"How much is my house worth?" is the single most-googled UK property question, and almost every site that answers it lies to you. Here is how to get an honest answer using the same public data your surveyor uses — and what to do with the answer.
The 30-second version
- Type your postcode into the free Sold Prices tool.
- Look at the typical price (the median) for your bedrooms and property type.
- Adjust ±10% for condition.
- That is your honest open-market range — no signup, no email wall, no fake valuation.
That is it. The rest of this guide explains why every other method is worse, and what to do once you have the number.
Why "instant online valuations" are nearly always wrong
Sites like Zoopla, Rightmove and Purplebricks publish "estimated values" using automated online valuation systems. These systems feed millions of variables through a model trained on recent sales. They are reasonable for a typical 3-bed semi in a homogeneous area. They are terrible for:
- Anything atypical — extensions, conversions, end-of-terraces, basement flats
- Older stock — Edwardian terraces with original features vs. modernised
- Properties needing work — online valuations assume average condition
- Recently developed areas — not enough comparables
- Rural / unique — bungalows, mews, period cottages
The result is that an online valuation might tell you your home is worth £450,000, while three local agents value it at £380k, £410k, and £495k. Which is right? Real recent sold prices in your street — that is the only data point that is actually evidence.
Step 1 — pull real sold prices for your postcode
Type your postcode into our Sold Prices tool. We query HM Land Registry's open data and show you:
- Typical sale price (the median — half above, half below) for the postcode area (e.g. B17) over the last 24 months
- Middle 80% range — lower-end and upper-end cutoffs (the realistic spread)
- Sample size — how many actual transactions
- Breakdown by property type — detached, semi, terrace, flat
- Trend line by quarter, so you can see if your area is rising or flat
Pick the typical price for your property type as your starting point.
Try the calculator
Sold prices
Step 2 — adjust for your specific property
The typical price is for "average" stock. Adjust based on:
| Factor | Adjustment | | --- | --- | | Move-in ready, modernised | +5% to +10% | | Some work needed (kitchen/bathroom dated) | −5% to −10% | | Major refurbishment required | −15% to −25% | | Extended (e.g. loft conversion adding a bedroom) | +£15k–£40k | | EPC band F or G | −5% to −12% (mortgage restrictions) | | Sub-leasehold (under 80 years) | −10% to −30% (significant) | | End-of-terrace vs mid-terrace | +£5k–£15k | | Off-street parking in urban area | +£5k–£20k |
Apply the adjustments to your starting typical price. That gives you a realistic open-market value range.
Step 3 — decide what to do with the number
Knowing the open-market value is only half the answer. The other half is "what would I actually net, and how fast?". Use our Sale Method Comparison tool to see the difference between:
| Route | Typical net | Time to completion | | --- | --- | --- | | Estate agent (open market) | 93–98% of value | 4–6 months | | Traditional auction | 94–100% | 28 days | | Cash buyer / WBAH | 70–80% | 7–21 days | | Modern Method of Auction | 92–96% | 56 days |
A £300,000 open-market value can net you anywhere from £210,000 (cash buyer) to £294,000 (auction with competitive bidding) depending on your route and the property's profile.
Try the calculator
Sale method comparison
What "worth" actually means
There are three different "worths" a property has at any time:
- Open-market value — what an estate agent would list it at and a typical buyer would pay after 4–6 months on the market.
- Speed value — what a cash buyer or auction will pay for the same property in 28 days.
- Reserve value — what an auctioneer would set as the floor below which the property would not sell.
These three can differ by 25%. None of them are "wrong". Each answers a different question.
If a relative asks what your house is worth, the answer is (1). If you need cash this month, the answer is (2). If you are deciding whether to take an offer, the answer is somewhere between (1) and (3).
Common questions
"Why doesn't Land Registry show my exact house?" It does, but only after a sale. Each sale on the open market is recorded; the records take 1–3 months to appear. So if your house hasn't sold in the last 5+ years, you won't find it specifically — but you'll find its neighbours.
"Are leaseholds and freeholds mixed in the data?" Yes. The data includes an ownership-type flag (freehold vs leasehold). Filter for freehold if you have one — leaseholds with short leases skew the typical price down.
"What about new builds?" Marked with a newBuild flag. Recent-developer-set prices skew the average up; exclude them when valuing an older home.
"Why is my postcode showing only a few sales?" Outward codes vary in size — some are dense (B17 has 250+ in a year), some sparse (rural areas may have under 20). For sparse postcodes, look at the wider postcode area (just B, not B17).
The honest summary
You don't need to pay anyone to know roughly what your home is worth. The Land Registry publishes every sold price in the UK for free. Our tool turns that into a clean typical price + range for your postcode. Adjust for your specific property's condition and ownership type (freehold/leasehold). That is your honest open-market value.
If you want a more confident number for a specific property, a local estate agent, auctioneer or RICS surveyor can refine the range with a physical inspection — and an auctioneer can also indicate a realistic reserve if you're weighing that route. Before you commit to any property, check what the public record says about it.