CompDesk › ARV Calculator
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ARV Calculator for house flippers
Enter the house you're buying and a few renovated homes that sold nearby. The calculator adjusts each sale to match your property, gives you an after-repair value, then applies the 70% rule to show your maximum offer.
Skip the typing. Enter an address and CompDesk pulls the sold comps nearby, scores how well each one matches, and works out ARV for you.
Your first lookup is free, with no account needed. A free account gets you 3 more.Calculate after-repair value
1 · Your property, after the rehab
2 · Renovated comps that sold recently
3 · Adjustments
A common starting point for the square-foot adjustment is 25–35% of the comps' price per square foot.
4 · Your offer
Typing comps in by hand? CompDesk finds the sold comps near any address, scores how well each one matches and works out ARV for you. Try a free lookup ↑
Estimates for investment analysis, not an appraisal. Confirm with a licensed agent or appraiser and a contractor walkthrough before you commit.
What is ARV?
After-repair value (ARV) is what a property should sell for once your planned renovation is finished. It's the number every other part of a flip depends on: how much you can offer, how much you can spend on repairs, how much a hard-money lender will loan, and what profit is left at the end.
ARV is not today's value. A dated house might be worth $180,000 as it stands and $285,000 after a full renovation. The gap between the two is the opportunity, and the repair budget, holding costs and selling costs all have to fit inside it.
How to calculate ARV
- Find renovated comps. Pull homes that sold in the last 6–12 months, ideally within half a mile to a mile, in the same neighborhood or school zone. Keep only the ones finished to the level you plan to renovate to.
- Match the basics. Similar size (within about 20%), age, style and lot. Skip outliers like distressed sales, family transfers and homes on busy roads unless your subject shares the same issue.
- Adjust each sale to your property. If a comp is smaller than your house, add value; if it's bigger, subtract. Do the same for bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Combine the adjusted prices. Average the adjusted sales, or lean on the closest matches. If the adjusted prices are far apart, find better comps before you trust the number.
ARV = average of the adjusted comp prices
Worked example
The house is a 1,500 sq ft, 3-bed, 2-bath. Using $55 per sq ft, $5,000 per bedroom and $4,000 per bathroom (the values already in the calculator above):
| Comp | Sold for | Size · beds · baths | Adjustments | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $285,000 | 1,450 sf · 3 · 2 | +50 sf × $55 = +$2,750 | $287,750 |
| B | $299,000 | 1,600 sf · 4 · 2 | −100 sf × $55 = −$5,500; one extra bedroom −$5,000 | $288,500 |
| C | $272,000 | 1,420 sf · 3 · 1 | +80 sf × $55 = +$4,400; one fewer bath +$4,000 | $280,400 |
The average of $287,750, $288,500 and $280,400 is an ARV of about $285,550. The adjusted sales sit within 3% of each other, which is a good sign the comps agree.
From ARV to your offer: the 70% rule
The 70% rule is a quick ceiling for what a flipper should pay. Take 70% of ARV and subtract the repair budget. The other 30% has to cover buying and selling costs, loan interest, insurance, taxes and utilities while you hold the property, and your profit.
With the example above: $285,550 × 70% = $199,885, minus a $45,000 rehab, gives a maximum offer of about $154,885. Investors often tighten the rule to 65% on cheaper houses, where fixed costs eat a bigger share, and loosen it to 75–80% on higher-priced homes or in competitive markets.
Common ARV mistakes
- Using unrenovated comps. A dated house that sold next door tells you the as-is value, not the after-repair value.
- Trusting a Zestimate or automated estimate as ARV. Automated values describe the house as it is today and blend homes of every condition.
- Using list prices instead of sale prices. Active and pending listings are useful context, but only closed sales prove what buyers paid.
- Reaching too far. A comp from a better school zone or a year-old market can be off by tens of thousands.
- Over-improving. ARV is capped by the neighborhood. Quartz and a spa bath won't push a house far above the best renovated sale on the street.
Skip the comp hunting
CompDesk looks up the property and nearby sales in one step, scores each comp against your house, maps them, and carries the ARV straight into a rehab budget, flip and BRRRR numbers, and a deal report you can send to a lender or partner.
ARV questions
What does ARV mean in real estate?
ARV stands for after-repair value: what a property should sell for once the planned renovation is finished. Flippers and lenders estimate it from recent sales of similar, already-renovated homes nearby.
How many comps do I need to calculate ARV?
Three is the usual minimum and four to six is better. Use renovated homes that sold in the last six to twelve months, within about half a mile to a mile, with similar size, age and style.
Is ARV the same as an appraisal?
No. ARV is an investor's estimate used to size an offer and a rehab budget. An appraisal is a licensed appraiser's opinion of value, usually ordered by a lender. Appraisers use a similar comparable-sales approach, so a careful ARV should land close.
What is the 70% rule?
The 70% rule says a flipper should pay no more than 70% of ARV minus repair costs. The 30% left covers holding costs, closing costs, agent fees and profit. Many investors use 65% to 75% depending on the market and price point.
Should I use the Zillow Zestimate or RentCast estimate as my ARV?
Not by itself. Automated estimates value the house as it is today, usually blending homes of every condition. ARV should come from renovated comps, adjusted to your subject property.