How Big (in Square Feet) Is Your Home?


How Big (in Square Feet) Is Your Home?
By Scott Rogers • August 22, 2019
So -- are you trying to figure out the square footage of your home? Here are a few methods that are NOT necessarily going to give you the correct answer.... Check the tax records to see how much square footage the City / County believes you have in your home. Measure the square footage of each room and hallway and add it all up. So, how do you really measure square footage? It starts outside the home! You'll need to measure the exterior dimensions of each level of your home -- and then subtract any open areas, such as the open space above a foyer. This measurement method, as odd as it may be, is what is used by nearly every appraiser, as it is how "gross living area" is defined by Fannie Mae, HUD, FHA, ERC and ANSI. As such, it is important that you're measuring the square footage of your home in the same way that nearly every appraiser and Realtor would be measuring it, so that you're comparing apples to apples when comparing the size (SF) of your home to another home that has sold or that is on the market for sale. And here's why I consider it to be an odd way to measure square footage.... WALLS: I don't know anyone that lives inside of the their walls -- but by measuring the exterior dimensions of your home, you are including the square footage that is inside the interior and exterior walls of your home. As a side note -- this makes a home with an open floor plan slightly more spacious than a home with lots of separate rooms -- because the home with the open floor plan has less 'lost" square footage inside of interior walls of the home. STAIRS: I don't know anyone who spends meaningful parts of their day on the stairs between levels of their home -- but by measuring the exterior dimensions of your home, you are including the square footage that is in the stairwell of your home. As a side note -- this makes a 2000 SF ranch style home slightly more spacious than a 2000 SF colonial home -- because the ranch style home does not have any "lost" square footage in a stairwell. While the City and County measurements for tax assessment purposes are often very accurate, it is often a good to double check the square footage of your home when we're putting it on the market for sale. Receive Updates by Email Recent Articles: There Are Plenty Of Types Of Houses That Exist That Just Are Not Available To Purchase Home Sales By Price Range In The City Of Harrisonburg Are You Compromising On Aspects Of Your Next Home That You Can Or Cannot Change Later? How Much Slower Are The Winter Months In Our Local Housing Market? Rockingham County and New Home Sales Drive Surge in Area Housing Market Find The Balance Between Optimistic And Realistic Home Pricing Room Size Is Difficult To Understand Solely From Real Estate Photos How Much Would You Value Not Having To Prepare Your Home For Showings? One Out Of Four Homes Is Taking Longer Than A Month To Sell Consider The Cost Of Your Planned Renovations When Planning Your Offer
Have any questions? Contact Scott Rogers at 540-578-0102 or scott@funkhousergroup.com
Based on information from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS® or its MLS, for the period Jan 1, 2000 through Nov 21, 2024 (unless otherwise noted).
Comments (0) or Subscribe