Minimum value
The minimum value is the threshold below which no bid is accepted — in a first phase it is typically 85% of the base value.
What it is, why it matters when bidding, and a worked example.
The minimum value protects the case from sales manifestly below the assessed value. A lower bid is simply invalid, and an auction where nobody reaches the minimum fails. It is always stated in the notice, and it is the number that matters when budgeting — the base value is context, the minimum value is the entry ticket.
When an auction fails, the case can move to a new phase with a reduced minimum. That is why it pays to follow a property that did not sell first time: the second or third phase is frequently where the discount appears that the first did not offer. The reduction is neither automatic nor uniform; it depends on the case and on the decision of the enforcement agent or the court.
In sealed-bid sales the minimum plays a different role: with no visible incremental bidding, each party submits a single figure and the minimum is the only public anchor. Bids below it are rejected without being considered.
Example
A house with a base value of €200,000 opens with a minimum of €170,000. Nobody bids and the auction fails. In a second phase the minimum falls to around €130,000 — and it is that phase, not the first, that offers a discount large enough to absorb acquisition costs and works.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bid below the minimum value?
No. A bid below the minimum is not accepted. If no bid reaches it, the auction fails and the case may reopen with a lower minimum.
Why is the minimum 85% of the base value?
That is the usual reference in the first phase of an enforcement sale. In later phases, and in other formats, the percentage varies — always check the notice for the specific case.
Related terms
Go deeper
Enforcement, insolvency and tax sales: who runs them, what values and what deadlines.
Read the full guide