Guide · updated August 2026
“But it cost £1,500!” Valuation is where divisions of household contents derail – because the family mixes up four completely different concepts of value. This guide sorts them out, gives typical second-hand values for common items, and explains when it is actually worth bringing in a professional appraiser.
| Concept | What it is | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Price as new | What the item cost in the shop | Nothing in a settlement – only nostalgia |
| Insurance value | What it costs to buy the equivalent new (replacement) | Contents insurance – never division |
| Second-hand value ✓ | What equivalent items actually sell for (eBay level) | Estates and break-ups |
| Appraisal | A professional's documented valuation | Art, antiques, jewellery and disputes |
The reason second-hand value is the norm: the division should balance in actual values – what someone could get by selling. If you use the price as new, the balance is systematically wrong, and whoever “wins” the kitchen machines loses in reality.
| Item | Typical second-hand value |
|---|---|
| Ordinary furniture (sofa, dining table, bed) | 10–30 % of the price as new |
| IKEA and cheaper furniture | 5–20 % of the price as new |
| Electronics over 3–4 years old | 10–25 % of the price as new, falling fast |
| Working white goods | £50–£300 regardless of the price as new |
| Design classics (Eames, Wegner, etc.) | 30–70 % – always check the market |
| Books, kitchenware, textiles | Near zero in money – often high emotional value |
| Art, antiques, silver, jewellery, watches | Unpredictable – from nothing to a great deal. Investigate! |
Bring in a professional when a misjudgement could mean thousands: signed art, antiques, jewellery and watches, hallmarked silver, collections, oriental rugs. Signs that should make you look twice: signatures and hallmarks, known maker names, craftsmanship from before about 1950, and items the family has always referred to as “valuable”. A valuation typically costs a modest fee – cheap insurance against the £8,000 painting being valued as “picture, £50”.
1. Search eBay sold listings. See what equivalent items have actually sold for – asking prices often sit well above what is achieved.
2. Check auction level for the special pieces. Barnebys (a search engine across auction houses) and your local salerooms show what antiques and art actually fetch.
3. Be consistent. What matters most is not that every value is perfect, but that the same yardstick is used for everything – then the balance between the parties comes out right.
4. Or let AI do the rough work. The Boet app suggests an indicative second-hand value from a photo: it identifies the item, checks price levels on marketplaces and auction sources, and shows the links the estimate is based on – so you can verify every number.
Second-hand value (market value). Price as new and insurance value are misleading in a division – they measure something other than what the things are actually worth today.
Ordinary used furniture typically sells for 10–30 % of the price as new. A £2,000 sofa usually changes hands for £200–£500 used. Brand names and design hold up better; wear pulls value down fast.
Find 2–3 comparable listings together, or get a single-item appraisal. And remember: if the same yardstick is used for everything, small deviations even out in the total balance.
Not in money – but it should count in the division. Methods with emotion points (as in Boet) let the person who cares most about the photo album win it, without upsetting the money balance.
The Boet app
The AI identifies the item, checks marketplaces and auction sources, and shows the links it builds on. Verifiable, always editable.
Download on the App StoreAlso read: Dividing an estate: the five methods compared · Clearing the home: the right order
This guide is general information, not legal or appraisal advice. All percentages are indicative rules of thumb as of 2026 – actual market prices vary. For valuable single items, use a certified appraiser.