1. Why these houses are hard to split
The pattern is common: a father builds a ground floor, then a first floor for one son, then a second for another. An outside staircase is added, a door is cut through, a kitchen is fitted on each level. When he dies, the house is held in undivided ownershipby all the heirs, even though each already treats "their" floor as their own.
The difficulty is that the family thinks floor by floor while the property is legally a single asset. If the levels were never formally separated, nobody owns a floor: each heir holds a share of the whole. A split therefore needs two things: a price for the whole, and a fair way to spread that price across the floors.
On the split itself, see our guide to dividing undivided property. This article deals with the step that comes first: knowing what the house is worth.
2. The overall value: one starting point
The appraiser starts with the house as a whole. He records the plot area, the built area of each floor, age, general condition, location and the property's place in its market. He then compares it with sales of similar properties nearby, adjusted for differences in size, condition and location.
This overall value is the reference figure. It does not depend on who lives where. An outside buyer would not pay more because a son has lived on the second floor for twenty years. The report gives a single value, argued, with the comparables and adjustments set out line by line.
Where the property lends itself to letting by floor, the appraiser can also test the figure against the rents each floor could earn. The two readings should meet; if they do not, the report explains why.
3. The value per floor: what makes one level differ from another
In a family house, floors are not automatically worth the same. The report separates them on precise criteria:
- Independent access. A floor with its own staircase and front door is easier to live in, let or sell separately than one that runs through the flat below.
- Condition. Finishes, waterproofing, water and electrical installations: a floor left at shell stage is not worth a habitable one.
- Area and ceiling height. Floors added later are sometimes smaller or lower than the original level.
- Roof terrace and shared areas. Who uses the roof, the courtyard, the garage? These uses are recorded because they weigh on the split.
- Compliance of each floor with the building permit (see below).
The appraiser does not invent a coefficient per floor. He turns each criterion into an adjustment based on observed sales or rents, then spreads the overall value across the floors. The floors always add up to the overall value: the report neither adds to nor takes from it.
4. Permit compliance, floor by floor
This is often the sensitive point. Many family houses were raised without a new permit, or on a permit that covered one floor only. The appraiser therefore compares three things: what stands on site, what the building permit says, and what the land title records.
| What is found | What the appraiser does |
|---|---|
| The floor appears in the permit and matches what is built | Valued as a normal floor. |
| The floor exists but the permit does not mention it | Described, then valued on a written basis: the property as authorised, with the existing floor shown separately. |
| The floor differs from the permit (area, use, number of units) | The gap is noted and the assumption behind the value is stated. |
| Documents are missing | The report says so and states what the figure assumes. |
The report gives no advice on regularisation: that is for an architect and the municipality. It only states what the situation changes for value and for a sale. For the general case, see non-compliant construction and how it enters the value.
5. One report, three uses between heirs
Once the overall value and the split by floor are set, the family has a common basis to decide:
- Split in kind. Each branch receives the floor it occupies, and value differences between floors are settled by a payment. This assumes the floors can actually be separated.
- Buy-out by one heir. The heir who wants to keep the house buys the others' shares on the basis of the overall value.
- Sale to a third party. The overall value serves as the reference price, and the split shows what each branch receives.
In all three cases the report binds no one: it is a documented basis, verifiable line by line, that every heir can check. When heirs dispute a figure, they can examine it item by item instead of arguing over a price announced without explanation.
6. Discounts linked to undivided ownership
A share in undivided ownership does not sell like a whole property: the buyer of a share buys a partial right, with no exclusive access. When heirs who want to keep the house settle among themselves, the reasoning is usually on the value of the whole property. If one of them sells his share to an outsider, the question of a discount arises and depends on the market. The gap is measured on comparable sales, not set by habit. We cover this in our article on discounts and abatements in undivided ownership.
7. What the appraiser asks you to gather
- The up-to-date land title or ownership certificate, and the inheritance deed.
- Plans and the building permit, where they exist, including for any added floors.
- A description of occupation: who lives on which floor, since when, with what access.
- Invoices or recollections of major works, useful for dating the floors.
- Access to every floor on the day of the visit.
An incomplete file is enough to begin. What is missing is stated in the report, with its effect on value. Fees start at 5,000 MAD excl. tax for a villa, quote within 24 hours, report in 5 to 8 working days. For the broader inheritance context, see our inheritance property valuation guide.
8. FAQ
Can you sell a single floor of a family house?
It depends on the legal position. If the floors were never formally separated, each heir holds a share of the whole, not a floor. Selling one floor on its own first requires a recognised separation, to be reviewed with a notary and an architect. The report states the value of the floor but does not settle that legal question.
Is each floor worth a third of a three-level house?
No. Floors are not automatically equal: independent access, condition, area, terrace and compliance set them apart. The appraiser spreads the overall value along those criteria, and the floors add up to the overall value.
Does a floor built without a permit count in the value?
The report describes the gap between what exists and what was authorised, then values on a written basis, generally the property as authorised, with the existing floor shown separately. The effect on price depends on the market and on the floor concerned.
Is an appraisal needed if all the heirs agree?
It is useful even with agreement: a documented figure prevents later doubt and serves as the basis for a buy-out or for balancing payments. It costs little against what is at stake, from 5,000 MAD excl. tax for a villa.
How long does the valuation take?
The report is delivered 5 to 8 working days after the visit and receipt of documents. Express handling is available in 48 to 72 hours, with a 20% surcharge at 72 hours and 30% at 48 hours.
A family house to split or buy out? Start from a common value.
RICS-certified experts. Argued overall value, split by floor, permit gaps described. Report in 5 to 8 working days, quote within 24 hours, from 5,000 MAD excl. tax for a villa.
Note:This article is methodological. It does not replace a notary's advice on the split, nor an architect's on the compliance of the construction. ReaConsult provides independent, non-judicial valuations: a report documents a value and binds no one.