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THE METHODS OF VALUATION

1.1 1.2 1.3 The five methods The profits method The contractors method

AIM AND OBJECTIVES This chapter introduces the basic methods of property valuation: the five methods of valuation. The five methods are described and the profits method is dealt with in detail. Key terms Profit method - valuation based on the profits of an enterprise 1.1 THE FIVE METHODS

The five traditional methods of valuation are the comparison method, the profits method, the contractors method, the investment method and the residual method. The first three are dealt with further in this chapter, but the investment and residual methods are important enough for each to have a separate chapter of its own. The investment method forms the basis of the investment appraisal, a more general term for the whole range of valuation and analysis that a property professional might undertake. The residual valuation in the same way represents the core of the development appraisal. The methods can be distinguished as follows: The comparison method compares the capital values and rents of properties that have recently been sold or let with the subject property. The profits method is based on the assumption that the value of a property is based on the profit produced and is used in hotels for instance. The contractors method is based on the cost of construction and is used where there is no market. The investment method is used to value capital investments in property; the approach to this form of valuation including the use of
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the Years Purchase to capitalize rental figures has been examined earlier. The residual method is used in development situations and is based on value less cost and profit, and gives a balance to purchase the land.

The bases of the valuation methods There are three bases to the valuation methods: VALUE Based on: Valuation of the property Capital value or capitalised from a rental income Use: Comparison method Investment method Residual method COST Based on: Cost of construction Value on the basis of cost Use: Contractors methods PROFITS Based on: Profits from accounts Value on the basis or profits Use: Profits method

The use of valuation will differ according to whether they are being applied to existing property or new development, and the methods are used in each case will differ too, as shown in the following: For existing property Use: Comparison method Investment method method The comparison method The comparison method will give rent and capital value; the investment and residual valuations will give capital value. Comparison is done by the analysis of transactions in the market; in the user
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For new development Use: Comparison method Investment method Or use Value less Cost = Residual

market the investment comparison subsequent adjustment valued.

aim will be to derive a market rental per m 2 and in the market a capital value could be derived. The art of the method is the discovery of relevant data and the analysis. As property is unique, the problem lies in the to be made to the comparable to fit the property being

1.2

THE PROFITS METHOD

The profits method is used where a premises value is based on the profit produced by the business operating in the premises. The profits generated by the business will be contained in the company accounts, which will need to be analysed to produce the figures for the calculation. The accounts are an important means of assessing the performance of the business occupier and this performance would be crucial in the valuation. This approach underlines the importance of understanding company accounts which, besides being used in this method, are also important to the property professional in a number of different ways, for examples; assessing the financial standing of a partner in a property development scheme; assessing the quality of a prospective tenant for letting purposes; assessing, for property management purposes, the standards of a contractor who would carry our works and provide services; assessing the security of a borrower in a property loan situation; assessing the standing of a company in which you propose to invest; assessing the standing of rival firms in the market with whom you, as a professional practice or company, may wish to take over, to be taken over by, or to merge with.

So, as one can see, there is a great need to understand the basic company accounts. The analysis of the accounts will show:

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How well the business if performing relative to its costs (indicated by the profit margin). 2. How well it keeps its costs down (indicated by its productivity). 3. How well it competes with other firms (indicated by its profitability). 4. How well it is doing compared to other competing investments (indicated by the return on capital). The calculation is shown in Example 1.1 Example 1.1 : The profits method Gross earnings Less cost of purchases (direct costs) Gross profit Less expenses (indirect/overhead costs) Net profit Less return on capital for business Annual rental value Times multiplier Capital Value Notes: 1. The net profit can be divided between the business and the property. The business part represents the goodwill of the business; the property part represents the rental.. The goodwill of a business is attached to the business, not the property, and represents the value of the existing trade and name of the company, which is a product of public attitude and ongoing customer loyalty. Note that goodwill is an intangible asset of the company as opposed to the building, a plant and machinery, which are tangible assets. Other examples of intangible assets are patents or royalties. The capital value of the business, as separate from the property, is assessed by adding the goodwill to business capital
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2.

3.

4.

invested (stock, fittings and cash). This is the going concern value of the business. The profits method is often used where there is an element of monopoly and the clear application of this method is shown where it is the operation that has the value itself, rather than the premises occupied. Some examples should clarify this; for instance, a fairground and racecourses are examples where the operation generates the income and land values otherwise could be low in their existing uses. Other examples are derived from good locations, which means that an operation could dominate that type of activity in the particular area concerned. A town may have only one cinema or bowling complex for instance. Certain locations may only have a single petrol filling station. Motorway locations offer monopolistic trading for stations, restaurants and other facilities, as do railway stations for newsagents. Monopoly may be a legal one or subject to a licence for franchise, hence one post office per village or one licence for a public bar or nightclub in a certain location. Statutory monopolies which generate income might also be valued in this way, but with public sector buildings we would probably be looking to a cost approach, discussed later, as there is unlikely. The accounts need to be analysed and thus should be accurate, with appropriate auditing procedures having been carried out. The accounts need to be reviewed for the last 3-5 years to investigate any aberrations or extraordinary items. The analysis of the account should give a picture as to whether the business is being run efficiently, and comparisons can then be made on a local and regional basis for the activity; for instance, is the profit made per hotel room comparable to the industry benchmark in that locality? At the same time the opportunity cost of the activity should also be looked at, this being the cost of not getting a return, say, by investing in traditional investments. If you can obtain say 5 per cent in a building society, then why is a restaurant only earning 4 per cent? In this case, is the activity worth doing or is the situation one where the business is a start-up with low returns initially but the potential hopefully for greater earnings? The analysis of the accounts will provide key ratios for comparison and analysis. This is discussed in more detail in later chapter but essentially the analysis is shown in Box 1.1. The return of the capital investment gives a clear indication of the performance of the company and in turn this is made up of two key ratios analysed form the accounts. The relationship is shown in Box 1.2 BOX 1.1: THE KEY RATIOS
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The key ratios used to analyse the profitability of an enterprise: (i) (ii) (iii) Trading profit as a percentage of turnover. Profit before interest and tax as a percentage of average capital employed. Earnings per share, either basic (based on issued share capital) or fully diluted (based on authorized share capital, which is the total share capital that can be issued).

(iv) Dividend per share. (v) Number of times covered - that is, the number of times a dividend is covered by earnings. This is also a measure used by property managers to assess the security of a tenant by calculating the number of times the rent is covered by the net profit of the tenant company. Assets per share - the asset backing of shares based on the value of the net assets divided by the number of shares. There has been much discussion in this area in relation to the share price of property investment companies, as one would expect the asset value per share to relate to the market price of the share. However, traditionally the market has discounted the net asset values of property investment companies historically by an average of approximately 20 per cent. The discount is measured by Share price - Net asset value per share

(vi)

100%

Net asset value per share

Example 1.2 : A detailed calculation using the profits method A1 B C D E F G H 2 This calculation has been done on a spreadsheet, the equations used in key 3 cells (boxes) are shown in column H. 4 pa 5 Sales turnover 500,000 6 Less purchases 300,000 Gross 7 Gross profit 200,000 margin = 40% E7 = E5 - E6 8 Less running costs (sales/gross profit) 9 Wages 10 Repair 11 Insurance 12 Rates (property taxes) 13 Heating and lighting 14 Insurance 15 Vehicle Expenses 16 Stationery and postage 17 Telephone charges 18 Total 100,000 Net 19 Net profit 100,000 margin= 20% E19 = E7 - E18 20 Less owners salary 20,000 (sales/net profit) 21 Less return on capital invested 80,000 E21 = E19 - E20 22 Fixtures 80,000 23 Stock 40,000 24 Cash 5,000 25 Total 125,000 D 25 = SUM(D22 : E24) 26 Return @ 8% 0.08* * cost of borrowing 27 Return 10,000 E27 = D25 * D26

28 Adjusted net profit 70,000 E21 - E27 29 Allocate 50% to property 50% to business C29 30 31 Property: annual rental value 35,000 32 x multiplier 10 33 capital value of 350,000 E31 * E32 property

E28 = E29 = 1 E31 = E28 * C29 F33 =

34 35 Business profit 36 x multiplier 37 value of goodwill 38 39 Going concern value 40 Property 41 Goodwill 42 Fixtures 43 Stock 44 Going concern value SUM(F40 : F43)

35,000 2 70,000 350,000 70,000 80,000 40,000 540,000

E44 =

BOX 1.2: RETURN ON INVESTMENT Return on investment This is defined as:


Profit x 100% Assets

Thus profit is looked at as a percentage of capital, and this is further influenced by two further rations comprising the profit margin (profit as a percentage of sales) and the rate of asset turnover (sales dividend by assets). Profit = Profit x Sales Assets Sales Assets or: Return on capital = Profit margin x Turnover Notes on profits method This method, as mentioned earlier, is essentially used for monopoly situations, the usual types of monopoly being by location, a racecourse for instance, or by a legal monopoly. In a legal monopoly, the business may only be able to operate with a licence or franchise. Gross profit The profits used in this calculation should be those that a tenant of reasonable competence could make from occupation of the property. Expenses
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The expenses should include overheads, and the usual charges and will include any depreciation allowance for fixtures, fittings and equipment. The usual expenses would include wages, heating, lighting, insurance, telephone charges and cleaning, advertising, printing, postage and stationery costs. The expenses will not include rent, as the calculation of the profits method is working the appropriate rental value out. This deduction must not be made and if it has, for any reason, then it must be added back. Also ground rents would not be deducted nor any loan costs. Tenants share of rental The interest on the business owners own capital in business is based on fixtures and fittings, equipment, furnishings, stock and cash. The business owner will also include remuneration for the time and effort in running the business. RICS Guidance Notes on the profits method The RICS in Guidance Note 7 Trade Related Valuations and Goodwill gives the following guidance for the use of the profits method: the accounts need to be analysed, both current accounts and previous years accounts, and projections need to be made for future years; the analysis needs to consider a maintainable level of trade and future profit; the analysis needs to identify potential purchasers.

Thus the valuation needs to be on the basis of recent current performance and future trading potential. The basis of valuation needs to be defined. The market, when using the profits method, needs to be analysed closely and, because of the specialist nature of the market, this analysis needs to look in detail at the behaviour of buyers and sellers in the market. The approach requires investigation of the most probable type or class of purchaser having regard to the nature of the business, its size and type of operation. The most appropriate calculation techniques need to be adopted in the light of these variables.

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