When purchasing a home of your choice, eventually, the exact footprint does not matter. After all, a property with a large footprint that is outdated, neglected, or badly designed won’t command the highest sale price in the neighborhoods. Yet, being aware of a home’s square footage might assist you in determining whether or not the asking price fairly represents the value of the building.
It is astonishing to know that Canada lacks measuring standards for residential property as it does not have any standard of measurement. Depending on what you’re purchasing, where you’re buying it, and who you’re buying it from, determining residential square footage may fluctuate slightly. Since calculating square footage involves math, this contradiction is somewhat ludicrous. There is only one right response in this easy, uncomplicated process.
Evidently, there are wide variations because there are no guidelines on what to assess and how to measure it. Also, for real estate professionals, these discrepancies can make looking at and comparing the real estate for residential properties in Canada complex and challenging.
Why is it important to measure square footage?
Measuring the square footage of a home is important for several reasons:
Home Valuation: Square footage is one of the main factors that determine the value of a home. In general, a home’s value increases with size. Homeowners, realtors, and appraisers can all benefit from accurate square footage measurements when figuring out a home’s fair market worth.
Pricing: A home’s square footage is an important factor in pricing. A precise measurement is necessary to guarantee that the list price is adequate and reasonable because many sellers base their house prices on the square footage.
Space Planning: Measuring the square footage of a home can help homeowners plan how to best use the available space. It can help them decide on the size and placement of furniture, the number of rooms needed, and the potential for future renovations or additions.
Building Permits: In some areas, building permits are required for renovations or additions that exceed certain square footage. Accurately measuring the square footage of a home can help ensure that homeowners obtain the correct permits and avoid any legal issues.
How to calculate the room’s footage?
Determine the room’s length and width using a sellotape measure.
Multiply the length by the breadth to get the area in square feet. A room with length of 12 feet and breadth of 10 feet probably consists of 120 square feet in total (12 x 10 = 120).
Rooms with irregular shapes are usually divided into smaller pieces. This helps in determining the square footage of each piece or shape. Lastly, you can add all individual figures to get the total square footage.
In order to measure the entire home, its best to start by individually calculating the square footage of all available rooms. Now, you can easily add all individual figures to get the total square footage.
It’s important to know that while determining square footage of any house, you only count the living space; any unfinished space or garage are not counted. To ensure accuracy, it’s a good idea to measure each room twice.
You can even hire professionals. Experts and businesses that specialize in square footage can immediately offer accurate measurements for each space as well as other tools like master floor plans.
Secondly, you can use square footage specialists, and companies may provide precise dimensions for each space right away in addition to additional resources like master floor plans and other tools.
What to Include in a Home’s Square Footage?
In general, the following characteristics of a room can be taken into account when calculating a room’s square footage:
Seven feet or more in the ceiling walls covered in plasterboard or any equivalent material:
• Flooring
• Cooling and heating
If they are finished, the following rooms normally contribute towards a home’s square footage:
• Family room
• Kitchen
• Dining area
• Bathrooms
• Bedrooms
• Porch with air conditioning and heating (if applicable)
The home’s unfinished and below-grade spaces that we do not count towards the square footage include:
• Garage
• Rooms in attics with sloped ceilings
• Basement (completed or unfinished) (finished or unfinished)
• Distinct storage spaces, such as sheds
• Guesthouse with a pool
• Carriage homes, lane houses, or detached in-law suites.
Do not see these omissions as a drawback or a reduction in the worth of your house. In order to ensure that any official records only represent true above-grade, livable space, it is always a good practice to measure, record, and advertise all finished livable space.
Final Reflections
It can be difficult to locate accurate home square footage measures in Canada. Due to the fact that square footage frequently determines the relative worth of homes, inaccurate measurements might result in miscommunications between property buyers and sellers.
While buying a house, educate yourself on how to protect yourself. For the best and most informed choice, confirm the square footage dimensions. After all, purchasing a home is one of your major financial investments.
