What will buyers actually pay for my home?

Last updated 26 October 2026

Four different numbers get confused with the price a buyer will pay. Only one of them tells you what a buyer is likely to pay.

The four numbers people mix up

• Asking price: what a seller hopes to get. It proves nothing about what buyers will pay.
• Municipal valuation (City of Cape Town General Valuation): set by the City for property rates. The City’s 2025 roll states values as at 1 July 2025 and uses them to calculate your rates. The City generates these values with a Computer-assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system, which values its 970,000 registered properties in a short time.
• The bank’s assessment: if a buyer uses a bond, the lender checks that the property supports the loan. Sellers usually do not see this figure.
• Sold price: what a buyer actually paid for a comparable home. This is the best evidence you have.

What decides your price

Buyers compare your home with similar homes they can also buy. The evidence that matters most is what comparable homes in your suburb have sold for, and how recently. After that come the things that set your home apart from those sales: size, condition, parking, security and location within the suburb. None of these carries a fixed rand amount, so be wary of anyone who gives you a single exact number on the phone.

How I work it out in a free property consultation

1. I look at recent sold prices for comparable homes near you (a comparative market analysis).
2. I see your home, so the numbers reflect its real condition and features.
3. I give you a realistic range and explain what is behind it, not just one number.
4. I show you what that range means after costs. How to calculate your net proceeds.

Only a registered professional valuer gives a formal valuation. I prepare a comparative market analysis.

Watch: the free consultation question

Video: “Free Property Consultation? Here’s What Most Estate Agents Don’t Tell You”.

Questions to ask any agent

• Which homes sold nearby, and for how much? Ask for sold prices, not listings.
• How recent are those sales, and how similar are the homes?
• What happens to the price if the home gets no offers?

Read next: Why overpricing is the most expensive mistake sellers make.

General information only. It is not a formal valuation, or financial, legal or tax advice. I do not recommend a specific bond originator or conveyancer; I facilitate introductions.