House Valuation
How Much Is My House Worth? (And What You’ll Actually Be Offered)
To find out how much your house is worth, average three to five genuine sold-price comparables for similar homes on your street using HM Land Registry, Rightmove and Zoopla — that is your market value. A cash buyer will typically offer 75–85% of that figure in exchange for speed and certainty. Online estimates can be 10–20% out, so treat them as a starting range, not a price. This guide shows you how to get an accurate figure for free, why estimates disagree, and how to judge any offer against it.
What is your property worth?
Get genuine offers from checked & vetted buyers.
- 3–5sold comparables = your value
- 75–85%a cash buyer typically pays
- 10–20%how far online estimates miss
- £0our valuation & offers
Chase full value, or sell fast?
Five quick questions on your property and priorities — then a clear recommendation and the safe way to act on it.
How soon do you need to sell?
Is the property easily mortgageable?
Why are you selling?
Price vs certainty — where do you sit?
What is your local market like?
A fast sale likely beats chasing the last few percent.
Your timescale and property point to speed and certainty over a higher headline that may never materialise. Know your real value first, then compare several vetted cash and investor offers so they compete — that’s how you keep the most of the 75–85% band.
Compare offers →Weigh a fast sale against the open market.
You’re between routes. Get your real value, then put a couple of genuine cash offers next to what a good agent might net you more slowly, and decide on the net outcome — price, time and certainty.
Get offers to compare →You may do better on the open market.
With a desirable home, a hot local market and time to spare, an agent is likely to net you more. Benchmark with a free valuation and keep a vetted cash sale in reserve for a broken chain.
Get a free valuation →How to find out how much your house is worth for free
The most accurate free method is to compare genuine sold prices, not online estimates. Use the HM Land Registry Price Paid data and the Sold Prices tools on Rightmove and Zoopla to find homes of similar size, type and condition that actually sold near you in the last 6–12 months. Average three to five of them. Then sense-check with a free local estate-agent valuation and, for the most precise figure, an RICS surveyor’s valuation.
| Method | Accuracy | Cost | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sold comparables (Land Registry, Rightmove, Zoopla) | High — based on real sales | Free | DIY, about an hour |
| Estate-agent valuation | Good — but can be inflated to win you | Free | A day or two |
| Online estimate (AVM) | ±10–20% — can’t see your home | Free | Instant |
| RICS surveyor valuation | Most precise | Paid | A few days |
Stack the methods for a confident range
No single source is gospel. Average genuine sold comparables for your baseline, add a free agent view for the local read, and use an AVM only as a sanity-check range. Where the figure really matters — probate, divorce, a dispute — an RICS valuation is the defensible number.
Why do online valuations disagree so much?
Automated valuation models (AVMs) — the instant estimates from Zoopla and Rightmove — work from averages and recent sales in your postcode. They cannot see your home’s condition, layout, extension, or that new kitchen, so they are commonly 10–20% out in either direction. They are a useful starting range, but no AVM should be treated as your asking price or your offer.
Market value vs the offer you’ll receive
Market value is what an ordinary buyer with a mortgage would pay over weeks or months. The offer you receive from a quick-sale buyer is typically 75–85% of that — the gap is the price of speed, certainty and zero fees. Knowing both numbers is the point: it lets you judge whether a fast sale is worth the trade-off for your situation.
- You receive 75–85% — fast, certain, fee-free
- Their slice — refurb, holding, resale costs and risk
What lowers a valuation the most?
The biggest reducers are issues that also make a home hard to mortgage — which is exactly when a cash buyer or investor becomes the practical route:
Several of these point to a hard-to-mortgage sale, where a cash route is often the only one that completes.
Know your number — then see real offers
We give you a free valuation guide alongside several checked & vetted cash and investor offers, so you can judge any figure against your real market value — with no fee and no obligation.
Compare real offers →Know your number — then compare real offers
Get a free, no-obligation valuation and genuine offers from checked & vetted buyers.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, no sales talk
How can I find out how much my house is worth for free?
Use the HM Land Registry Price Paid data and the Sold Prices tools on Rightmove and Zoopla to see what comparable homes on your street actually sold for. Average three to five genuine comparables of similar size and condition. A local agent valuation and an RICS surveyor give the most accurate figures.
Why are online valuations so different from each other?
Automated valuation models (AVMs) like Zoopla and Rightmove estimates use averages and can be 10–20% out either way because they cannot see your home’s condition, layout or improvements. Treat them as a starting range, not a price.
What is the difference between market value and cash-buyer value?
Market value is the price an ordinary buyer with a mortgage would pay over weeks or months. Cash-buyer value is typically 75–85% of that, paid in days with certainty and no fees. You are trading a slice of price for speed and a guaranteed completion.
What lowers my house valuation the most?
Short lease (under ~80 years), structural or damp issues, Japanese knotweed, cladding, subsidence history, non-standard construction, a problem chain, and being in a slow local market all reduce both market value and the offers you receive.
