility. Your equipment's age, usage and condition will all be considered when your equipment is appraised, as well as any kits or options that you've invested in to keep your greens looking their very best.

Training and Rental Equipment

Do you have golf carts available for rent? Computer-aided training systems that your pro shop uses to help members and customers up their game? These types of equipment that are used by customers to build value in your country club or golf course can get expensive, and knowing what they're really worth can help ensure the accuracy of your accounting books. This machinery will be evaluated based on its specific brand and model, the condition that it's in, market demand for that equipment and similar information.

Hospitality Equipment

What about catering and facility rentals for special events, such as weddings, reunions, conferences or similar events? If you have a commercial kitchen, multi-media equipment or other entertainment machinery, it's part of your overall bottom line and needs to be considered when you're having an equipment appraisal performed. The equipment will be evaluated in terms of manufacturer, model, condition, expected useable lifespan remaining, market demand for that machinery and similar details to help calculate its estimated value.

By having a general idea of what your equipment is worth through a golf course country club asset appraisal, you'll be in a much better position to work through a range of different situations, including appealing an inaccurate tax assessment, securing financing, working with insurance adjustors and fighting a court case. However, it's best to work with an accredited equipment appraiser who can provide you with an independent evaluation of your machinery's value. This way, you know that they're not putting their own interests first.

Your business is manufacturing, and you take pride in knowing how much productivity you get out of your production line every minute, hour or day. But do you have the same intimate level of knowledge about the value of your manufacturing plant equipment? Plant process asset appraisal is the process of determining the value of your manufacturing equipment, either in individual pieces or as a whole. Here's a quick look at some of the important reasons why you should have your production line appraised.

5 Reasons Why You Need a Plant Process Asset Appraisal

1. Some equipment is appraised together with the rest of a production line. When another business is interested in purchasing an entire production line, being able to purchase that entire line without having to find the missing pieces has value. Instead of having to find additional equipment, they can purchase everything at once, which is worth a premium. An appraiser knows how grouping that equipment can raise its overall value to a potential purchaser.
2. Some equipment is appraised separately from the rest of your assets. Sure, your welding robots and their infrastructure and framework all need to go together when they're sold, but what about the computer that runs them? It can be hard trying to determine which parts of your production line need to be appraised separately. A qualified equipment appraiser knows when to separate equipment for appraisal and when they should be left together.
3. You don't need delays when you have to file an insurance claim. Even if you don't know what your equipment is worth exactly, you know how much it costs your business every minute that production line is still. When you have an equipment failure and need to file a claim, you want it resolved quickly so that you can replace that equipment and get on with your business life. An equipment appraisal speeds up the process by providing proof of value to your insurance carrier.
4. You need to grow your business but your business credit isn't that great. If you need to secure financing for a great opportunity or expand your production line, one option is to offer your production line as collateral for the loan. When you have an equipment appraisal performed by an accredited appraiser, that information holds up well to strong scrutiny, even in tough financial circles. 
5. The equipment may not be valued properly in your accounting books. Many businesses simply depreciate equipment based on government tax forms. However, even once that equipment has been fully depreciated, it may still remain productive, delivering income to your business. It would cost a lot to replace that machinery. An equipment appraisal tells you exactly what the equipment is really worth to your business.

A plant process asset appraisal can help you get a grip on exactly what your production line machinery is worth while serving as a solid proof of value for legal, insurance, tax and financial purposes. However, having the appraisal performed by an equipment dealer means that the figures may be skewed based on their interests. When you work with an independent accredited equipment appraiser, you have the peace of mind of knowing that they have no interest in the outcome of the valuation report that they prepare and that you can trust their calculations.

Crane valuation can seem like a complicated process, especially when there are a range of different types of cranes being considered. However, there are also a certain amount of common areas between all types of cranes. How does the condition of these different areas impact the overall value of the crane? Here's a quick look at common points in crane appraisal, regardless of the type of crane that is involved.

What Are Some Common Points in All Kinds of Crane Valuation?

• Types of Cranes Appraised: What kind of crane is being valued? There are a wide range of different crane types, which often have very different values. Maybe you need a telescoping crane valued that is used for transporting materials to areas of different heights. A crawler crane used to navigate poor soil conditions may have very different appraisal points than a tower crane used to lift materials up to the top of a skyscraper. Knowing what type of crane is involved helps the appraiser move on to the next steps.
• Hydraulics and Mechanical Systems: As the heart of any crane, poorly-functioning hydraulics or mechanical systems can lead to early failure or reduce the expected useful lifespan of the equipment. The appraiser will take a solid look at the functionality of the equipment, possibly taking into account fluids tests, stress tests and video to determine whether everything is functioning as it should be.
• History of Repairs and Maintenance: Time to dig out your maintenance and repair logs! By looking over this paperwork, the valuation specialist can get a good picture of whether the equipment has been properly maintained and whether it was immediately taken out of service when a problem was noted or if it continued in use, which may impact its expected remaining useful lifespan, which in turn will impact its value.
• Manufacturer and Model: Just like cars, some manufacturers and specific models will have a reputation for longevity and durability, while others do not. This information will be taken into account by the equipment appraiser during the valuation process as they consider how well that manufacturer and model have held up in the field in the past. As you may expect, equipment that performs well for a longer length of time has a much better value than equipment that performs poorly or fails early.
• Additional Kits or Options: If you've upgraded your equipment after you purchased it or paid more for specific options, your equipment valuation specialist will take that additional value and functionality into account when the crane is being valued. This can include an upgraded radiator kit to improve cooling, a stronger hydraulic system for a boom or any number of other options that may have been improved during or after purchase.

By having a better idea of how crane valuation is approached regardless of the type of crane involved, you can make a better judgment call when purchasing your next crane. But what if you need to know the value of a crane that you currently own or are considering purchasing or selling? If you're making this type of investment in your business, it's important to have an equipment appraisal performed by an accredited valuation specialist. Working with an accredited appraiser ensures that your interests are protected during the process.