We’re not saying it’s a competition. But you might be winning. Want to know if your home’s gaining value faster than a mate’s?

House prices have shot up at rates unseen since 2006 in the last two years. In April, the UK’s average house price reached £250,000 for the first time ever.

But not all homes and areas are equal.

Keen to find out if yours is a hot property?

Here are seven ways to tell if your place is winning in the house price race.

1. Keep an eye on their home

It’s not stalking. It’s keeping an eye on the market.

At Zoopla, you can get track any home to get the latest price estimate.

And you can see how its estimate has changed over the last two years.

Track as many homes as you like, any time you like, for as long as you like.

And we’ll send you the new price estimate every month.

Job done.

2. Track your home

Be proud. It’s yours and you love it. You might have put a lot of work into it.

And you must be wondering how your bricks and mortar is performing in value.

And if your area’s on the up? And if everyone wants a property like yours?

So tell us you own it.

We’ll show you the rest.

3. See what’s for sale nearby

Who doesn’t love a little nosy around the neighbours’ house?

Well, we can do better than that.

We can let you know the asking price of any home that comes up for sale in your area.

Or if they’re not for sale, we’ll show you what they last sold for. Whether it was last week or last decade.

After all, it just provides a good benchmark for yours, right?

4. Keep up with the housing market

It’s good to have a feel for what’s right when it comes to property.

The more you get to know the market, the more your instincts will take over when it comes to knowing what a home’s worth.

There’s no secret to it. It’s just about staying in the loop.

It’s a snapshot of what’s going on across the country. You’ll be a property expert in no time.

5. Find out what improvements they’ve made

As you run your fingers over their new marble kitchen worktops, you might be wondering how much value that work has added.

But what really ups the price of a home? A landscaped garden, a brand new bathroom or a kitchen extension?

6. Eye up their kerb appeal

A home that looks great from the outside could really give it the edge in the house price race.

It’s all down to that first impression.

But who’s dressed to impress, and who’s left dead in the water?

7. Suss out their home’s style

Major developers don’t get interior designers to stage their homes for nothing.

Stylish decor is thought to add up to 10% to a home’s value.

A few tweaks could help you edge ahead in the house price stakes.

8. Get an estate agent’s opinion

If you want to know exactly what your home’s worth, there’s only one way to know for sure.

We’ve got loads for you to choose from, and they’ll know your local market like the back of their hand.

They might even be able to choose a winner.