Commission an Appraisal: Legally Sound Valuation of Your Assets

Commissioning an expert appraisal used to be associated with bureaucratic effort and long waiting times. DIAVAG has digitized and standardized this process. When you commission an appraisal, the appointment is booked online. Within 24 hours, a qualified appraiser appears at the location of the asset. This can be a home garage, a company yard, a harbor, or a machinery yard. The mobile service eliminates the risk and costs of transport trips, which is a significant advantage particularly for unregistered vehicles or stationary systems such as home battery storage.

On-site, the appraiser follows a firmly defined inspection workflow. This usually takes less than 15 minutes per asset. Through the use of a specialized software application, all relevant data - from the vehicle identification number to detailed condition photos - is captured in a tamper-proof manner. Data is stored in compliance with GDPR on servers within the European Union. After completing the on-site data collection, the data is transmitted to a senior inspector, who conducts a final review and signs the appraisal. You receive the finished BVSK-compliant PDF document on the same calendar day.

A key distinguishing feature of DIAVAG compared to conventional inspection organizations is the breadth of covered asset classes. While organizations such as TÜV or DEKRA focus primarily on motor vehicles and the periodic technical inspection, DIAVAG covers seven different categories. These include classic cars with combustion engines, electric cars, boats, construction and agricultural machinery, cargo bikes, e-scooters, and PV home battery storage systems. This diversity allows private customers and companies to have all their valuable mobile and semi-mobile assets appraised through a single service provider.

Particularly in the areas of micromobility and renewable energy, there is a market gap for qualified appraisals. A cargo bike or a home battery storage system represents a significant asset for which conventional vehicle appraisers often do not offer standardized inspection procedures. DIAVAG uses specific checklists and hardware tools for each class. For boats, for example, different priorities are set than for an excavator or a combine harvester. Taking the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 into account for construction and agricultural machinery ensures that regulatory requirements are also factored into the valuation.

The legal robustness of an appraisal stands and falls with the independence of its author. DIAVAG acts as an inspection body according to the ISO/IEC 17020 Type A standard. This is the highest level of independence. Unlike car-buying portals or workshops, DIAVAG has no vested interest in the purchase or sale of vehicles or in carrying out repairs. This neutrality is crucial when you commission an appraisal for legal disputes, inheritance matters, or divorce proceedings. In such cases, the appraisal serves as an objective basis for decision-making for lawyers, notaries, and courts.

All DIAVAG appraisers are qualified according to the guidelines of the BVSK (German Federal Association of Freelance and Independent Automotive Experts). The appraisals meet the requirements of the JVEG (Judicial Remuneration and Compensation Act), which underscores their usability in legal disputes. Optionally, DIAVAG offers the option to secure the appraisal with a notarial hash on the Polygon blockchain. This digital fingerprint guarantees that the document has not been altered after its creation, thus offering maximum protection against manipulation.

A professional appraisal is not based on estimates, but on hard data. Every DIAVAG appraiser carries a special hardware kit optimized for precise on-site data collection. Standard equipment includes an OBD2 scanner, which looks deep into the onboard electronics and reads out fault memories as well as real-time parameters. A paint thickness gauge is used to detect repainting or hidden accident damage on the body. This non-destructive test is essential for determining the actual condition of a vehicle beyond its cosmetic reconditioning.

In addition, tread depth gauges for tires and digital multimeters for testing electrical systems are used. All hardware is calibrated and integrated into the digital workflow. Photos are taken according to a standardized scheme that covers all value-relevant areas of the asset. For independent appraisers, DIAVAG offers this hardware kit, including the software license, at a list price of auf Anfrages, to ensure a uniform quality standard across the entire network.

For electric vehicles and PV home battery storage systems, the battery is the most expensive individual component and largely determines the residual value. Conventional appraisals often neglect this aspect or rely on the inaccurate readings of the onboard computer. When you commission a premium appraisal at DIAVAG, the Premium Battery Test is always part of the inspection. This test provides detailed information about the State-of-Health (SoH), cell balance, actual kWh capacity, and internal resistance of the battery.

This data is relevant not only for the current market value, but also with regard to the upcoming EU Battery Passport, which becomes mandatory from February 2027. DIAVAG is already prepared today for these regulatory requirements. A high SoH value can significantly support the sale price of a used EV, while a weak cell balance indicates impending defects. This test is also crucial for home battery storage systems in real estate, in order to fairly determine the value of the installed system when selling a house or to assert warranty claims against the manufacturer.

A common problem when commissioning appraisers is unpredictable costs due to hourly billing or high travel surcharges. DIAVAG relies on full transparency here through a fixed-price model. For standard assets such as cars with combustion engines, boats, cargo bikes, or e-scooters, the price for the private appraisal is auf Anfrages. In the regions of Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich, no additional travel fees apply. This price includes the complete on-site inspection and the digital appraisal.

For more complex assets requiring in-depth battery diagnostics, such as electric cars or home battery storage systems, the premium fixed price is auf Anfrages. This surcharge covers the use of specialized diagnostic technology and the detailed evaluation of battery data. For commercial customers, such as car dealers or fleet operators, reaching a volume of more than 50 appraisals per month, DIAVAG offers individual terms. An API connection to existing dealer management systems (DMS) is also possible here, in order to seamlessly integrate the valuation processes into business operations.

Currently, DIAVAG's on-site service is focused on the regions of Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich. In these metropolitan areas, logistics are optimized so that appointments can be arranged within 24 hours. The mobile approach is particularly advantageous in cities, where visiting a stationary testing center is often associated with considerable time expenditure and traffic jams. The appraiser comes directly to the customer, making the process maximally convenient.

A nationwide rollout is planned for 2026. The goal is to offer the standardized DIAVAG service across all of Germany. Through the combination of mobile appraisers and a central digital review authority (senior inspector), consistently high quality of the appraisals is guaranteed, regardless of where the asset was inspected. This is particularly important for nationwide fleet operators or leasing companies that require a uniform valuation of their portfolio across different locations.

When comparing DIAVAG with established organizations such as TÜV or DEKRA, clear differences in the range of services become apparent. While the large organizations have their strengths in the legally mandated periodic technical inspection, DIAVAG specializes in value-oriented and technical condition assessment. A key point is mobility: DIAVAG comes to the asset, while an appointment at a testing center is usually necessary with TÜV and DEKRA. In addition, classic organizations usually do not offer in-depth battery diagnostics for EVs as a standard feature.

Compared to pure online estimation services that are based solely on algorithms, DIAVAG also offers significantly higher accuracy and legal relevance through physical inspection. An algorithm cannot capture the actual condition, hidden defects, or the cell balance of a battery without an on-site inspection.

For professional market participants such as car dealerships, leasing companies, and fleet managers, DIAVAG offers specialized solutions that go beyond the individual appraisal. Integrating valuation data into existing IT systems is a central aspect here. Via a DMS API, appraisals can flow directly into the dealer's inventory management. This speeds up the purchasing process and ensures transparent documentation for the end customer. From a volume of 50 appraisals per month, processes are individually tailored to the partner's needs.

Another building block for B2B partners is the partner program for independent appraisers. They can purchase DIAVAG's preconfigured hardware kit and software platform in order to offer their own customers the high standard of the DIAVAG valuation. This enables smaller appraisal firms to catch up technologically and to present themselves competently, particularly in the growing market for electromobility and home battery storage. Central quality assurance by DIAVAG's senior inspectors also relieves partners in preparing the final reports.