With a bit of detective work it’s possible to get a good idea of your home’s worth for free, thanks to information now available online.
If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market and moving to grasses greener, you’ll need to get an idea of how much your house is worth. This will help inform your asking price and will let you know how much you can expect to gain from selling.
Usually a house valuation would be left solely to your estate agent to carry out at extra cost, but it’s now possible to do some research yourself into how much your house might be worth.
The price of homes in your area
There are several websites that allow you to find out the price of homes anywhere in the UK, and the information is often available free. One site to try is Zoopla. Simply select the UK region of your choice and it will bring up the rough asking price of homes on sale in your area, plus the average price that homes have sold for near you.
It's worth noting though that when you enter your details on the site you'll be granting Zoopla the right to distribute and display them, so this is something to consider if you aren't happy about making this kind of information publicly available.
Net House Prices can also give you an idea of how much homes go for in your area, by listing all the sold houses for the postcode of your choice. The Land Registry, as well as House Prices also hold such a list.
By investigating the price of homes in your vicinity in this way, you can get a good idea of how much your own home might be worth – especially if you’re a first-time seller and have no idea what kind of price you should ask for. They have the added benefit of being free and easy to carry out – so instead of trudging from estate agent to estate agent you can assemble information quickly and conveniently from your own desk.
Online valuations
As well as scoping out the price of property near you, it’s also possible to have a valuation of your home carried out for free online. Of course these won’t be as comprehensive or reliable as having a professional valuation, but they can be extremely helpful for giving a general idea of how much you can expect to sell your home for.
Try Price My Home for an instant free valuation – just type in your postcode. You’ll then be asked for some more details such as how much you bought your home for, when you bought it, and your email address. A figure will then be quoted to you as a ‘rough guide’ to how much your home will be worth now.
Mouse Price works in a similar way – type in your postcode to find your house, and you’ll be given detailed information about the area and the amount homes are sold for. To get your valuation you’ll need to register but this only takes a few moments. You’ll also have the choice of getting a detailed 17 page valuation document sent to you, but this will cost £19.95.
Another to try is Property Price Advice. Enter as much detail as you can about your property to receive the most accurate estimate. You’ll be given an average, upper, and lower valuation of your property.
These shouldn’t be used for receiving a steadfast, accurate quote on your property’s value, but they can at least give you the gist of what you can expect to sell your home for. If you gather information from all these different sources you’ll be able to make a fair decision on an asking price.
It will also give you some background knowledge of the kinds of asking prices in your area so that when you discuss your home’s value with your estate agent, you’ll already be well-informed.
It's worth getting in touch with your local estate agent too to seeing what obligation-free services they might offer - some estate agents will value your property for free if you let them know you're interested in moving.
