- An asking price is not a verified purchase price.
- Comparability concerns legal status, use and quality as well as location and area.
- Every price correction and adjustment needs a traceable basis.
Which data support the approach?
§ 4 LBG identifies purchase prices actually achieved for comparable properties as the basis. Comparable cases largely agree in the circumstances that determine value; differences and changes in market conditions must be taken into account according to their effect. Contracts close in time and in comparable areas are relevant. Prices affected by unusual influences are only suitable if that influence can be identified and corrected.
The LBG applies directly in the proceedings specified in § 1. Beyond these, the following checks are a practical aid to scrutinising a private valuation or your own collection of comparables. An approach is supported by sufficient data, not merely by labelling the property an apartment or plot.
Foundations: RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes [1] · RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes [2]
First describe your own property clearly
Before searching, prepare a profile of the property to be valued. Record location, areas with definitions, construction type, condition, fittings, use, outdoor areas and known rights or encumbrances. For an apartment, include the floor and means of access; for a plot, the actual prerequisites for use. Only this target profile allows you to explain why a particular find is suitable.
Separate confirmed characteristics from unresolved questions. If, for example, vacant possession of your apartment remains unclear, comparable apartments available with vacant possession cannot resolve that question. A comparison matrix makes the gap visible and allows you to add the relevant documents.
Check every case against the same questions
Keep a separate data sheet for each comparable, including source and date. Also document excluded cases and the reason for exclusion. This shows whether the result came from a robust selection or merely a collection of particularly convenient prices.
| Check | Information required | Consequence of a gap |
|---|---|---|
| Price and scope | Contract price; garage, contents or additional areas included in the sale | Reference amount not yet comparable |
| Timing | Date the price was agreed | Time adjustment cannot be substantiated |
| Areas | Consistent definition and source | Prices per square metre may be distorted |
| Use and rights | Let or vacant; relevant encumbrances | Different economic starting point |
| Quality and location | Condition, fittings and specific surroundings | Justify differences or set the case aside |
Treat price components and characteristics separately
A price correction first establishes the same subject matter: if a purchase contract includes a separately priced parking space, it must be clear whether you are comparing the apartment with the parking space or only the apartment. An independently estimated amount for the parking space would already be an additional assumption. Use substantiated allocations; if these are unavailable, mark the package price as having limited analytical use.
Only then come adjustments for differences such as contract date, condition or location. There is no universally valid list of fixed percentages for these. Ask about the data basis and possible overlaps: a condition difference already adjusted for must not be deducted again under renovation needs. § 10 LBG requires such corrections and adjustments to be justified in the valuation report.
Foundations: RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes [3]
How the cases lead to a conclusion
More cases only help if their quality is adequate. An arithmetic average of very different properties conceals the real task. Ask for an explanation of which cases contribute most strongly to the result and why others are less informative. A narrow spread of figures does not prove comparability if all cases contain the same unrecognised distortion.
The final conclusion should show the extent of the data, significant adjustments and remaining uncertainty. If suitable sales are unavailable, an additional valuation perspective may be needed. Asking prices can describe the current competitive situation. They must remain labelled as such and must not silently enter the same analysis as prices already achieved.
For your own preparation, a short, properly evidenced list of comparables is usually more useful than numerous screenshots without dates or sources. Hand over the reasons for exclusion too. This allows a professional to continue where your own data run out.
Fictional adjustment of a package price
All the following figures and cases are invented. They demonstrate preparation for a comparison calculation and do not represent Vienna market prices.
- Case A concerns a 60-m² apartment and a parking space. The assumed contract states a total price of 312,000 euros and transparently allocates 12,000 euros of that to the parking space.
- For the intended comparison of the apartment without the parking space, 312,000 − 12,000 = 300,000 euros remains. Dividing by the verified 60 m² gives 5,000 euros per m².
- Case B also states 312,000 euros but includes an additional area without a traceable price allocation. For the time being, it is not used as an equivalent comparison per square metre.
- Case A still needs to be checked for timing, use and quality. The adjusted price per square metre is not applied directly to your own property.
The calculation establishes a comparable price basis. By itself, it provides neither a substantiated market adjustment nor the market value of the target property.
Your next assessment steps
Record what you have already clarified and which documents you still need.
Prepare a profile of the property being valued
Defines the characteristics that comparable cases should match.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Bring together plans, area evidence, contracts and inspection notes.
Document the price type and contract date
Distinguishes a completed transaction from a listing or later information.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Reliable transaction documents or an explicitly identified listing source.
Trace the package components
Prevents distorted reference amounts per square metre.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Have the contract and substantiated individual allocations checked.
Record adjustment justifications and exclusions
Makes the selection and the effect of differences verifiable.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Add the source, unresolved question and decision on treatment to the comparison matrix.
Reading and checking are possible without signing in. Your saved checklists are private under My area. The selection does not confirm a professional assessment of your property.
Sources and date
The following sources support this main article. For your specific property, current documents and the applicable conditions matter.
- RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des BundesProperty Valuation Act: § 4, sales comparison approach
- RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des BundesProperty Valuation Act: § 1, scope
- RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des BundesProperty Valuation Act: § 10, special requirements for the valuation report
Editorial date: 11/09/2026. Examples explain relationships and do not contain an individually prepared property valuation. Editorial work and sources.
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