The Square Footage Calculation. It’s one of the most seemingly influential aspects of selecting your Florida home, yet it’s a mathematical function that sometimes seems a bit, well… “flexible” in terms of how different professionals in our industry calculate it.
Many times, when I talk with clients and ask them about the Florida home they wish to finance – they’ll eventually ask me whether there is a standard formula to calculate a home’s square footage?
It’s not uncommon to find varying square footage totals for the same property. For example, the Polk County, Florida Property Appraiser website may list a house as having 2,500 square feet, but a sales sheet for the same house may state that it has brochure will say the same house has 3,000 square feet. Do finished garages figure into the calculation? Are they considering the glassed in porch that was added last year? What about hallways? It all seems a bit confusing – and it’s sometimes difficult to tell which source to consider most credible.
Now, I don’t think that the there is some sort of conspiracy out there to purposely confuse you or lead you astray when it comes to accurately figuring your Florida home’s square footage. However, I do believe that different professionals calculate square footage in different ways.
Different Ways to Calculate Square Footage
According to a Realtor.com article on the subject, The American National Standards Institute has developed the only formal method for measuring square footage – the ANSI Z765-2003 method. Jeff Patterson, owner of Residential Appraisals in Alfred, Maine does a great job of detailing this complicated standard.
Because of its exacting nature and the fact that each part of the ANSI standard must be followed in order for it to hold up, some builders, contractors, or other real estate professionals do not use it. However, through comments posted to a blog article written by D. Hamp Thomas – Carolina Appraisers & Real Estate, I happily found that many actually do subscribe to the ANSI method.
A lot of professionals use he American Measurement Standard. Hardly new, this standard dates back as far as the 1900s. Many real estate practitioners and builders use the AMS, so perhaps it makes sense to set it as the universal standard.
I’m still trying to find out what measurement standard most Florida appraisers and Realtors use. If you know, please comment here to share!
Outside, Inside, all Walkable Spaces? Which Way is Best?
Sometimes real estate appraisers measure the outside of a home to total up the gross living area. Using this method, a home that measures 40 feet by 30 feet would have a total square footage of 1,200 square feet. Because this measurement is taken from the outside of the home, the calculation includes hallways, closets and wall space.
In some cases, real estate agents might consider all finished “walkable” areas in their square footage calculations. Other times, real estate agents may turn to the square footage amounts listed in county tax records for use in their marketing materials.
This becomes a bit fuzzy, however, as many times these records will not include say – a home’s finished garage space that now serves as a living room. Realtors realize that this discrepancy may exist, and you will most often see a disclaimer on home listings that states that the square footage information provided is considered reliable but is in no way guaranteed. It may also say something to the effect of “Buyers are encouraged to verify square footage,” which may actually be your best bet.
If you find a Florida home you like, and you want square footage totals that mesh with your understanding of what “square footage” means – then it’s best to arrive on site yourself – with pencils, paper, calculator, and tape measure in hand!
I hope you found this post useful! As always, if you or anyone you know is in need of a local Florida mortgage broker, I’m your guy. Call me at 863-604-3019 or apply online for your Florida mortgage. We’ll keep you posted and let you know when it’s time to pull the trigger!
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It’s really quite simple, basic math. Whenever I go and do siding estimates I have to measure and figure out the exact square footage of the job to ensure a accurate price, plus 10% material overage. You basically want to measure L x W x H = X ( Length x height x witdth = x ). It would only become tricky to someone new trying to calculate dormers, gables, etc..
This is a very interesting point and thanks for explanation on ways that square footage can be measured. I’m not sure I’d ever have known about that type of thing. It is an important aspect when it comes to house buying though. No one wnats to take out a home loan thinking they are getting more than they actually are and paying a price to reflect the larger figure. Perhaps a quick course in using a measuring tape and making calculations is a good idea or at least take someone along who has these skills.
Do builders ever consider ceiling height or vaulted ceilings in square footage?