How To Determine Home Value?

By
Hannah Griffith
|
7 min read
|
August 22, 2022

Have you thought about selling or buying property but do not know where to start or how to find the value of a property? Perhaps you do not even know what a reasonable price is. If you are wondering about how to determine home value, then you know that the true worth of your property will be revealed only when you sell it.
On the other hand, if you are only looking for a ballpark figure, you can easily determine the home value. So, without further ado, let's dive right into it and help you understand how to determine the worth of your property. 

Why Do You Need To Estimate Home Value?

A home value estimate may be required in a wide range of situations. Especially during an inheritance, a divorce, before filing a tax return, or even before selling a house, it is important to conduct these checks.
The value of your home is determined by using objective criteria for determining its market value. Criteria about the market conditions at a given time, the market value of a property is the price that can be obtained after the sale. A similar property offered for sale at the same time is considered when calculating this price. It would help if you displayed a price comparable to other properties on the local market.
By doing this, you can sell your home more quickly and limit the time the buyer has to negotiate. Too low a price can cause buyers to distrust you and cost you some money. A price that is too high greatly reduces the number of visits and generally leads to many negotiations.
You must therefore estimate your house as accurately as possible if you want to sell your property quickly and effectively.

How to Determine the Value of a Home or Property?

To determine the value of your home, you need to consider a couple of factors. This means you analyze the vicinity's location, size, and properties. You also need to evaluate the conditions of the current real estate market. 
Remember, the most accurate calculation, closest to the nearest hundred, is possible if you first take the average worth of the properties sold in the area. Next, you can use it as a fair cash value, and you are good to go. However, this is just one of the several ways to estimate land value. 

What Does a Property Value Estimate Entail?

The value of the property is its complete worth in monetary terms. It considers the significance of the property itself, as well as any enhancements or changes made to it. 
Remember that this figure is not the same as site value, which is simply the fair value of your land. It reports only that figure of land without any mortgages, rentals, or anything else which may impact its value. Landowners use land value to determine how feasible it is to sell, build on, or charge for it.

Several Methods How To Determine The Value Of Your Home

Below are a couple of ways to find what your home is worth.

1. Utilize a home value estimator

The home value calculator is an effective way of finding the approximate worth of your home. It enables you, as a developer or landowner agent, to analyze the value of land and use cost factors to have a broad understanding of the subject matter. It also helps you assess whether it is feasible to build one or multiple properties on a piece of land or sell it off. 
But remember that the estimator will not calculate the home value for you. It will only give you a quick appraisal of the worth of the development site. It is an excellent way to establish affordability before making a beneficial decision. 

2.  Opt for an appraisal

To carry out a successful appraisal and answer the question 'what is my home worth?' you must do considerable research. The first thing to do is to find a qualified professional, which can be done by searching online. For greater authenticity, you can opt to ask for a referral from a real estate agent or the bank. 

3.  Use a local home's value of the property for estimates

It is one of the simplest methods to help estimate home value and be on your merry way to making the best decision. You need to start this process by searching for other lots for sale in your area.
Feel free to search online or on a dedicated website that allows you to determine home value. Ensure that the lots you scrutinize are based in the same geographic area. The smart thing to do in such a case is, to begin with, a small radius and move out only if there are no similar properties around. 
If you reside in an urban locality, your search can be limited to properties situated within a half mile of the land. For properties located in the suburban area, you can use a radius of one mile and five miles for rural areas. 
In case you do not want to carry out the leg work, you can always visit the office of your local land assessor and find prices paid for comparable properties. 

Factors That Influence Land or Home Value

1. Borrowing capacity

One of the main factors that influence the land value estimate is whether prospective buyers can borrow the necessary capital. It is therefore imperative to pay attention to interest rates. A rising price will result in fewer budgets available for prospective buyers.
Real estate markets are also affected by banks' extreme attitudes. The ability to borrow money is becoming increasingly difficult, and prospective buyers must take out larger loans.

2. Energy certificates and the price of energy

The energy efficiency of a home is also evaluated today. Energy performance certificates (PEBs) have been introduced to determine eco-efficiency. It will be more difficult for houses whose results are not good to find a buyer, so the price will need to be lowered.

3. Consumer Trust

It is also important for consumers to feel confident about our country's economic future. It is common for potential buyers and sellers to wait until consumer confidence increases before making a purchase decision. The stock market also influences the real estate market. Investors often look to the real estate market for an alternative investment during market malaise, investing in small buildings or individual entities.

The Bottom Line on How to Determine Home Value

  • Determining the value of your home irrespective of the purpose you are evaluating it for is essential. Whether you are thinking of selling your land, buying a property, or building on it, you need to be aware of the various methods to analyze the worth of the land in question. 
    Calculating land rental value or overall worth for tax purposes can be tricky, but the process will become easier the more you familiarize yourself with it. You can always opt for a home value estimator to streamline the calculations or hire a professional appraiser to do it for you.
  • Conclusion: In addition, it is not difficult to find estimates of comparable land and make appropriate assumptions based on that number. Remember that these methods will not provide you with an accurate number but rather the approximate worth of your land. Good luck!