to know how to calculate square footage of a house Important for real estate investors. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a property, renovate an existing property, or need to measure rooms in a rental property for furniture placement, you need to know the square feet you’re working with. , how to calculate it.
This article will explore why calculating square footage is important and how to do it.
Why it’s important to calculate square footage
A square foot is the measured amount of flat space that covers an area. its measure is one foot x one foot (Or 12 Inch * 12 Inchequals 144 square inches), which means that if you have a 100-square-foot bedroom, you can divide it into 100 equal squares.
Regardless of your reasoning, you need to know how to calculate square feet under footing. Even a slight shutdown can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here are some reasons:
- identifying fair market valueSquare footage is a key indicator of a property’s fair market value. When selling a home, you need to know what comparable homes are worth in your area. If the average home price per square foot in your neighborhood is $200 and your measurement is less than 10 feet, you can depreciate your property by $2,000.
- tax assessment: If you think your property’s assessed value is too high, you can calculate the square footage to see if your numbers match the appraiser’s. If your number is low, you can dispute the assessment and save money on property taxes.
- RepairsRenovation: If you’re renovating your home or rental property, you need to calculate the square footage of the areas you’re rehabbing. This calculation will give you an idea of how much material to buy and ensure that your new furniture and equipment will fit and function properly.
how to calculate square footage
You can measure square footage with just a few basic supplies:
- tape measure
- paper and pencil
- The calculator
Start by sketching out your space and labeling each room you need to measure. Mark the hallways, foyers, and vestibules as your rooms. If your property has more than one floor, sketch each individual floor. Your sketch doesn’t have to be perfectly proportioned, but the more accurate you are, the better.
Next, measure the length and width of each room, and multiply these numbers together. For example, if your master bathroom is 10 feet long and 15 feet wide, its square footage is 150 feet. Record the length, width and total of each room you measure.
After measuring each room, add all the measurements together to get the total square footage of your property.
Calculating square footage in different room types
In a dream scenario, your property is either a perfect square or rectangle with no additional calculations or omissions required. This is not the case with most properties.
closets or rooms with fixed fixtures
Some closets and fixtures are built to fit the contours of a room. This will require you to divide the room into distinct areas, especially as you will need to work when installing new floors. Assumes that these are separate entities and measures each separately. Next, calculate the overall square footage of the room including closets and fixed fixtures, then subtract them from the total square footage to identify how much space you’re working with.
odd shaped rooms
Not every room is a square or a rectangle. Rooms with unique shapes can present a challenge when you’re trying to determine their square footage. If you try to measure area with a calculator it will probably be wrong. You should be as precise as possible.
The simplest way to measure these rooms is to divide them into regular sizes. You probably won’t be able to break each area down into squares and rectangles, but you should be able to break it down into easily measurable shapes, such as triangles. After dividing the room and getting the square footage of each shape within it, add them all up to identify the total square footage.
What is usable square footage?
Simply put, usable square footage is how much space you have to use. This includes all the floor space available within your walls. If you can put flooring down on it, such as carpet, tile, or hardwood, then that’s usable square footage.
what not to include in your calculation
Not all interior portions of your property are included in your square footage. When taking measurements, exclude areas in which you cannot walk or live. For example, don’t include your crawl space in your square footage calculation.
Here’s what’s usually excluded:
- garage: While you can use them for storage and car parking, people don’t usually live in them.
- basementBasements: Even when finished, basements are often excluded because they are considered below grade (below ground level). However, some states will count it as part of your overall square footage if you can safely enter and exit it.
- AtticUnfinished attics are not counted in the square feet of your property. However, if they are finished and meet certain regulations (e.g., minimum ceiling height), they can be included in your total square footage.
conclusion
When ordering flooring materials, give yourself room for error by ordering 10% more than you need. For example, if you’re resurfacing your 100-square-foot kitchen floor, order 110 square feet of tile. It won’t cost much, but it could save you a big headache.
A professional appraiser or flooring specialist will charge you a few hundred for this service, but you can save more if it’s wrong. Also, even if you’ve carefully calculated your home’s total square footage, it doesn’t hurt to ask a professional to double-check your work—especially if your property has oddly shaped rooms and fixed fixtures. . If you want peace of mind and a job done right, check out our contractors page and find an expert near you.
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Note by BigPockets: These are the views expressed by the author and do not necessarily represent the views of BigPockets.
