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In order to create an estimate for a home using My Estimator, you must be on a home details page. To find a home details page:
Once you are on the home details page, you can create an estimate by clicking the "Create an estimate" link under "Tools For You" on the left-hand side of the page.
Note: You do not need to provide all of the information in My Estimator tool. However, you should provide as much information as possible to get an accurate estimate.
Once you've reached the My Estimator worksheet, the first step is to review your home facts. If you already edited your home facts on your home details page, that information will be pre-filled here. If you did not do that yet, use this section to update facts about a home, but only if you think they are incorrect. (We get this information from public records and it could be outdated.) All done or no changes? Move on to the next section.
Note: If you add rooms and floors, but do not adjust the square footage, you might not see your value increase; in fact, it could decrease because it means you have very small rooms. Also, if your changes are notable, make sure that in the "Choose Comparable Homes" section you select comps consistent with these changes in order to get an accurate estimate.
Use this section to add information on remodeling/renovation projects to the home as well as other features. If you did the home improvement yourself, be sure to enter the value of what it would cost if a professional did it, since that is what the calculations are based on.To add a home improvement, use the "Feature type" dropdown list to select the type of improvement and enter a description, the date it was completed, and the total cost. The market value will appear in the "Market Value" box. Click "Add," and your improvement will be saved and your estimate will be updated. To enter another improvement, simply follow the same steps and click "Add."
Note: We licensed Remodeling Magazine's annual "Cost vs. Value Report" that breaks down resale value by geographic area and used that to calculate the market value of home improvements in a particular city. Also, we included industry accepted depreciation costs. Therefore, the "Market Value" field will not return an exact dollar-per-dollar figure for your improvement value. However, you can edit the field if you disagree. See home improvements with highest return value.
What about other features? If you select "Other" in the drop-down list, you can enter more subjective features, such as lush gardens, a workshop, built-in bookshelves, and other unique characteristics that add to a home's value, but are difficult to quantify. Conversely, if certain areas of the house are in need of repair, you can capture it here by entering a negative value (e.g., an old, leaky roof; exterior needs to be painted). Add a minus sign and the value of what you feel it would cost to repair these items in the "Cost" box.
Comparables, or comps, are recently sold, similar homes located near the address you're researching. Comps are generally considered the key to getting the fair market value of a home.
In this section, we have already selected and stack-ranked the best comps based on what we know about the home and those around it. However, using your first-hand knowledge of the home and neighborhood, you can further refine the value by selecting up to 10 homes from the list above the map. Just select the checkbox next to each comparable home. Remember: If you made significant changes in your home facts, try to select your own list of comps that most closely matches up with the changes you made.
Read more about what goes into selecting a good comp
This is the place for you to explain the changes you made to your home using My Estimator. Comments can help you justify your changes and help visitors to your home details page see information that may not have been covered elsewhere. If you choose to publish your estimate, your comments will appear on the My Estimate page and will be visible to everyone.
At this point, you probably have a different valuation than when you started. Take some time to review and adjust any information you entered, if needed.
If you're all done, click "Save."
Important note: You must be registered with Zillow® in order to save the estimate. If you don't have an account, you will be taken through the registration process. Once you're done, you will be taken back to the My Estimator worksheet.
Before you save your estimate, you may be asked if you're the owner of the home. If you are not the owner, you can still save your estimate and it will be visible only to you.
If you are the owner, you will have the option to "publish" your estimate. If you choose to publish your estimate, your estimate will be visible to everyone on your home's details page. In addition, updates to your home facts may affect your home's Zestimate® value. If you choose not to publish your estimate, it will only be visible to you, and your updates will not affect your Zestimate.
That's it! Next are some commonly asked questions about My Estimator.
Important note: You must be registered with the Zillow® service in order to save the estimate. If you don't have an account, you will be taken through the registration process. Once you're done, you will be taken back to the "Save My Estimate" page.
On the "Save My Estimate" page, you have the option to:
That's it! Next are some commonly asked questions about My Estimator.
Once you have claimed your home, you can make your estimate public in two ways:
You sure can! Just type in an address for any home in the search box. Once you get to the home details page, click "Create an estimate" in the tools section on the left side of the page. Or click "Save as favorite" to do it later. Since this is not your home, the estimate will be saved in your "My Zillow" account under Favorite Homes.
Updates to your home facts will be factored into your home’s Zestimate. However, your Zestimate may not change if the updates are not significant enough to impact the home’s value. Also, if your home has characteristics that are unique in your area, we may not be able to factor them into the valuation. If your Zestimate does change, it may take some time before it’s reflected on the site.
You must be signed in to your account in order to update your estimate. Once you are signed in, there are a couple of options:
When you update an estimate, you will be taken to the My Estimator tool. All of the information you previously entered will be pre-filled. Once you update the information, it will overwrite the old estimate and give you a new one.
You must be signed in to your account in order to delete. Once you are signed in, there are a couple of options:
Go to the home's details page and click "My Estimate" or "Owner's Estimate." This will take you to the saved estimate worksheet. Click the "Edit Estimate" button and edit your comment.
