How we measure

Source

Every night the monitor reads the developers’ price lists of all new-build projects we offer, unit by unit: available, reserved or sold, and the price. We keep one position per project per day.

Taken

Taken means reserved or sold together: what is no longer for sale. A reservation can still fall through; the unit then comes back as available.

Counting net

What was taken in a period is the number of units that left the market in that period, minus those that came back as available, never below zero. We follow every unit separately for this, and only a unit that was for sale counts: when a developer moves a unit it held back (on hold, never for sale) straight to reserved, that is not a sale, and a reservation that goes back on hold is not back on the market. Statuses sometimes jump back and forth (available, on hold, reserved and back); counting net keeps that from counting as a sale. The pace is what was taken net over the last 28 days, divided by four.

The percentage in the opening sentence

What was taken net in the period, divided by what was available at the start, across all projects on that coast we were already following. Fastest is the town with at least three projects and the highest percentage.

Newly launched

A project is new when it first appeared in the price lists during the period. The first week we follow a coast does not count, or every existing project there would appear as new.

Price changes

Per project the average percentage change of the units whose price changed in the period (the latest change per unit, only between two real prices), from three units. We leave out jumps of more than 50%: that is almost always a revised price list. A unit that loses its price when it is reserved does not count as a price cut. Price changes appear on today’s position (the last 30 days) and not in the monthly file, so an edition never changes afterwards.

Higher floors, south aspect and terrace

We compare the price per m² within the same project, so that one expensive project in a single group does not skew the picture, and average those differences per town. Only apartments of 30 m² or more that are still available, and only with at least 20 units on each side. South is S, SW or SE against N, NE or NW; a terrace is large from 20 m².

By the sea

For resale homes we use what the seller states: on the beach (beachfront, front-line beach complex or beachside), close to the sea, or sea views. Compared with homes without any sea setting in the same town and of the same type, on average per m², only with at least 8 homes on each side. A statement, not a measurement.

Distance to the sea

The distance to the coast is a straight line to the nearest beach on OpenStreetMap. Within 2 km we calculate a real walking route over paths and streets to the nearest beach, there and back, including elevation. Easy walking means back within 15 minutes with at most a 30 m climb, walkable means back within 25 minutes with at most an 80 m climb. The price per m² is that of the cheapest available unit of 30 m² or more in each project, averaged per distance group.

Completion calendar

The year and quarter of completion from the developer’s details, with the units still available. Without a quarter a project counts under the year.

Monthly editions

Every completed month gets an edition as it stood on the last day, with the figures per project as CSV (semicolon separated). A project that is no longer in our listings also drops out of earlier editions.

Reuse

You may reuse the figures with a credit and a link to the New-Build Monitor.

The position today