Unlike in the mainstream market where the majority of mortgages are generally a one-size-fits all model and considered to be relatively straightforward, the intricacies and complexities of specialist lending means working with an expert valuer is extremely important.

Many brokers in the industry will have heard horror stories of how unnecessary delays have caused a purchase to collapse, leaving the client upset, disappointed and - perhaps even more importantly - out of pocket.

Buying a property is stressful and costly enough without these additional complications, which is why working with experts with a deep understanding of the specialist lending market, can be the difference between a case going through successfully or failing entirely.

Although it can be tempting to opt for an automated valuation model (AVM) in order to keep things moving, the reality is that physical valuations, despite many people’s negative perception, do not have to be slow and overly onerous, provided you do your research and choose wisely.

In the majority of cases, the speed of the valuation process will come down to the valuer you work with on the case and their level of expertise in providing a swift turnaround. This is even more important in the recent climate where frequent rate changes mean clients are at increased risk of being priced out of the market.

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The ability to move quickly and with precision is critical, which is why conducting a full internal valuation allows the surveyor to ensure the client isn’t buying anything they shouldn’t be and helps to ensure that nothing has been missed or overlooked when they viewed the property.

Obviously, there is a cost involved in the process, but paying out a small fee upfront can help clients save a fortune in the long term by helping them to identify any property issues early. It can also help to prevent investment properties from turning into money pits that, in the current climate, many customers simply can’t afford.

Despite the challenges of the last few years, business levels across the BTL, second charge and bridging valuation sectors have bounced back well, and there has even been an uplift in demand across other specialist lending areas, such as land valuations.

Given the fact that every client and sector of the specialist lending market is different, this uptick in growth is a positive sign, particularly as this area of the market is only likely to grow in importance over the months and years ahead.

At Pure, we work with valuation firms considered to be the best and most professional in the business, which enables us to achieve a current average turnaround time of around four days, starting from instruction to having the report back with the lender.

This sort of timescale allows swift progress on cases of all kinds, particularly those specialist deals where time may be even more of the essence. There is also the option of carrying out a short-form valuation which can be completed in 24 hours, for those more urgent cases.