ARV Calculator
Estimate what a house will sell for once it's renovated. Enter your finished house and up to six recent sales of similar homes nearby (comps). The calculator adjusts each one to match your house, then shows your ARV.
How to estimate ARV from comps
ARV comes from what similar renovated homes nearby have sold for. Here's the short version. Our full ARV guide covers the method in depth.
Pick at least 3 sold comps
Choose recent sales nearby with a similar size, layout and age to your house after renovation. Within about a mile and 6 months is a common starting point.
Adjust each comp to match
Add or subtract value for differences in size, bedrooms, bathrooms and condition. Use figures from your local market where you can.
Weight the closest matches
Comps that needed the smallest adjustments are usually your best evidence, so give them more weight. A wide spread means you need better comps.
Worked example
An investor is renovating a house to 1,600 sq ft with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. They find three similar homes that sold nearby in the last four months and leave the monthly price change at 0%. The size adjustment works out at $80 a sq ft.
Comp 1 sold renovated for $335,000 at 1,650 sq ft. Take off $4,000 for being 50 sq ft bigger = $331,000
Comp 2 sold renovated for $318,000 at 1,500 sq ft. Add $8,000 for being 100 sq ft smaller = $326,000
Comp 3 sold livable but not updated for $299,000 at 1,580 sq ft with 1.5 baths. Add $17,940 for condition, $1,600 for size and $3,750 for the half bath = $322,290
Weighted 43%, 36% and 21% by how small each comp's adjustments were, the ARV comes to about $327,400.
Check: the comps sold for an average of $201 a sq ft. Multiplied by 1,600 sq ft, that's $322,278, within 2% of the ARV, so the comps agree closely. That shows the numbers are consistent. It doesn't prove the comps are right, so check each one against the house.
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Why adjusted comps beat a quick ARV formula
ARV Calculator
A dated 3-bed and a renovated 3-bed on the same street can sell for very different prices. Averaging their price per sq ft blends that gap into your ARV. Adjusting each comp to match your house first keeps it out.
Your lender will check it
Fix and flip lenders typically lend 70% to 75% of the appraised ARV, not your estimate. Building your ARV from adjusted comps is closer to how an appraiser looks at the house, so there are fewer surprises when the appraisal comes back.
Why use our ARV calculator?
- Adjusts every comp for size, beds, baths and condition, plus sale date if you enter one
- Counts the closest matches for more
- Flags comps that are far away, sold long ago, need big adjustments or repeat another comp
- Shows the range your adjusted comps cover, with a price per sq ft cross-check
- Sends your ARV straight into our fix and flip calculator
FAQs
How many comps do I need for an ARV estimate?
Use at least three. Mortgage appraisals usually compare at least three recent sales. More comps help only when they're similar to your house: a few close matches tell you more than many loose ones. The calculator shows Limited evidence with one comp and asks you to review your comps when you have fewer than three.
How far away and how old can comps be?
Within about 1 mile and the last 6 months is a common starting point, not a fixed rule. In rural areas or slow markets, an older or further sale can be better evidence if nothing nearer is similar. The calculator flags comps outside those limits so you can check them, but it still uses them. If prices in your area have moved, you can enter a monthly price change to bring older sales up to today's prices.
How much is an extra bedroom or bathroom worth?
It depends on the market. The calculator starts at $10,000 a bedroom and $7,500 a bathroom as illustrative assumptions, and you can change both. Recent local sales or a local agent are the best guide. If an extra bedroom also adds square feet, lower the bedroom value so you don't count the same space twice.
Will my lender use my ARV?
No. Lenders order their own appraisal or broker price opinion and lend against that figure, often 70% to 75% of it for a fix and flip loan. If the appraisal comes in lower than your estimate, your loan shrinks and you need more cash, so leave room in your numbers.
What should I do if my comps don't agree?
A wide spread usually means one or more comps isn't a close match. Check for differences the adjustments don't capture, like a pool, a busy road or a much bigger lot, and swap in better comps. Until they agree, treat the ARV as a rough guide and plan around the low end of the range.