DVF: France's real property sales database

For years, buyers in France navigated blind, looking at asking prices disconnected from actual deals. The DVF database, published by France's tax authority (DGFiP), changes that: you now know the real price of every property mutation. Here's what's in the dataset, what it doesn't tell you, and how BienCheck turns it into an honest valuation.

Official DGFiP sourceOpen data24-month comparablesBuyer-side analysis

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What DVF contains

DVF stands for Demandes de Valeurs Foncières (property mutation declarations). It's the open dataset of every paid property transaction filed with France's land registry, covering metropolitan France and overseas territories (excluding Alsace-Moselle, which keeps its own cadastre).

Each row is a sale: date, price paid net of notary fees, property type (house, flat, land), built surface, plot surface, room count, and cadastral location. Coverage starts in 2014 and rolls forward to the last 5 years.

DVF is published twice a year by the DGFiP. The dataset is cleaned and versioned, but doesn't include photos, condition or the negotiations that led to signing. It's a real price, not the full story.

Where the data comes from

On every sale, the notary files the deed with the tax authority. That tax filing, stripped of personal data, feeds DVF. The price is the actual amount paid, net of notary fees but usually including the estate-agent commission.

DGFiP publishes the dataset on data.gouv.fr as raw open data. Several intermediaries (Etalab, DataFoncier, the BAN-linked DVF API) make it more usable, but the official source remains DGFiP.

BienCheck reads DVF through the official feeds and cleans it: removing duplicate sales of the same property, excluding inconsistent prices (disguised gifts, intra-family sales), grouping by typology (house, flat, land).

Why DVF flips the buyer's position

Before DVF, you knew what the seller was asking. With DVF, you know what others actually paid. That gap changes everything in negotiation.

When buying

Compare the asking price to real sales over the last 24 months, same typology, within walking distance. Negotiation room becomes obvious.

When selling

Set a defensible price built on recent comparables. Overpricing leads to months of stagnation and a forced cut later.

For rental investment

Cross DVF purchase prices with average rents to compute a realistic net yield, not the optimistic one in the listing.

On financing

A bank that sees your offer aligned with local DVF validates the file faster. An overpriced offer worries the bank's expert.

On insurance

Rebuild value is set by the insurer, but DVF helps sanity-check a credible replacement value.

On works

Comparing a renovated home to an unrenovated one in the same street gives a clear ROI signal for renovation projects.

On resale

Looking at DVF history clarifies the area's real trajectory. A neighbourhood with 5 years of steady growth is a strong signal.

How BienCheck uses DVF

For every analysed address, BienCheck builds a comparable circle: same typology (house or flat), same surface bracket (±20%), 24-month window, radius scaled to urban density (250 m in city centres, up to 5 km in rural areas).

We then compute the median and interquartile range (Q1–Q3) in €/sqm net of notary fees. The median anchors a neutral price; the range tells you how dispersed the area is. The wider the range, the more a property's value depends on fine details (floor, view, condition).

BienCheck's recommended price is then adjusted by the other report signals: EPC (ADEME), risks (Géorisques), declared condition. Negotiation room is quantified, with sources to back it.

A DVF price never replaces a full analysis. It's one of three pillars in the report, alongside EPC and risks. Everything rests on the cross-check.

Common mistakes around DVF

Mixing sale prices and asking prices
DVF gives the paid price. Portals show the asking price. The average gap is 4–8% in France, but it varies sharply by market.
Comparing a flat to a house
Both markets behave differently. BienCheck always splits them.
Ignoring outlier surfaces
A €12,000/sqm sale on a 22 sqm studio skews any 3-bed analysis. BienCheck filters these out.
Reading a raw average
The average is sensitive to extremes. The median is more reliable, and the interquartile range tells you what you need to know about dispersion.
Forgetting inflation and seasonality
A 2022 sale and a 2024 sale aren't directly comparable. BienCheck weights by date.
Assuming DVF covers everything
Alsace-Moselle keeps its own cadastre and uses a different channel (land book). BienCheck flags it explicitly.

BienCheck reflexes

Always read dispersion, not just the median
A dispersed area means fine details matter a lot.
Filter to the last 24 months
Older sales can bias a fast-moving market.
Cross with EPC
A renovated home sold before the climate law isn't comparable to a class F sold in 2024.
Check the plot's history
A plot sold three times in five years often hides a story worth digging (dealer flip, division).
Ask for the property's origin of title
The notary can tell you the previous purchase price. DVF + origin gives an unbeatable read.
Add notary fees
DVF is net of notary fees. Add roughly 7.5–8% on existing homes, 3% on new builds, to compare with your full budget.

Buyer questions

Is DVF reliable?

Yes, it's the official source. The only gaps are Alsace-Moselle and a few off-market deals (disguised gifts, bulk sales).

Can I negotiate with a printed DVF extract?

Yes, and it works. A seller can't argue with eight real local sales. BienCheck generates that extract for you.

How long before a sale shows up?

Usually 3 to 6 months. Very recent sales may not be visible yet, which is why we look at a 24-month window.

How can I find a specific sale's details?

BienCheck provides it in the Premium report. Without subscription, you can also browse Etalab's DVF portal directly.

Are new builds in DVF?

Yes, as soon as they're sold, whether off-plan or completed. The price reflects the final amount.

Investor questions

Can I compute yield from DVF alone?

No. DVF gives the purchase price, not rents. Cross it with rent observatories or active listings to build a yield.

How do I spot a rising neighbourhood?

Look at the DVF median over 5 years, weighted by volume. A steady rise on stable volumes is a reliable signal.

Can property dealers be spotted in DVF?

Indirectly. A plot sold then resold within 2 years at a significant markup often hints at a flip.

Can DVF support arbitrage between cities?

Yes, that's one of its best uses. Comparing median €/sqm, rental tension and average EPC gives a clear map.

Are plots included?

Yes, with €/sqm of land. Very useful to evaluate a future build or land division.

Owner questions

Can I find out what my neighbour sold for?

Yes, via the public DVF portals, by searching the plot or address. It's legally public data.

How do I price my sale with DVF?

Compare your home to 24-month sales of the same typology and similar surface, within a realistic radius. Aim for the median, then adjust for condition and EPC.

Does DVF include furniture?

The DVF price matches the deed, which may or may not include movables. If furniture is valued separately, it sits outside the property DVF figure.

My property doesn't show up, is that normal?

Likely if the sale is recent (under 6 months) or in Alsace-Moselle. If older, double-check the address or cadastral reference.

Does DVF affect my capital-gains tax?

Indirectly: the tax office can compare your price to DVF to spot under-valuations. Selling well below the median draws attention.

DVF glossary

DVF: France's open land-value database, published by the Ministry of Finance. Lists every property sale of the last 5 years with the real net-of-fees price.
DGFiP: France's tax authority. Publishes the DVF database from registered notary deeds.
Property mutation: Transfer of ownership (sale, gift, inheritance). Sales feed the DVF database.
Sale value: The price of a property as it appears on the notarised deed, before notary fees. Recorded in DVF.
Cadastral plot: Land unit identified in the French cadastre by a number and a town. The key linking DVF sales records to a precise piece of land.
Notary fees: Around 8% of the price for existing homes, 3% for new builds. 80% are transfer taxes, 20% are fees and disbursements.
INSEE code: 5-character official code assigned by INSEE to every French municipality. Essential to join public datasets.

DVF prices by territory

Browse by region, department or town to see the local market's real sale prices. DGFiP data, BienCheck reading.

Check the fair price of a specific home

BienCheck builds the DVF extract for your target, calculates the negotiation room and cross-checks EPC and risks.

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