Methodology
How DealSold calculates deal figures
Sourcers give us the inputs: the agreed price, the end value, the works, the rent and their evidence. DealSold calculates every output itself with one standard set of definitions, so two deals can be compared fairly and nobody can present a flattering number of their own. Each figure carries a label saying where it came from.
Where each number comes from
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Verified | Backed by a document we have checked, such as an offer acceptance or a memorandum of sale, or calculated by DealSold from other figures. |
| Third-party | From an independent source, such as HM Land Registry sold prices or a contractor's quote. |
| Sourcer-assessed | The sourcer's own estimate, with no independent evidence yet. Treat these with the most care. |
| AI-estimated | Read from the sourcer's spoken or written notes. Always confirmed by the sourcer before a deal goes live. |
| To verify | Evidence has been promised but not yet checked. |
The standard definitions
Costs common to every purchase
- Stamp duty at the England and Northern Ireland rates in force since 1 April 2025, including the 5% additional property surcharge for investors. The same calculation is in our calculator.
- Refurbishment includes a contingency, 10% unless the sourcer sets another figure.
- Finance cost is interest on the purchase loan for the holding period.
- Total cost is the price plus stamp duty, legal costs, the sourcing fee, refurbishment and finance cost.
Flips and development
- Net profit is the end value less total cost and selling costs.
- Return on cost is net profit divided by everything spent.
Buy to let, BRRR and HMO
- Gross yield is the annual rent divided by the value.
- Net income is the annual rent less 25% for running costs and less mortgage interest.
- Cash left in (BRRR) is the cash you put in, less what a refinance at the stated loan-to-value releases.
- Return on cash is net income divided by the cash left in the deal.
Rent to rent and serviced accommodation
- There is no purchase, so we show profit a month: income less running costs and the rent paid to the landlord, alongside the set-up cost.
The Deal Score
A score out of 100 that summarises how well evidenced and how robust a deal is. It is not a forecast of returns.
| Part | Weight | What it looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Value evidence | 35% | Whether the end value is backed by independent evidence and sold comparables. |
| Downside | 25% | The return on DealSold's definitions, less a penalty for optimistic assumptions. |
| Control | 20% | How firmly the sourcer holds the opportunity, whether there is a document and how long it lasts. |
| Financeability | 20% | Loan-to-value, lease length, EPC and planning evidence. |
A deal that loses money on these definitions cannot score above 40, however well evidenced it is. Alongside the score we show an optimism index, which counts the assumptions leaning the favourable way, such as an end value above the comparables, no refurbishment contingency, high borrowing or a rent with no evidence.
What we do not do
- We do not describe deals as guaranteed or risk-free, and we do not quote returns without the workings.
- We do not list pooled investments, loan notes or fixed-return schemes.
- We do not change a sourcer's evidence. If we disagree with a figure, the label says so.
Capital at risk. Property values and rents can go down as well as up. Past performance is not a guide to the future. These figures are calculations from the evidence provided, not financial advice. Get your own survey, legal advice and mortgage advice before you buy.