Qualify Any Estate Agent Valuation

The property industry is fuelled by data, and one of its remarkable aspects is that the majority of this data is open sourced and freely accessible. This wealth of information includes crucial details such as plot size, planning permissions, sold prices, location data, street views, and previous listing information. Thanks to various platforms like Rightmove, Zoopla, Homesearch, Street Insights, and the Land Registry, all this information is readily available for anyone to explore. In this blog post, we will delve into how you can leverage these websites to gain valuable insights, estimate property values, find comparable sales, and track area trends. Let's jump into the 4walls insights.

Estimating Property Value

Rightmove, Zoopla, Homesearch and Street Insights all give you an estimated guide price for your property. It’s worth noting that this is just an estimate, however, it gives you a good idea of the ballpark figure your house should be valued at. Please be aware that once an agent has determined the value of a house, the platforms will automatically use this as the current market value. When looking up the estimate for a particular home, it’s also worth researching the other estimated house prices on the street.

Finding Comparable Sales

Rightmove, Zoopla, Prime Location, and other portals enable you to investigate recently sold properties in your region. By examining the images and specifics of these properties, you can determine how your home compares in terms of style, maintenance, and overall appearance. This helps you understand whether your property should be valued at the higher or lower end of the market.

Tracking Market Fluctuations

Rightmove offers a comprehensive aggregation of house price data, allowing you to understand market fluctuations within a specific district, town, or city. This tool provides insights into how much an area's property prices have risen or fallen over the past few years. For example, you can see that sold prices in Leeds, West Yorkshire, were 6% up from the previous year and 12% up from the 2020 peak of £229,265.

Market Trends and Indexes

Both Rightmove and Zoopla produce monthly house price indexes that showcase national and area trends. These indexes offer valuable guidance on overall market fluctuations. They provide context to understand why estate agents' valuations can vary from month to month, as they often align them with wider market trends.

Granular Property Details

Platforms like Homesearch and Street Insights offer more detailed data points for specific properties. You can access information such as Ordnance Survey plot data, square footage estimates, Google Street View, rental yields, Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), local school information, and much more. These websites provide a deeper understanding of the precise details related to a property, such as average broadband speed or flood risks.

Conclusion

Open-sourced data has revolutionised the property industry, empowering homeowners, buyers, and sellers with valuable insights. By utilising platforms like Rightmove, Zoopla, Homesearch, Street Insights, and the Land Registry, you can estimate property values, find comparable sales, track market fluctuations, and gain granular details on specific properties. This wealth of information helps you understand property values and compare properties in your neighbourhood. With these data points at your fingertips, you can make informed decisions and navigate the property market more effectively.

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