How is a flat valued? What actually counts
Two flats in the same building, same size, can be worth noticeably different amounts. Once you know what a valuer looks at, the gap stops being mysterious.
The method for flats
Almost always comparison. The valuer finds flats in your building or nearby that genuinely sold recently, then adjusts for how yours differs. Where no recent sale exists, land and building may be used instead, explained in how a valuer decides the number.
What moves the number most
- Area, measured properly. Not the brochure figure. This is where carpet, built up and super built up matter, covered in the area guide.
- Floor. In a building with lifts, higher floors often fetch more. Without a lift, higher floors fetch less. Ground floors vary, sometimes preferred by older buyers and discounted elsewhere.
- Facing and light. A flat with open views and good ventilation beats one facing a wall a few feet away.
- Age and condition of the building, not just your flat. Covered in does age reduce your flat's value.
- The society itself. Maintenance standards, lifts that work, power backup, security, parking. Buyers judge the building before they see the flat.
- Parking. A dedicated covered space is worth real money in most cities.
- Location within the locality. Distance from a metro, a school, a main road, and what is immediately next door.
What owners consistently overrate
Interiors. This is the hardest conversation we have. An expensive modular kitchen, imported fittings, a false ceiling. These help the flat sell faster, and they add far less to the value than they cost.
The reason is simple. The next buyer has their own taste and often removes what you installed. Buyers pay for space, light, location and building quality. They rarely pay you back for finishes.
The price a neighbour asked for. Asking prices are not sale prices. Registered transactions are what a valuer uses.
What the flat cost you. Historic cost has nothing to do with current value, in either direction.
What owners underrate
Paperwork. A clean chain, completed mutation, a share certificate in order, no society dues. These do not raise value above normal, but their absence reduces it, and it is the fastest way to lose a buyer.
The lift and the stairwell. Buyers form an impression of the building before they reach your door.
What raises value that is worth doing
Genuine, permanent improvements. Fixing dampness and structural problems. Regularising anything unauthorised. Getting the paperwork straight. More on this in what actually raises a home's value.
See our residential valuation service, or tell us about your flat.
Checked by Parish Rao, Chartered Engineer and Government Approved Valuer.
Page last checked on 25 August 2026.
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