Inflated square footage?
Hi everyone, I bought a studio in 2001. It was listed and assessed at 400 square feet. I never took the time to actually measure the square footage myself until recently, and was surprised to learn the square footage is really closer to 325 square feet. Is this type of square footage inflation common when…
Hi everyone, I bought a studio in 2001. It was listed and assessed at 400 square feet. I never took the time to actually measure the square footage myself until recently, and was surprised to learn the square footage is really closer to 325 square feet. Is this type of square footage inflation common when selling? Any opinions/insight is appreciated. Thanks.
Not true, 2:05. How are you supposed to have a ballpark/average figure to determine a buying/selling price if you don’t know how large a space is. Give me a break.
I wonder why it really matters at all.
Isn’t the most important thing — CAN I LIVE IN THE USABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE? Does it provide me a comfortable living environment?
Using the square footage #s to validate your apartment really seems useless.
Thanks for the link, 1:00PM. The dozen “standards” listed prove just how insane this whole thing is.
thanks for the input! I have another friend who purchased a one bedroom co-op listed as 500 sq feet – the actual livable space is really 400 at most. It seems like the only true way to know your actual square footage to measure it yourself. And assume some padding when looking at for sale listings.
Real Estate Board of New York has set standards for calculating square footages as does BOMA.
http://www.buildingareameasurement.com/fams.htm
http://www.rebny.com/
It’s shocking to learn that there is no universal method for measuring square footage based SOLELY on USABLE space.
It’s relatively easy for an architect to provide you with the actual square footage; and an architect has nothing to gain from inflating the number.
The NY Times did an article about this very subject a few months back, and what they found is that there is no universal method used to measure SF, nor do any laws seem to be enforced to ensure that sellers/developers/realtors get it right. Recently some new condo owner sued a developer in downtown BK for misrepresenting the SF on pre-construction blueprints. The actual SF once the condo was built turned out to be a good deal less than was on the floorplan – will be interesting to track that story.
I think many condos measure to the outside edge of the exterior wall (which can easily add a foot more unusable space X whatever length) and also include the common space shared among units, including hallways. They often tell you they are not responsible for “cutouts” and “normal construction tolerances” but personally I think there should be a rule to only include measured space actually inside the unit.
and if this is is condo, you’re also paying for a portion of the mechanical duct shaft between apartments…and the plumbing chases in your kitchen/baths.