How to Value a Property

​One of the biggest mistakes new property buyers make is not understanding how much a property is actually worth. This is common with inexperienced buyers who have trouble purchasing a property at auction.
 
The auction process is not always easy to navigate, which is why it’s important to find out how you can quickly and easily get a better understanding of what a property’s true value actually is.
 
Ask An Agent
Sales agents are at the coalface of the property market. They are normally very approachable people who are prepared to take the time to discuss property in their local area. If you’re interested in purchasing a certain property, it’s possible to contact a number of local agents and get their opinion on what it might be worth.
 
Agents know what types of property are currently in high demand, as well as what has recently sold and for how much. They can be a very valuable tool in getting a clear understanding of what your property (or one you want to purchase) might be worth.
 
Online Tools
These days there are a host of free online tools that can value a property. It’s simply a matter of entering the address and the algorithm will give you a quick idea of what a property is likely to be worth based on recent sales history. While this is not a perfect valuation, it should give you some idea of what a property is worth because it does factor in what has been selling in the local area.
 
Hire A Valuer
If you want a very accurate idea of a property’s true value, you can hire a professional valuer. Many buyers choose to do this as a lender will require a valuation before approving a home loan. While a lender may not accept your independent valuation, it will give you an accurate idea of what a property is worth and if you can afford it.
 
Comparable Sales
The vast majority of valuers in Australia price a property based on comparable sales. Comparable sales are simply sales of similar properties that have occurred in the past few months.
 
The good thing these days is that much of the sales data is available for free online, and you can use those figures independently to come up with a rough valuation. The most effective way to do this is to go to a listing portal that provides recent sales data and find all the properties in the same suburb that have occurred in the past three to six months.
 
From there, you can narrow that list down to properties that match yours in terms of the dwelling type, age, condition, and land component. At this point you can see the sales of properties very similar to your own. This will give you a good idea of what the property might be worth.
 
If there is a property that has sold that is very similar to your property of interest, you can take this one step further and contact the sales agent to get an idea of how the property sold. Ask them how many people viewed the property and how many offers were made. If the property sold at auction, see if you can get any insight into the number of bidders and how it went.
 
The more information you have the better, as this will help you make the most informed decision about your own property, or one that you’re looking at buying.

​See your home loan options in less than 5 minutes