Comparable Sales Worksheet
How to read comparable sales and price your property
Download PDF · 5 pagesA comparable sales analysis is how every realistic property valuation is built. This worksheet explains what makes a sale truly comparable, how to adjust for differences between properties, and includes a printable template you can fill out for your own home. Use it to read your agent’s appraisal critically and to set your own price expectations.
What makes a sale a true comparable
Not every recent sale in your suburb is a comparable. A genuine comparable matches your property closely on the features that drive value, and it sold recently enough to reflect current market conditions.
- Sold within the last six months, ideally within the last three months.
- Same suburb, ideally the same pocket within the suburb.
- Similar land size (within 15 percent).
- Similar internal floor area (within 15 percent).
- Same number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Similar property type: house with house, unit with unit, townhouse with townhouse.
- Similar age, style, and condition.
- Sold via a comparable method: an auction sale and a private treaty sale carry different signals.
Adjusting for differences
No two properties are identical. The skill is adjusting the comparable sale price up or down based on the differences between the comparable and your property.
- Land size: in Brisbane’s inner east, additional usable land carries a meaningful premium, particularly above 600 sqm. Adjust up or down based on the per-square-metre value of the land.
- Internal floor area: each additional bedroom or significant living area adds value. Quantify by looking at recent paired sales.
- Renovation level: an unrenovated comparable is worth less than a recently renovated one. The premium for a quality renovation is typically 5 to 15 percent in Brisbane inner east.
- Aspect and outlook: north-facing rear yards, river views, and elevated outlooks carry premiums. Confirm in person, not from photos.
- Position within the suburb: streets nearer parks, schools, and cafe strips usually trade at a premium. Streets near busy roads or commercial areas trade lower.
- Style: original character (Queenslander, Federation, post-war) homes can carry a significant premium over equivalent newer properties.
- Land slope, easements, and flood overlay all materially affect value.
- Off-market sales should be treated cautiously. They often sell at a discount because the market did not see them.
How agents use comparables
A genuine appraisal is built from a small number of strong comparables, not a long list of loosely related sales.
- Three to six well-chosen comparables is typical.
- A range, not a single number. The range reflects uncertainty in any one comparable.
- Recent comparables weighted more heavily than older ones.
- Sales outside the suburb only used if there is genuine equivalence (e.g. similar streets across a suburb boundary).
- Adjustments documented and reasoned, not pulled from thin air.
- Currently listed properties are not comparables. They are competing supply, useful for context but not for pricing.
How to spot a weak appraisal
Some appraisals are designed to win the listing rather than to inform you accurately. The signs are recognisable.
- A single number with no range and no comparables shown.
- Comparables that are clearly different from your property in size, condition, or position, with no adjustment shown.
- Comparables more than 12 months old presented as current.
- A high price with no explanation of how it was derived.
- Reluctance to put the appraisal in writing.
- A price guide range that overlaps with your reserve, indicating the appraisal may have been inflated to win the listing.
Where to find recent sales data
You can verify your agent’s comparables by checking sales data yourself.
- realestate.com.au sold listings: free, includes most recent sales.
- Domain sold listings: free, often includes additional photographs.
- CoreLogic property reports: paid, the most comprehensive data source agents use.
- PriceFinder: paid, popular among agents and valuers.
- Onthehouse.com.au: free, includes some sales data.
- Drive past comparable properties to verify aspect, position, and obvious differences from your home.
Comparable Sales Worksheet
Print this template and fill in three to six comparables. Use the rightmost column to summarise the implied value range for your home.
- Address: street and suburb only, not the full address if privacy is a concern.
- Sale price: the actual sale price, not the listing price.
- Date sold: more recent sales weighted more heavily.
- Land and internal area: source from realestate.com.au, Domain, or your own research.
- Bed/Bath/Car: standard property descriptors.
- Method: auction, private treaty, EOI, or off-market.
- Notes: condition, position, aspect, anything notable.
- Adjusted to my home: your estimate of what this comparable would have sold for if it were your property. Document your reasoning.
| Address | Sale price | Date sold | Land (sqm) | Internal (sqm) | Bed / Bath / Car | Method | Notes | Adjusted to my home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
My estimated value range
After completing the worksheet, summarise your range here.
- Lowest adjusted comparable: $___________
- Highest adjusted comparable: $___________
- My implied value range: $___________ to $___________
- Most likely value (mid-point or weighted): $___________
- Confidence (low, moderate, or high) based on how closely the comparables match my property.
A good comparable sales analysis takes an afternoon. The clarity it gives you is worth that time many times over, both in choosing an agent and in pricing your property.
Take this with you.
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