The price per square metre looks like the easiest way to compare new developments. Yet one figure in a price list may apply to a ground-floor apartment paid for in full, while another may refer to a finished apartment or an instalment plan. Until the terms are aligned, the difference says little about the quality of the property.
The market, the district, the development and the chosen apartment all influence the price. To understand what the premium actually pays for, compare like with like first and only then assess the floor, layout, view and immediate surroundings.
Start by comparing equivalent offers
An advertised price may be available only for full payment, an instalment plan with a particular down payment or a time-limited promotion. Comparing one apartment at its full-payment price with another at the total cost under an instalment agreement produces a misleading result. Before calculating anything, confirm the full price, payment schedule, offer expiry date and any mandatory additional costs.
Check which floor area is used in the calculation as well. Balconies, terraces, storage rooms and parking spaces may be treated differently from one offer to another. The apartment’s condition also matters: completed finishes increase the purchase price but reduce the buyer’s later expenses. A fair comparison therefore uses apartments with the same specification or the total cost of purchase plus all work needed before moving in.
Timing matters too. Prices and promotions change, and a listing may be updated later than the developer’s current price sheet. For a practical comparison, request quotations on the same day and record the full contract value for each option. Only then divide it by a consistently measured floor area.
The market sets the background, not the price of one apartment
Demand, supply, financing costs and construction expenses all affect new-build prices. Average market movements, however, do not repeat identically in every development. According to the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, primary-market housing prices fell by 1.3% in Uzbek soums in 2025 but rose by 5.7% in US-dollar terms [1]. The same period looks different depending on the calculation currency, so a claim that “new-build prices always rise” is not a sufficient reason to buy.
Within the city, location largely establishes the starting price level. What matters is not the district name on a map but travel time to daily destinations, access to the metro and main roads, existing social infrastructure and plans for neighbouring sites. A home near a metro station may cost more, but the premium makes sense only for someone who will use that route. A straight-line distance is not very helpful if the walk follows an uncomfortable road or crosses a major interchange.
The construction stage also affects the offer. At launch, buyers usually have a wider choice of layouts and positions within the building, but uncertainty is greater and the wait is longer. As completion approaches, some risks and the time before moving in decrease; meanwhile, the most convenient apartments may already have been sold. Comparing an early-stage project with a nearly completed building on price per square metre alone is therefore misleading.
Why the price differs within the same building
Once the location, construction stage and payment terms have been aligned, the individual apartment comes into focus. Floor level, window orientation, view and proximity to lifts, the car-park entrance or a playground can all change the price. None carries a universal premium. A high floor may be valued for an open view, while the ground floor offers faster access and less reliance on lifts. West-facing windows receive more afternoon light but may make the apartment warmer in summer.
Floor area requires particular care. A larger apartment may have a lower price per square metre simply because its total price is affordable to fewer buyers. A compact apartment may cost more per square metre but require a smaller overall budget. Neither is automatically the better deal: the full purchase price and the amount of usable space matter more.
The layout may explain the difference better than the number of rooms. A short entrance hall with space for a wardrobe, well-proportioned rooms and few circulation areas provide more usable space. A long corridor or awkward door positions cost the same per square metre as a bedroom or kitchen. Alongside the standard figure, it can be useful to estimate the effective cost of the space you actually know how to furnish and use.
How to tell whether the premium is justified
Choose three actual apartments rather than the development’s average price. Record the full cost under the same payment method, floor area, handover date, floor and position within the building. Locate the windows on the master plan, test the layout with your furniture and map daily routes from the entrance. This usually reveals what the developer is charging extra for.
A useful order for comparison is:
- the full contract price and payment burden, rather than an advertised “from” price;
- the expected completion date, documents and handover terms;
- the apartment’s position, layout, daylight and possible noise;
- finally, the price per square metre as a control figure.
A higher price has a clear purpose if the apartment saves time every day, needs no layout changes and fits the household without uncomfortable compromises. If the difference rests only on an attractive visualisation or the development’s general status, it deserves another check.
Dreamland Development publishes current layouts and purchase methods for its projects [2]. For a precise comparison, request quotations for specific apartments: a project’s advertised “from” price shows the lowest available price but does not replace a full calculation for the chosen unit.
Sources
- [1] Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan — “Real Estate Market Analysis” for Q4 2025.
- [2] Dreamland Development — project map, layouts and purchase terms.
