How much is my house worth? (And why the websites disagree)
Three free estimate sites, three numbers, sometimes $200k apart. Here's what they're doing and how to get past it.
What the free estimates actually are
Automated valuation models (AVMs) regress your home against recent sales using what's on file: floor area, land, bedrooms, last sale price. They're genuinely useful for the middle of the bell curve — tidy, typical houses in high-turnover suburbs — and systematically wrong at the edges: renovated homes, cross-leases, sleepouts, views, main-road positions, anything the data file can't see.
Why they disagree
Each model picks different comparables, weights recency differently, and anchors on your last sale differently. A house bought cheap in 2015 drags one model down; a neighbour's outlier sale drags another up. The disagreement isn't noise to average away — it's a signal that your property has features the models can't price.
What actually moves your number
Sold comparables (not asking prices) within a few hundred metres and months; condition and renovations the file doesn't know about; title type — freehold vs cross-lease can be a six-figure gap; and the buyer pool your specific property attracts. A valuation that doesn't adjust for these isn't valuing your house, it's valuing the average of your street.
Getting a range you can act on
For listing, refinancing or an offer, you want a low–mid–high range built from sold evidence with explicit adjustments — and honesty about confidence when comparables are thin. That's exactly what NZ Property Evaluator produces: it searches live comparables, prices in what you tell it about condition and title, and grades its own confidence. First appraisal free.
Want a real range for your place?
Live sold comparables, explicit adjustments for your renovations and title, a graded confidence level and a rent range — in about a minute. First appraisal free.
Get my free appraisal →FAQ
Are bank valuations different from online estimates?
Banks often start with the same AVMs, then order a registered valuation when risk warrants. A registered valuation ($800–$1,200) remains the gold standard when a bank or court needs a defendable number.
Why is my rating valuation (CV/RV) so different?
Council valuations are mass-produced for rates, often years old, and never inspected your kitchen. They're a tax base, not a price.
What will my appraisal include?
A low–mid–high range, the sold comparables it's built on, explicit adjustments for your property's specifics, a confidence grade, and an indicative rent range. First one free.
General information, not legal advice for your specific situation.
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