My neighbour sold for more. Is my house worth the same?

Why can two homes on the same street sell for such different prices?

Because similar on paper rarely means identical in person. A refurbished kitchen, a loft conversion, a bigger garden, off-street parking, or simply being the end-of-terrace rather than the mid-terrace can move the price by a wide margin. The month it sold matters too. A sale agreed last autumn reflects a different market from one agreed today.

ValuQ's own analysis of sold prices has found homes that look identical on paper selling thousands of pounds apart. The headline figure your neighbour got tells you the street is desirable. It does not tell you what a buyer will pay for your specific home in this month's market.

What does a neighbour's sale actually tell me?

• That buyers are active on your street, which is genuinely good news.
• A rough ceiling and floor for the area, once you adjust for the differences between the homes.
• What kind of buyer the street attracts, whether first-timers, families or downsizers.
• It does not tell you your home's exact value, the condition theirs sold in, or what was negotiated off the asking price.

How do I find out what my home is really worth?

1. 1. Pull the real sold prices, not asking prices

   Look up what has actually completed near you on the HM Land Registry record or a sold-price tracker. Sold prices are the real benchmark. Asking prices are hopes.

2. 2. Find true like-for-like

   Match on size, type, condition and date sold, not just street. Three or four genuine comparables beat one eye-catching headline.

3. 3. Adjust honestly for the differences

   Add for what your home has that theirs did not, and subtract for what it lacks. Be as honest as a buyer will be when they view.

4. 4. Get more than one agent's valuation

   Ask several local agents what they would list at and why. One high number is a sales pitch. A pattern across several is a signal.

5. 5. Compare those opinions side by side

   Line the valuations up against each other and against the sold data before you commit to any agent or any asking price.

How do I stay in control while I work it out?

Treat every single figure, your neighbour's included, as one input rather than the answer. The seller who looks at several sold prices and several agent opinions prices with confidence, and is far harder to talk up or down later.

ValuQ is a UK platform that gives homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, so you can see what more than one professional thinks your home is worth on one screen, then decide. Comparing before you commit is how you turn a neighbour's headline price into a sensible figure for your own home.