What Is My Home Really Worth in Today’s Market?

If you’ve typed your address into Google lately, you’ve probably been given a number that looks confident… and means very little.

Online estimates can be useful as a very rough guide, but they don’t understand your home, your street, or what buyers are actually doing right now. And in a market that moves quickly, “rough” can be tens of thousands of dollars off.

So how do you actually work out what your home is worth today?

Let’s break it down properly…

Why Online Estimates Are Often Wrong

Most online price tools rely on:

• Historical sales data

• Median suburb prices

• Broad algorithms

• Limited (or no) understanding of condition, layout, or upgrades

What they can’t see:

• Renovations or lack thereof

• Street appeal and orientation

• Floorplan functionality

• Views, privacy, neighbours, noise

• Buyer demand this month, not last year

Two homes on the same street can vary wildly in value and online tools don’t know which one buyers would fight over.

What Actually Determines Your Home’s Value

A proper market value is based on real buyer behaviour, not guesses.

Here’s what matters most:

1. Recent Comparable Sales

Sold results — ideally within the last 3–6 months — adjusted for:

• Size

• Condition

• Land

• Location

• Features

2. Current Buyer Demand

Are buyers lining up?
Are there multiple offers?
Is stock tight or creeping up?

Market sentiment can move faster than statistics.

3. Your Property’s Position in the Market

• Entry-level

• Family home

• Lifestyle property

• Premium / unique

Each segment behaves differently, even in the same suburb.

4. Presentation & Condition

Buyers pay a premium for homes they don’t need to “fix later”.
Sometimes $5,000 spent smartly can add $30,000+ in perceived value.

Sometimes spending $30,000 adds nothing.
(Yes, this hurts — but it’s true.)

5. Strategy Matters

How a property is priced and launched can change the final result, not just reflect it.

Pricing isn’t just a number — it’s a strategy.

Appraisal vs Valuation — What’s the Difference?

This trips a lot of people up.

Bank Valuation (Licenced Valuer)

• Conservative

• Designed to protect the lender

• Often lower than market value

Market Appraisal

• Based on buyer demand

• Current competition

• Designed to achieve the best possible price

Both have their place — but if you’re selling, market value is what matters.

Why Timing Can Change Your Result

Markets don’t move evenly.

Buyer activity changes based on:

• Time of year

• Interest rate sentiment

• Local supply

• Lifestyle cycles (especially coastal & South West areas)

Two identical homes sold six months apart can achieve very different prices.

So… What Is Your Home Worth?

The honest answer?

It depends — and anyone who gives you a figure without seeing your home, your street, and your local data is guessing.

A proper appraisal should:

• Be backed by real comparable sales

• Explain why the price range exists

• Include a recommended selling strategy

• Give you clarity, not pressure

Even if you’re:

• Not selling yet

• Just curious

• Planning 6–12 months ahead

Knowing where you stand gives you options. And options are power.

Thinking About Getting an Accurate Appraisal?

I offer no-pressure, data-backed appraisals focused on:

• Realistic pricing

• Smart strategy

• Clear next steps (even if selling isn’t right for you yet)

No inflated promises. No awkward follow-ups.

If you’d like to know what your home is really worth in today’s market, feel free to reach out or book a chat.

Worst case? You walk away informed.
Best case? You make a very smart move.