Selling your home for exactly what YOU want is a snap, right? After all, you looked up what your neighbors were asking for their  homes. You know what you paid for it and what the value REALLY is… or do you? Before you go listing your Clearwater home, you better get a Realtor to evaluate it.

So why is your number most likely too high?

So many reasons! First, your emotional connection to your home will make you almost automatically value it too high. Your emotional attachment has no bearing on price. It can’t be quantified and added into the actual value. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can be objective. You have either good feelings about your home or bad, you don’t have objective ones.

Factors to consider when calculating price

As for what your neighbors listed their homes for, it has no bearing on the value of your home. Seems like it should, but there are too many other factors involved. Let’s list a few of them. Your homes may seem like they are the same size, but square footage of living space can be very different. Is their attic finished? Is yours? Is their garage a garage, or a finished rec room? Have they updated their home? Have you? What amenities do they have? Do they have a pool or spa? Granite counters? New appliances? All of these differences change the value of their home and yours.

What you paid versus current value

The amount you paid for your home also has no bearing on its current value. It certainly will help you figure out your equity, but the value then isn’t the value now. It could be lower or higher, depending on updates and how your area has bounced back from the real estate troubles of the last decade or so.

Call a Realtor

So how do you find out the actual value? Call a Realtor. They know how to value your home and get you the best price possible.