How do Realtors determine the square footage of a house for listings? One method is to measure the exterior width and length of a single-story house. Another way is to use a tape measure to measure the interior dimensions of each room. Measuring the interior width and length is yet another method. It is a bit confusing. I thought you would measure each room’s interior area, including closet space, but what about stairs? Another source mentioned that living area square footage includes heated areas and interior walls, which means using the interior width and length including interior walls.
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If the property is a perfect rectangle, simply measure the length and width and multiply those two numbers together. For example, if your one-story house is 60 feet wide by 40 feet long, then your property is 2,400 square feet (60 x 40 = 2,400).
Simply put, square feet are calculated by multiplying the width by the length of a given room. Each room is then added up to get the total square feet of a house. Things can get complicated with add ons and other features that take away space from rooms.
I measure the exterior of my clients’ homes using a measuring tape to estimate the approximate square footage, accounting for a potential 10% error margin. For more complex exterior layouts, I refer to appraisals or other records to determine the square footage. I also inform clients that the measurements were not personally taken by me and advise them to verify the measurements independently. For interior measurements, I use an electric measurer, measuring each room separately by its width and length. I typically do not measure staircases unless they are a prominent feature of the house. Hope this information helps.
Realtors typically don’t calculate square footage themselves. They usually rely on tax records for this information and may also refer to previous data in the multiple listing service (MLS). For example, if a house was sold to the current owners with an additional 400 square feet of unpermitted space, this figure is often included in the sales documentation, with a note advising the buyer to verify.
If there are concerns about square footage, realtors might sometimes call in a real estate appraiser to measure the property. In many regions, appraisers will note if any square footage is unpermitted but appears to have been done professionally. This unpermitted square footage is given a value in the appraisal, although this value can vary.
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I do and I work as an agent, like many others out there who simply pass the coursework without really learning about Real Estate. I’ve encountered several, including some who are brokers.