How it works

Weights come from your order

Your priority order goes through a ladder that is steep at the top and flat at the bottom: 10, 7, 5, 3.5, 2, 1.5, 1, 0.8. The ladder is then normalised so the weights add to one. Six criteria produce roughly 34.5%, 24.1%, 17.2%, 12.1%, 6.9%, 5.2%. An even split would make the ranking meaningless. A steeper curve would make everything below second place decorative.

Anything you switch off leaves the model entirely. It is never weighted near zero, because a visible column carrying two per cent reads as though it was considered.

Scores are relative to the set

Each criterion is scaled zero to ten across the properties in the comparison only. Ten is the best in this set, zero is the worst in this set. Nine mediocre properties still produce a ten. The total is each sub score times its weight, summed, shown out of one hundred. Ties break by the order you listed the properties, so ranks are always unique.

The criteria

• PriceWhat it costs to buy. We use the middle of the price guide. Cheaper scores higher.
• BedroomsHow many bedrooms. More scores higher.
• Floor areaHow big it is inside, in square metres. If the listing does not say, we estimate and tell you.
• Distance to a place that mattersHow close it is to the place you name, in a straight line. Closer scores higher.
• Building facilitiesThings like a pool or gym in the building. Scored on the ones you would actually use.Scored only where a facilities list exists
• Car parkingHow many car spaces come with it. More scores higher.
• Ongoing feesThe fees you pay every quarter for the building's shared costs. Lower scores higher. Only shown where a listing gives a figure.
• BathroomsHow many bathrooms. More scores higher.
• Outdoor spaceWhether it has a balcony, terrace or courtyard of its own.
• StorageWhether it comes with a storage cage or storage room.
• Must haves seen in photosHow many of the things you said it must have we could actually see in the photos. Seen counts, not visible does not.Scored only where a facilities list exists
• Your rating of the lookThe hearts you gave each one after looking at its photos. Your taste, not ours.Scored only where a facilities list exists

Every value shows where it came from

Verified

From a document you supplied. Not in this version.

Stated

You typed it.

Listed

From the portal's structured fields. For bedrooms, bathrooms, car spaces and floor area this is the value, always. The description never overrides it.

Found

From a comparable listing or public source. A fee found for one lot is evidence about the building's range, never the fee for a different lot.

Estimated

Our inference. Always italic with a dotted underline, so a guess can never be mistaken for a fact.

Distance

Distance is measured in a straight line to the place you named. A river, a coastline or a rail corridor is a line, so it is measured to the nearest point on that line rather than to a single map pin. Walking is always longer, sometimes considerably so where a road, river or rail line forces a detour.

What is not here yet

Photo and floorplan reading is live, switched on under any ranking. Section 32 and fee notice upload is live on every property page. Commute time and cost come next, then saved comparisons. Each one is added only where it visibly changes the report.