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How on earth do RM estimates work?

3 replies

Completeme · 13/10/2026 18:13

I live in a row of 4 houses. The houses were built in 1990 and are absolutely identical by floor plan. I bought this one in Sep 2024 for £530k. Two doors down bought in June 2024 for £540k. 3 months apart. Same postcodes.

As of today, RM says their house is now worth £545k (increase of 6%) and mine has dropped 5% to be worth £525k. How is this possible?

How do they work out their estimated valuations that two identical houses, next to each other, purchased 3 months apart are now £20k apart in valuation? I know it’s not exact and fairly crude but surely the same % rise or losses would apply.

OP posts:
Tortephant · 13/10/2026 18:21

I know it’s ridiculous! Similar here

housethatbuiltme · 24/10/2026 19:35

I don't put any stock in it.

My house is a big 4 bedroom was listed for £115,000 but we bought it for £105,000. Our offer was accepted on day 1 of the listing and it was in a 'doer up' condition. We have done a renovation to make it habitable (as the kitchen was not usable standard) and spent over £25k including roof, damp proofing, rewire, kitchen, adding a bathroom, landscaping and decoration though out. Bringing our total spend on the house £130,000.

My neighbors house went on the market about 5 months before ours for £150,000, as an average size 3 bedroom. The house is the same base layout but much smaller (as ours has triple extensions added, and has garages as it is on a much larger corner plot of the street). that house is more 'modern' so not a doer-up (as in it doesn't 'need' work doing but is dated to about 15 years ago). It eventually sold after a whole year on the market for £115,000.

The buyers had thought we had paid full asking price when they looked at recent sales for the area so offered the same but we actually paid 10k less and the sale prices hadn't updated as it takes like 6 months to become public.

Rightmove says theirs has gone up to £120,000 and ours is somehow gone down to... £88,000 (not hugely more than it sold for in 1990).

You can NOT get a 4 bed this size in livable condition (hell you would even struggle to find one that needs serious work) for £88,000 even here in the cheap northern pit villages, the idea is ridiculous and trust me we spent YEARS looking for a cheap 4 bed house. Rightmove just really doesn't have a clue.

Wistfultearia · 24/10/2026 20:07

The Rightmove valuations are random. I take no notice except to have a laugh sometimes.

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