Are you selling your home in St. Albans? If so, a property valuation will help you know its current market value. This vital piece of information is crucial when you put your home up for sale. In addition, a property valuation helps you determine a fair asking price - this is the best way to sell your property in a reasonable timeframe.
However, you may be wondering how the value of your house is calculated and how you can prepare for the property valuation to increase its value. This article answers all your questions on what happens at a property valuation.
What is a property valuation?
A property valuation assesses how much your house could sell for. Your property’s value depends on various factors, like other house prices in the area, sales prices, property size, condition, and location. You can make a property valuation appointment with us and one of our valuers will take around one hour to make an assessment.
How do agent valuations differ from surveyors and mortgage companies?
It can get confusing if you see a difference between a valuation figure from an estate agent, a house survey report, and a mortgage valuation.
A professional valuation from an estate agent is predominantly to estimate a fair price for selling your home. Whereas, a property surveyor inspects the property’s condition to look for potential structural and repair issues, which will affect value. Whilst a mortgage survey determines if the sale price reflects the property’s value as an asset.
Why property valuations are important
Getting a trusted estate agent that understands the St Albans marketplace to carry out your property valuation is vital. The most important reason is to determine a fair price for your home based on local demands and trends. You will scare off potential buyers if the listing price is too high. Too low, and you risk losing money on the sale.
Property valuations are crucial for another reason – to know how much you can afford for your next home.
How is a house valuation calculated?
An estate agent calculates the value of your house by comparing it with similar homes in the area. Therefore, current market conditions are the most significant aspect of property valuation. Other key features of a property valuation include the following:
- Location
- Proximity to amenities – schools, public transport, shops
- Size of the property
- The number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Extensions and quality of any renovations
- Signs of obvious defects
How to prepare for your property valuation?
Preparing your home before the estate agent arrives is a good idea. First, spring clean your home, declutter, and increase the sense of space. After all, you want to show off your home's available space. It’s also very beneficial to increase your property’s EPC rating.
Next, you should have all relevant documentation to hand – leasehold or freehold, building plans and utility bills.
You can also discuss with the agent your reasons for selling. For example, suppose you are looking to sell your St. Albans home fast. In that case, the estate agent can consider this in the valuation together with current market trends.
How to pick the right agent for property valuation in St. Albans
To pick the right estate agent, it’s a good idea to compare local estate agents. Look at facts and figures regarding how quickly they sell property, their fees, and if properties typically achieve the asking price.
Remember that valuing a property is not an exact science. And the valuation represents the agent’s opinion. However, an accurate valuation maximises the possibility of selling your home fast and for the right price.
For example, over the last 30 years, we have carried out thousands of valuations in St Albans and the local area and have helped thousands of people sell their homes. But don’t just take it from us, our customer testimonials speak for themselves.
Thinking of valuating your property?
If you’re thinking of selling or letting your property in St. Albans, get in touch with our expert estate agents team today. We have over 30 years of experience helping sellers and landlords find the perfect pricing for their properties. Submit a property valuation request or give us a call at (01727) 836561 today.