If you’re looking to sell your home, then there are plenty of ways to find out how much it is worth. Property listing prices are usually decided by experienced estate agents who will examine the home and determine how much it may be worth to buyers. So for this initial stage - how much does a valuation cost? The good news is that it is totally free and costs nothing!
However, if you are looking for a more detailed valuation, there are other avenues to explore. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about property valuations and their costs.
Your traditional estate agents will not charge for a valuation. Usually, their valuations will also be no obligation, meaning you don’t have to list your home with them if you choose not to sell. You can expect the following services to charge for their valuations:
You can reach out to chartered surveyors for accurate house valuations, and they will charge from £300 for this service.
Mortgage lenders will also carry out valuations in order to find out how much the property is worth before loaning the money. You’ll usually pay an additional £100 or so on top of your other fees as you won’t be able to borrow the mortgage amount from the lender until they carry out the valuation.
As mentioned, estate agent valuations are usually free of charge, but what does it cost them to carry out a valuation?
First, the agent will have to factor in their travel time and costs to view the property. Then they’ll gather data about houses of similar sizes in the area, data about house prices in the same postcode and the demand for homes in the location. Once the agent has visited the home, viewed the entire property and then put together all the information, you’re looking at around 3 hours work — which could be anywhere between £80-£150 worth of time and costs (such as petrol or charges to access property data) to the firm.
Now we’ll look at the following types of valuations in more detail, and how much you can expect to spend. There are 4 main types of valuation you will experience:
Property Valuation Type | Average Cost |
---|---|
Estate agent valuation | Free |
Independent house valuation | From £300 to £600, relative to property size. |
RICS valuation | From £500 or over £1,000 in complex cases |
Mortgage valuation | From £150, the charge usually increases relative to the home value |
Online house price calculators are widely available across the internet. These tools use mathematical algorithms to provide a house price estimate.
Some tools are more accurate than others. Zoopla's house price calculator for example, does not account for recent developments to your propety. Our Valuation Tool however, uses the latest information about your home to provide a realistic price. You can use it for free today.
With an Estate agent valuation, an agent will visit your home, for free, to give you an idea of how much it would be worth. This valuation will then be used to determine what the asking price is set at when marketing your property. Estate agents will use multiple factors to decide how much your house is worth.
It takes 2 minutes.
A neutral third party (who is not connected to the buyer or seller) comes to view the property to give an unbiased opinion on the value. This will be an independent surveyor or a chartered surveyor and will cost upwards of £300.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) can value properties, and provide surveys that will contribute to an accurate valuation. Often RICS surveys and valuations are used in the buying process, and not before a house is put up for sale, but in some cases, they can be. For example, if you are buying or selling a property with the government Help To Buy for shared equity then you may need RICS surveys before listing the home, or completing a sale.
Mortgage lenders will value the home (often using RICS surveys) after an offer has been made and accepted. The valuation is to ensure that the property is worth what the buyer has offered, so the bank or lender knows they are not loaning out more money than the home is actually worth.
A valuation is when the home is examined to determine how much it can be worth, however, a property survey is to look for structural issues as well as hidden defects. Generally, surveys will need to be done when buying or selling a property and will have a cost attached for each type of survey.
Let’s take a look at some of the surveys and evaluations that may be required on a home. The costs are an average, but bear in mind you may pay more or less depending on the size and value of your home.
Survey Type | Average Cost of Survey | Notes |
---|---|---|
Condition report | £380 | The condition report looks at any defects or safety issues at the property and is mainly used for new homes. It does not indicate value and is the most basic level of survey. |
Homebuyer report | £500 | A more in detail survey that reports any issues or damage within the home. The report will highlight any issues a potential buyer would need to address for safety or longevity purposes. |
Building survey | £800 | The most in detail report, this survey examines both the structure and condition of a home. For older buildings, this report will highlight how extensive issues are so that a buyer can gauge how much they’d spend on rectifying the problem. |
Property valuation survey | £320 | This survey is to have a chartered surveyor officially value the property. The cost fluctuates depending on the size and value of the home. |
Yes it is definitely worth getting a property valuation and for some stages in the [house buying prohttps://www.getagent.co.uk/blog/buying/how-to-buy-a-house (https://www.getagent.co.uk/guide/buying-a-house/how-to-buy-a-house) it's also a requirement. In the early stages of selling your home, you should get a valuation to understand the potential asking price in the current market. You don’t necessarily need a valuation, but it puts your expectations in the right place and an estate agent will usually offer this service when listing the home.
As a buyer, however, the home must be valued if you are using a mortgage to buy the property. In England, the mortgage lender has to value the home after you make an offer before they lend you the money.
To get a free valuation, you can simply approach an estate agent:
Usually, estate agents will value your home for free, but you should expect a few follow-up calls too, as they’ll be looking to list the property for you.
With most estate agents, the initial valuation will be free. If you are a buyer, then the valuation by the mortgage company will not be free, and other specific types of valuation also have charges attached.
The fee you’ll pay to have the home valued is to pay for travel costs, and the time it will take for the professional to examine the property and pull together data about how much the house is worth.
Yes estate agents will value your home for free in order to help set the right price and secure you as a client.
Picking the right estate agent is vital for a successful sale. GetAgent makes choosing simple. Discover the best performing agents in your area.
Picking the right estate agent is vital for a successful sale. GetAgent makes choosing simple. Discover the best performing agents in your area.
It takes 2 minutes.
We are a company registered in England & Wales, company number 09428979.
Copyright © 2024 GetAgent Limited