The Property Valuation; Comparison And Wider Market Factors
- By Thomas Pretty
- Published 02/23/2009
- Selling
- Unrated
Whenever selling home the contentious issue of value comes into the equation. While homeowners believe they have a decent idea of the worth of their house or flat, it is usually after only a professional property valuation that it is possible to understand the true price of a property. Often this valuation leaves homeowners with a bitter taste in their mouth, unable to understand why their property is not worth as much as they thought.
One of the greatest truisms with the property valuation is that the price of any home is defined by what a buyer is willing to pay for it; no other factors hold any credence in the process. For instance, homeowners should remember that the price of a property has nothing to do with the original price paid, how much has been invested in the home in terms of decoration or expansion, or what the seller would like to imagine their home is worth. By abandoning these misconceptions it is possible to gain a true understanding of how the property valuation process is conducted.
Ultimately the price of a property is determined by a number of factors; yes the buyer is instrumental in the eventual sale price but when valuing there are two rules that if followed will be able to give a general idea of value. Firstly the price at which similar properties have been sold for in the recent past will give an indication of value. Along the same lines, looking at the prices of similar properties being advertised will also help in evaluating a potential price.
Fundamentally the property valuation process requires an element of guesswork. An undeniable truth is that until the home is actually
sold nobody is able to determine an exact figure, as with any commodity purchase prices are affected by supply and demand.
Supply and demand is an ongoing truth in the world of property. For example, at the moment the property market is viewed as a buyer's market. Fundamentally this means in the present situation, where mortgages are hard to come by and as a result less buyers are on the market, the demand for property is less, understandably this means that sellers have to lower their prices in order to attract buyers, affecting valuation figures greatly.
This current situation is precisely the opposite of how the property market has been in recent years. Over the last decade sellers have been in the ascendancy, with many buyers flooding the market due to an ease of credit access. This meant they could charge larger amounts for their property and hence as a commodity the home was more profitable. Today this is not the situation and sellers are now having to work harder to sell their homes, meaning they must undertake tasteful decoration, and make the most of period features and floor space.
Hopefully this article has given a realistic impression of how property is not only valued but how prices are affected by economic and market fluctuations. For instance, the current credit crisis concerned with interbank lending has meant that mortgages, particularly for first time buyers are harder to come by. As first time buyers are essential to keep the property market healthy this situation needs a reversal for the commodity price to once again increase. With governments injecting finance into banks it is doubtless that the mortgage market will be freer once again, resulting in higher property prices and more buyers on the market.
One of the greatest truisms with the property valuation is that the price of any home is defined by what a buyer is willing to pay for it; no other factors hold any credence in the process. For instance, homeowners should remember that the price of a property has nothing to do with the original price paid, how much has been invested in the home in terms of decoration or expansion, or what the seller would like to imagine their home is worth. By abandoning these misconceptions it is possible to gain a true understanding of how the property valuation process is conducted.
Ultimately the price of a property is determined by a number of factors; yes the buyer is instrumental in the eventual sale price but when valuing there are two rules that if followed will be able to give a general idea of value. Firstly the price at which similar properties have been sold for in the recent past will give an indication of value. Along the same lines, looking at the prices of similar properties being advertised will also help in evaluating a potential price.
Fundamentally the property valuation process requires an element of guesswork. An undeniable truth is that until the home is actually
Supply and demand is an ongoing truth in the world of property. For example, at the moment the property market is viewed as a buyer's market. Fundamentally this means in the present situation, where mortgages are hard to come by and as a result less buyers are on the market, the demand for property is less, understandably this means that sellers have to lower their prices in order to attract buyers, affecting valuation figures greatly.
This current situation is precisely the opposite of how the property market has been in recent years. Over the last decade sellers have been in the ascendancy, with many buyers flooding the market due to an ease of credit access. This meant they could charge larger amounts for their property and hence as a commodity the home was more profitable. Today this is not the situation and sellers are now having to work harder to sell their homes, meaning they must undertake tasteful decoration, and make the most of period features and floor space.
Hopefully this article has given a realistic impression of how property is not only valued but how prices are affected by economic and market fluctuations. For instance, the current credit crisis concerned with interbank lending has meant that mortgages, particularly for first time buyers are harder to come by. As first time buyers are essential to keep the property market healthy this situation needs a reversal for the commodity price to once again increase. With governments injecting finance into banks it is doubtless that the mortgage market will be freer once again, resulting in higher property prices and more buyers on the market.
Thomas Pretty
Real estate expert Thomas Pretty studies how different factors affect the property valuation process and why estate agents with a good reputation should be used.
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