How to Value a House or Apartment in Uganda

How do I know a house price is fair?

You do not know from the asking price. A fair price is what a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree for that property, on the open market, with no pressure. You approach it from three sides: what similar properties are asking and selling for, what the property would cost to replace, and what income it could earn. For a family home, the first side matters most.

The method is simple, and a valuer follows the same steps:

1. Pick three to five comparable properties: same area, same type, similar size and age, and the same kind of title.
2. Write down their asking prices, and where you can learn them, their agreed prices. Agreed prices are usually lower than asking prices, so ask agents what recently closed.
3. Adjust for differences: more bedrooms, a bigger plot, a better road, newer finishes, a boy's quarter, a leasehold title with few years left.
4. Reach a range, not a single number.

A Daily Monitor explainer quotes a valuer who calls the comparison method the most common one, with valuers looking at recently sold properties in the same area. It lists locality, state of repair and maintenance, and soil characteristics as what drives a house's value. This page applies the same approach to Ugandan listings. Before you rely on any number, see house prices in Kampala and Wakiso from our listings.

What are comparables, and where do I find them?

Comparables, or "comps", are properties close enough to yours that their prices tell you something. Sources are listings, agents, neighbours and valuers' records. Our listings are one source, with the caveat that they are asking prices, not sales. On 3 November 2026 our house listings included, for example, two five-bedroom houses on Mamerito Road in Kira with the same four bathrooms and the same private mailo tenure. One asked UGX 580M and the other UGX 900M. The cheaper listing did not state a plot size and the dearer one stated 18 decimals plus a guest wing (Land & Property listings, Nov 2026). That gap shows why you need to know what is behind a price: plot size, finish, extra rooms and condition.

Compare like with like. A house in an estate, a standalone house, and a "2 in 1" house are different products. For a wider view of areas, read apartment or house in Kampala.

What is price per square metre, and when does it work?

Price per square metre is the asking price divided by the built area in square metres. It works best for apartments and condominium units, where you buy the floor area and a share of common property and not much land. It works badly for houses, because the price of a house includes land, and land is priced by the decimal or the plot.

Here is a case from our own listings. A condominium development in Masoli, Gayaza Road, advertised these sizes and prices on 3 November 2026 (Land & Property listings, Nov 2026):

The figures line up closely, which is what you expect in a single development priced by the same developer. They are asking prices for one project in one place and say nothing about Kololo or Naguru. For a house, the same arithmetic misleads. A two-in-one house in Kisaasi, listed at UGX 350M with 150 m2 of building on 15 decimals of land, comes to about UGX 2.3M per m2, but a large part of that price is land. Value the land separately, by the decimal and the neighbourhood, and the building by what it would cost to rebuild less depreciation, or compare with houses of similar land and size. Do not compare a house's price per square metre with an apartment's.

What is the difference between bank, government and market value?

Different people value for different purposes, so one property can have several values at once. None of them replaces your own check of the price.

Two consequences follow. First, a bank valuation that comes in below your price does not mean you overpaid. It may only reflect a forced sale basis, but the bank will lend against its figure, so you may have to find the difference in cash. Housing Finance Bank's FAQ shows its valuation fee schedule and says the stamp duty on transfer is 1.5% of the property's open market value. The fee schedule in that older FAQ was UGX 400,000 for properties up to UGX 500M, UGX 800,000 from UGX 500M to UGX 1B, and 0.1% of value above UGX 1B. Confirm current fees with the bank, as of November 2026. Second, a government valuation is a tax step, not a price guarantee. The Ministry's guidance puts stamp duty at 1.5% of the total value of the consideration. Because stamp duty is assessed after the Ministry's valuation, declaring a low price in the agreement may not lower the duty. Use an advocate.

Who should value my property, and what should I ask for?

Hire a registered valuer, and pay for the report yourself if you want an independent view. The Daily Monitor explainer recommends registered valuation surveyors, especially when buying, selling or using property as security, and says the surveyors' registration board publishes a yearly list of those authorised to value property. Ask the valuer to show registration for the current year, rather than relying on a business card.

Ask for a written report that states:

• The basis of value (market value, or forced sale value) and the date.
• The comparables used, with their prices and sources.
• Land area, building area and how each was measured.
• The title details checked, and any assumption about permits.
• Condition notes and anything the valuer could not inspect.

A valuer is not a lawyer. A valuation on a property with a defective title is only as good as the title. Run the legal checks in parallel. If you are buying with a mortgage, the bank's valuation, the legal work and the insurance are all steps in buying a house with a mortgage.

How should I value an off-plan or new unit?

New units are priced by the developer, so comparables are other new units, not resales. Compare by price per square metre inside the same project and with nearby projects, and compare payment terms, because a flexible plan can hide a higher price. Several of our own condominium listings are priced in US dollars, with the shilling figure calculated by the seller, so state the exchange rate you assume. For the contract and staged payments, read buying an apartment off plan in Uganda. At handover, protect the value of what you paid for with the snag list for new homes.

The forest page how much is my eucalyptus worth uses a different method because trees are valued by volume, age and market, not by comparable homes. The idea is the same, though: never pay a price you cannot explain from evidence.

What should I do next?

Collect three comparables for the house you like, run the table above, and get a registered valuer's report before you pay a deposit. Then browse house listings to see how sellers describe size, tenure and price, and book an escorted site visit to check the house against the listing. Our homes and condominiums guide gives the wider picture on titles and typical prices.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• House Prices in Kampala and Wakiso (Our Listings)
• Apartment or House in Kampala: Which Is the Better Buy?
• Buying an Apartment Off Plan in Uganda: 12 Checks
• Handover Snag List for New Homes
• How Much Is My Eucalyptus Worth?
• Homes and Condominiums for Sale in Uganda