As a business owner, your time is already mostly accounted for each week. When an additional task pops up, it is often difficult and inconvenient to try to navigate how to fit it into your schedule. There are some tasks that can be pushed around to other weeks, but others, like an equipment appraisal, require immediate attention.

Fortunately, desktop equipment appraisals can offer some flexibility so you do not have to worry about sacrificing your schedule during the process. Instead of scheduling an in-person visit with an appraiser, business owners can send pictures and specifications about their equipment to an expert who will analyze the items at their office. In addition to saving time, desktop equipment appraisals also have other benefits for companies.

A cost-effective option

For businesses that need to be cognizant of how and where they spend their budgets, a desktop equipment appraisal can provide value with less cost. Since the appraiser is not visiting your business to value a piece of machinery first-hand, it eliminates any travel expenses that would typically accrue otherwise. An owner will be able to obtain sufficient documentation of what their piece of equipment is worth, which can then be used for a number of reasons.

Process a larger amount of equipment

Since desktop equipment appraisals are beneficial for finding out the worth of more standard pieces of equipment, they can quickly help you understand the value of larger amounts of the same equipment. For example, if you bought multiple semi-trucks around the same time, you can use these appraisals to figure out the total worth without having to have someone come out to inspect them all. You will still need to provide the appraiser with certain information, like the mileage and ID numbers of each truck, since each one needs to be individually appraised, but it is a faster, more efficient way to get a ballpark figure on similar items.

What does the appraiser need from you?

As mentioned above, desktop equipment appraisals work better with standard equipment within your industry. When undergoing a desktop appraisal, you will need to provide your appraiser with as much information as possible. This includes a detailed description of the asset(s) you need appraised, so they can begin conducting the appropriate research on the item in question and high-quality photographs that accurately represent the condition of the equipment, among other information. You will also need to appoint someone who the appraiser can speak to if they have any additional questions about the equipment.

When is a desktop appraisal not appropriate?

Desktop equipment appraisals do not give a totally accurate representation of worth, which is fine in some cases, but not suitable in others. If your equipment is in question due to a contested court case, you will need to schedule an in-person site visit with a certified appraiser.