What Your Western New York Home Is Worth, and How I Work It Out
A range before I see the home and a price after I walk it, built from comparable sales in your school district.
Why a number from a website is not the answer
An online estimate is built from public records and recent sales. It cannot see the condition of your kitchen, the work you have done or the home down the street that just went under contract. It also cannot tell you what a sale does for the next step in your plan, which is usually what you actually want to know.
The number you want is the one a buyer will pay, on a timeline that works for you. That takes an evaluation of your home, the homes competing with it and your date.
Map out your next move before you need to make it.
What affects value that a website cannot see
The condition of the kitchen and the bathrooms, the updates and repairs you have done, the layout, the lot and what the competing homes offer all move value, and none of them shows up in a database. The timing of the listing matters too, because buyers compare what is available when you list.
I walk the home with you, note what a buyer will see, and say what it means for the number. Some of it you can change before you list, and some of it is simply the home.
How I build the number
I choose comparable sales that actually compare to your home: the right part of town, the right school district, similar homes and recent sales. When we meet, I show you exactly which sales I used and why, so you can see the thinking.
If too few sales truly compare, I tell you, and I label any sale that is a stretch as a bracket and not a direct comparison. I also look at the homes competing with yours right now, because buyers compare what is available today and not what sold last year.
She was very knowledgeable and came very prepared to discuss my options for selling my home.
A range before I see it, a price after
Before I have walked your home, I can give you a range that depends on its condition. A home that has been kept up and updated lands in one part of the range, and a home that needs work lands in another. The range is clear about what I cannot know from a distance.
After I walk the home, I recommend a price and show you three ways to price it. Plan A lists at the top of the range, Plan B lists where the comparable sales point, and Plan C lists below the range to create competition. I recommend one and explain why, and the decision is yours. The three plans are explained in my pricing steps.
A valuation is not an appraisal
An appraisal is a lender's tool, ordered to support a loan on a purchase that is already under contract. A valuation from me is a decision tool for you, before you list. It tells you what your home is likely to bring, what it costs to wait and whether the sale does what you need it to do for your next home. It is built to answer your questions, not a lender's.
Sometimes the answer is that it is not the right time, and I would rather tell you that than list a home that should not be listed. If you are ready to see where your home lands, talk with me about your home. You can also read how I plan a sale from start to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you decide which sales to compare my home with?
I choose sales in the right part of town and the right school district, for similar homes sold recently. When we meet, I show you exactly which sales I used and why.
Can you tell me what my home is worth without seeing it?
I can give you a range that depends on its condition. After I walk the home, I recommend a price and show you three ways to price it.
Why is my home worth less than the online estimate?
An online estimate cannot see condition or the work you have done, and it cannot see the homes competing with yours today. Those are often the biggest differences. I show you the comparison so you can see where the gap comes from.
Do I have to list after I get a valuation?
No. A valuation is a decision tool. It shows you what your home is likely to bring and what the sale does for your next step, and the decision to sell is yours.
Home Value by neighborhood
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