What is your property worth — and which valuation do you need?
Get a free instant estimate from real Land Registry sales, then see how every other kind of valuation works, what it costs and when it is worth paying for one.
Five kinds of property valuation
Which valuation, for which job
“Valuation” covers five quite different things. Picking the wrong one either costs money you did not need to spend or leaves you relying on a figure that was never meant for your purpose.
| Type | Who does it | Cost | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online estimate | A model built from recorded sale prices | Free | A quick, private first figure before you talk to anyone | It cannot see condition or improvements — read it as a range, and check how the site measures its accuracy |
| Estate agent market appraisal | A local agent, usually after a visit | Free | Choosing an asking price when you are ready to sell | The agent wants your instruction, so the figure can lean high. Ask for the comparable sales behind it |
| Mortgage valuation | A surveyor working for the lender | Often included in the mortgage; some lenders charge | Telling the lender the home is enough security for the loan | It protects the lender, not you, and is not an inspection of the building’s condition |
| RICS Registered Valuation | A RICS Registered Valuer, to the RICS “Red Book” standard | Paid — quoted per property | Probate and inheritance tax, divorce, shared-ownership staircasing, disputes | Use it whenever an independent figure has to stand up to scrutiny from HMRC, a court or the other party |
| Building survey (RICS Level 2 or 3) | A RICS surveyor who inspects the property | Paid — quoted per property | Finding defects before you commit to buying | A Level 2 report can include a valuation; a Level 3 is the most detailed survey of condition |
How accurate are online property valuations?
Most sites will not tell you. We measure ours: in June 2026 we valued 600 homes that had just sold, using only the data available before each sale, then compared each estimate with the price it actually achieved.
Typical error
11.8%
Within 10%
43.3%
Within 20%
73.8%
Inside our range
81.2%
“Typical error” is the median: half of the estimates were closer than this, half further away. Homes were valued from postcode and property type alone. No online estimate can see inside a home, which is why ours always comes with a range — and why an agent’s visit or a surveyor still matters when the figure has to be exact.
Average property values by region
From the official UK House Price Index for July 2026. An average across a region says little about one home — use it to sense the market, then value the property itself.
| Area | Average | Detached | Semi | Terraced | Flat | Last 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | £272,611 | £445k | £279k | £232k | £193k | +1.4% |
| England | £293,479 | £475k | £292k | £247k | £217k | +1.1% |
| London | £550,037 | £1,168k | £724k | £642k | £424k | -3.3% |
| South East | £380,878 | £688k | £416k | £326k | £208k | +0.2% |
| East of England | £337,518 | £524k | £352k | £289k | £190k | +0.5% |
| South West | £302,298 | £495k | £324k | £265k | £171k | -0.2% |
| West Midlands | £250,880 | £421k | £255k | £206k | £139k | +1.5% |
| East Midlands | £242,274 | £356k | £231k | £188k | £125k | +1.9% |
| North West | £221,445 | £391k | £244k | £179k | £141k | +4.4% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £209,116 | £348k | £216k | £170k | £128k | +3% |
| North East | £166,943 | £294k | £174k | £141k | £103k | +4.9% |
| Wales | £215,037 | £336k | £215k | £172k | £129k | +2.6% |
| Scotland | £196,349 | £363k | £225k | £183k | £137k | +2.3% |
| Northern Ireland | £202,487 | £313k | £204k | £146k | £148k | +9.2% |
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. UK House Price Index licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What changes a property’s value
The street, not just the town
Two roads a few hundred metres apart can differ by tens of thousands. That is why the best evidence is the same kind of home on the same street.
Size, but not in a straight line
Bigger homes cost less per square metre. A home 20% larger is typically worth around 14% more, not 20% — so a blanket “price per m²” misleads at both ends.
Condition and improvements
Extensions, loft conversions and a new kitchen add value no dataset can see until the home sells again. Tell a valuer about them.
Energy rating
A poor EPC band means higher bills for a buyer and, for a landlord, upgrade costs before letting.
Tenure and lease length
A leasehold flat with a short lease is harder to mortgage and worth less; extending the lease can restore value.
Timing
Prices move with the market. The official index below shows how much each region has moved over the last year.
Getting the most accurate figure for your home
- Start with what similar homes sold for. Look at the sold prices for the same type of home on your street and the roads around it.
- Get two or three agent appraisals. Ask each agent which sales their figure is based on, and be wary of the highest one if it has no evidence behind it.
- Tell an estimate what it cannot see. Your floor area, extensions and what you paid all sharpen the figure — our free estimate lets you add them.
- Check the home, not just the price. Our free property checker adds the EPC rating, flood risk, planning constraints and more.
Questions, answered