Micro-location: the factors that make the price
Property valuation distinguishes between macro-location and micro-location. The macro-location is the municipality: taxes, jobs, transport links, demand. The micro-location is the plot: sunlight, view, noise, slope position, neighbourhood, distance to public transport, school and shops. Two flats in the same neighbourhood can differ greatly in their micro-location, and that is exactly where the price differences arise that a buyer is willing to pay.
The problem: macro-location data is available everywhere. For the micro-location, the sales dossier usually contains a sentence like “sunny, quiet location with a beautiful view”. That is a claim, not evidence.
Document sunlight instead of describing it
Switzerland’s official 3D data can be used to calculate the sunlight at an address: the terrain and mountains from the elevation model, the neighbouring buildings from swissBUILDINGS3D, the trees from the laser-scanning point cloud. From this, SunPlot calculates every 10 minutes throughout the year whether the sun reaches the property, measured at the roof ridge of the building. The result is figures that belong in a dossier:
- Hours of sunshine on 21 December, 21 June and over the whole year.
- First and last sun of each day, as an annual chart.
- Share of mountains, terrain, buildings and trees in the shadow.
- View from every façade and floor, as a panoramic view with mountain names.
- Plus noise, public transport access, natural hazards, building zones and the solar potential of the roof.
In the sales dossier and in client meetings
The report is created on the computer and carries your own logo. It can be shared as a link, shown on a tablet or added to the sales dossier as a PDF. For prospective buyers, it answers the questions that come up at every viewing: when does the terrace get sun? What can you see from the balcony? Does the shadow come from the neighbouring house or from the mountain? How loud is it on the street side?
Use in practice
- Sales: documented sunlight and view as a selling point in the dossier and in the listing.
- Valuation: back up micro-location factors with figures instead of adjectives.
- Letting: make the sun and noise situation transparent before discussions arise.
- Comparison: two properties side by side, same calculation, same reference dates. Included in the subscription.
Subscription for firms
For regular reports there are two subscriptions with reports per month, your own logo and comparison reports. Details and prices are on the home page.
Short answers
What is part of a property’s micro-location?
Sunlight, view, noise, slope position, neighbourhood and the distance to public transport, school and shops. Unlike the macro-location, i.e. the municipality, the micro-location concerns the individual plot.
How do I document sunlight exposure in the sales dossier?
With a calculation from official 3D data: terrain, neighbouring buildings and trees. SunPlot provides hours of sunshine on the reference dates and over the year, the sources of shadow and the view from the façades, with your own logo, as a link, on a tablet or as a PDF.
Can estate agents compare several properties?
Yes, with a subscription. Two addresses are placed side by side with the same calculation and the same reference dates. With a single report, it is one property per report.