Almost every heir conflict starts with a number: the value of the house. Whoever wants to keep it sees it low; whoever wants to sell sees it high; whoever lives abroad doesn't know whom to trust. A solid, early, methodical valuation is half the family agreement.
The three "values" you will meet
- The tax value (VPT) on the caderneta predial — often far below market; it drives taxes, not negotiations;
- The market value — what a buyer would pay today, based on location, condition and real comparables;
- The auction value — judicial sales start discounted and often stay there. It is the scenario the new law's amicable window lets you avoid.
Valuing from abroad: the method
- Online comparables (Portuguese property portals) — useful but inflated by asking prices;
- Official price-per-square-metre statistics by parish;
- A local visit by an agent or surveyor — indispensable when condition matters (and after 15 shuttered years, it matters);
- Recent photos and video: the house is never as the family's summer memories left it.
Why the right number protects the family
At the division, an unrealistic value produces unfair equalisation payments and lasting resentment. In the new law's amicable window, arriving with an independent, documented valuation is the best way to reach a quick agreement — rather than letting a court-appointed expert decide for everyone.
The HERDA shortcut
The estate report includes an indicative valuation built on real comparables and, where needed, a local partner's visit with a photo report — the objective basis for the family's decision.