Answers (1)

- Rick DeVoss
- Contributions:16
The size of a house can be measured in many different ways. It doesn't really matter who you quote; the question is "What do you want to do with it?"
Most people are only interested in the size of the heated/air conditioned living space. But you could measure the outside dimensions of a house, and get a "square footage" number. Be sure to subtract the garage.
The taxing authority is often quoted by Realtors, but can be wrong. Your lender's appraiser will do a competent job of measuring the house. But I have seen three different people measure a house and get three different numbers!
If you are the buyer, maybe you are more worried if your furniture will fit. Maybe you don't care about space in a stairway, or areas where you can't place furniture. If you are the seller, don't fall for the trap of trying to price your house based on its "square footage." Look closer at its ammenities, condition, and what similar houses are selling for nearby.
At the end of the day, what are you going to do with a statistic like "square footage"?
Most people are only interested in the size of the heated/air conditioned living space. But you could measure the outside dimensions of a house, and get a "square footage" number. Be sure to subtract the garage.
The taxing authority is often quoted by Realtors, but can be wrong. Your lender's appraiser will do a competent job of measuring the house. But I have seen three different people measure a house and get three different numbers!
If you are the buyer, maybe you are more worried if your furniture will fit. Maybe you don't care about space in a stairway, or areas where you can't place furniture. If you are the seller, don't fall for the trap of trying to price your house based on its "square footage." Look closer at its ammenities, condition, and what similar houses are selling for nearby.
At the end of the day, what are you going to do with a statistic like "square footage"?






The square footage posted is not what is in the appraisal. How is square footage determined? What do
Stating a discriminatory preference in an advertisement for housing is illegal. If you think this content is discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate and feel it should be removed from Zillow, please let us know by completing the information above.
We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.