How much is my home worth? Five ways to price a property in Spain

Before putting a home on the market, every owner asks the same question: how much is my home worth? There are five ways to answer it, free or paid, and they do not measure the same thing. Knowing them avoids the costliest mistake in a sale: going to market at a price buyers will not pay.

1. Property portals

Comparing similar homes for sale in your area gives a first idea, quick and free. But these are asking prices, not sale prices: many listings stay online for months precisely because they are above the market. Watch the homes that disappear quickly from the portals, not the ones that stay.

2. Real notary prices

The Portal Estadístico del Notariado (penotariado.com) publishes, free of charge, the real prices signed at notaries over the last twelve months, with the average price per square metre by area and even by street. It is the best public reference for what people actually pay, although it mixes homes in very different condition.

3. The Catastro reference value

Since 1 January 2022, the Dirección General del Catastro sets a reference value for every property, calculated from real sales and available on its website. It is not the market price of your particular home, but it has tax consequences: it is the minimum base for the transfer tax the buyer pays (ITP) and for inheritance and gift tax.

4. A bank valuation (tasación)

A bank valuation (tasación) is carried out by a firm approved by the Bank of Spain, and it is what the buyer's bank requires to grant a mortgage. It costs between 250 and 500 euros on average depending on size and location. It is cautious by nature and often lands below market price in high-demand areas.

5. An agency valuation

An agency that sells in your area compares your home with the sales it has closed and the buyers it is working with: condition, floor, orientation, views, building. It is free and it is the closest to the price your home will actually fetch, as long as it rests on data rather than the promise of a high price to win the listing.

What moves the price

For the same floor area, four factors move the price: the exact location (street, floor, views), the condition (renovated or to renovate), energy performance and the legal situation (charges, tenants, cédula de habitabilidad). A good asking price takes all four into account.

The asking price

A well-priced home gets viewings in the first weeks, when the most buyers discover it. If it goes out too high, it sits on the portals, loses interest and ends up selling below what a fair price would have achieved from the start.

At Alveo Properties the valuation is free and done by a local advisor, by phone, by video call or at your home. We show you which real sales we compare your home with.