Halifax describes the current housing market as resilient, while Rightmove states that activity overall remains surprisingly confident despite uncertainty around global events and rising costs for many households.
But new research from property portals suggests sellers may need to rethink their pricing expectations.
Buyer choice is currently at its highest level for this time of year since 2015, according to Rightmove, giving house hunters more bargaining power and making realistic pricing increasingly important.
Whether you’re planning to sell or simply want to see how your property’s value has changed over time, we’ve rounded up five ways to help you estimate what your home could be worth.
32% of homes for sale have been reduced
Research by two property portals suggests sellers who overprice their homes are increasingly being forced to cut asking prices to attract buyers.
Rightmove found that a third of existing homes for sale have had a price reduction.
But if you do drop the price, it typically takes much longer to find a buyer. The research found that homes without a price reduction find a buyer in just 36 days on average. For homes with a price drop, the average more than triples to 127 days.
Polly Ogden Duffy, of agent John D Wood & Co, said ‘Sellers often worry about underselling, but in reality it’s far easier to oversell a property than undersell it. If a home is priced too high, buyers will simply move on – and more often than not, it will end up needing a reduction later.’
Zoopla’s analysis of recent listings that sold and didn’t sell also found overpricing can reduce the chances of securing a buyer. It found that pricing a home 5% above the local market average cuts the odds of selling by around 5%, while pricing it 10% above the average cuts the odds by 10%.
The property portal surveyed 2,000 UK adults who listed their home but didn’t sell. It found that 34% admitted the price their home was listed at was, in hindsight, ‘too high’, despite having thought it was a ‘fair price’ at the outset.
Craig Webster, of Tiger Estates & Management, says: ‘While buyers are still active, the market is beginning to shift towards one where buyers have more choice, become more selective, and naturally have stronger negotiating power. As a result, realistic initial pricing strategy and proactive communication throughout the transaction process will become increasingly important for sellers and agents alike over the coming months.’
- Find out more: what’s happening to house prices?
What can impact your property’s value?
The most obvious factors that influence your home’s value are the size, type and location. For example, previous research from Santander found that living near a top school is worth an extra £21,000.
Some features of a home can add value. Estate agents we’ve spoke to have highlighted open-plan kitchen diners and upgrading single glazing to double glazing as improvements that can make a home more attractive to buyers.
Nationwide’s ‘What Adds Value’ report sheds light on further features that impact what homes are worth, although it does cite location as key to house values. Nationwide found that, on average, adding an extra bathroom increases the value by 4%, an extra bedroom increases the value by 13%, and an extension or loft conversion increases the value by 24%.
- Find out more: could Japanese knotweed affect your home’s value?
5 ways to estimate what your home is worth
With buyers becoming more selective, having a realistic idea of what your home is worth is increasingly important.
While no online tool can guarantee an exact valuation, there are several ways to build a clearer picture of what your property could realistically sell for.
1. Check Land Registry data for your area
A simple and easy way to estimate the value of your home is to check Land Registry data.
Its information is based on actual sale prices rather than asking prices. The data comes with a two-month lag, but still offers useful insight.
You can search by property type (for example, detached) and local authority to find the average sale price in the most recent month available (currently, March). Property prices will typically vary within local authorities, so this should just be used as a quick and rough estimate.
Search the Land Registry House Price Index.
2. Use the Land Registry’s ‘price paid’ tool
Another method for checking the value of your home using the Land Registry is its ‘price paid’ database. With this, you can search property sales in a more specific location, such as on your street or within your postcode area.
The caveat for this method is that the data can take a long time to update – sometimes more than a year – so this information should also only be used as a rough guide.
Land Registry ‘price paid’ tool.
3. Online valuations
A number of online property portals, including OnTheMarket, Rightmove and Zoopla, offer free online valuations, and some estate agents offer similar tools.
These provide a quick way to get a rough estimate of what your property could theoretically sell for, although the price bands shown can be large (for example, £150,000-£200,000).
4. Research local listings
To build a picture of your home’s potential value, you can search property portals to find the asking prices for similar properties in your area.
Asking prices are best used as a guide, as there’s no guarantee the seller will achieve the price they want. For example, Zoopla data shows that the average home sold for 3.5% below the asking price in the first three months of 2026. On average, this is equivalent to £18,800 below the original asking price.
Zoopla’s listings show how long a property has been on the market, and whether it has had its asking price reduced.
Rightmove doesn’t currently show price changes, but you can install the Google Chrome extension Property Log, which reveals the price history of properties.
5. Estate agent valuation
For the most accurate valuation, speak to local estate agents with experience selling similar properties in your area.
It’s a good idea to get quotes from at least three different agents, because some may inflate the value of your home to convince you to pick them to sell your property.
To find a trusted agent, it’s worth asking friends, family and neighbours for recommendations.
Our guides on finding the right estate agent and estate agent fees offer advice on comparing services.