Free Online Property Valuation UK: How to Get a Realistic Number
Every UK seller starts with the same question: "what's my house actually worth?" Three free online tools plus 20 minutes of Land Registry research will get you closer to a realistic asking price than two agents through the door. Want a figure for your own home right now? Try our free house valuation tool, built from HM Land Registry sold prices.
Free tools worth using
- Rightmove Instant Valuation — uses asking prices and sold data in your postcode.
- Zoopla MyHome — produces a range based on sold comparables and current listings.
- Property Price Advice / Mouseprice — useful for a second opinion on the same data set.
Run all three. If the range overlaps, you have a defensible price band.
The single most accurate source: Land Registry
HM Land Registry publishes every completed UK sale, free, at landregistry.data.gov.uk. Filter your street, postcode and the last 6–12 months. Three genuine sold comparables beat any algorithm.
Why estate agent "free valuations" tend to be high
An agent's free valuation is a sales pitch, not an appraisal. Their incentive is to win your instruction — and the easiest way to win is to flatter the price. Industry data consistently shows that homes valued highest sell slowest and often need price reductions later.
How to triangulate a realistic asking price
- Pull 3 Rightmove instant valuations across postcodes that include your street.
- Pull 3 Land Registry sold comparables (similar bedrooms, condition, plot, postcode).
- Look at current local stock — what are similar homes listed at, and which have sold STC fastest?
- Set your asking price 2–4% above your target sale price to leave room to negotiate.
When you should still book a physical valuation
- Unusual properties (period, listed, non-standard construction)
- Plots with development potential
- Quiet markets with very few comparables
- Probate sales where you need a defensible figure for HMRC
From valuation to live listing
Want a starting figure for your own home? Get a free house valuation built from HM Land Registry sold prices. Once you have a defensible asking price, getting onto Rightmove is the next step. See our step-by-step private sale guide, or check OffAgent pricing to list directly. For the underlying methodology, see understanding property valuations and the wider case for data-led selling.
Bottom line
A "free online property valuation" should be a starting point, not the answer. Combine an instant tool with three Land Registry comparables and the current local listing landscape — you'll outprice 90% of sellers who relied on a single agent's flattering number.