Selling a house in Derry: the pre-sale valuation checklist

Give each agent the same starting facts

The most useful preparation is a short, accurate property brief. Write down the address, property type, rooms as currently used, outside space, parking and any known repairs. Keep measured facts separate from estimates. If you have a floor plan, note who prepared it and when.

Use the same brief at each appointment so differences in advice are easier to examine. A larger figure is not automatically a better valuation, and a lower one is not automatically more realistic. Ask what evidence and assumptions sit behind each range.

Put changes and unresolved issues in one folder

List significant alterations with their dates and the records you actually have: specifications, invoices, relevant consents, completion documents and guarantees. Do not label work “fully approved” simply because an installer completed it. Missing paperwork is a question to resolve, not something to cover with confident wording.

Add a separate list of known issues and any professional reports or repair quotations. An agent can respond more usefully to “this report identified this issue” than to an unexplained adjustment you have made to a house-price calculator. Ask your solicitor about the documents needed for the sale.

Have the energy information ready

Find the property’s EPC and check the address and assessment date. nidirect explains that EPCs are needed when a property is marketed for sale and are normally valid for ten years. Check the current requirements and any property-specific questions with an accredited assessor or the council.

Keep subsequent improvement evidence separately rather than editing or reinterpreting the certificate yourself. A heating invoice or insulation document can help explain what changed after an assessment; it is not a replacement EPC.

Ask these questions at the appointment

Which properties are the closest comparisons, and why? Are the figures asking prices, agreed figures or completed-sale evidence? When were they recorded? What important differences have you allowed for? Ask for the explanation in a form you can refer back to after the visit.

Separate the suggested marketing price from the likely outcome range and the agent’s plan if enquiries are weak. Ask what would cause the advice to change. There is no need to demand a guarantee: the useful output is a reasoned recommendation with its uncertainties visible.

Use a simple comparison sheet afterwards

For each agent, record the date, suggested launch price, expected range, comparable properties, recommended preparation and review plan. Put fees and contractual questions in separate columns so they do not get lost inside the price discussion.

Write one follow-up question where two opinions differ materially. For example: “You both saw the same extension documents; which comparison explains the difference in your ranges?” This is more productive than asking the lower figure to match the higher one.

An online guide can be an early reference point, but it is not a formal RICS, mortgage, tax or legal valuation. Use the appropriate qualified professional when the purpose requires one.

Read how our online guide range is prepared before comparing it with an in-person appraisal.