Selling in Lower Hutt: straight answers
What is my house worth in Lower Hutt?
Your house is worth what a buyer will pay for it in today's market, and the most reliable guide to that is what similar homes nearby have sold for recently. A free appraisal from Rupert gives you a written price range backed by those sales, with no obligation to sell.
What sets the value
Location first: the street, the suburb, the schools and how close it is to the train or the beach. Then the land, the size and layout of the house, its condition, and the things buyers pay more for, such as sun, views, parking and a second living area.
Online estimates
Sites such as homes.co.nz and OneRoof give an automatic estimate from past sales. They are a useful starting point, but they can't see inside your home, so they miss a new kitchen, a renovation or a problem that needs fixing.
Rating valuation
Hutt City Council's rating valuation is used to set your rates and is updated every three years. It is a mass valuation done without visiting most homes, so it is rarely what a buyer will pay on the day.
An agent's appraisal
When you list with a licensed agent, they must give you a written appraisal that refers to recent comparable sales. Rupert does this at your place: he walks through the home, shows you the sales he is comparing it with, and gives you a price range and his honest view of it.
With 253 properties sold with Ray White and 19 years in the Hutt, he knows the streets and the buyers. You can see where he has sold on the results page.
A registered valuation
A registered valuer gives an independent valuation, usually for a bank, a family matter or a property that is hard to compare. It costs a fee, and for most sales an agent's appraisal backed by recent sales is what you need.
