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Free House Valuation [Updated Mar, 2024]

Home | Guides | Free House Valuation [Updated Mar, 2024]

By Lisa Hayes (Quick Sale Industry Expert)
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Free House Valuation Websites, Apps & Tools – How Accurate Are They In 2023?

Overview

Before selling or buying your property it is important that you determine its worth. This is usually the first step in ensuring that you sell, buy or mortgage your property for its worth. Although, property valuation is a professional service that is paid for, you can get a free valuation online as some of the valuators and companies have developed online calculators that let you access the service free of charge.

Benefits of Free Property Valuation

Although free house valuation may not be acceptable in some cases, there are benefits that are associated with it. They include the following:

  • With the free property valuation you can let a house agent sell your property without having to worry about the possible returns as you know its true worth.
  • Most of the free property valuation tools are online based hence are able to do a quick comparisons of similar properties so that you do not have to.
  • You get to know the value of your property for free and without obligation.

Property Pre-valuation Report

Besides the valuation report, it is always important to ensure that you get a property pre-valuation report that gives you an in-depth understanding of your property in relation to the property market. However, the pre-evaluation report is not free as you may be required to pay for it. Having your pre-valuation report gives you an added advantage when meeting your estate agent for your house valuation.

Here are some advantages of having a pre-valuation report:

  • Gives you better understanding of the market conditions within the area where your property is located.
  • You are able to access information that is reserved for property professionals.
  • Its lets you view comparable properties with the view of determining the value of your property.
  • Helps you know who the most active estate agents in your area are.
  • It is ideal for preparing your meeting with the estate agent as you will be able to ask the right questions.

Having information about your property in relation to the property market gives you an advantage as you will be able to follow due process and explore all options ahead of a sale.

 

THIS GUIDE WILL HELP YOU:

Who is the guide for?

This guide is for homeowners who are wanting to sell their home online but want the added security of using a cash buying firm or online agent that has been checked and vetted by us.

HOW DO I USE ONLINE TOOLS TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH MY HOUSE IS REALLY WORTH?

All online valuations and estate agent valuations are inaccurate to some degree. The only official valuation as mentioned above is a RICS valuation. However, having said that even RICS valuations have there flaws.

The true price of any property is what someone is willing to pay for it. What that means is if you have been listed with an estate agent for 6 months without a single offer, and the estate agent suggested the price – aka your asking price is clearly wrong!

Estate agents have their own agenda for valuation; therefore the best way to determine the value of your home is through thorough research.

Our advice is to collect as many valuations as possible from online agents, and compare them all. Using services like Net House Prices can help you determine previously sold prices, and Zoopla will give you rough estimates.

When you set out to sell your property, the first thing you need to do is establish the value. Remember, selling property is a huge decision and you want to get the highest possible valuation. Consequently, every property will require its own assessment to accurately determine its worth on the property market. Besides, the value of property has great influence on the amount for you can sell it for and how fast it can sell as well as how much it can sell. The following are factors that will affect property valuation:

  • Size of the property – This is mainly in terms of the overall space on which your home sits. The size of individual rooms is also taken into consideration. If you have limited spare space, maximizing what you already have is a good idea. You will do well to declutter to create an illusion of a big space.
  • Age of the property – The age of your property will not automatically lower its value. Nevertheless, the property’s condition will make a lot of difference. An old property that is maintained well can be given a similar or even higher valuation than a new building of the same specifications. It is therefore important to maintain your property well to retain a high value.
  • Type of property – Even though the type of property will not independently determine its valuation, it will certainly play a part. For instance, detached properties will achieve and retain the highest valuations in the property market. However, in urban areas, especially in the cities, a smaller flat can command a higher property valuation compared to a large detached property outside the city.
  • Condition of the property – An estate agent will factor in wear and tear when determining the property value. An older home that shows its age will bring a lower price in the market. The life expectancy and depreciated value of fixtures and fittings will also be factored in.
  • Curb appeal – The exterior of the property is another thing that the property valuer is going to look at. A property where the lawn is mowed and hedges are trimmed will attract a higher valuation. You can paint the exterior walls to give it a brand new look. Shrubs and colourful flowers will also add curb appeal. In addition, do not just concentrate on the front yard because buyers will also want to see the backyard.
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Before the property valuer comes to your home, ensure that you have done the necessary repairs. A fresh coat of paint will instantly improve the interior and exterior of your home. Doing the simple things will help your property achieve a higher valuation and it will also help to sell it faster.

Top Tips for a Great Property Valuation In 2020

It can be frustrating to have your application for a home loan reduced simply because the valuation of your property is too low. As such, it is common to find investors compare home loans and revaluing their property so as to finance additional investments.

In addition, you can opt to increase the value of your property ahead of a sale to ensure that you get fetch a good amount once you put it up for sale on the property market.

Here are some of the things you can do in order to get a great property valuation:

  • Presentation – This is perhaps the most important thing you need to consider when preparing for a valuation because first impressions count. Buyers are attracted to property that is neat, clean and tidy hence will be more positive about it. Thus, ensure, your clothes are in the right place, there are no dishes in the sink, the lawn is mowed and the edges trimmed. You may also want to consider external painting the whole place.
  • Recent sales evidence – Sharing information about the recent sale prices of properties within your area with the valuer is also a great idea. Remember, these sales will always have an effect on the value that will be arrived at for your property.

You can keep tabs on the sales by attending auctions and getting hold of brochures that you can then share with the valuer. While valuers will carry out independent research, you can even put together a brief report of the recent property sales that you will share with him.

  • Make improvements prior to the valuation – If you intend to make any improvements on your property, ensure you do it before the valuer arrives. This is because while you can simply tell the valuer your plans to fix the bathroom, the value of your property is given based on the state of the property at the time of valuation. If you intend to make some improvements in future and have already obtained costings and quotes, ensure the valuer gives you a complete valuation.
  • Make a list of recent improvements – If there are any recent improvements, you will do well to provide a list of the works and the accompanying cost.
  • Pay attention to the kitchen and bathroom – The state of bathroom and kitchen usually determines how fast your house will sell. Thus, they should be presentable at all times as they have an impact on the valuation.
  • Do not neglect the outdoor living areas – The outdoor area has a significant impact on the value of your property hence must be taken care of well. Ultimately, you need to ensure that your outdoor living area is functional and well presented ahead of a valuation.

Property valuation must be given the importance it deserves by ensuring that you prepare adequately before the surveyor or estate agents comes to your property. This way you will ensure that you attain optimal results for your property ahead of the sale.

How to Prepare your Home for Sale In 2021

If you are thinking about selling your property, the best place to begin would be property valuation. However, you will be surprised to know that the valuation of your property must be preceded by adequate preparation.

This is because the status of your property will greatly determine the amount of money that buyers are willing to part with at the end of the sale. Preparation is usually the key to a successful and fast sale of the property. The preparation of property for sale involves many things.

Before you call in an estate agent to do a valuation of your property, you can prepare your property in the following ways:

  • Spruce up the exterior – You will do well to stand outside your house and compare its appeal to that of the other properties in the surrounding. If what you see does not appeal to your sight, chances are that you will not impress potential buyer.

You will also do well to ask your self questions such as; when you last mowed the lawn, cleaned the gutters, painted window frames, paved slabs, keep the toys away, tended the overgrown shrub or uprooted surplus weeds.

  • Get rid of clutter – You need to eliminate any clutter you have accumulated over the years by either throwing them, giving to a charity or finding a proper and neat place for them in your closet. You may want to think of having a garage sale to get rid of all the stuff you do not need.
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Overall, whatever you do should be aimed at getting more eyes to look at your property. Some of the items you need to eliminate include knick-knacks and ornaments, potted plants, posters on the walls of the children’s bedroom as well as books, CDs and DVDs. If you are unwilling to let go of your stuff, then you can consider renting storage space albeit temporarily to store any extra furniture that is making the house look crowded. Generally, there should be adequate space for unhindered movement and enough furniture.

  • Depersonalize – Although having your photographs as well as those of your family members on the wall goes a long way in completing the home, you will do well to take them down ahead of the sale.

This gives the prospective buyer an opportunity to visualize himself or herself within that space. You may want to consider applying a thin layer of neutral paint. Remember, buyers are not interested in your personal life but the property where they can imaging leading a lovely life.

  • Spring clean – Ensure that your house is spring clean before putting the property up for a valuation or even sale. In particular, you will do well to pay attention to details such as polishing the windows, dusting skirting boards, lighting fixtures and furniture, vacuum clean, eliminate cobwebs, bleach tile grout and scrub the oven among other things.
  • Revamp, repair and restore – The little things that you pay little attention to could be the reason your property is not selling. Therefore, you need to take a critical look of your home from the viewpoint of a buyer. Most importantly, take into account various elements like leaky taps, broken light bulbs, repair cracks in the walls, fix drawers and doors that have difficulty opening or closing, touch up pain and repaint the house in neutral colours where necessary, get a shower curtain or replace cushion covers, curtains and bedspreads.
  • Control your pets – Being greeted by a charming dog can be a turn off for some prospective property buyers. Thus, you may want to consider keeping the pets away during property valuation.
  • Let there be light – A home that is naturally lit is one of the things that prospective buyers will look out for when buying a home. Therefore, you will do well to ensure that more and more light penetrates into the house. You can complement the natural light with an impression of bright light through other means such as replacing the dim lights with bulbs of higher wattage, pull down the heavy dark curtains, install extra fixture and prune any vines and trees that may be casting shadows in the house.

Preparing your property for sale is crucial as it holds the key to when you will make a sale and at what price. Therefore, you will do well to take the effort and prepare your house.

 

WHAT TYPES OF PROPERTY VALUATION EXIST?

  • FREE HOUSE VALUATION

Selling your house doesn’t always have to be a daunting task and here at Ready Steady Sell we can help you every step of the way. One of the first steps to selling your home is finding out exactly how much your house is worth, and the only real way to do this is from a RICS chartered surveyor.

We can give you a free house valuation on our site, but you must remember this is not an official valuation, and only an independent surveyor can do this who is regulated by the FSA. We base our offer on a number of factors, such as when you want to sell your house fast, the current market climate, the condition of your property and the area it is located.

Even then, our online offer is not guaranteed and not binding, as we will need to see your home to give a real estimate. The best thing to do is to get a free property valuation online from us so you have a rough idea how much your house is worth.

You can also read our top tips and advice in our blog if you are considering selling through an estate agent, so you know how much they should be asking for your home.

  • OFFICIAL RICS VALUATION

When we value a property, we always get a fair and independent valuation from local estate agents. This enables us to further our aims of treating every client with the utmost openness, honesty and integrity.

We then confirm the estate agent’s valuation with a RICS valuation. This is done at our own cost, so you don’t have to worry about paying for it to be done. Furthermore, the RICS valuation is the industry recognised valuation method for property, so you can be sure of getting a reliable and realistic quotation for selling your house via the fast sale method.

Of course, it is also worth remembering the official valuation is yours to consider. If you decide you do not want to accept it, you are under no obligation to do so. This means that when you use our service you can get an official valuation of your property at no charge, and you can then decide whether you want to go ahead and sell your home to us or not. Our service is reliable and trustworthy so you can always be sure of getting a realistic and official valuation when you come to us.

  • A CASH VALUATION
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Deciding how much you want to offer to buy a property for can be a real challenge. The same applies when you are trying to decide how much to offer your own property for in order to sell your house fast. If you want to sell on the open market you should take your cue from the quotes given by estate agents. Once you have their idea of the price, you can decide on the most appropriate sum to offer the property for.

When it comes to buying, it can work well to offer just below the asking price. However, don’t offer too far below unless the property has been on the market for a long time or it needs a lot of work doing to it.

When we make offers on properties via our fast sale service, we take into account a number of different factors. We consider where the property is, how much work needs to be done to it and also the general condition of the property. This enables us to make an accurate offer price for the property, and you can then decide whether or not you want to accept it for a fast sale without obligation.

  • ESTATE AGENT VALUATION

Plenty of people get their property valued by local estate agents when they are thinking of selling their home. However, if you are considering using our service it is wise to remember such a quotation is not valid. We buy at a discount in exchange for achieving a fast, no hassle completion. This means our service is not for everyone: if you want to achieve the highest possible price and you are prepared and able to wait to achieve it, you should go down the normal route.

The people who use our service normally want or need to sell very quickly. There could be a number of reasons for this, but the main thing to remember is you are getting a guaranteed fast sale (sometimes in a matter of days) in exchange for a lower selling price.

So consider whether our service is right for you and whether you are in an urgent hurry to sell your property and move on. If you are, we may be able to help. Remember, we do not buy at estate agent prices, however we can offer a very fast and discreet service where we can buy houses for cash and complete in as little as 7 days.

  • FURTHER INFORMATION

If you are thinking of selling your house, the first thing you will want to know is how much you might be able to sell it for. The good news is you won’t have to pay a penny to get the valuation you need.

The obvious route to getting your home valued is to contact an estate agent. Ideally you should contact three and get quotes from all of them, settling on the most realistic price after getting the three estimates back.

Of course, this assumes you are happy to sell on the open market, which can take some time. If you need a faster sale you could contact a house buying company such as Ready Steady Sell. You can still get a free valuation for your home by filling in the form on our website. All we need are a few details and we can provide an offer with no strings attached in just a short space of time.

Of course there are other sites that provide estimates of what specific properties might be worth, but the above methods are the best ways to find out what you could get for your property in each situation.

We would be happy to discuss your valuation and offer over the telephone in the first instance, please get in touch to discuss your quick sale options.

Further useful links:

RICS – RICS or Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors are the only way of knowing the exact value of your home. They are the company most mortgage companies use to value property.

Zoopla – Zoopla offer a free valuation service online, which is in our opinion 80% accurate. It is a good place to start to get a guide price of what your home may be worth.

Money Saving Expert – a lot of information about valuations and free services online.

HOW OUR SYSTEM WORKS

Lisa Hayes

Lisa Hayes

I am the co-owner of Ready Steady Sell. We built this website to arm homeowners with the knowledge and understanding they need to navigate the quick sale industry.

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