How can you estimate a French property's value from its exact address (DVF prices of nearby sales)?

To estimate a French property's value from its exact address, compare its price per square metre with the sales actually completed around it, as published in France's public DVF database (Demandes de valeurs foncières, or "land value requests"). The address lets you pick the right sales: same street or neighbouring plots, same property type, similar size and recent date. The result is a comparison range, not a professional valuation.

Quick Answer: To estimate a French property from its exact address, open the government DVF explorer on data.gouv.fr, find recent sales on the same street or neighbouring plots, keep only properties of the same type and similar size, then compare prices per square metre. DVF says nothing about condition, renovation work or views.

Prices can change from one street to the next, so a district name is not enough. If the listing hides the address, FindAddressNow analyses the listing link to suggest a candidate address with coordinates, which you should cross-check against the listing and maps before relying on it.

What is the DVF database and what does a "valeur foncière" include?

DVF is published by the DGFiP (France's public finance directorate, which runs the tax administration) on data.gouv.fr, the national open data portal. It lists property sales from the last five years, based on notarial deeds and land registry (cadastre) records. For each sale it shows, among other fields, the date, the type of sale, the plot (parcelle), the type of premises (house, flat, outbuilding, commercial unit), the actual built floor area and the land area.

The "valeur foncière" is the price declared in the deed. According to the DVF file notice and the DVF app FAQ, it includes any VAT but excludes notary fees, agency fees paid by the buyer and furniture sold with the property. It is a "net vendeur" price (what the seller receives), so compare it with the listing's net seller price, never with a price "honoraires inclus" (agency fees included).

DVF contains no names, and its reuse conditions forbid identifying sellers or buyers: use it to judge a price, never to investigate people.

Which official tools show DVF prices today?

Four sources are useful (checked in October 2026, all in French):

The tax service sits in the personal "espace Finances publiques" account under "Autres services", so it needs a French tax login. According to impots.gouv.fr, it only displays sales that reflect market prices and gives no valuation: you adjust for the property's own features. Service-public.fr lists its uses as wealth tax on property (IFI), inheritance, gifts, tax audits, compulsory purchase and housing benefit.

The price per m² statistics on data.gouv.fr only use sales of a single property (outbuildings excluded) and drop prices above €100,000 per m², according to the published method. The plot map itself shows every sale, including unusual ones.

Which areas and years does DVF not cover?

As of 31 October 2026, data.gouv.fr offers files from the second half of 2021 to the first half of 2026 (update of 12 October 2026). The limits to know:

• Excluded areas: Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle, which use the separate Alsace-Moselle land register (livre foncier), plus Mayotte. The other French overseas departments are covered.
• Updated twice a year: in April (sales up to the end of December) and in October (sales up to the end of June). A sale signed in July 2026 will not appear before April 2027.
• Recent years are incomplete: the DVF FAQ notes that some recent sales may be missing, and even some sales from two to four years ago.
• Sales missing from the map: a renumbered plot or a merged municipality can hide sales from the map, although they remain in the raw files.

How do you compare a listing price with nearby sales, step by step?

1. Confirm the address and the plot. A candidate address must match the photos, the floor area and the cadastral map. Our guide to finding the cadastral parcel explains this check.
2. Open the DVF explorer on the address. Look at the property's plot, then at the plots on the same street. With fewer than three sales, widen the search to the cadastral section (a block of plots used by the land registry).
3. Keep the same property type. Houses with houses, flats with flats.
4. Keep a similar size. A margin of about 25% around the property's area gives useful comparables. This is a working rule, not an official standard.
5. Favour recent sales. Start with the last 24 months. For older sales, check the municipality's price trend first.
6. Work out each sale's price per m². Divide the valeur foncière by the actual built area. Drop deeds that cover several properties.
7. Take the median and apply it to the property's area. Compare the result with the listing's net seller price.
8. List the gaps you need explained. Ask the advertiser through the listing's contact channel.

What does an address-based estimate look like in a worked example?

Illustrative example: invented, rounded figures, no real address. A 120 m² house is listed at €312,000 net seller price, which is €2,600 per m². On the same street and neighbouring plots, the DVF explorer shows six sales:

The median of sales A, B and C is €2,400 per m². For 120 m², that gives about €288,000. The asking price is roughly 8% above this benchmark. That does not prove the house is overpriced; it gives you a list of questions. A new roof or a larger garden can explain the gap, and DVF does not show either.

To test the effect of the energy rating, our DPE by address tool (in French) searches the published energy performance certificates (DPE) from ADEME, the French environment agency, then lets you enter your own price per m² from your comparables. It applies an indicative adjustment based on the DPE class; it is neither a notary valuation nor a formal appraisal.

Which mistakes distort a DVF estimate?

• Mixing houses and flats: their prices per m² are not comparable.
• Keeping sales that are too old: a 2021 sale reflects a different market from a 2026 offer.
• Forgetting the land: a house sold with a large garden, or with a building plot in the same deed, inflates the price per built m².
• Ignoring outbuildings (dépendances): a garage, cellar or parking space sold with the home counts in the price but not in the built area. A garage sold on its own shows a very low price.
• Reading a repeated price as several sales: when one deed covers several units, the DVF notice says the total price is repeated on each line.
• Comparing an agency-fees-included price with DVF: remove the agency fees from the listing price first.
• Mixing up floor areas: DVF's actual built area is not the Carrez area (the legal floor area for flats in shared buildings) or the listed living area. Allow a small margin.
• Mixing new-build and resale: an off-plan sale (VEFA) follows a different market.

What can an address-based estimate not tell you?

DVF describes a past sale, not the property's condition today. It says nothing about:

• the interior condition, work done since the sale or work still needed;
• the view, orientation, noise or floor level (missing from the data, according to the DVF FAQ);
• the energy performance, which you check in the property's DPE;
• the health of the building's co-ownership (copropriété), easements or planning rules.

Annual running costs (property tax, service charges, energy) are a separate check: our guide to property taxes, building charges and DVF covers that step. Keep all your research remote: do not approach occupants or neighbours, and arrange any viewing through the advertiser.

When should you ask a notary or an estate agent?

Ask for a professional opinion in these cases:

• Fewer than three reliable comparables, even after widening to the cadastral section.
• An unusual property: large grounds, mixed-use building, historic house, converted premises.
• An area DVF does not cover: Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Moselle or Mayotte.
• A tax procedure: inheritance, gift or IFI, where the value must be justifiable.
• A large gap you cannot explain between your benchmark and the asking price.

A local estate agent can provide a written price opinion (avis de valeur); a notary (notaire, the public official who handles French property sales) or a property surveyor can carry out a formal valuation. Before making an offer, our pre-offer listing checklist completes this step.

Frequently asked questions

Does DVF show the sale price of a specific house?

Yes, if the house was sold during the covered period and its plot is correctly placed on the map. You will see the date, price and area, but no names. The reuse conditions forbid identifying sellers or buyers.

How many comparable sales do you need for a reliable estimate?

Aim for at least three recent sales of the same type and similar size; five to eight give a steadier median. With fewer than three, widen the area carefully or ask a professional.

Is a DVF comparison enough for an inheritance or a gift?

It is a starting point. Impots.gouv.fr states that the estimate must account for the property's own features, under your responsibility, and that a professional can help you refine it.

Does FindAddressNow give a price estimate?

No. FindAddressNow suggests a candidate address and coordinates from a listing link. The DPE by address tool then allows an indicative simulation with your own price per m², with no value as a formal appraisal.