You've had an online valuation. Here's what it actually means.
Thank you for using our online valuation tool. It is a good first step, and a sensible way to get a rough sense of where your property might sit. But it helps to understand exactly what that figure is telling you, and what it is not.
How the figure is worked out
An online valuation is generated by an algorithm rather than a person. It works from data: recent sale prices in your postcode, the size and type of your property, the number of bedrooms, and general trends drawn from sources like the Land Registry. No one has actually looked at your home. It is a calculation based on averages, applied to your address.
That still makes it a useful starting figure, particularly if you are years away from moving and simply keeping half an eye on things. It was never designed to be an accurate valuation of your specific property.
What it cannot see
This is where the gap shows. An algorithm has no idea that you renovated the kitchen two years ago, converted the loft into a genuine fourth bedroom, replaced the boiler, or spent a decade getting the garden right. It cannot tell a well-maintained property from one that needs significant work, because both might sit at the same postcode with the same number of bedrooms.
It also misses the small things buyers notice the moment they walk in: the quality of the light, how the rooms connect, whether the layout actually works for modern living. Two houses that look identical on paper can be worth meaningfully different amounts once someone stands inside them.
Why two similar-looking homes can differ so much in value
People often compare their online valuation with a neighbour's recent sale and feel confused when the figures do not line up. Usually the explanation is straightforward: condition, improvements, aspect, parking, garden size, even which side of the street a property sits on, can all affect value in ways a general algorithm simply cannot account for.
What happens next
There is no obligation attached to an online valuation, and we will never chase you into a decision you are not ready for. If you would like something more accurate, with the reasoning behind it, a face-to-face valuation with your local associate is the natural next step, whenever suits you.
There is plenty more useful information to explore when you are ready for it: practical things to do before you sell, how to make sense of the local market, and how we approach valuations differently to an algorithm. No pressure, just things worth knowing while you weigh up your options.