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Price and history

We show the same evidence a buying agent would check: real sales from HM Land Registry. If the asking price is fair, we say so. We never tell you to offer low just to try.

#Price evidence

We use the best evidence we can find, in this order, and say which one we used.

1. This home's last sale

If this home sold in the last 12 years, we bring that price up to today with the UK House Price Index for its council and type of home.

We tested this on 38,498 homes that sold twice. About 6 in 10 sold within 10% of the figure, and 3 in 4 within 15%; 1 in 6 were more than 20% off. It's most accurate for homes held 2 to 5 years. Homes resold within 2 years often had work done, so we say so. If the home looks extended or refurbished since, expect more than the figure, but in our test 4 in 10 homes still sold below it, so we don't call it a floor. New-build prices usually drop a little on resale, so we say that too.

2. Sales on the same street

Two or more sales of the same type of home on the same street in the last 3 years. For a flat, the same building. We show each sale with its month, price, size and price per square foot, and work out what that means for this home's size.

We only use homes within about a quarter bigger or smaller than this one. Much bigger or smaller ones, and ones with no public size, are listed but not used. We put a figure on the home only when at least 3 sales have a size; with fewer, we list them and look at similar-sized homes nearby instead. The figure is the middle of those sales, with a range of 15% either side (20% for detached houses): in our test, 7 in 10 sold within 15% of this kind of figure, but about 1 in 5 were more than 20% off; for detached houses half sold within 13% and about 3 in 10 were more than 20% off. When neither the street nor the postcode sector has enough similar-sized sales, we look outwards in rings (200 m, 400 m, 800 m, about a mile) until we have 8 similar-sized sales, going back up to 5 years or taking somewhat bigger or smaller homes if we must; the range and the accuracy line then say what we measured for that kind of figure (3 in 4 within 20%, 7 in 10 within 25%, or only 2 in 3 within 30%). A figure with no floor areas behind it is rougher still: only 4 in 10 sold within 15% of it, and 4 in 10 were more than 20% off; when it is the last resort for a home that does have a size, only 6 in 10 sold within 30% of it, and we say so. When this home's last sale and its street disagree, we lean towards its own sale and tell you why.

3. Similar-sized homes nearby

If there are no street sales with a size, we look at three or more sales of the same type, in the same postcode sector, in the last 2 years, about the same size as this home. Same figure and range as the street: the middle, 15% either side, and we say how often that held in our test.

4. Sales a little further out

If none of these exist, we look further out: sales of the same type with a size, from about 200 metres up to a mile away. That figure is rougher, and we say how rough, with how often homes sold inside its range in our test.

Recent sales take a few months to appear in Land Registry data. None of this sees the condition inside. It isn't a RICS valuation.

#Listing history

Each event in its own line, newest first: listed, reduced (from what, to what), sold.

• Free: how long it's been on the market this time, and every price cut.
• Paid: earlier listings, whether it was taken off and relisted, and what it last sold for.

If it was taken off and put back, we count the days from when this run started.

#Sold nearby

A chart of sales of the same type of home over 5 years. Sales on the same street are dark, nearby ones light, this home's own past sales blue, and today's asking price is the diamond. Tap a dot to see the address, month, price and size.

#The usual range

The shaded band on the price line is the usual range: in our test, that share of similar homes sold inside it, for example 7 in 10. A wider band means the evidence is thinner. If the asking price sits outside the band, on either side, it's worth asking the agent why before you offer.

#The deep dive

After a viewing, the deep dive uses the same price evidence and adds the condition from the photos. It starts by itself when someone scores the home 8 or more, or you can open it from Price on the home's Overview. It takes about 30 seconds, and you can leave the screen while it works.

#Condition

The deep dive reads the listing's photos and text and rates the home: recently renovated, well kept, dated in places, or needs full refurbishment. It gives a rough cost range for the work.

Each part, like the kitchen or windows, is marked: work needed now, within about 5 years, looks fine in the photos, or photos can't show this. Where photos can't tell, we say what to check at the viewing.

#Extension potential

For houses, we say whether a loft or rear extension looks possible and, in London, what neighbours have done. Flats need planning permission and the freeholder's consent, so we say that instead. The big figure is the total budget: the building work including VAT, plus drawings, a structural engineer, building control and party wall surveyors. The smaller line is the building work alone. London and the rest of the country have different prices. Planning fees aren't included.