Fix and Flip

ARV Calculator

Estimate after repair value from comp price per square foot, then screen the deal with an adjustable 70 percent rule. Enter a ZIP to prefill real local sold data.

Deal Inputs

Enter a ZIP to auto-fill local sold prices, then add your square footage

Start here: enter a ZIP code

We fill in the median sold $/sqft for this ZIP from real closings, so you do not have to know it.

Subject property

sqft
$/sqft

The ZIP fills this with the local median. Adjust it if you have a closer comp for your finished product.

Deal screen

$
%
$

What you would actually pay. Left blank the margin is measured at the max offer, which by construction is just the 30 percent the rule holds back. Type a real purchase price and the margin becomes deal-specific.

How this ARV calculator works

After repair value is what your property should sell for once the renovation is done. The fastest honest estimate is the price per square foot method: take what renovated comparable homes near you actually sold for per square foot, then multiply by your subject property square footage. This calculator adds two things most ARV tools skip: real local sold data by ZIP code from closings Resideline tracked, and an adjustable purchase rule so the max offer matches how you actually buy.

The formulas

  • ARV = Comp sold $/sqft times subject square footage
  • Max Offer = ARV times your rule percentage minus rehab budget
  • Margin at ARV = ARV minus your purchase price minus rehab budget, the cushion that pays your costs and profit. Leave the purchase price blank and it defaults to the max offer, in which case the margin is by construction exactly what the rule holds back (30 percent of ARV at a 70 percent rule). Type the price you would really pay and it becomes a per-deal number.

Where the ZIP prefill comes from

When you enter a ZIP code, the calculator prefills the median sold price per square foot from closed sales Resideline tracked in that ZIP over the last 6 months, and shows the median sold price plus the middle half of those sales. It is a sample of tracked closings, not a total market count, and a ZIP-wide median blends every condition and property type. Treat it as a starting anchor, then tighten the $/sqft using comps that match your finished product.

A quick screen, not an appraisal

The $/sqft method is a screening tool. Two houses with identical square footage can sell 100,000 dollars apart on lot, layout, school zone, and finish level. Before you write an offer, confirm the ARV with recently sold comps in similar post-rehab condition and adjust for the differences. That comp selection and adjustment work is exactly what a full Resideline property report automates.

Frequently asked questions

What is ARV in real estate?

ARV stands for after repair value. It is what a property should sell for once the renovation is complete, based on what similar updated homes nearby have actually sold for. Flippers and BRRRR investors work backward from the ARV to decide the most they can pay today, so an honest ARV is the single most important number in the deal.

How is ARV calculated?

The standard shortcut is ARV equals the price per square foot of comparable sold homes multiplied by your subject property square footage. If renovated comps sell for 250 dollars per square foot and your house is 1,400 square feet, the quick ARV is 350,000 dollars. A real appraisal-grade ARV goes further: it uses recently sold comps in similar condition and adjusts for beds, baths, lot, and finish level, which is what a full Resideline report does.

What is the 70 percent rule?

The 70 percent rule says your maximum offer is 70 percent of the ARV minus the rehab budget. The 30 percent you hold back has to cover closing costs, holding costs, selling costs, and your profit. It is a screening tool, not a law: many investors use 75 or even 80 percent in competitive markets and lower percentages on riskier projects, so this calculator lets you adjust it.

Related calculators

A ZIP-level median gets you in the neighborhood, real comps close the deal. Resideline analyzes any real US address with actual comparable sales, condition adjustments, and rehab pricing. Your first 3 reports are free.

Watch: determine your max offer

Prefer reading? Read the full lesson